Building Thailand's tallest Ganesh: CAD/CAM integration in conventional metal fabrication

Abstract

Ganesh (Ganesa or Ganesha) is a Hindi god well known for his distinguishable elephant head and widely revered as the god of success or remover of obstacles. Patrons in Thailand have worshipped Ganesh and respected him by means of erecting statues of Ganesh in various poses and sizes throughout the country. In late 2008, the people of Chacheongsao, a province located east of Bangkok, decided to create Thailand‟s tallest standing Ganesh statue made with bronze reaching height up to 39 meters and situated on the bangpakong river bank overseeing the city and its people. The author and design team was approached by representatives from Chacheongsao and commissioned to advise the process from conception to construction. The challenge started with seeking appropriate computer-aided design and manufacturing technologies and innovative process to guide the design team throughout the production. The 0.60 –meter bronze cast sculpture of the Ganesh was scanned using 3D optical scanner to generate a solid model of the statue. A surface model was then extracted from the 3D model to firstly determine the most efficient structural support within the statue and secondly to generate surface strips for the foundry to create actual bronze casts. The construction of the project began early 2009 and the statue has since been erected from its base to currently its head. During construction, the author and design team has encountered several problems translating pixels to parts. Several errors have occurred during the mould and cast production process as well as construction errors on site causing mismatches of the structure and surface, misalignments, and protruding structural supports and joints. The lessons learned from this project is documented and analysed with hopes to create a more effective process for future projects with similar requirements.