Spend less on trade shows and events
Industrial scale models for trade shows and events
An industrial scale model for a trade show is the piece that stops people in the aisle. Printed and painted within the event window, whole or in modules.
Trade shows have dates, and dates do not move
An industrial scale model for a trade show is a 3D printed replica of the machine or plant, taken to the booth instead of the real thing.
- The scale comes from the space you booked at the booth.
- Sanding, primer and paint are in the scope: the piece is seen up close, under spotlights.
- A large piece travels in modules and goes together on a single base on site.
A model that travels in parts
When the piece is bigger than a box, it is designed to split. The split and the joints are set in the engineering review, before printing, from the transport and the booth space.
Illustrative drawing, not to scale. Each project comes from the client’s own file.
- ModulesWhere the plant splits comes out of the engineering review: the size of the piece and how it travels.
- A single baseAt the booth, the modules sit on one base, put together on site.
- JointsHow one module joins the next is also decided in the engineering review.
Spec sheet
- Input
- STL, STEP or OBJ
- Scale
- Custom, fitted to the booth
- Finish
- Sanding, primer and paint in the brand colour
- Transport
- Modules on a single base when the piece is large
- Tolerance
- ±0.1 mm
Full spec sheet
- No 3D file
- Photos from several angles and the main dimensions
- Date
- The event date and the shipping date
- Display
- On a table, a counter or the booth floor
- Engineering review
- Feasibility, material and lead time before any commitment
- Delivery
- Made in São Paulo, shipped to every country
Where a trade show model fits
Trade show booth
Scale fitted to the booth space and a finish that holds up under spotlights.
Events and openings
The whole site or plant on one table, so the audience gets it at a glance.
Permanent showroom
What stays on display all year needs a stable finish and parts that stay put.
Product launch
The physical piece exists before the first batch leaves the line.
From the file to the finished booth
The window starts on the shipping date, not on opening day.
File
The file, the booth dimensions and the date.
Engineering review
Scale, detail and module split to fit the window.
Printing
FDM for the large volumes, SLA for the visible detail.
Finishing
Paint in the brand identity, planned for the booth lighting.
Delivery
Packed in modules, ready to go together on site.
What changes lead time and cost
At a trade show the date rules. These choices decide what fits the window and what it costs.
- Scale
- A bigger model needs more print hours and more modules to travel.
- Shipping date
- A short window calls for less detail or a smaller scale. The engineering review says which.
- Finish
- A piece seen under spotlights needs more sanding and more coats.
- Modules
- Each split adds a fit and assembly work, and saves freight and risk on the road.
At Fenasucro, exhibitors talk about their scale models
Three clients, filmed at their own booths. In 2024 one of them hauled trucks to the show; this time he brought the scale model.
Read the transcript
- Tesseract 3D
- You're spending money on trade shows that you didn't need to.
- Felipe, Kürper
- The scale model is excellent. It's a very versatile product, it helps us a lot, at big shows and small shows alike, to show what we're taking to the market as a solution, and it illustrates what we bring to the market in an incredible way. And it draws attention, it really draws customers' attention.
- Walace, WL
- It helps a lot. Transport is a different story, it changes completely. Setting up the booth gets much easier, much faster. It's 100%, totally worth it. My back thanks me: I'm saving on health insurance.
- Tesseract 3D, at the Spirax Sarco booth
- Look how beautiful. These were made for Spirax Sarco. Really light, and they help a lot with the presentation, the explanation, the teaching.
- Jean, Filtrando
- A fantastic scale model. It has helped a lot, not just here but in the company showroom too. In 2024 we did a show here and we had to bring trucks, equipment, and it was very hard: the logistics, the cost, even the presentation. Now, with the scale model, we can show the whole process, the details of the equipment.
- Tesseract 3D
- This is the work of Tesseract 3D: helping industries cut costs, teach better and present better.
Manufacturers that have printed with Tesseract
Common questions
Will the piece be ready before the show?
Give the event date with the request. The engineering review comes back with whether the window fits and what to adjust: scale, level of detail or splitting into modules.
How do you cut the cost of taking equipment to a trade show?
Start with what weighs most: freight, installation, insurance and the floor space the machine takes at the booth. Bringing the real thing usually adds up all four. A scale model shows the same machine on a table, travels in modules and can come back for the next show. With the booth dimensions in your request, the engineering review gives you the scale that fits.
How is the model transported?
Large pieces are designed as modules on a single base, to travel and go together on site. The split is set before printing.
Which file formats do you accept?
STL, STEP or OBJ. Without a 3D file, photos and dimensions of the part are also a starting point, and the engineering review tells you what can be done with them.
Do you work with companies outside Brazil?
Yes. Production is in São Paulo and we ship to every country. The request and the engineering review happen remotely, by email or WhatsApp.
What sets the price?
The size of the model and the date. A large piece adds print hours, modules and paint, and a short window calls for less detail or a smaller scale. If the budget is fixed, say so in the request along with the booth dimensions: the engineering review starts from both and comes back with the scale that fits.
Trade showThe scale piece goes to the booth instead of the real machine.
TrainingThe machine that cannot stop goes into the classroom, cut open.
Sales visitThe rep carries in a suitcase what would never fit in one.
Got a show date?
Send the file and the event date. The engineering review comes back within 24 business hours, with what fits the window.