Envisage were approached by Crawley Creatures to manufacture a model of a dinosaur for Travelling Show, Dinosaurs in the Wild. We joined as a model-making partner to make a full size, 5-meter Dakotaraptor, which was exhibited in cities across the country.

To make the model, lightweight foam was computer numerical control (CNC) machined. To make the full model, the data was broken down to make machinable pieces; for example, the head was split into separate parts, legs were split into two and the body machined separate from the tail. After we machined the pieces, they were then assembled, before sending the models back to Crawley Creatures, who made the dinosaur look realistic with paint, glass eyes, feathers, and teeth.

The Dakotaraptor is one of the largest raptors ever found and was discovered in the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota, famous for discoveries such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The 5-meter-long dinosaur lived during the Cretaceous period and, after studying the bones, experts concluded the predator could run incredibly fast, was extremely agile and would have had wings.

This model was made to be a part of the travelling show Dinosaurs in the Wild. The show’s tour visited Birmingham, Manchester and London in 2018, where guests were given the opportunity to see what the world was like millions of years ago in the Cretaceous Period. It consisted of a 70-minute show in which visitors were taken back to the pre-historic era by time machine and guided on a tour featuring nine dinosaurs, including the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops and the Dakotaraptor.

Envisage’s CNC capabilities can be utilised to machine any part for any project. Contact us to see how we can support you on your next venture, for anything from the automotive, to lifestyle projects, to pieces of art and models, the possibilities are endless.