Miniworld uses their BRM Original 90130 to recreate Rotterdam in miniature. Each house is laser-cut and then spray-painted or hand-painted. Thanks to BRM’s laser machine, Miniworld can produce models very quickly and in great detail.
Miniworld Rotterdam is a public attraction featuring a vast miniature replica of a large part of Rotterdam. Everything is built to a scale of 1:87, the standard commonly used in the model railway world. But Miniworld does more than just run trains. It presents the history and future of Rotterdam in an interactive way. At Miniworld, we spoke to Dido Geluk, the workshop team leader. He has overall responsibility for everything that is built at Miniworld.
Rotterdam Icons
Dido is proud to have successfully recreated many of Rotterdam’s iconic buildings in miniature. “The white house, with the wine harbour and the tall residential tower attached to it, are examples of larger projects. We try to recreate as many Rotterdam icons as possible. That way, tourists can also enjoy the beauty of Rotterdam from inside our shop on a rainy day.”
Every building is made using the laser
The BRM laser machine is an essential part of Miniworld, says Dido. “We use the laser machine for almost everything. Every building we construct is made using the laser machine. We design everything in AutoCAD, then cut it with the laser and glue the pieces together. After that, we spray-paint everything and the building is ready for use. So the laser cutter is essential for us. If it didn’t work, we’d really be in big trouble.”
Dido has been in the trade for over twenty years and, in the past, he has sometimes had to do the work by hand. He used to cut parts with a knife or saw them with a jigsaw. But that took so many man-hours – hours you now save thanks to the BRM Original laser machine. “Thanks to the BRM laser machine, we work faster and better because the machine is simply very fast. You just can’t achieve the same precision by hand as you get straight from the laser.” The laser machine has contributed to Miniworld’s growth. “Thanks to the laser, our production output is simply very high. We can now work with fewer staff because we have the laser machine. So it has certainly contributed to the growth of Miniworld and certainly to our model-making workshop. I’ve been able to meet a lot of deadlines thanks to the laser machine.”
BRM’s service
Dido explains that he has also been in touch with BRM a few times for service and found the experience very positive. “We’ve been in touch with BRM a few times for machine maintenance and were very satisfied with the service. BRM arrive quickly, on time and simply provide excellent maintenance. It runs like a dream afterwards. So I’m always very happy with that.”
“It’s so precise coming out of the laser; you simply can’t achieve that by hand.”
As the machine is indispensable to Miniworld, it offers significant added value. There were a number of reasons for purchasing a BRM laser machine. “The laser machine is of great value to us because it works very quickly and with precision down to the tenth or hundredth of a millimetre. So if I draw it up properly and place it under the laser, I can then assemble it in no time.” Previously, Dido used a CNC milling machine with a small work surface that was difficult to programme. He says that with the laser machine, everything goes much faster and more easily.
