Cross Industry Dynamics uses Caracol AM system for large-scale Día de los Muertos public art

Cross Industry Dynamics (CID) has completed a large-format 3D printed public art installation for the Adams County Festival Latino in Colorado, marking the first project produced with its Heron LFAM additive manufacturing system from Caracol.

Titled Nuestra Memoria, the work was developed in collaboration with Denver-based artist Brian Labra Vergara and commissioned by the Adams County Government. The installation featured two large PETG-printed skull ofrendas that served as interactive canvases during the Día de los Muertos-themed event. Attendees were invited to paint the sculptures in honor of departed loved ones, creating a participatory artwork that blended digital fabrication with cultural tradition.

“This experience reinforces how design-driven manufacturing can make cultural engagement both creative and sustainable,” the company stated.

Building on momentum from the company’s recent US expansion and fundraising, this original project highlights the growing application of LFAM systems from Caracol AM in non-traditional sectors, particularly where public interaction, durability, and rapid production are essential.

CID reports the structures were designed and fabricated entirely in-house using its large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) setup. The two skulls — each standing over four feet tall — were constructed from PETG plastic using CID’s in‑house system powered by Caracol’s Heron AM platform. Under the creative direction of Labra Vergara and the technical leadership of CID’s lead designer‑engineer George Davis, the team translated sugar skull iconography into interactive canvases for public painting. The workflow moved from initial hand sketches and scaled mock‑ups to robust digital modelling, segmentation for large‑format printing, wall‑thickness and material‑choice decisions, and finally to finishing with base coat priming and pallet mounting for outdoor use.

CID reported that the design‑for‑manufacturability (DFM) process required close coordination with Caracol to confirm the Heron AM system could satisfy both structural and aesthetic demands. Caracol’s Heron AM is described as a modular turnkey LFAM platform capable of printing large-scale composite or thermoplastic parts via a robotised extrusion head and continuous material feed.

Following printing, the sculptures underwent sanding, priming and integration of internal mounting hardware anchored to wooden pallets. During the Adams County Festival Latino, hundreds of attendees of all ages painted the blank white skulls together, turning them into collaborative artworks that embodied remembrance, culture and community.

The public response to Nuestra Memoria was strong: the installation served as both an art piece and a live demonstration of how LFAM systems can extend beyond industrial tooling to cultural and communal projects. Multiple regional organisations reportedly reached out to CID following the event to explore similar installations, signalling wider interest in large‑format additive manufacturing for public art and civic engagement.

For Cross Industry Dynamics, the project validated its ability to apply advanced manufacturing expertise — traditionally used for aerospace, automotive and composites — to social and cultural contexts. The partnership with Caracol strengthened CID’s position in the large‑format additive‑manufacturing ecosystem and showcased the potential of LFAM as a bridge between art and fabrication.

From the perspective of Caracol, the project exemplifies how the Heron AM platform can be deployed in design‑driven and creative sectors, not just conventional industrial markets. Caracol’s own information emphasises the flexibility of Heron AM for “large format industrial 3D printing – print big, print better” with no limits in scale, shape or material. Caracol