Your Lightweight 3-D Displays: From a Drawing to Reality

Are you getting hammered by shipping costs to get your industrial sized displays to trade shows and back? Is the weight, pun intended, of moving your displays becoming tiresome? CalCo has an alternative solution for you and how you display your products; and it’s easier than you may think…

It all starts with a CAD(computer aided drawing) file of your product. Once we are provided with this file we can scale it down to your liking and produce a light weight 3D model for you to tell the story of your new innovating and/or always reliable product. Models are created out of a very durable ABS plastic using a Fuel Deposition Modeling method, know as FDM.

Shown below are two pump models that we recently created for a client.

All of the individual part files are printed separately and then built into an assembly using very little glue and mostly scale-version fasteners. You can see some of the parts were printed in color to highlight specific components and areas of the pump to describe features to potential users. These two units normally weigh hundreds of pounds each and can now be brought to a show in carry-on luggage!!

To get started, simply email CalCo your 3D files for a quick and helpful quotation or to discuss the opportunities that are possible today.

For more information call CalCo at 847/639-3858.   Click Here for an article with information about other lightweight options or click here for more contact information.

Frequently Asked Questions about CalCo Cutaways

How much do CalCo’s services cost?

Each project is different and is priced according to man hours involved, materials for bases, shipping containers or electrical parts, and outside services like plating.  We provide quotes based upon our estimates of time and material to do each job.

How long does it take?

A good rule of thumb is to plan ahead. Some projects can be turned around in a week or two, and some can be 90 days, depending upon the project. When production levels are high, lead times are longer, and it is always a good idea to get a no obligation quote in advance.  Our average turnaround time is 4-6 weeks but it is entirely dependent on our schedule at the time that your project arrives.   If necessary and if physically possible, we will adjust our schedule to meet yours and once we commit to a delivery date, you can count on it.

What do you need from me to provide a quote for my cutaway project?

The best and most effective way is to send the part with a description of the work you want done.   If your product or part is very large, transportation can be difficult, so typically we like to have a dimensional drawing along with weights and the primary materials of the product (carbon steel, stainless, aluminum, etc.)   A photo of the product is always helpful as well, along with a description of the areas you are looking to feature.  With this information we can provide an accurate estimate, which can be confirmed upon receipt of the actual product.

How do I specify where to cut on my product?

Generally, you will receive the best cutaways if you tell us what features you want to show and leave the specific cutting designs to our skilled technicians. They have the knowledge and experience to show and retain components in such a way as to show what you want in the best and least expensive way. We strive to show as much as possible in one view with as simple a cut as possible.

If I can do all or some of the work in-house, shouldn’t I?

There are three ways of looking at this question:
Financially: Because we specialize in making cutaways and displays, we are pretty darn good (and efficient) at it. Therefore, it generally takes our experts less time to do a cutaway so we are almost always less expensive than full or even incremental in-house costs.

Quality Control: We provide all cutting, clearancing, finishing and final fitting, plus basemounts and shipping containers. All these services must be coordinated, anticipating the needs of the others. At Calco you get a one stop shop that will handle all of these needs for you. We have the tools necessary to do the job right and the expertise and knowledge to make it look great.

Resources: Just because you can do something doesn’t mean that it is the best use of your resources (time and talent). Most companies are continuously assessing what they should and can do well, and then outsourcing the rest.

What else can CalCo do for me besides cutaways?

• Working Models
• Custom Stands and Basemounts
• Lighting
• Custom Fit Cases
• Custom Fit Permanent Shipping Containers
• Animation and Electronic Media
• Professional Photography
• 3-D Printing, Scale Models and Prototypes
• Point of Purchase Displays and Signage
• Custom Sales Awards and Corporate Gifts
• Web Enabled Training and Training Programs
• Metal Plating
• If you don’t see what you need, just ask!

Our Promise:

Highest Quality, Great Value and Guaranteed On-Time Delivery.  We want our customers to be satisfied and we will do everything within our power to meet this goal!

If you have any other questions that you would like CalCo to answer please contact us by email at News@CalcoCutaways.com or by clicking the envelope in the top left corner of this window.  For more information visit our website at www.CalCoCutaways.com or click here for contact information.

Alternatives to Large Trade Show Displays – Animation, Scale Models and Large Scale Printing

Do you have large products to display at your next trade show?  Are the logistics of moving them around getting to you?  CalCo has some options for displaying your large products in a memorable way.  We offer animation, scale models or large scale printing as alternative options for your large products.

Our animation can show your product in action and it can be completely interactive for your customers.   They can choose whether to start or stop the animation and what information will help them or the animation can play continously.  Additional literature can also be accessed to provide more detailed information.  Our unique perspective on the way products work and the cutaway process give us good insight in to what your customer wants to see and how to achieve it.  The beauty of animation is that it can be used in multiple environments – at a trade show, on your website or on sales calls.

Scale models are another option to show your product in complete detail by using a light-weight, full color model.   We can create a cutaway section of the model as well to show the interior components and how they interrelate.  Your model is an exact duplicate of your product but in a small transportable size.  We can create a custom case to make moving it to your next trade show or sales call easy.

With large scale printing you can show your product in full size and detail with out moving it to the trade show.  We offer professional photography shoots of your product at our facility.  The photos can be used for large displays in your trade show booth or they can be utilized for brochures, banners or other internal or external advertising needs.

If the cost and headache of moving your large products are getting to be too much, give CalCo a call to see about the alternatives of animation,  scale models or large scale printing.  We can help you show your product in its best light without carrying it around with you.  Call CalCo at 847/639-3858 to discuss your alternatives or click here for contact information.

CalCo: Your Turn-Key Solution for Product Displays

CalCo likes a challenge! We have been in the business of solving our customers problems for almost 60 years.

CalCo started in 1953 as a cutaway shop taking products and cutting away a portion to show the internal parts since they can be a valuable selling tool.  We have come a long way over the years by adapting to customer needs and changes in product displays.  In that time, we have become a turn-key solution for our customers by adding new services.  Did you know there is a place you can go to get all of your product display needs performed at the same time?

In addition to cutaways,  CalCo provides :

• Working Models with or without a cutaway
• Product Displays
• Sales and Training Aids
• Lighting
• Custom Basemounts
• Custom Shipping Containers
• Acrylic covers  and Displays
• Point-of-Puchase Displays
• Custom Cases
• Scale Models and Rapid Prototyping
• Three Dimensional Printing
• Animation
• Sales Awards
• Corporate Gifts
• Plating
• Training Programs
• Professional Photography
• Waterjet Cutting

CalCo can solve your trade show or product display problems with just one phone call!  A typical project now involves creating a cutaway, attaching a brushed aluminum base or custom rolling basemount, building a custom shipping container and a shooting a professional photography session before the project is completed and shipped back to the customer ready to go directly to a trade show or presentation.

If you need help with your trade show, sales or training needs, call CalCo at 847/639-3858 or click here for our contact page and let us make your idea a reality!

Looking for 3D Prototyping? Our Experts make it Fast and Easy

Do you need a small part created, or a complete prototype?  CalCo can create your design in a variety of materials so that you can create, manipulate and test your new designs quickly to speed up the development process.

Whether it is a small piece made from SLS Nylon or a large 3-D model in full color,  CalCo can help you get exactly what you need to make your 3D prototyping project exactly the way you want it.   At CalCo, “Your Product is Our Profession” so we spend the extra time to make sure you get what you want the first time so you can quickly make adjustments and move your project to the next step. To contact CalCo click here for information or call 847/638-3858.

CalCo Cutaways, Generations of Dependable Innovation

Around the time New York City was introducing their brand new, 3-color traffic lights, James Calhoun was founding a new business named CalCo, which would produce cutaways for product manufacturers in order to help them show off the many advantages to using their products.

Little did he know that his small business would grow into the most accomplished and experienced cutaway company in America, possibly even the world.

Even Jim himself couldn’t have foreseen the wide variety of offerings his company would eventually have to present to its customers, such as laser cut lighted display pedestals, 3D animation, custom training equipment, POP displays and much, much more.

In fact, CalCo’s unrelenting attention to detail and quality as well as their ability to create customized solutions on the spot is about all that hasn’t changed since 1953.

CalCo’s excellent reputation and insight into the needs of their clients will go a long way towards making the next half century of business just as revolutionary as the first.

To contact CalCo click here or call 847/639-3858.  Your Product is Our Profession.

Get your Lightweight Scale-Models in Full Color

Providing your audience with a hands-on 3D view of your product is always more effective than just a photo on a brochure page or website, right?

But what if your product is too heavy and cumbersome (read: costly) to ship around and bring into offices and meeting rooms? Read on. . .

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CalCo NEWS is Upgrading

For over 50 years CalCo has been innovating a unique craft and letting you know about it every step of the way. A bi-annual newsletter, arriving on your desk to remind you of upcoming projects or giving you ideas for an upcoming event has been working like a charm.

Today the vast line of CalCo products and services in growing and expanding a quicker pace, and your world is moving faster as well. Bringing the CalCo NEWS to an online format will help us keep you in touch and stay on top of what the industry is up to.

You can RSS feed the page to get regular updates at your own pace, and if you have any suggestions for this site and things you would like to see, feel free to drop a quick note using the email link at the top of the page.

CalCo is the same as always, and cares as much about the outcome of your project as you do. Hopefully the new format of CalCo NEWS will become as welcome as our printed version was. Thank you!

Contact CalCo at 847-639-3858 or click here for contact information.

The Case of the Eye Popping Cutaway

Recently the designers over at CalCo had a fun time wrapping their heads around a collapsible cutaway. They designed and created a one-of-a-kind collapsible display that salesmen or instructors can carry easily contained within a carrying case. Through a few simple movements, (more photos after the break), the case quickly unfolds into a desktop easel display complete with flip book of information and part of a cutaway produced by CalCo’s high definition three dimensional prototype technology.

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