Art or Science?

Much is written about the great artists and sculptors that define the contemporary art scene but few relate science and engineering with true art. At RGE Group we believe that the products we make are every bit as artistic as a Rothko or a Renoir.
 

As an example take our latest tool for a new chair. The pattern is designed using many iterations of computer modelling and physical prototypes. This precision piece of high strength steel has been machined and hand finished from a solid billet of carbon steel. 

2 years under development would be enough for any artist to cut off their ears but at RGE Group we often work on new products with a gestation period of 24 months or longer. To get a product just right it takes many fine adjustments and iterations to finally arrive at the masterpiece.

The design is really just the most relatable part of the process but the art does not stop there. Our highly skilled and experience engineers turn the geometric 3D surface into one that can be made not just once but repeatably and accurately produced many hundreds of thousands of times. Additionally, the injection mould tooling engineer has to find a way to align this piece of art in two halves of the mould tool without creating an unsightly split line but also maintains the true form of the original shape.

The chair shell is then engineered into hardened steel and subsequently into a high performance polymer using RGE's precision plastic injection moulding machines. The design of the mould has been manipulated in many ways to ensure that the 200 degree molten plastic can flow to every corner of the original shape whilst making a beautiful surface finish and performing as a structural component. High art indeed.

So the next time someone debates the difference between artistry and engineering, look closely and you can find they are one and the same.