As the world’s first 3D-printed excavator came together piece by piece, the company that spearheaded this revolutionary project looked to Plum Media to capture the big moment on video. They call the huge, earth-moving machine an Additive Manufactured Excavator, or Project AME.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers asked for Plum’s help in producing a behind-the-scenes video to coincide with the unveiling of Project AME at IFPE & CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas, the largest convention of construction industry technology in the Western Hemisphere.
Producer Lance Miller and Director of Photography Bob Gregory traveled to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee to document the process. The project represented three different kinds of industrial 3D printing. The heat exchanger was made from aluminum, the boom came from steel, and the cab was formed out of a composite material. The cab was actually designed by five students at the University of Urbana-Champaign. Miller said it was particularly thrilling to watch the students' vision come to life. “To see these machines, which could put us on the cusp of a brand new industrial revolution, was really exciting,” Miller said.
For the Plum team, this particular project is a great example of giving clients the most bang for their buck. Miller created multiple videos from the same footage, allowing the Association of Equipment Manufacturers to stretch their budgeted dollars. Plum is often able to create several different videos out of one collection of footage, resulting in a cost efficient and worthwhile production.
Miller said, “It’s incredible to watch passionate people do their thing and to be able to document the process is always such a pleasure.”
PLUM TEAM:
Producer: Lance Miller; Director of Photography: Bob Gregory; Video Editor: Nicole Gates