The Main Injector Experiment for ν-A at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is a particle detector located 300 feet below the Illinois Countryside.  Designed to study the physics of particles called neutrinos, the collaboration wanted the ability to describe how the detector works to those not able to take the minute-long elevator ride down to the cavern.  

Ob Design Group toured the facility and took notes, measurements, and pictures, translating the true detector into a 3D CAD model, which was 3D-printed to create the final design.  A support base was created from mirrored acrylic, cut to size and etched using a laser, and polished to give a beautiful and subdued matte finish.

Ob Design Group was initially contracted to produce 9 of these models.

The CMS Experiment (Compact Muon Solenoid) is located 100 meters below Cessy, France, on the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) at CERN in Geneva, Switerzland.

This model is a 120:1 scale model of the true detector, showcasing its most important design characteristics.

The detail in this model is extraordinary and could only be accomplished via 3D printing.  Each dimension of every component was taken from the original Technical Design Report and other documents published by the CMS experiment.

This project culminated with the printing of 100 of these models.