Bespoke exhibition stand and display solution for Renishaw
As an experienced provider of bespoke exhibition stand and display solutions, we sometimes get unusual requests or challenging problems to solve. Such was the case recently when our client Renishaw needed some creative thinking to solve a very unusual front-of-house display.
A precision-engineered track bike needing a bespoke exhibition stand to display it.
Renishaw’s precision engineering had recently been integral to the construction of an extremely lightweight track bike for the Great Britain Cycling Team to be used in the velodrome at the Tokyo Olympics. Together with Lotus Engineering and Hope Technology, Renishaw was called upon to build components using their innovative additive manufacturing (3D printing) process, making it as light as possible. This international competition-level track racing bike, named HB.T, was being tailor-made for each member of the Great Britain track cycling team. As a result of the project’s success and with a huge amount of pride, Renishaw built a replica for exhibition and display at their New Mills HQ.
Creating a multi-faceted exhibition and display stand solution.
The project discussions had highlighted security as a major objective of the exhibition stand design and build. The bespoke exhibition stand, or plinth in this case, would be proudly displayed in the front-of-house area of Renishaw’s HQ. This reception area housed many other exhibition plinths displaying precision engineering hardware, and therefore, conformity and consistency was another requirement. In such a high-traffic area and with an approximated value of over £30K, security concerns about the bike were prominent. Of course, Renishaw expected staff and visitors to examine the bike close-up but also anticipated that the temptation to mount and ride it would be considerable. Would someone even be tempted to take it out to the car park for a ride or maybe take it home?
So, the display design required a three-fold solution. Firstly, to create a visually stunning plinth that would allow an audience full access to view every angle of the bike. Secondly, the integration of an effective yet visually unobtrusive security solution to prevent this expensively engineered track bike from being ridden or stolen. Thirdly, the display would need to be visually consistent with many others.
Creative thinking to resolve various challenges.
A great puzzle to solve and the sort of challenge that Red Thread Creative thrives upon. As both teams walked gently around the bike, Red Thread first listened (as always) while Renishaw expanded on their thoughts and possible solutions. Each had merit, but all would involve unsightly frames or mechanisms to keep the bike both upright and securely locked in place. We just felt that these cage-like solutions would hinder visual access and make the track bike less approachable and enticing.
As time progressed, other members of the Renishaw team entered the reception and offered their opinions and ideas. As often happens, suddenly, Dennis Hatcher of Red Thread Creative had the ‘eureka’ moment. By simply removing a pedal from the bike’s crank system, we would have access to the vacated hole that the pedal bolt sat in. If we then employed a hollow tube for the crank to sit in with holes that aligned with the vacated pedal hole, we could use a lock and pin to secure it. This meant that the crank would be locked in place and immovable, keeping the bike upright and would hardly be noticeable as it sat underneath the bike. The beauty of this solution was that the crank-locating tube would also be pushed through and bolted from underneath the plinth, thereby creating a very simple security mechanism.
High-quality exhibition stand design and construction that delivers the initial concept.
Having solved the security issue, all that was left was the exhibition stand design and construction. Red Thread Creative were requested to submit design proposals, and the chosen solution complemented the existing reception displays beautifully. Our construction team then created accurate drawings for the client to sign off and built them within a matter of days. The finishing touch to the plinth construction was an angled base for the bike to sit on, reflecting a section of velodrome track to complement this British-engineered racing machine.
The Exhibitions & Displays team at Red Thread Creative.
Was it all plain sailing? Well, not this time. Unbeknown to us, the client’s corporate orange colour would prove very difficult to match using cellulose paint. Colour-matching reference numbers proved to be inaccurate.
When we encounter these types of issues, the Exhibitions & Displays team at Red Thread go into overdrive, as total client satisfaction is paramount. To solve it, our paint specialist visited Renishaw and took colour readings of the Renishaw orange, just to make sure it was as accurate as possible. When we finally installed the display at Renishaw’s HQ, the delight on everyone’s faces was clear to see. Our Exhibitions and Displays Manager, Matt, together with our carpenter Paul, ensured the final pieces of the jigsaw fitted beautifully. The Renishaw team could also be seen beaming with pride at seeing their prized Velodrome bike displayed so proudly.
