Scale Model Studios approached the 3M BIC’s design team to 3D print over 100 snow scenes that would form part of a stop motion animation to promote the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. It first aired on the 23 January 2022, then across BBC channels in the build up to the event in February.
Due to the nature of the project, a quick turnaround was required for the 3D printed snow scenes to get them ready in time for the production team to film and edit the animation ahead of the games.
Tweaks had to be made to the designs by the 3M BIC tech team prior to printing to help improve the overall strength of the structures without losing too much detail, and to ensure they would fit within the 3D printer’s chamber. The 3D models had intricate details, meaning the chance of them breaking was high.
The design files were sent from Scale Model Studios as STL files, then prepared for the EOS P110 machine using slicing software. The original design for the scenes were too big for the printer, so the design team reduced the original size of cubes from 100mm3 to 95mm3 to ensure they could fit in the machine chamber.
The models were printed in batches instead of individually in a PA2200 nylon material. The builds took from 8 to 24 hours to complete with some overnight printing.
After build completion, the scenes were then post processed on the sieving station. The team used fine brushes and tooling to remove any excess powder once the powder bucket had cooled, to gently reveal the intricate details of the scenes.
A bead blast machine with a regulated flow of air was then used to remove surface particles. This also gave the scenes the sparkly snow-like effect.
The team planned the large number of scenes to be built so that the total was created on time for the production team, keeping them informed of any that required reprinting or remodelling, before sending to the production team to create the stop motion video. It was a whole team effort given the short timeframe and the sheer number of models that needed to be made.
The snow scenes depicted some of the winter sporting events that featured in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China (4 – 20 February 22), such as the Skeleton, Skiing and Snowboarding.
The finished BBC 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics promotional video can be found here.
You can also see how the video was made here.
“We are proud to have been part of this project for the 2022 Winter Olympics. We had to turn around many 3D builds with the whole 3M BIC team getting involved, working all hours to ensure the builds were completed and posted within the specified timeframe.
“To see the final video in all its glory on TV was really rewarding. It is testament to the hard work of the whole 3M BIC team, but also showcases the creative capabilities of our in-house additive manufacturing technology.”
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