Makers is a unique company that bridges the gap between architecture and construction. Their integrated approach has enabled a variety of interesting architecturally-led projects with some ‘weird and wonderful’ possibilities.
Their work includes a range of Mahi Toi sculptures and civic projects, plus architectural panelised construction, modular house builds, joinery, and interior fit-outs.
Olly Townend, General Manager, tells us how their Heliner machine has expanded their production capabilities to open up new creative possibilities…
Taking CNC to another level
“We had a small CNC machine which worked fine, but needed an upgrade to a much larger ‘construction scale’ – like 3m x 12m frames. Because versatile functionality was required, European machines didn’t fit the bill, as they’re highly geared to do just one thing extremely well for mass production.
We discovered Heliner could produce amazing bespoke CNC machine solutions with advanced tooling options. So, we talked.”
The new machine carefully put together
“James looked at our operation thoughtfully to understand our needs. Then he told us what he could do using standard components with innovative configurations to meet our unique requirements. He organised our machine assembly in China and then arranged a trip for our directors to check it out there before it was shipped.”
Extra features and new capabilities
“James was able to accommodate several special requirements:
- The right table height to allow vacuum pumps to be tucked in underneath;
- Hydraulic rams to line-up right-angled construction panels with no need for trigonometric calculations on the fly; and
- A coil nail gun to extend the automation of our production process, making it easy for things like plywood skinning for construction panels.
We can now machine massive cross-laminated timber slabs ourselves, saving a lot of time and improving accuracy compared with previous outsourcing. Another new capability is large-format timber for sculpture production. It’s also very useful being able to do other work on the huge flat machine table.”
Versatility for the future
“With his engineering and supply chain nous, James has provided a great solution for us to do things we couldn’t do previously – with open-ended possibilities. We’re always doing things a bit different, so need the ability to modify the machine to accommodate this. It’s important for us to preserve architectural vision and integrity in everything we build, without practical limitations or restraints.
As we look to the future, we wonder what machines James could possibly come up with to do creative tasks we haven’t yet attempted.”
