Case study — retail and experiential fixtures
50 housings for holographic displays, shipped to 26 US airports
Cutlab engineered and built the plywood housings for the Tensator Holographic Shard Stand, then packed and shipped every unit from our workshop in Tallinn, Estonia, to airport security checkpoints across the United States. The display hardware and content are by Campaign 3D (UK).
The count of shipments is higher than the count of airports because one location changed during installation and its unit was redirected to Orlando, which received two batches.
Who built what
Two companies, two clearly separated jobs
Campaign 3D designed the Shard Stand: its shape, proportions, and the diamond-shaped plinth that holds their Solo L 75cm holographic display. Cutlab engineered the construction behind that design — how the panels join, come apart, and survive a transatlantic move — then built, packed, shipped, and helped install all 50 units. Neither company did the other's part of the work.
Cutlab, Tallinn, Estonia
- Structural engineering of the housing to Campaign 3D's design: panel joints, the disassembly sequence, and tolerances that hold across 50 units
- CNC cutting and machining of the plywood panels
- Assembly of all 50 housings
- Stencilling, crating, and packaging for road and air freight to the US
- Shipping and shipment documentation for 27 consignments
- One Cutlab team member joined Campaign 3D's crew for on-site installation in the US
Campaign 3D, UK
- Product design of the Tensator Holographic Shard Stand, including the plinth's shape and proportions
- Display hardware, holographic projection technology, and on-screen content
- Client relationship and rollout coordination across US airport locations
- Installation lead at each site, at US airport security checkpoints
Campaign 3D describes the Tensator Holographic Shard Stand as the first holographic display installed at airport security checkpoints anywhere in the world.
The product
The Shard Stand: a plinth for a holographic display
Campaign 3D calls the finished piece a plinth — a diamond-shaped base engineered to elevate their Solo L 75cm holographic display. The video below is Campaign 3D's own introduction to the product. The housing that plinth stands on, and how it comes apart for shipping, is the part Cutlab engineered and built.
How 50 identical units get made
From file to airport installation: six steps
- 1
Engineering
Cutlab engineered the construction behind Campaign 3D's design: how the panels join, come apart, and hold across 50 units, with fastening points and tolerances built for repeat production.
- 2
CNC cutting
Plywood panels were cut and machined on CNC equipment in Tallinn, run as a batch rather than one at a time.
- 3
Assembly
Panels were assembled into finished housings in the Cutlab workshop.
- 4
Stencilling
Each crate was stencilled with both company names, Campaign 3D and Cutlab, before it left the workshop.
- 5
Packing and shipping
Housings were crated and strapped for a transatlantic move, then sent out as 27 documented shipments from Tallinn to 26 US airport destinations.
- 6
Installation
A Cutlab team member joined Campaign 3D's crew on site in the US for installation at airport security checkpoints.
Process
In the workshop and on site
What this project shows
What a 50-unit, 26-airport rollout tells you about working with Cutlab
Repeatable production
50 housings were built to the same design and the same tolerances, not as one-off pieces. That is the difference between a prototype shop and a manufacturing partner for a rollout.
Export logistics
27 shipments went from Tallinn to 26 destinations across the United States, each one crated, stencilled, and documented. Delivery beyond the EU is something we plan for, not an exception.
Working alongside another vendor
On this project Campaign 3D owned the design and the client relationship; Cutlab engineered the construction and built, packed, and shipped it. We work this way with agencies and integrators who own the client and the design, and need a partner to work out how their product actually holds together and travels — see our notes on choosing an EU manufacturing partner for what that split of responsibility should look like.
This is one project among several. See more in our portfolio.
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If you design or specify fixtures, stands, or enclosures and need someone to cut, build, pack, and ship a run of identical units, tell us the quantity and the destination.
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