Over the years, Birmingham has maintained the Bullring name, and when the area was redeveloped in 2003, the name of the shopping centre was celebrated with a 7ft bronze bull statue.
The bull has since become a mascot for the city, and it was a centrepiece for the Commonwealth Games celebrations in 2022.
So beloved by all Birmingham residents and visitors, the bull, now affectionately called ‘Ozzy’, has been permanently located in Grand Central, thanks to Network Rail.
How has LINAK® brought ‘Ozzy’ to life?
LINAK was approached by Artem, a company specialising in physical special effects and specialist engineering. Artem has worked on major production projects, for example, Paddington 2, and the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child theatre show. They were tasked with creating a major scenic prop for the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony and have since been involved in repurposing the bull and installing it in its permanent location of Grand Central.
Artem asked LINAK if we would be able to provide electric linear actuators to introduce movement to the Bull's tail, head, eyes and eyelids.
The team at LINAK UK Ltd worked closely with the team at Artem to determine their exact needs. It was decided that the LA36 actuator would provide the best stroke and speed. Ozzy uses both standard and parallel LA36 actuators to achieve the required effect.
Artem was supplied with eight LA36 actuators, and after rigorous testing, ‘Ozzy’ came to life.
Stefano Sbarra, Artem Company Director, stated, "At Artem we are always looking for the best technology available to produce stunning and reliable effects. Maintenance-free electric actuators offer a simpler and cost-effective solution to replace pneumatic and hydraulic systems. Smart actuators like the LA36 series also allow us to reduce the complexity of PLC control thanks to their built-in features."
LINAK is so proud to have been given the exciting opportunity to be involved in this iconic Artem project.
