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We Went Big

When BASF introduced the first Isopropanol-Azole free crop protection fungicide, they needed a clever way to show it off. But just how do you display a chemical compound liquid with impact?

Why not 3D print a giant 2 meter tall model of the molecular structure?

This was a challenge

Creating a giant molecular structure was no easy challenge. This thing was big, and we mean big! It was top heavy, awkwardly shaped, and to make things worse had to articulating components to demonstrate the molecules shape in both stable and unstable forms.

But we were pretty keen to take this on board and see what magic we could come up with. Given its size and shape there was no way this thing was going to stand up and support its own weight. It was also to be used at agricultural events so it need to be easy to disassemble and transport around.

The idea was to have a network of steel tubes hidden within the printed components providing structural support, with each differently coloured section being a separate removable piece. The sections would be keyed into the correct orientation for accurate positioning, and the internal tubes of different sizes would allow each piece to slot into one another. 

We started by fixing a steel tube to a plate that was bolted to the backside, and passed through a painted wooden base board. Each molecule section was printed in multiple parts, allowing a steel tube structure to be formed and welded into shape. The steel skeleton was then epoxied within the printed components and various finishing techniques were used to achieve the textured and coloured surfaces. We then reached out to our Adhere, our next door neighbor sign writer to top it off with a beautiful branded label.

Erecting the display is a daunting task, the precariously placed components canter levering back over themselves getting heavier as it grows. But all is well, she's sturdy, and what an impressive impact it makes standing in a field



 

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