In just two weeks from now, Alrode South’s Big Ideas 3D Printing staff will roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty, all in pursuit of spreading love and leaving a lasting footprint.
In 2023, they put Joburg South and the African continent on the map by building possibly the largest custom-made 3D plastic structure of a whale’s tail – specially coated to last for 15 to 20 years.
Five meters in height, they built the 3D-printed object to convey positivity and cheer amid the doom and gloom in society.
Now, they are pushing even greater boundaries. In a few weeks, they will create a 2.5m astronaut using 3D printing.
According to Brackenhurst’s Oliver Hay and the director of Big Ideas 3D Printing, this will be a world record for the largest 3D-printed astronaut in the world.
“Then we will auction it off to corporates and donate the proceeds of that auction to a good cause here in Alberton. It will be towards an initiative that supports children or those in need. We will start in the next two weeks, and from there, it will be a month’s worth of production,” he said.
He said this will help cheer people’s moods while also changing lives.
“Alberton needs to be put on the map. Several things are happening, and we need to remind ourselves about that. There are a lot of charities in need, so if we can do something to support local charities, that would very much be the motivation for doing this,” Hay said.
For Hay, an astronaut structure is symbolic. “It’s about reaching for the stars.”
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