330 million years old – our oldest clients yet!

It isn’t often that there is an opportunity to engage with something as old as 330 million years but that’s just what we have been doing recently with Scarborough Museums Trust and their new exhibition – Ancient Seas.

A 50 Kg ammonite!
The sculptural 50 Kg ammonite!

Having previously worked on other exhibition displays for the Trust we were approached by them with a requirement to provide display stands for a range of large and small fossils ranging in age from 330 million year crinoids to 65 million year old ammonites. The ammonites ware spectacular and include some that weigh in at 32 Kg and 50 Kg.

The largest ammonite had previously been displayed in a heavy duty forged steel clamp that wrapped around the fossil and was a considerable distraction from the elegance of the sculptural shape.

Our brief was to design and construct free-standing and wall mounted stands for the heaviest items without obscuring their shape and also to enable the stands to display related graphics.  We were also asked to provide dedicated clear Perspex stands for a range of other artefacts including fish, starfish, a crocodile skull and an ancient turtle shell.

We surveyed all the fossils and created templates around which we could build the dedicated supports.  To do this the templates were scanned and brought into SolidWorks where we could replicate the fossil profiles and develop support profiles to follow the fossil contours.

A freestanding ammonite support

The larger stands were constructed from birch plywood and were designed to allow the fossils to be embedded in the top panel for stability and security. The stands also had flat side panels for displaying graphics.   Finally the fossils were completely restrained by 10mm thick Perspex hold-downs which clamped the fossils in place without obscuring their appearance.

The smaller fossils were supported on clear Perspex stands that were either bonded together from specially shaped profiles or clipped together using interlocking panels.

Custom Perspex stands

Which all goes to show that innovative design can be applied as well to incredibly ancient applications as well as modern ones…

 

The Complete Beginners Guide to Squiggles

SquiggleWe have recently recorded a series of podcasts about Makersmith, our clients and our design and manufacturing processes. During one interview the interviewer said “So actually, you start with a squiggle and turn it into a real product?” – and of course the answer is “Yes, that’s exactly what we do…” but, like most things it isn’t quite as straightforward as that.  First you have to have to ask what is a squiggle?, where does a squiggle come from? and lots more besides:

What is a squiggle?

The Oxford Dictionary definition is “A short line that curls and loops in an irregular way.” That’s sort of it, but not quite, our squiggle is much more than this…

Our squiggle can be:

  • A very rough sketch of an idea on paper – or a paper napkin – or the back of your hand
  • A thought that you can just about describe – in your mind – or in the mind of your client
  • A shape that you have seen and that you can describe in space with your hands
  • Something drawn in the sand on a beach
  • A pattern that you have seen – the pine needles lying on a path, the waves on a beach, the texture of a fabric
  • A set of words that describe what you want

And once seen, squigglers can say “I want it like this”; it’s a starting point on a path of design…

Where does a squiggle come from?   

Yoga shapesIn your dreams… . Ideas do come from dreams, perhaps one of the most fundamental was Niels Bohr when he was inspired to describe the structure of the atom by a dream. You may dream of products, structures, shapes, landscapes, machines…

The world around us: the natural world contains so many complex shapes, so many simple shapes and they can all inspire new products, new forms for products, new structures and inspiring buildings.

Our man-made world: often one idea, one shape or form or function will inspire others as contrast or reaction.

Necessity: sometimes only one shape will work or will fit in a space – only one squiggle will do…

leaf pattern2Competition: “I want one like that” or “ I don’t want one like that” are both powerful drivers for creators of things

Clients: your clients have their own squiggles that they pass on to you. You end up with a whole pile of the things – it would be great if someone could take those from you and resolve the squiggles into something concrete…

Where does a squiggle go?

For us, squiggles always go somewhere; we are presented with a squiggle of thought, words or drawing and take it through a sometimes huge process to come out at the other end with a product – a thing – that the was the intention of the original squiggler.   And the say “ah yes, that is just what my squiggle meant…”

Sometimes along the way one squiggle gives rise to others as we generate and select ideas, but always the squiggles become more fully formed as tangible shapes, components and processes develop.

That’s where our expertise lies – in taking the squiggle and delivering the living product.

Do you have a squiggle?

There’s always something that you can put into a squiggle. Our clients rely on us to take their ideas forward from that squiggle to the end product, we also generate squiggles, idea, concepts of our own for clients.

If you have a squiggle or your business has a squiggle, get in touch -we can make your squiggle live!lightbulb water

https://www.makersmith.works/

The Unconventional Guide to Client Projects

The types of projects that we undertake at Makersmith are so varied that each one brings it’s own unique challenges; no routine work for us!  As a result we have to make sure that we learn as much as possible from each project and embed whatever we have learnt into the next.

An important part of this is time recording; it’s really easy to significantly underestimate the time taken to carry out a design or manufacturing task as we naturally tend to be optimistic when we envision a process.  If, having carried out the task, we know exactly how long it took, then we are in a much better position to not only plan the next project timescale more accurately but to give our clients the most effective quotations for work.

Our Unconventional Guide is based on one day’s time logging for a project for one of our design team:

7:45am Arrive at work, coffee, review schedule for the day. Update project planner to record completed work.  Check emails, check client emails into CRM system.  Fire up SolidWorks ready to review project CAD model

8:22am Take call from client with detail query as they are on the way to work. Reassure them that we have resolved the query and will confirm with them by email before the end of the day. Log the call in the CRM system

8:27am First task this morning: resolve the design of connections between steelwork and timber components, build detail in to the outline concept model until it is completely resolved.  Compare the solution with the the requirements of the detailed Project Specification it’s in line with that.  Review the detail to make sure there are no untested assumptions.  Double check the availability of special fixings they are normally a stock item.  Record this and the full specification in the project Bill of Materials.

Designer's Coffee10:35am Really stop for coffee…

10:46am Prepare for client meeting at 1pm for new project. It’s great to have such an amazing meeting venue the Old Kitchen at the Abbey enough to excite any prospective client; make sure the room booking is confirmed…

Set up paperwork, initial documents and detailed specification questionnaire to run through with client.  Make sure the computer Works!

11:33am Review key issues for new project and carry out research into alternative materials and suppliers.

12:07pm Lunch a short walk in the woods and back for…

12:48pm To the Old Kitchen to check the setup.

1:15pm SolidWorks modelMeet clients with colleagues. Chair meeting and lead through client requirements, detail specification issues, identify areas where we need more client information and where more research is needed. Conclude with summary of our respective actions and timescales to complete.  All done.

14:30pm Return to office and complete meeting notes for project file/audit trail and summarise on CRM system.

15:07pm Check in the workshop to see progress of another project and evaluate stiffness of the structure having done the design originally it’s good to see it in the flesh and to feel that it is just as designed.

15:22pm Back to detail project work.  This time taking detail computer data out from SolidWorks for use in manufacturing systems to create laser cut steel profiles.  Also take timberwork profile data for production.

16:02pm Use CNC tooling program to check the correct machining sequence for the timber.  Revise the design slightly in SolidWorks to optimise machining time and re-check the CNC programme. All fine.

17:16pm Review emails that have arrived during the day and allocate responses to future time slots.  Reply as necessary.

17:46pm Shut down the computer to go home. Leave through the workshop where the CNC machines are still running. Out into the evening air with the hazy view across to the hills and stumble over a flock of Quail that seem to be wandering around the car park and perching on the cars…

Another day at Makersmith…

Modular Design

Modularity is a great concept – in buildings – in products – in transport systems; anywhere there’s a need for flexibility combined with cost effective production.

But what is modular design? Put very simply it’s LEGO®; lots of pieces produced in quantity but capable of assembly into a number – or in the case of Lego, an unimaginable number – of design combinations.

We also ought to distinguish between modular product and pre-fabricated product as there’s often confusion between the two.

Pre-fabricated products are those which are made and assembled in one place – usually the factory -and then shipped complete or mostly complete to their point of end use. As opposed to assembling the product at the point of end use.  This most often applies to building structures which traditionally were built from individual components – bricks and mortar for example – on site. Pre-fabricated buildings are built in a factory and moved whole to the site, this eliminates a lot of risk, cost and effort on site in favour of a more streamlined factory process.

Pre-fabricated products are also often modular as well, but they don’t have to be.

The key issue in modular design is the interaction of the various elements when they are assembled in their various configurations. The ease of assembly and the correct interfacing between the modular elements requires considerable design thought.

This is one of the huge benefits of using computer aided design systems (CAD) as most mainstream packages have features that facilitate modularity.

Here at Makersmith we use SolidWorks as our core 3D CAD system and this allows us to completely visualise and test designs before they are manufactured or constructed. In particular, SolidWorks has a “configuration” feature that allows you to easily create variations of a basic part design as well as easily assemble multiple parts into a range of different assemblies.  This process works equally well for large structures such as buildings as it does for simple individual parts.

The short video shows how a simple model of a piece of pipe can easily be configured with length and diameter variations – all with the same basic geometry. It’s really a very powerful tool indeed.

Modular Structure

We use the same process to construct modular structures that are assembled from many hundreds of parts:

The great thing about doing this is that it’s easy to check all the interfaces and connections to ensure that design detail is fully resolved and that there are no unanswered questions.

Designing and developing modular systems is really satisfying and it’s great when they go together and simply work; it’s probably because we still enjoy playing with LEGO®!

If you want to see more about an early modular building system then this is a great article:

http://www.metropolismag.com/cities/the-enduring-lives-of-sasa-machtigs-modular-creations/

Supporting Safe Working (Literally..!)

Pulsar Instruments Plc, founded nearly 50 years ago, is an established and well-respected manufacturer of noise measurement instruments. The devices are used exclusively by health and safety professionals to monitor industrial noise levels and to ensure that they remain legal.

Safeer Sign
The finished SafeEar Max sign

Makersmith were asked to manufacture structural framing to support Pulsar’s innovative SafeEar Max signs which can be wall or pole mounted in factories or worksites.

 

The front panel can be changed to provide hearing protection warnings or simply messages to encourage people to reduce noise.

We manufactured and assembled the frames from CNC cut plywood sections so that they would be both cost-effective and stable.

Using plywood in this way allowed us to make the frame elements self-aligning so improving accuracy and simplifying assembly.

Framing Components
Plywood framing components

 

The client was really pleased and gave us the following feedback:

“Thanks for the wooden frames, they’ve been a great success for this project, providing suitable stiffness for the environments they’ll be used in plus the flexibility for the customer to mount them in various locations.”

It pay to think “outside the box” for structural products; see what we can do then talk to us and we can help with solutions in timber, steel and a wide range of other materials.

 

Assembled frames in a stack
Assembled plywood structural frames

It’s been great to work with Pulsar Instruments who have a strong presence in the UK and sell products to over 40 countries around the world via an extensive distribution network. All Pulsar Instruments’ products are manufactured in the UK and are above all affordable, robust, easy to use, yet accurate.

 

You can find out more about Pulsar at www.pulsarinstruments.com or you can email the team at sales@pulsarinstruments.com or ring 01723 518011…

New Kitchen? Make it your way…

Kitchen doors get a lot use and wear and the most common melamine or foil faced doors are hard to repair once they are damaged and the surface layer is broken.  Using birch plywood is a simple and cost effective way to construct doors that both look good and are easily repairable & refinishable – and, as in this case, have integral handles too…

We were approached by a client in London who was looking for a range of plywood doors for their new kitchen. Starting with their initial list we prepared a door schedule and  provided 3D visuals of typical doors, prepared using our SolidWorks 3D design software.

Handle Drawing Detail
Detail of the integral handle to be positioned in the centre of one edge of each door
Close up of Handle
Integral handle machined into the plywood

 

We also supplied a detail of the integral handle that our clients particularly required:

Once these details were approved we manufactured a single door as a sample and sent it off to our client for approval before manufacturing the whole batch.

Our whole communication process was aimed at ensuring that our client was happy at every stage, both with design and materials.

Door handle cose-up
Door handle machined into the edge of the plywood door panel
Completed door panels
An array of completed door panels in a range of sizes

After sample approval we then manufactured the full batch of panels, coated them with satin finished wood wax and shipped them off to our client for them to install.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s great when we get spontaneous feedback from our clients; in this case we were really pleased when our clients emailed to say:

“Just a quick note to say we are delighted with the door panels, thank you so much for such a wonderful product and exemplary customer service. … they look smashing. We’ve passed your details to our architect who is very impressed.”

All sort of door shapes and profiles are possible so get in touch to see how we can make just what you need…

 

 

Boxing Clever…

It’s great when we can solve problems for our clients! This week’s story is about a client who was looking for a small initial batch of re-usable shipping boxes that were to be in two sizes (one up to 1m long) and relatively low cost.

Our solution was to design the boxes to be made from 4mm thick black Correx (fluted plastic sheet).

Correx Box with open lid
The SolidWorks model

Using SolidWorks 3D software we were able to model the boxes to include all the connection and alignment details and then easily produce the unfolded box details.  These were then cut and engraved on our CNC router to produce all the parts needed – in this case the main body and left and right-hand ends.

 

CNC Router Layout
CNC Router tool path layout for main box body

We then assembled the boxes by folding along marked lines and bonding the components in place with specialist adhesive.

 

The boxes worked first time and our client was really pleased; a great example of how we can creatively solve design problems and give you the products that you need.

Get in touch to see how we can make what you need – whatever it is!

Completed Box
One of the finished boxes – it looks as intended – identical to the 3D design model