Pon sonb y, Au ckland, New Zealand – New Zealand’s Zealous Architectural Hardware has carved out a reputation for creating innovative, breathtaking works such as exclusive door handles, bronze artworks, park furniture and commissioned pieces. Now, to give their designers a technical advantage, the company has acquired the Roland MDX-540 and MDX-650 milling machines.

Today Matt Von Sturmer designs and produces prototypes for his hardware company, Zealous Architectural Hardware. In addition, he does contract design consultation and design work for special projects. When he’s not producing his own designs, he looks for collaborative opportunities with interesting individuals, companies and organizations. Recent projects include developing a cast iron fire bowl/cooker with David Trubridge and Essenze, designing and manufacturing a water feature for a town square and working with artists from a West Auckland Iwi tribe on civic artworks for a library and council building. In addition, he has also produced a range of park furniture.

With the advent of new technology such as the Roland MDX line of milling machines, Matt has been able to refine his creative and production processes. “The ability to produce a prototype, test it for function and then produce a part within a day continues to amaze me,” said Matt. “I am able to work through numerous iterations quickly and to tolerance. Currently our two machines are used for a mix of tooling/prototypes and production. The MDX machines produce fantastic surface finishes and very fine tolerances on a wide range of materials. They represent a new type of manufacturing where high value, low volume business can be created from a very small footprint.”

The Roland MDX milling machines are the perfect accompaniment for Matt’s creative flair and problem solving nature. “Having a studio with a range of tools including two MDX machines means that I can work in a number of ways,” said Matt. “I like to hold and see objects, so often I will start directly in the 3D software (Shark FX) and within hours cut prototypes in real or sample materials. I can then let the material or production information inform the next evolution of the design.”

For Matt and Zealous, the future is bright. In 2009 the company’s door handle product line will be available in Australia. For more information, visit the Zealous Architectural Hardware website at: www.zealoushardware.co.nz, or visit www.rolanddg.com.au.