Our Technology
At Blue Hippo, we try to stay up-to-date on our technology so we can supply our customers with the absolute best products.
Below you can see the technology and machines we are currently using.
7-Axis Kuka Robot
Our Robot pretty much gets his hands on everything. From our wood sculptures to our EPS foam characters & props. He stands about 10' tall and can turn an 8' block of EPS foam into snow in just minutes. It takes him about 4-6 hours to carve a character when it would take a normal carver about 2 weeks. This allows us to save our artists for the fine details on the project. The faster we can get the project done, the more money we save our clients.
3-Axis Flatbed CNC Router
Our HUGE flatbed CNC machine with 10hp spindle can fly through projects. We can route a project 6' x 12' x 6" tall all in one go. This machine can cut fully through a 3/4" thick MDF at 500" a minute creating a pretty impressive rooster tail and still keep perfect accuracy.
Large Format 3D Printer
Our 3D printer has a print envelope of 40"x40"x40" and can go through 1kg of PLA filament every 2 hours. This allows us to print 39" tall 3D statues in a single print and get it done it done in a much shorter amount of time. We can print PLA, ABS and many other filaments that require higher temps.
Fiber Cutting Laser CNC
Our 500 watt fiber laser will cut mild steel sheets up to .15".
We can easily cut metal letters, stainless steel letters, and
wall signs. When we cut our signs and letters, we'll typically powder coat them white, UV-Print your favorite image or graphics and then finish them with a clear powder coat.
This process leaves you with a long lasting, beautiful piece.
Co2/Fiber Laser Engravers
Our two CO2 lasers are great for engraving and cutting thinner materials. Our high-end fiber engraving laser is able to engrave directly on metal and even colors on stainless steel. Great for nameplates and specialty plaques.
Hotwire CNC
All of our giant foam letters are cut on our hotwire cnc machine. This machine can make a quick job of getting through really thick foam. We just load the program and let it go. It also allows us to rough cut out our 3D characters and props making less of a mess and speeding up our carving process. Now we can rough on the hotwire cnc and carve the finishing pass on the robot.
Woodworking Shop
Getting our start as a custom woodworking shop we are able to build anything your imagination can dream up. We have over 4,000 square feet dedicated to woodworking machines, tools, and equipment. Our craftsmen have years of woodworking knowledge and expertise to deliver some of the finest pieces you'll ever see.
Powder Coating
Our 4'x4'x6' powder coating oven is just the right size to get our metal signage coated for a reasonable price. We use only the highest quality powders which are offered in millions of color combinations. Once complete, this process creates a beautiful coating for exterior signage and structures.
Acrylic Bending
Our Acrylic bender is a great help around the shop. We are always using this tool on almost all of our projects from table top signage to sneeze guards and barriers to battle Covid-19.
Sheet Metal Brake
Got a project that you need your sheet metal bent?
No problem. We can cut it with our Fiber laser cutter,
bend it and powder coat for a finished project. Whether you need a one-off piece done to finish a project or a 1,000 at a time.
Latex Printing
Only the highest quality printers we can find call our shop home. HP Latex Wide Format printers can print banners, backlit film, window clings, self-adhesive vinyls, vehicle wraps and everything in between. High Speed printing means fast turn around times for our customers saving them time and money.
UV Printing
Our UV Printer can handle just about anything you need. Not only can it print substrate up to 78" wide, but it does it in 1280dpi clarity! We print everything from rolls of vinyl, magnet, and wallpaper, to solid media up to 3" thick such as sheets of aluminum, PVC and even wood. Ink is instantaneously cured using internal UV lights.