Brazil-based Artwork Digital conceived and produced a 3D board model of a 2008 Harley Davidson V-Rod which showcases the versatility of digital printing when combined with cutting tables and Re-board® substrates. Printed on a six-colour Inca Spyder 320 and assembled from sheets of 16 mm board, the model was produced as part of a campaign. It demonstrates all the possibilities of curvature and folding using structural board, creating something innovative with the material.
Interested in a promotion that would illustrate both the printing and cutting technology of the equipment it sells, Fujifilm Brazil approached Artwork Digital to come up with a unique display. “Fujifilm had seen a model of a Hummer made completely of Re-board, and we were able to acquire the design plans for it,” remembers Rômulo de Abreu Guimarães of Artwork Digital. “Unfortunately, they did not have the space and needed a smaller display, so they asked for something different.”
Presented with this scenario, Artwork Digital had to radically adjust to the size constraints of the job. “My designer likes motorcycles. He started to think about how to make it, taking some ideas from the Hummer. We chose a model that was recognised around the world to add value to the final product,” remembers de Abreu.
Soon enough, Artwork Digital had temporarily transformed its office into a motorcycle shop, as its design department began to assemble the bike with the help of CAD software and a high-end cutting table. “The structure, the design, the assembly… it was all challenging,” remarks de Abreu. “It had many curves, so it was difficult to handle.” Compounding the difficulties, “It was our first experience working with Re-board, so we began with a 1:10 scale prototype to experiment with the building process.”
The Inca Spyder printer, however, handled the complex demands of the job with much aplomb. “With the Inca Spyder 320, printing wasn’t a big problem. Once the structure was created and the design was complete, we just sent the PDF file to the printer. That was the easy part!” adds de Abreu.
The end result was a realistic and road-ready full-sized cardboard motorcycle that literally rolled off Artwork Digital’s assembly line with spinning tyres and twisting handle bars, earning them an Inca IDEAS Award for Display Graphics.
