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Small Scale Model to Large Public Open Space Artwork

Working with artists is always a lot of fun, especially when their projects are converted from a small model into a large scale artwork for Public Open Space. We recently worked with renowned Queensland artist and designer Russell Anderson (www.russellanderson.com.au) on his most recent piece for the Springfield Lakes Corporation. Read all about it below, and be sure to click on the link to watch the video.


The NanO Harvester

Russell Anderson is a very talented artist and designer currently located in Brisbane. His most recent project is a spectacular water feature installed at Springfield Lakes called the NanO Harvester.

How does it work? The green cup or bucket holds around half a tonne of water, which moves and spills water several times a minute from the bucket onto the umbrella type wings below. The water then cascades down to the ground where it is recycled and reused.

The main feature of a new water park at Springfield Lakes, it is a dramatic, interactive artwork which is an eye-catching focal point, even when not in use.

A place to play and an iconic landmark for the Springfield Lakes area, the NanO Harvester is not just art, it is an outstanding engineering achievement.

To watch the NanO Harvester in action, click this link: NanO Harvester

The Rapid Prototyping RapidPro's role in this project evolved as the artwork progressed. Originally we were engaged to build a small scale replica in plaster/epoxy which helped Russell to win the contract. This prototyping process was chosen as it is quick, inexpensive, ideal for form studies and could be easily painted and finished to Russell's specifications.

When the final design was determined, RapidPro prototyped several parts using RedEye Australasia's FDM build centre to build parts from ABS for use as foundry patterns. FDM is a layer by layer additive manufacturing technique ideal for functional components and accurate patterns in the thermoplastic materials used in manufacturing such as ABS and PC.

RapidPro also machined many of the finished metal parts for the final sculpture using CNC prototyping.

A wonderful addition to the Springfield Lakes area, we look forward to visiting it ourselves one day soon.


Russell has many more projects in the pipeline, and we will be sure to keep you up to date with how Russell's works are progressing and where you can see them for yourself.

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