3D printed Aston Martinfor the James Bond movie Skyfall

Innovative 3D printing technology from Augsburg-based voxeljet is on display in the James Bond film Skyfall – more specifically in the scene when James Bond’s car explodes in flames.

A total of three Aston Martin DB 5 models were created at the company’s service center. The models double for the now priceless original vehicle from the 1960s in the film’s action scenes. Action scenes in expensive film productions such as a James Bond film must look as realistic as possible.

For the model builders working behind the scenes, the high demands of film makers translate into more requirements and detail work. Therefore companies such as Propshop Modelmakers Ltd., which specialises in the production of film props, are always on the look-out for trend-setting manufacturing methods.

The fact that the British company selected the 3D printing technology Binder Jetting of a German provider is a special honour for the Augsburg company. “Of course only state-of-the-art technology was used for the James Bond film Skyfall. To be considered a benchmark by the model builders from the Pinewood Studios is evidence of the performance and position of our 3D printing system in terms of global ranking,” says voxeljet CEO Dr. Ingo Ederer.

Aston Martin from an industrial 3D printer

The model builders at Propshop then meticulously assembled and finished the components, painted them in the original colour and added chrome applications along with realistic-looking bullet holes. The special effects that can be seen in Skyfall confirm the perfection in execution of this work. After the finishing process, it is impossible to distinguish the Aston Martin models made with the voxeljet printer from the original, even in the close-up shots.

Propshop commissioned us to build three plastic models of the Aston Martin DB5. We could have easily printed the legendary sports car in one piece at a scale of 1:3 using our industrial 3D printer VX4000, which can build molds and models in dimensions of up to eight cubic meters. But the British model builders were pursuing a different approach.

To ensure that the Aston Martin was as true to detail as possible, and for the purpose of integrating numerous functions into the film models, they decided on an assembly consisting of a total of 18 individual PMMA components. The entire body is based on a steel frame, almost identical to how vehicles were assembled in the past.