DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2016 M3 JOURNAL - Panel And Fold (Stool) Yifei Qiu, Zijian Shi, Xianghan Wang
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Introduction
- Material: Have more material test to find the most compression-resistant one, it should be hard, hence the bottom pieces cannot bended when exterior forces applied on above ones. - Color Sequence: Find a specific color scheme based on the color theory, and ensure the color rank could be attractive and fascinating.
Our M2 presentation was focus on creating a showy model that indicates a person’ outstanding spaces. It was placed on ones arms and shoulder to show himself off when having a encounter with others. We followed a folding system to create some space between each piece of model so that enhance the concept of personal space and introduce colors to attract others attention.
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- Connection pattern: The previous connecting method should be changed because using glue or wire cannot ensure a solid joint. - Shape of model panels: There is insufficient persuasion of the former shape could represent a person’s advantaged space, the later development would focus on finding a shape be more obvious and absorbing.
Design development
From M2 design to M3 development: Shape: The previous model was composed by several layers which have different curved shapes. hence the hierarchy of colors would be showed when they were overlaid on each other. However, it gives a sense of messy and irregular. We decided to refined the shaped of each piece in a more uniform way, which have similar forms but in different sizes and superpose them. The panels went bigger from the front to the back, and the spaces were still kept between the contiguous panels, and change the position of the entire models. The original one was placed on human’s arm and shoulder, while for the improvements, the entire panels change from the side to the front. Thus, it could be viewed directly and the advantaged personal space could be completely displayed in a more intuitive way.
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Design development + fabrication of Prototype V.2 Connection: During M2 presentation, we found that when there is a force applied to the entire panels, the pieces in-between would be stretched and some spaces would disappear. We decided to use separate units instead of panels. Each unit could connect with each other and strengthen the whole structure.
We tested out different connection methods with the individual modules which can keep the spaceial quality of the structure.
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Reading Response Wk 6 Architecture in the Digital Age - Design + Manufacturing/ Branko Kolarevic, Spon Press, London c2003
1.CNC Cutting or two-dimensional fabrication CNC Cutting or the two-dimensional fabrication is the most common technology that used in the fabrication technique. There are various technologies involve in the CNC cutting such as the plasma- arc, laser beam and water jet. Both of them involve two axis motion relate to the sheet material about cutting head. Laser cutter as the common technology, use a high intensity focused beam of the infrared light mix with the highly pressurized gas to melt or burn material to provide an accurate cut through the order from the controlling computer. However, it can just cut the material which can absorb the light energy. 2.Subtractive fabrication It evolves the removal of a specified material of material from solids by using electrically, chemically or mechanically. The CNC milling can achieve this fabrication strategy by move the rotating drill along the X-axis or Y-axis to remove two-dimensional patterns of the material. The drill can move along in the Z-axis when there are the three-dimensional solids required in cutting fabrication. 3.Additive fabrication This fabrication involves adding forming by adding the material in a layer by layer function. It can indicate that is the converse process of milling. 3D printing and SLS( selective laser sintering ) are the main method use in the additive fabrication strategy. 4.Formative fabrication In this type of fabrication. The mechanical forces, restricting forms heat or steam applied to the material. So the material can form into the desired shape through reshaping or deformation, which can be surface constrained.
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Reading applied to design
In the previous design and fabrication prototype, we draw the line grid on the cardboard by the ruler and use the traditional manually cutting method to cut each piece of small folding shape along the grid line on the paper. However, this traditional method usually fails to produce a nice and smooth cutting line to make the folding shape. Moreover, the choice of the material on the project has been limited, base on its hardness. Later, We chose the laser cutting as the new fabrication method to help us cut the shape the folding line, instead of the traditionally cutting method.In the rhino model, we finish each piece of the folding shape and flatten them as the straight line; then we submit the folding form into the laser cutting to do the test. Through the observation and comparison between the different method, the laser cutting method can provide an accurate and smooth cutting line on the paper material and save our time on it. The small shape can be easily folded along the laser cutting line. Finally, we decide to use the laser cutting method to cut the folding line on the color Polypyrene card
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Reading Response Wk 7 Digital Fabrications: architectural + material techniques/Lisa Iwamoto. New York: Princeton Architectural Press c2009
Architecture continually informed by its modes of representation and construction. The develop on the digital design and fabrication technology has provided more chance for architecture to get innovative, compare to the physical model which limited by particular rule and potentials. Moreover, the digital fabricating process can promote and challenge the imagination of the designers to make the ultimate shape and aesthetic on the design. There is few shift that dominant the primary place on the digital fabrication. Folding is one of the aspects to shift the digital fabrication which will be discussed as following. Folding: Folding is one of the theatrical concept, formal tactic and material operation on the architecture. The main function of this technique turns a flat surface into a three-dimensional structure to create a volume. When the folding strategy applied on the planner material, those materials will gain the stiffness and rigidity. The span of the distance can also provide the self-supporting of the material. Moreover, this strategy can provide another architectural device to share the aspiration to create fluidity and multifunctionality on a continuous surface. In typical language Naturally producing deformation and infection can be the folding expand the three-dimensional vocabulary of the surface. The digital tool enables complex geometric modulation to produce folding surfaces for later designing.
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Reading applied to design
The folding strategy, as the new shifting on the digital fabrication, is also applied in our design. As mention before, our design strategy produces a lot of the small folding shape on the planner surface. Each of the small shapes was done by the paneling tool on the surface, then the process of flattening of each folding shape is required to submit to the laser cutting. After each cutting was folded along the laser cutting line, Each small folding shape provides the three -dimensional volume from the planner. The properties of rigidity and stiffness on the folding strategy were made in our design, and they can support the material in the same thickness. It provides the opportunity to start to develop that each surface in the same function can connect through the folding shape. The small folding shape applied as the rigid joint on the surface, to connect each surface through the design and try to create a volume on the second skin project. The precise laser cutting is the premise as we were using the folding strategy to create volume on the project.
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Prototype development The overall shapes that were developed in M2 was found quite rigid and they turned out to be very bold and regular. The large and curvy surface is not only time consuming but also, very hard to control. Thus we decided to go back to small pieces and trying to form shape with smaller modules. The arrangement of the pieces is in a radial pattern could be more impressive and obvious. Five pieces are placed turndown on the top and overlay with the following one by the side, another five pieces are located on the bottom and arranged in a turn-up form. Each piece keep a unique shape and specific size.
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During the development, many different surfaces were tested out and different arrangement of distributing the small modules were developed. But the result of paneling toll are still quite random and it would be really hard to fabricate, thus we decided to ge back to regular forms.
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Prototype optimisation - Effect Our analysis on personal space aims to attract people to engage with the person who is wearing the design. We want to make the shape of the design eye appealing and significant to people. Also, contains interesting details that allows people to explore inside your personal space area.
The panels may looks flat on the front view, but when walk around the details are shown more and more to the viewers.
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Prototype optimisation - Fabrication
In the M2 design , The reference line on the small piece of folding shape has been drawn manually for the purpose of making folding shape to create the volume on the structure. But for the expanse of the fabrication method. The drawing of the dash line is very important in our fabrication process.
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On the digital model, the dotted line has been draw in the middle part of each small folding shape. Then the digital model was send in the laser cutter. The laser beam will cut through the solid line on the object. But for the dash line, the laser cutter will make the connect joint of the folding surface not be the stiff way, but it’s still connect on the surface, compare to the etch strategy. The flexible joints fabricated by the laser cutter through the dash line on the surface is also prvoide the small folding shape to fold in two way to persist our folding strategy in the more simple and efficient way. The volume of the structure has been created base on that.
During the fabrication, we found that polypropylenes is not a stable material for laser cutting that they get burn marks and melt sometimes. And also due to we provided our own material to the cutter, the first try we did was very nasty. After that we provided more material that allows for a material test; by changing the temperature of the cutter the final cut was quite clean.
For the connection of polypropylene, we have tried all of these of kind of glue and finally found that super glue is the best one, also the connection part is better happened on flat surface. Besides, UHU for plastics was also a good choice for the adhesion of Perspex and polypropylene. The support frame also need to stick on clothes, and we choose hook and loop tape to connect thatďźŒthus the entire structure became strong.
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Prototype optimisation - Materials The original material is colorful papers, but it is easy to bend and hard to remain the space between panels. Material test: - Boxboard - Wood brown mountboard - Polypropylene Boxboard and wood brown mountboard is hard and solid enough, however, the overall shape of panels are placed around front body, hence the connected units are hard to bend and cannot fit perfectly. The result is that polypropylene is the best material, it is easy to fold and still remian the space in-between. Otherwise, it has colorful types which satify a aesthetical view.The colorful polypropylene is the main material that we applied on the folding pieces. Through the initial design, we try to use the color card board to shows the attracting color on the design, but the color on the card board is very bold. Then we found the colorful polypropylene as the transparency material to show its color in the crystal way, instead of hypostatic color from the previous cardboard.
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In the choice of the color on the polypropylenes, we give up the traditional colorful design which match on the rainbow spectrum because the color array in its design way is very bold and tradition to show the brighten color. Then we turn to focus on the gradient color on the design, try to show the color in the simple but elegant way. Purple, pink, white and transparent color are the main color that we focus on the choose of the color, to match on the theme of elegant. We also tested out other color combinations and we thought they would be too bright and bold.
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2nd Skin final design
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This design is a combination of two major parts the supporting frame and the surface panels. The frames are designed to fit the human body curve and to hold the panels near the body. The color panels are partly connected to the frames to give them some flexibility. Also, the transparency of the material for the frames ensures that the frame does not overtake the panels but stays behind it and supporting them.
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Fabrication Sequence
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The Laser cut material was quite dirty after the cut.
Alcohol cleans the dusts on polypropylene board quite well.
All the pieces were separated from the cutting board.
Assembling the two sections.
Testing out the color pattern and the arrangement effect.
Testing out the color pattern and the arrangement effect.
Infill blocks in the pieces were removed.
Infill blocks in the pieces were removed.
Due to variations in shape and size some pieces need to be cut into two sections.
Assembling the support frames.
The frames need to be assembled on a human body to fit the body curve.
The final pattern.
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Assembly Drawing
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2nd Skin
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