IaaC blog

Click image for full view

Click image for full view

we use 2 cuts: the rough cut and the final cut,

the pattern created by the rough cut we treat as a part of the final structure .

rough cut: Parallel Finishing

tool /ball mill, d=26mm/;  parameters /angle 90, distance=8mm/

final cut: Engraving

tool / flat mill, d=8mm/; parameters / total cut depth 5mm/

     I would classify this course with average difficulty. The use of new software and machinery to develop real models was challenging and made it truly interesting, both in terms of the theoretical contents and especially the practical work. I sense that I’ve developed empirical knowledge that allows me to go deeper on this field. Learning state-of-the-art methods, high-tech machines and ultimate digital tools was crucial for me to acknowledge this area as my first choice for the 2nd term on the MAA. Also, the weekly high level of practice that this course required made us to develop self-sufficient work-skills, combining personal effort with the precious support from the docents, namely Marta Malé-Alemany, Shane Salisbury and Victor Viña, to which I extend my congratulations for being clear and practical. It’s important to underline that most of the knowledge gathered within this course was later used for the other courses of the MAA and therefore it justifies its inclusion on the 1st term. In addition, a constant change on the assignments and work groups was also very positive, because it allowed us to work with different fabrication processes and different colleagues and therefore to interact with different cultures and work methodologies. In general, the assignments were challenging and the major problems I’ve encountered were to manage the software and “operating” the machines in the proper way, with no mistakes. The existence of the blog was important for us to make contact with the work of all the different works made by all the students and also gave us the opportunity to improve and share our research with our colleagues.
      On the other hand, there are some aspects I think that remain to improve. Sometimes, during the period of time that we had to develop the assignments, there were no classes and it was very difficult for us to interact with the docents. Also, due to the interest of this course, I believe that it would be nice extend the number of classes.
      Bottom line, 5 stars course!

location: Solitude Palace Gardens, Stuttgart, Germany

materials: CNC-milled and oiled multiplex wooden board, ¾” garden hose, 38/5 mm transparent hose, brass fitting

total built-up area: 25 m²

net building cost: €20.000

date of commencement of project: 2004; date of completion of project: June 2006

all pictures taken from www.smaq.net ; more info at www.smaq.net and here

It is quite classical example of using digital cutting technologies to create a complicated form in fast and easy way. Unfortunately I am not sure if laminated wood pieces were cut by laser or milled.

Although I don’t like the form too much neither placing it in the room, I like that the construction is visible. What I like  a lot is that connecting some simple parts together designer creates a more complicated surface. I like the idea of combining many body positions in one piece of furniture. I am sure that it was so much easier to design it having the possibility of using the digital cutting process.

read and see more

the effect -simple form showing intensity of the grid

The structure obtained by the horizontal roughing with a tool 26 mm, creatig feeling of two crossing surfaces

We tried to create a surface that could give you the sensation of movement throughout a very simple pattern that would work in a three-dimensional way. By simplifying the work and using only one tool we managed to create a surface that has these characteristics but also can give you the sensation of a very complex geometry. We draw a curved pattern and then it was projected to the surface. The parallel finishing it was done only for having a smooth surface on the bottom after the engraving.

Here are some images of the finished surface in Rhino.

The parameters that we used:

Tool: Flat mill 30mm diam

Horizontal Roughing

Intol: 0.1, Outol: 0.1, Stock: 0.6, Step over: 25%, Step down: 50%, Cut direction: climb, Cut pattern: Stock Offset

Parallel Finishing

Intol: 0.03, Outol: 0.03, Stock: 0, Stop over: 25%, Cut direction: mixed

Engraving

Tolerance: 0.03, Cut depth: 10, Rough depth: 10, Finish depth: 0

This work was not able to be finished due to the CNC Machine technical problems. 

our chips were playing with movement as an input and light as an output, the creation process looked like this:

finally constructed, 7 chips working…

struggling with the interface :

and the final piece, where depending on the movement the elements reacts by changing the speed of light blinking:

video 1

video 2

photos on flickr

and the whole team:

Messa di Voce is an audiovisual system in which the speech, shouts and songs produced by two vocalists are radically augmented in real-time by custom interactive visualization software. The installation touches on themes of abstract communication, synaesthetic relationships, cartoon language, and writing and scoring systems, within the context of a sophisticated and playful virtual world.

Levin and Lieberman’s software transforms every vocal nuance into correspondingly complex, subtly differentiated and highly expressive graphics. These visuals not only depict the users’ voices, but also serve as controls for their acoustic playback. While the voice-generated graphics thus become an instrument which the users can perform, body-based manipulations of these graphics additionally replay the sounds of the users’ voices — thus creating a cycle of interaction that fully integrates the visitors into an ambience consisting of sound, virtual objects and real-time processing.

Messa di Voce lies at an intersection of human and technological performance extremes, melding the unpredictable spontaneity of the unconstrained human voice with the latest in computer vision and speech analysis technologies. Utterly wordless, yet profoundly verbal, Messa di Voce is designed to provoke questions about the meaning and effects of speech sounds, speech acts, and the immersive environment of language. (all the text from messa di voce website)

Links to some movies:

http://www.tmema.org/messa/video/messa_ica1_jaapsolo_01s.mov

http://www.tmema.org/messa/video/messa_ica1_ripple_01s.mov

http://www.tmema.org/messa/video/messa_ica1_fluid_01s.mov

More interesting informations You can find on Messa di Voce website:

http://www.tmema.org/messa/messa.html

This work was not able to be finished due the CNC machine technical problems

These are the two 3d models that we generated in Rhino. The first one consist on a ”moon landscape” made by egraving and the second one pretends to recognise the shape of the preexisting suface by a group of lines that show its topology.

We decided to mil the second one because we thought that would take less time to do it. So on, next image talks about this process and the final result.

Our new assigment was to develop electronic panels with chips that is taking movement as input and light as output.

For this, we first developed our panels and decided on the behaviour of light (output). We programmed our microcontrollers as; taking movement as input and fastly blinking light 10 times,keeping the light for 10 seconds and decreasing amount of light slowly. After this,we designed little boxes having panels inside and one side covered with translucent material.

At the end, our idea come up with the result that when you move inside designated area, you can see that different boxes creating different effects on the floor/wall.

Our group was assigned rotational input and light output for our electronics assignment. In addition to this we also ended up with 11 people in our group somehow. We got off to a great start with the milling, and chip making, but eventually we had a few problems with the milling, resulting with a nice little groove cut into the bed of the machine (we already told Vicotor about this and it wasn’t our fault).

watch a movie of the final panel in action here at youtube

Krzys hard at work with the chip making.

We decided for the panel that it would be much nicer if the actual object that you controlled was the object that changed, so we devised a series of 8×8x8cm cubes that would contain the electronic components.

These 9 cubes were mounted on a large base board, allowing the sensor to be fixed and the cubes to rotate. Many long discussion were fought about the layout of the cubes, but ultimately we decided that a fairly regular pattern would suit the project better.

Upon completion we managed to have 7 cubes working perfectly, 1 that is constantly on and one that has now chip at all. In addition to the 5 chips that we managed to destroy during the production process somehow. Victor had a look at these and apparently they look perfect, but just won’t work.

The panel its self allows you to vary the rate at which the light blinks by the amount that you rotate the cubes.

after the rough cut, the lines designed would be used as engravement paths.

this work was not able to be finished due to CNC machine technical problems.

Artist Olafur Eliasson created this piece, a laser-cut negative space rendering of his house in 85:1 scale:

Your House

It’s made of 454 slices, bound together in a book. The process to put together, due to the complex constraints that were put upon the paper, was quite difficult.

The company that produced the book are a laser-cutting house that specializes in paper-cutting, called Visionen in Papier (Visions in Paper).

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Milling is the most common form of CNC. CNC mills can perform the functions of drilling and often turning. CNC Mills are classified according to the number of axes that they possess. Axes are labeled as x and y for horizontal movement, and z for vertical movement, as shown in this view of a manual mill table. A standard manual light-duty mill (such as a Bridgeport™) is typically assumed to have four axes:

1. Table x.
2. Table y.
3. Table z.
4. Milling Head z.

The number of axes of a milling machine is a common subject of casual “shop talk” and is often interpreted in varying ways. We present here what we have seen typically presented by manufacturers. A five-axis CNC milling machine has an extra axis in the form of a horizontal pivot for the milling head, as shown below. This allows extra flexibility for machining with the end mill at an angle with respect to the table. A six-axis CNC milling machine would have another horizontal pivot for the milling head, this time perpendicular to the fifth axis.
 
CNC milling machines are traditionally programmed using a set of commands known as G-codes. G-codes represent specific CNC functions in alphanumeric format.

Creating an electronic circuit is something that requires a lot of patience and time. Our group was assigned to have an input light and output sound. We started our group assignment by attending the lecture of Victor Vina. Victor explained us the function of the electronic components and the process of assembling the chip.

We started out by milling the panel-base of the circuits using a CNC milling machine which received data from a computer software.

Then each one of us started assembling their own electronic circuit by putting together all the components starting from the little ones, for example the clock, the transformer, e.t.c., and moving on to the bigger ones, like the light-sensor, the speaker, e.t.c.

Then we had to test if these circuits could work and give us the result that we desired so we had to check each one of them in the computer software. Many of them didn’t work so we had to find out what the mistake was and either repair them or make new ones.

Meanwhile we were also working on the design of the panels and trying to figure out how we could achieve an interesting installation result with the input and output that we had using the computer software.

The designing of the panels was an issue that concerned us a lot. Our initial thoughts were to construct 3-dimensional panels that could move around the space. But we didn’t want the panels to be autonomous and independent, they had to somehow form a single flexible structure. This is how we came up with the idea of creating triangular panels and join them together in order to form a single panel that could move around the space. In each one of the panels there is a circuit inside and depending on the way that the single panel is moving the amount of light changes. Out of this we generate a differentiation in the sound.

The programming of the input of light and the output of sound was another area that we were interested in. We programmed each one of the circuits to create different musical notes forming a musical scale according to the order that they would be placed inside the panels. Finally our installation depends on the movement of the single panel and the amount of light that falls on it creating each time a different sound output.

In the presentation we demonstrated the way the panels work. Using a flashlight and moving the panel around the space we displayed the different sounds that could be produced.

During the presentation we had the opportunity to use the panels of another group and see how the two panels interact with each other. The other group had input movement and output light so by putting them together we could see how the variation of the movement that effected the amount of light could eventually produce a differentiation of sound.

“If laser cutting is the new handcrafted, then Mathias Bengtsson is a master craftsman.”

Born in Copenhagen, Bengtsson studied furniture design at the Danish Design School then went on to study at The Art Centre College-Europe, and the Royal College of Art in London.

Mathias Bengtsson (London-based) modeled this chair in 3D on a computer.
He used precision lasers to automatically cut individual plywood slices, which were assembled to give this chair the appearance of sculpted sandstone. Organic shapes like this were not possible to create before the advent of this kind of 3D modeling technology.

Generated by machine, his designs look like they have been carved from centuries of exposure to the elements, but in reality it is the flexibility of laser cutting that allows Bengtsson to create organic forms out of materials that don’t normally lend themselves to manipulation.

Bengtsson uses materials that are both natural and manufactured, and some of his pieces are fashioned out of the unexpected like fire retardant foam that has to be water-cut and joined by tension rods for stability. Each material seems to be carefully chosen to highlight the sinuousness of the final design.

For our CNC milling assignment we based out design on mirrore, radiating curves.  This would provide a great variation between surface finished from one end of the piece to the other.  The detail below shows connection curves outside the material boundary, joining all of the line together in order to maximize milling efficiency.  To add further detail to the surface, one set of lines was elevated 1mm above the finished level while the opposing set were left directly on the finished level.

engraving lines and detail.

rough cut.

We reduced the rough cut levels in order to remove excess material as close to the finished surface as possible.  Even with these settings, flat sections are still visible.

Engraving cut.

The lines that we created in AutoCAD were used as engraving paths, in 2 continuous passes.

This work was not able to be finished due the CNC machine technical problems.

EXPERIMENTS WITH THE CNC MACHINE 

/project is finally milled

The ‘imprint’ is the thumb impression on the ripple which evolves or explodes from a central focus point. It could also be compared to the electromagnetic pulse through a system.

Technical Details:

Tool : Ball Mill 12 mm dia

Rough Cut Parameters :

Stepover : 80 %

Stepdown : 25%

Cut Direction : Climb

Cut Pattern : Linear

Intol : 0.1

Outol : 0.1

Stock : 0.6

Engraving  Parameters :

Tolerence : 0.03

Cut Depth : 10

Rough Depth : 8

Finish Depth : 2

Phase 1

Phase 1

The work of our group was to develop a structure managed by the Chips done in the FabLab in order to produce movement from a source of light.

The process of the design begun with the idea of having a kind of installation, but in order to make this more architectural we build up a composition of cubes, and with a diamond shape cut that could function as a solar window.

For this work, the software make the panels move at the time you block the light, or produce a shadow next to it. There is a video for the tests that we made with the work and pictures of all the process in order to make this happen.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO OF THE FINAL PRESENTATION.

The  milling process started with the Rough Cut but  was not able to be finished due the CNC machine technical problems.

The intention behind this project was to create a series of diagonal curvilinear pattern all over the given undulating surface using CNC milling machine. It was intended to achieve through the following process.

1. Horizontal Roughing (Rough Cut)  with a set of parameter control

2. Horizontal Finishing with a set of parameter control

3. Curve Finishing with a set parameter control

This installation was designed by post-professional M.ARCH2 students at UCLA for the Paul Gleason Theatre in Hollywood (California). The project consists of two parts; 2,54m x 2,15m x 1m, and 2,54m x 2,15m x 0,5m respectively and it took eighteen weeks to complete.

The initial form was a minimal surface- one with a mean curvature of zero (see Frei Otto, or link)- forming a surface that was intended to be hung. Light was intended to be included as a reactionary devise to people’s movement. Eventually, after the necessary cutbacks, the two surfaces emerged from the wall with minimal disturbance to the existing structure. The light, produced by veins (white LEDs)were designed as to induce movement in people.

Because of the nature and complexity of the project, a conceptual part was the complementary process of physical and digital testing. Finally, polyurethane foam molds were milled to form the desired shapes. These were used to vacuum form PETG pieces that were laser trimmed by hand to extract the desired shapes. Of course, although the variety of final pieces produced was not satisfactory for the students, the cost of milling and vacuum forming inhibited them from doing exactly what they wanted. Also, the project included light, so some electronic components had to be tested, starting with a hose model and some diodes, so as to find some of the shadow tendencies with differing light orientations.

http://www.archinect.com/schoolblog/entry.php?id=58665_0_39_0_C

This work was not able to be finished due the CNC machine technical problems

“The design of this 4700 sq. ft. tenant improvement evolved from the unique challenge to remodel an early 1960’s Frank Gehry-designed commercial structure located in the heart of downtown Santa Monica into the stylish west coast branch of a full service post-production facility based out of Chicago. Three separate, soundproof video-editing bays were required, in addition to a conference room, an executive producer’s office, and lounge areas. Their specific programmatic and technological needs, combined with the good bones of Gehry’s original space, inspired lead designer Lawrence Scarpa’s vibrantly eclectic solution. His design engages the user, heightening their sense of awareness and bringing them a deeper understanding and vitality to their experience of the space.
In the treatment of the CoOP project, Pugh + Scarpa successfully incorporates the complex demands of a high-performance production studio with striking aesthetics that speak to the creative nature of the client’s work.”

Project Team
Pugh + Scarpa Architects (architect)
Gordon Polon (engineer)
Hinerfeld Ward Inc. (general contractor)
Marvin Rand (photography)

Awards
AIA National Honor Award, 2004
AIA California Council Award, 2004
AIA Los Angeles Design Award, 2003
AIA Los Angeles Special Decade Award, 2006
Record Interiors, 2003
Wood Design Awards, 2003

Here are some examples of the assignment for postgraduate students at ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich); the course Master of Advanced Studies in Architecture, Specialization in Computer Aided Architectural Design 2005/2006.

The assignment supervision: Oskar Zieta, Philipp Schaerer.

The exercise was to design the paravent using Trumatic 6000 laser-press-machine which both cut and bends material; while being limited to one material – structural plate steel (sheet 2000×1000mm, thickness 1mm ) . Some examples you can see below(1st by Arno Schlueter, 2nd by Bergit Hillner, 3rd by Oskar Zieta) the others here.

The pictures below show for each of  three paravents: sheet with the cut elements + drawing + photo

Eavesdripping is the design for an installation that uses water as both medium and display, rendering invisible communication visible.

To see the video click here its nice to see how it works

SnOil makes use of the ferrofluids magnetic sensitivity to selectively position and shape the fluid. This is done by electromagnets, which enable the appearing and disappearing of a magnetic field by switching the flow of an electric current. Therefore SnOil consists of two main parts: An approx. 25 by 25 cm sized basin that is filled with ferrofluid up to a height of a few millimeters. Directly underneath there is a grid of 144 (12 by 12) electromagnets that are arranged closely to each other. The magnets are arranged in four structurally identical blocks with 36 pieces each. The electronics for triggering the separate magnets are located on several layers of printed circuit boards directly underneath the layer of magnets. This makes the system highly scaleable in size and its footprint.

To understand better the way it was built and how it works watch this video is really cool!!

aperture is a facade installation with interactive and narrative displaying modes. Consisting of an iris diaphragm matrix, the facade’s surface with its apertures’ variable opening diameters is enriched by a dynamic translucency, that creates new imagery as well as a new channel for communication between inside and outside

Videos Site and Images of this project

Based upon 3-dimensional “cellular automata”, m.any displays the concept and prototypical realization of a complete digital work flow from parametric design to production on CNC-machines. An irregular spatial structure generated by algorithms was controlled and manipulated through an especially developed software. In addition to the calculation of the complex geometry, the software also generated necessary parametrical construction elements for the realization.

java generation of form

A masters project for a group of postgraduate students of Computer Aided Design (CAAD) at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, m.any was realized during a three month period. Intertwined with the programming process, construction studies and fabrication systems were developed. Using construction data directly derived from the 3D-model, m.any variations could be explored and tested. Using a combination of JAVA and RhinoScript, the group were able to generate, test and prototype the design process ensuring that it met the assessment criteria. 3D printed models were created during initial visualizations, followed by laser-cut, component based models.

rhino3d generation and 3d printer tests.

The final and realized spatial structure consists out of 1500 individual parts all generated and produced in a seamless digital workflow. 111 main assembly frames were CNC milled, and precisely 1368 MDF connection pieces were laser-cut. In total 34 hours were spent in the workshop cutting all of the pieces, in addition to 16 hours of installation and construction time within the gallery.

rhino3d layout of cutting paths.

fabrication and assembly

The project represents a quite remarkable fusion of two different CNC techniques, highlighting the different capacities of each of the two machines.

The advances in digital technologies brought upon a kind of “revolution” in the field of architecture and design. The new abilities that they offer give the opportunity to designers, artists and architects to realize concepts and projects that only existed in the sphere of the virtual, of the inconceivable. Although another question rises: Can these technologies be useful for the common good? Can they save human lives? Through the advances in digital technologies the surgeons are now able to create 3d physical models from CT (Computed Tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). Through specific computer softwares surgeons can develop accurate 3d digital models isolating the problematic areas. The next step is to create 3d physical models by using a 3d printer or a rapid prototyping machine. In this way the surgeons are able to perform “mock” surgeries prior to ever entering the operating room. Some surgeons find that minutes or hours of operating time can be saved by careful preparation using the models.

In the link below you can find more information about the use of rapid prototyping technics in surgery

http://ablesw.com/3d-doctor/

tecnology: SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)

material: polyamide (nylon)

hidden.mgx’ designed by dan yeffet for materialise in 2006.

comprised of polyamide nylon, ‘hidden’ is yet another of materialise’s odd, complex and utterly unique designs. at it’s heart, ‘hidden’ is a decorative vase with an exterior that seems to have been inspired either by barren tree branches in winter or one too many late night sci-fi/horror movies – kind of hard to tell.

but with just a little imagination the possibilities begin to become more clear , not only can you place flowers in the center of the object, but you could easily weave a variety of plants or other decorations through it’s ‘branches’, creating your own unique decoration or centerpiece that you can change and adapt to any time of year.

as with all materialise products, ‘hidden’ was created via ‘rapid prototyping technology’. this 3D material printing process allows for freedom of design far beyond the capacity of traditional manufacturing processes, literally building the object one tiny piece at a time.

The Rip Curl Canyon, by Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues, consists of around 4000 sheets of cardboard and is intended to transform the way people understand and interact with the spaces they inhabit. Throughout the exhibition, at Huston’s Rice Gallery 2006, visitors were encouraged to climb on and around the installation, in order to truly experience the change the object produces in the gallery’s space.

The 4000 sheets of cardboard were industrial die-cut into over 20,000 curved strips during a 12 day period. when joined together, these laminated strips act as a semi-monocoque with an intermediate plywood armature. The armature is constructed of 90×45mm timber and plywood which were individually CNC routered to fit the curvature from the 3D model.

A specific language was developed to allow the pieces to be slotted together, allowing the vast quantity of pieces to be installed within 4 days. This system allowed for very little structural constraint and gave on-site freedom to make improvised choices when installing the cardboard.

The digital information from CAD software and the cut-outlines

on site installation process, including die-cut template

installation completed in gallery

Lionel Theodore Dean is a designer who works directly with digital manufacturing, the 3D printing of artefacts direct from virtual on-screen models. From the mid-nineties his work spread  into interior products, in particular lighting. His products are very much design led: through his work he seeks to explore the boundaries between Art and Design. In 2002 he begun working on FutureFactories (http://FutureFactories.com ), a concept a digital manufacturing (Rapid Prototyping) concept for the mass individualisation of products. FutureFactories has been exhibited in London, Milan, and New York.

“The Water Wall” is an interactive fountain system in which the movement of the water is controlled by digital means.It will be situated in the new  technological innovative urban area that is been developed in Zaragoza (the Zaragoza Digital Mile). This project is designed as an urban element, running across the city like a vertical canal using different digital means to create a changable urban ambient. 

One of its most interesting elemnts is the ground level catchment and distribution system. It is constructed of large pavement drainage tiles that are CNC milled from dense stone.

 Depending of the level of water, different surfaces of the engraved pattern can be revealed making the whole construction reactive not only to morphological desires but also to the environmental conditions.

On the pictures above you can see stages of the production process and the final projects

The chair NR°5 :The stool NR°5 by Oskar Zieta. This is an example of applying laser cutting technology as a part of production process. In these projects laser is used in two stages of production: 1st laser cutting of two elements from the steel plate, 2nd laser welding of contours of those elements. The next stage - pumping of steel - is an ineresting technology ivented by the designer. Both, the process and the final result are great in my opinion. Unless you touch the chair, you are sure that it is made of some rubber not of steel.

designer about the project:

Idea:

The idea was to produce a stable and convenient furniture out of thin metal sheets using the potential of CNC machines and hydro formed metal surfaces. This was achieved by placing welds along the outer contour line and the interior. The interior welds as well as the pressure of the poured in fluid applied limits and control to the formation of interior cushions, creating the final shape resembling the pattern on the chippenfield sofa. The result is a light construction which can be easily masscustomized at low production costs with well established techniques.

Novelties of the process:

- industrial production with a unique result

- every single furniture is a unique sculpture

- combination of creative freedom with a consistent production process

- creation of a handmade expression produced by CNC machines

- unlike other cnc manufactured products with identical expression, chippensteel looks like a one-off handmade product

- application of modern techniques and materials for a retro futuristic design

- combination of stability with minor production effort and simplicity resulting in an appealing look.

Production process:

Chippensteel can be manufactured with different metals like steel, chromium- nickle steel and various alloys. First the metal sheets are welded together at the contour of the final shape. The following application of a spot-welding raster is essential for later forming processes. This grid is depending on the overall dimensions of the chair. The hydro forming process applies liquids with high pressure to the watertightly welded inner space. This pressure and the thickness of the metal sheets define the 3D appearance and stability of the chair. In the last step four bents are applied to the inflated shape, thereby folding the chair into its final form.

Rhino and Rhino Cam surface manipulation process

CNC milling process

Final product

In the “Inventioneering Architecture” project, the whole and its parts influence each other: While the whole explicitly determines the geometry of all parts, the production method chosen for the parts is prominent in the appearance of the whole.

The project is a traveling exhibition of the four Swiss architecture schools (Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva and Mendrisio) that was shown in San Francisco, Boston, Berlin, Dubai, Shanghai, Tokyo and Singapore. This doubly curved platform resembles an abstract crosscut through Swiss topography. It measures 40 by 3 meters with varying heights up to 1.5 meters. A footpath meanders along the surface, passing the exhibits.

1000 individually curved rafters
designtoproduction proposed to assemble the platform from 1000 individually curved rafters that were milled out of medium density fiberboard (MDF). They are assembled in comb-shape, so that their overlapping sections form the closed surface of the path while the exhibition area is marked by gaps. By choosing a rather cheap material and implementing a continuous digital chain from the definition of the surface geometry in the CAD software Maya until the control of the five-axis CNC-mill that the parts are manufactured with, production costs could be lowered significantly.

The twisted cut: a doubly-curved surface with a single movement
The detailing was developed closely after the capabilities of a five-axis router. The platform is divided into 40mm wide cross sections, each describing the upper surface of one rafter. To produce this surface, the milling tool follows both edges and rotates around its path, cutting a “ruled surface” that follows the topography of the platform both along and across the section. Thus it is possible to manufacture a three-dimensional, doubly curved surface from two-dimensional sheet material at very low cost. The rafters are connected by dowels and supported by perpendicular boards.

Automated detailing and production planning
Since the structure consists of more than 1000 individually shaped parts, the crucial point was to automate the translation of the platform geometry into the part geometry and finally into the machine code controlling the CNC router. This was accomplished by a set of scripts on a standard CAD system. The first script imports the original design defined as a NURBS-surface in the modeling software Maya, reads the coordinates of the platform’s cross-sections for every rafter and determines the angles of bank. A second script translates this information into the milling paths for all rafters, also including the drillings for the dowels. A third script arranges and optimizes the rafters on the MDF-boards and generates the G-Code programs, which control the movements of the five-axis CNC-router.

Exhibition at 100% Futures London next week, KOIVU sculptural lighting products from newly formed 4D Designs are a glowing sensation to behold. Each of the lighting products are made using laser-cut birch plywood, giving them a glowing tree trunk aesthetic that recalls the appearance of the material from which they came. “Grouped together, these freestanding lights take on the appearance of a mystical forest,” says 4D Designs’ founder, Michael Radford. We love how the aesthetic links back to the material, giving the lights a sense of re-interpreted history.
Radford says his work embraces sustainability, by reducing the amount of materials and number of processes used in manufacture: “My mission is to create innovative designs and products by using only the minimum in materials and processes. Using the latest technology in laser cutting on sustainable birch-ply my work recreates the patterns of barks and natural textures transferred onto ply wood. The use of a novel locking system means the ply wood can be assembled into tall structures using no extra materials, processes or glues. My work brings the natural world into the urban environment through contemporary lighting structures. which refer to the birch woods where my materials originated.”
The lights range from £200-£600: see the pricelist at 4D Designs. We can’t wait to see them in person, and will be sure to report back on their aesthetic and green-ness.

Structural Tesselation of Double Curved Surfaces

The Radiolaria Project aims to rethink architectural design and manufacturing techniques - it explores the filigree and beautiful skeletons of radiolarians, tiny marine organisms, with their striking hexagonal patterns, and transfers this concept to architectural scale and materialize it in a large scale structure.

The project involves research spanning from biology via geometry to applied building constructions, analogue panelisation experiments with CAD designed and CNC milled models, the development of a rigid parametric Node system, digital form finding techniques for the design of a large scale interior installation, tessellation of this form with especially developed grid generation tools, generative computation of individual structural node and beam elements, CNC manufacturing of these entities and the final assembly of the structure.

CNC milling of nodes – cutting border contours

More about this project…

production technology: SLS (Selelctive laser sintering - link1-link2 )

material: polyamid

dimensions: 350 x 341 x 401 mm

the stool was designed by Assa Ashuach from Materialise.MGX

on the left you see the digital model, the middle and right pictures show the ready stool

In my opinion this is an example of very good application of digital technologies to the design field.

Digital technologies were used in two levels of the design process:

1st - creation of the form based on the analisis of construction in AI software

2nd - production process using SLS technology

What I like a lot of this product is that the interesting form came from the construction, not only for the decorative reasons.

Pictures have been taken by Jens Vogt during the DesignMai 2007, Berlin, where the main subject of exhibitions was “Digital’n'ability”. You can find there a lot of pictures of different projects connected to the subject of using  digital technologies by designers.

description from the web:

The AI stool is the first to be designed using a combination of 3D tools and artificial intelligence. Produced by laser sintering the chair consists of a cosmetic skin and intelligent Soft and hard structures. Like the biological structure and mechanism of bone, the artificial intelligence software knows where to create sufficient support.

AI stool is an intelligent product that growing in free space with an artificial intelligence ‘DNA’ code. This code contains all the information required to ensure that the object will transform perfectly from a virtual design into a 3D object that achieves the optimum strength or intelligent softness whilst maintaining the desired visual aesthetic.

The AI Stool designed to carry a load of 120kg on a sitting surface at a height of 40cm. The challenge was to design a form with the minimum volume required for a seat and then instruct the AI software to calculate the required support.

The AI stool top layer designed to be soft and cushiony. How can softness be simulated in the virtual environment? One of the great successes of this project was to generate and analyse virtual softness.

The final AI Stool met all of the mechanical requirements while only using 1/3 of the anticipated material.

This project importance is not only in the actual results, but also at the research and development of new intelligent materials, design aesthetics and production methods.

Laser cut leather is a new trend in footwear and accesories. The laser allows for a very intricate cut-out pattern that combines the look of lace, with the durability of leather. The famous designer Roberto Cavalli integrated this technique in his latest collection creating -once again-dramatic effects. For only $1,764.00 you can find his shoes and matching purse with Asian Dragons, or his black belt. Luckily, in shoes at least, the look of laser cut leather can be achieved for a much more reasonable prices, and in various, even less exorbitant designs. Another interesting example would be the new laser cut designs of the “traditional” Dr.Marten’s boots. for a closer look to aprocedure of this kind, check this video.

http://www.shoewawa.com/2007/05/roberto_cavalli_8.html
http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/18338066/c/14.html

Folding chairs are great in theory, but most traditional designs are often bulky and unwieldy in both folded and unfolded form — defeating the whole point of impromptu seating. Now Belgian design company Materialise.MGX has solved this folding chair dilemma with their beautifully designed One Shot Stool. With a little help from rapid prototyping production, they have created a chair that gracefully twists from a narrow staff into a functional stool in a matter of seconds. In the folded position, the One Shot Stool is barely larger than a walking stick, making storage and transport a breeze. Once unfolded, it provides a sturdy little seat that is as functional as it is engaging.
The brainchild of Patrick Jouin, formerly of Phillipe Stark’s studio in Paris, the stool is the product of a highly-specialized rapid prototyping process called Selective Laser Sintering, in which the stool and all its moving parts are cut from a single piece of material. Utilizing a special laser, the procedure churns out a 3D model which maintains its kinetic properties by integrating its hinges within its construction. The unique and compactable unit has been making waves since its debut at the Salon Del Mobile Milan in April 2006 and has been purchased for the MOMA NY Collection and the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York.

Last fall Tiffany & Company hired Los Angeles architecture, industrial design and fabrication firm Ball-Nogues to create the environment for Frank Gehry’s gala party celebrating the launch of Gehry’s signature jewelry designs.
Held on a closed portion of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills the production featured temporary constructions that filled the street, created spectacle, and honored the materiality of Gehry’s early work. Designers Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues developed a new manufacturing process using corrugated cardboard to create voluptuous curved walls, furniture, and bars for the event. They were inspired by the process and material Gehry employed in his legendary “Easy Edges” furniture of the 1970’s.
Ball-Nogues designed and oversaw the construction of walls and furniture that required laminating over 25,000 strips of curved, industrially cut cardboard. A wall structure, half a block long and curved like the human body, was constructed from 4000 strips of cardboard sandwiched together. “Peep show” display windows, inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s Étant donnés, punctuated the wall. Tightly framed views of live nude models, wearing nothing but the Gehry jewelry, served as living “body as landscape” advertisements. Twenty-four ottomans, no two alike and distributed across the event space, invited 600 guests to explore alternative ways of sitting.
The lamination method developed for the project represents another direction in the material and process derived explorations of Ball-Nogues, whose airy Mylar tensile vortex Maximilian’s Schell last year became an instant icon in Los Angeles, garnered international media attention, received an Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects and won I.D. Magazine’s Annual Design Review “Best of Category for Environments,” 2006.
Incredibly strong and capable of supporting the weight of several people, the laminates operate like shells (integrating structure and skin) rather than surfaces - which need the support of a skeletal armature. The pieces reorient the viewer’s notions of standard corrugated cardboard from a raw packaging material to a substance with structural potential at an architectural scale and capable of being used to fashion sensuous compound curving forms that resemble wood sculpted with a computer controlled (CNC) router.
Ball-Nogues will further explore the use corrugated cardboard at the Rice University Art Gallery in Houston in an installation that will be on view from September 21 through October 29 2006.

www.artshole.co.uk/laurabezant.htm