Creating a Giant Rotating Illuminated Globe
It’s not every day that Engcomp has a new client ask, “What would it cost to design and build a globe with an 18-foot diameter, that's illuminated and rotates? Oh, and we need to be able to easily assemble it every fall and take it down again in late January.”
That's the question that Rick Steffen, General Manager of the BHP Enchanted Forest, asked Jason Mewis, Engcomp's President, in January of 2023. Always one for a technical and innovative challenge, Jason assembled a technical team and suppliers to turn Rick's vision into a reality.
With a keen eye on the budget and constructability, Engcomp's technical leads, Cam Beauregard (Structural Engineer) and Mike Nicholaichuk (Mechanical Engineer) began working with Jason Hydomako, of Weldfab and Kevin Chute of Norseman to understand what materials were available for this project.
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Once Cam and Mike understood what was available to them, they leveraged the power of 3D model space to prototype assemblies, ensuring precision and efficiency. This advanced approach allowed Engcomp and the rest of the project team to visualize the end-product, make necessary adjustments, and foresee potential challenges.
Engcomp's partnership with Weldfab was instrumental in turning the digital model into reality. Their expertise in fabrication complemented Engcomp's design capabilities, resulting in a seamless transition from the drawing board to the physical world.
Weldfab's expertise in fabrication played a crucial role in this process. Their experience identified opportunities to enhance constructability, further demonstrating the value of the partnership. This collaborative effort not only improved the project's feasibility but also underscored a commitment to delivering high-quality, practical solutions.
In line with Engcomp's commitment to sustainability, recycled materials were integrated into the design; a heavy-duty truck hub was utilized for the top mount of the globe. This not only reduced the environmental impact of the project but also demonstrated our ability to create high-quality products from reused materials.
Once the design was locked in, bringing the project to life was the next challenge. Weldfab, Norseman, Jaltronix (power and lighting) and Laser Impressions (printing the surface for the globe) had to coordinate their efforts (with the help of Rick and Kent Kostuk, Engcomp's Project Manager). Bending and shaping the steel to meet both the aesthetic and assembly needs was no small challenge for the Weldfab team. They were definitely up for the challenge as was demonstrated when the globe was assembled at site with minimal challenges for a project of this size.
It's one thing to build a globe, but it's another to get it to spin smoothly and with the right speed. Thanks to some on-site creativity by Engcomp's Mechanical Engineering team and Todd Jalbert of Jaltronix, they were able work through some of the practical challenges associated with rotating a 3200 lb globe around a tilted axis smoothly.
Once the team knew the globe's structure was working as planned, Norseman and Laser Impressions dug in and made sure the translucent cover they had envisioned to wrap the globe's wire-frame structure was going to work. After a successful dry run installing the blank fabric on the globe, Norseman was able to hand over the material to Laser Impressions to print the image of the Earth's continents on the material for the final install.
This project is a shining example of Engcomp's ability to innovate, collaborate, and create sustainable solutions. We are proud to have contributed to the Enchanted Forest Display and look forward to future projects that challenge our creativity and technical expertise.
Key Innovations:
Having the globe spin around the post rather than the post spinning with the globe. This made the drive system much smaller and the mechanical system much simpler saving costs and setup / take-down complexity.
Low cost roller wheels used at the low point of the globe rather than an expensive bearing or bushing, saving significant cost and procurement time.
Using a recycled heavy duty truck hub as the top bearing of the globe picked up from an auto wrecker, saving significant cost.
Recycling used trusses donated from Norseman to build the gravity base that supports the whole thing, saving significant cost on the project.
Integrated project delivery model – worked closely with the fabricator during design and delivered only the 3D model to them for drawing production by their detailer. Saved significant time and cost as well as integrating constructability knowledge into the entire process.
Rick Steffen's quote sums it up best: "The globe was a complicated project. Engcomp's engineering team and Project Manager played crucial roles in getting it done on time and, importantly, on budget. Their professionalism and skill helped make the project a success. It's an impressive achievement that will be a landmark display for the Enchanted Forest for years to come."