Ever wondered how larger-than-life summertime icons come to life? At 360CSG, we’re all about turning imaginative ideas into tangible, interactive experiences. For the Walmart – SpringGrillin event, we took the art of custom fabrication to the next level, creating colossal summer staples like towering ketchup and mustard bottles, a gigantic cheeseburger, and an enormous hot dog. Let’s dive into the behind-the-scenes magic that made this unforgettable grilling season come to life!
Walmart – SpringGrillin
Foam Cutting:
To bring these oversized icons to life, we turned to our trusty 5-axis foam wire-cutting machine, affectionately nicknamed Walter (don’t ask). Walter slices through foam with precision, creating the basic shapes for our creations. After the initial cuts, we fine-tuned the details on our flatbed router, ensuring every curve and edge was just right.
Smooth-On:
Durability meets aesthetics with Smooth-On’s Epsilon Pro coating. We meticulously covered our foam pieces with Epsilon Pro, providing a strong, glossy finish. This part of the custom fabrication process involved several rounds of spraying, sanding, and repainting to achieve a surface that could withstand the rigors of customer interactions while looking sleek and polished.
Painting:
Painting these massive creations was no small feat. We applied multiple coats of paint to ensure vibrant, eye-catching colors. Each layer was carefully sanded and retouched, creating a finish that was not only visually appealing but also durable enough to handle enthusiastic engagement from customers.
3D Design:
Designing these interactive pieces was a blend of creativity and technology. Brought to life by 360CSG using Blender (FTW), our custom fabrication designs were meticulously planned to make the best use of our giant foam cutting wire machine and maximize the use of the foam blocks that they were hewn from. Kind of like Michelangelo removing the unnecessary marble from around David… but in hot dog and burger form!!
3D Printing:
We made two 4.5′ tall Splash bottles using clear bio-plastic PLA filament. We chose top-quality filament to keep it pure and clear, and printed slowly with thick layers to fuse them well. We used high temperatures to stick the layers better. For maximum clarity, we filled the bottles completely and carefully sanded and polished them until they shined like glass. These steps gave us beautiful, see-through bottles that really caught the customers’ eyes and made the promotional display stand out.
