CAST VS.
MACHINED AWARDS
Our processes are industry-leading. We see your program's unique needs as an opportunity to showcase our unmatched expertise.
TWO UNIQUE
PROCESSES
Society Awards has a superior processes of production.
We are able to achieve much greater detail than others through specialized machinery, master designers and skilled craftspeople. Many of the world's most famous and prestigious awards are crafted using our industry-leading casting process. However, we can achieve a huge range of forms in exceptional quality with our high-end machining process as well.
In fact some custom awards projects are better served with machining. Whether we use casting or machining depends on a number of factors.
THE GOLD
STANDARD
Society Awards employs a proprietary casting method that results in extraordinary and artful detail. Casting, as the name implies, involves creating an initial mold which is used to cast the award.
The intricate mold used in the casting process must be crafted before production can begin, so lead times are often longer. The production mold is very durable and extremely precise over long production runs. If your project is sculptural, involves a moderate to high production volume — even over several years — and has sufficient lead time, we will likely recommend our casting process.
Custom cast awards account for many of the most famous and sculptural awards. Some of our most famous cast projects include the Emmy statuette, Clio, Academy of Country Music Awards and the MTV VMA Moonperson.
HIGH-END
MACHINING
Although casting is used for many of the world’s most famous trophies, it is not the best choice for all projects. Instead of pouring a liquid material into a mold, as with casting, the machining process starts with solid blocks or sheets of material – which can include aluminum, acrylic and a number of other materials.
The digital files of the award are programmed into our high-end equipment, which shaves away at the blocks until the final shape is achieved. It’s a modern-day form of sculpting, which means that there is a fair amount of material waste involved. The amount of material wasted depends on the standard material sizes available and the size of your award – which can increase the cost significantly in some cases. An added benefit is that, with no mold needed, the initial set-up is faster.There are three primary methods of machined award construction: fixed, axis and fabrication.
METHODS
OF MACHINING
The first method, fixed machining, involves cutting out a flat shape. There is surprising flexibility in the result of this process, as a custom fixed machined shape can have finishes applied and be mounted on stock or custom bases of any number of materials. This type of machining can actually be cost effective even at higher volume because it is so well-suited to these more simple, flat forms.
The second method, axis machining, involves a different machine from the fixed method. As the name implies, the machine used for axis machining operates on multiple axes, which makes it capable of producing three-dimensional forms. However, not all three-dimensional designs can be produced with axis machining. For example, designs involving deep undercuts or hollow and curving centers are typically not possible with machining. However, beautiful sculptural forms can be created. There are several reasons to utilize this method instead of casting, including projects with lower production volume and tighter deadlines. Some examples of axis machining include the YouTube Diamond Creator Awards, Super Clio (although the regular Clio Award is cast, the 2′ tall version – known as the Super Clio – is axis machined), BMWi and Explorers Club Award.
FABRICATED
CUSTOM
AWARDS
The third method starts with machined components of one or both of the first two methods, which are then manipulated and assembled into a more complex form. This involves a greater degree of hand-crafting and is known as fabrication. Some examples of fabricated machining include the UFC Hall of Fame, NFLPA Player of the Year, VH1 Hip Hop Honors, and US Soccer SheBelieves Cup.
Each custom project requires a unique approach guided by expertise. No matter the method, Society Awards brings to life custom awards projects with a luxury craftsmanship no other brand can match. To begin your custom project, reach our concierge team at (212) 845-9980
