Our
Marketing people are real car enthusiasts ! They daily follow the car
industry and motor-sport actuality, they also keep track of all the car
models from different manufacturers, drivers for major racing teams and
the results of the most popular races.
Every year, very limited
number of car models will be selected by our marketing team and to be
reproduced in the
IXO
Models
range.
The first step was to
get granted with permission from the car manufacturer or the team owner
and then to prepare all the documentation needed to reproduce the model
(CAD computer data, factory drawings, photos, etc.). For the racing
models, our own product-developing colleagues will attend the most
prestigious races (such as Rally Monte Carlo or Le Mans 24 hours) or Car
Shows to provide us with the necessary documentation.
All
these information are then distributed to Engineering Department where our
team of sculptors will create the 3-dimensional model, Simultaneously, our
Project Engineers will elaborate the computer drawings for all the
different parts and tools.
Once
the model prototype and technical drawings are prepared, we shall start to
work on the tools.
Manufacturing
die-cast model cars requires highly sophisticated steel tools. As different material will be used, we will require several tools.
-
Die-cast body
- ABS plastic accessories
- PVC rubber-type tyres
-
Clear
plastic windows
The
tooling process takes several months and only after numerous tests, the
tools are finally approved and given to the Production Department.
The
metal body will be produced through a die-cast injection machine, where
the melted zamak (zinc alloy) will be sent inside the mould at a
temperature of 470s.
These
die-cast bodies will be trimmed and polished in a centrifugal drum
containing ceramic stones.
A
similar process will be used to inject the plastic parts.
Our
PMC department carefully follows the production planning and schedule of
each IXO
Models which each consists of the more than 50 different parts.
Specific personnel has been arranged to follow up the schedule of the
production of all different parts to ensure the assembly of
IXO Models to
be on schedule.
Most
of these parts, including the plastic parts, are hand painted to give to
the models the most sophisticated finish.
The
decoration techniques add to the racing cars even more realistic elements,
which IXO
Models can claim to have the most advanced technology and expertise. Several
techniques must be simultaneously used to guarantee an accurate decoration
:
-
Mask spraying, allowing to paint a small surface of the part in
a different colour.
- Pad printing, allowing to print directly on the body shell.
- Silk-screen printed water decals, sourced from the best
European
supplier.
All these decoration techniques are applied on the model by a selected team of
"gold-finger" craftsmen who will need several months of training
before being able to decorate our latest racing models.
When
all the parts are painted and decorated, the models are going through the
final assembly line and carefully checked before packed and shipped all
over the world.
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