Konami is one of the most well known and well respected video game developers worldwide. The multinational contacted us earlier this year for a project of a size we’ve never seen for before: The biggest 3D printed trophy to date.
The company needed our help for an award that celebrated the winner of the PES league. For all you non-gamers out there: PES is an abbreviation for the critically acclaimed Pro Evolution Soccer.
The football video game is now in its 16th installment and continues to draw legions of devoted fans. For those seeking an even greater challenge Konami organizes the PES League World Finals, held this year in Cardiff. The best players in each country go through to a regional final in Barcelona or Liverpool. The winners there go on to the final and on June 4th only one can be crowned World PES Champion. Not coincidently, the final is played in the same weekend as the Champion’s league final.
The team made a 75 CM by 20 CM award customized to Konami’s design, making it the world’s biggest 3D trophy to date.
Rather than order directly through the website as many of 3D Trophy Factory’s customers do this required a bespoke approach by the team.
This time care had to be taken to design this special trophy so it would print perfectly the first time. The trophy was first 3D printed and then had to be post processed by hand. Support structures had to be removed and the trophy was then hand painted.
The 3D print itself is made from a light curing resin called a photopolymer. Stereolithography works through lasers moving through a vat of this resin hardening it one layer at a time. The award has a smooth finishing, with a transparent resin on top of the massive 3d printed trophy. The logo is also 3D printed and the stickers are attached manually. With an award of this size, manual labour is a defining factor to reach this level of finishing.
Hopefully yesterday’s winner has a enough shelve space to store away this giant. We surely wish him a well deserved congratulations and hopes he enjoys his one-of-a-kind design!
