With an important exhibition looming, the team at 4c Design was keen to have a visual model with some working functionality to present to the market on behalf of its client. Thanks to the efforts of Midas, the show’s visitors were not disappointed.
The project had not reached the functional prototype stage, which only left one option: to develop a professional block model that would offer a realistic visual representation of the product.
“We knew that early market feedback would be critical to the success of the project so we asked Midas to develop a ‘looks-like, feels-like’ block model,” explains design director William Mitchell. “We found out about Midas following a recommendation from an independent modelmaker, and were immediately impressed with their capability.”
Midas set about creating the photo-realistic block model of the self-tanning unit that the company machined from tooling board using its CNC machine tools. The exterior of the main compressor unit, which is around the size of a small suitcase, features a number of curved and freeform surfaces that required skilled machining.
Midas draws on a combination of technology and traditional skills to produce highly realistic and detailed engineering models. Materials such as composite tooling boards, low density foams, MDF, clear vacuum cast materials, hardwood and aluminium billet combined with a varied selection of paint finishes can all be used to produce the required result.
In addition to looking good, the self-tanning model unit also had to demonstrate some working functionality to help demonstrate the new look and capability of the spray system. As a result, Midas was asked to integrate a lifting lid into the model that would open sufficiently to take out the tanning spray gun housed within.
For the finish, Midas primed and painted the unit with a smooth metallic finish. Indeed, the company had to replicate a complex design that demanded multiple colours and graphics on both the main compressor unit and the accompanying trolley unit. All of the finishing was undertaken and completed in-house.
“We were very impressed with the prototyping capability of Midas, as well as their amazing facility and the rapid turnaround on this particular project,” says Mitchell.
He adds: “The feedback we had from the model at the show helped shape the design that we took forward into manufacture, so it was a really worthwhile exercise.”
To date, some 500 production units have been manufactured.
