Category Archives: IC.1 Digital Fabrication

Methacrylate Lamp

Our work for this assignment consisted in fabricating a lamp out of methacrylate using the method of bending/folding the material. We started by the basic heat-bending of the material and realized we wanted to explore more complex options, we achieved this by bending the material not from a whole piece, but from the assembly of units that responded to the desired geometry of the final object, and could be re-assembled as many times as needed into a different or more complex object.  We had a center piece and a repetition of modules that behave sometimes as the lamp itself and sometimes as the support pieces for the base, the basic shape of the module was the same for all the pieces except from the base, all of them were drawn in Rhino and assembled digitally, which then led us to laser cut them and assembly the final object for presentation.

Also posted in Christiana Vlanti, Laser cutting, Maria Elena Amescua Dacasa, Raja Vignesh, Students | Comments closed

Milling in Valchromat

The exercise consisted in generating a pattern on a valchromat board sized 400 x 600 x 240 mm, by using the CNC Vertical Milling machine.  We explored the different effects and tools the 3-axis milling machine offers by simulating a number of patterns in RhinoCam for Rhinoceros. Our final proposal consisted in a series of nurbs inspired in water ripples, they were generated by heightfield and booleaned tools  into the panel, then this geometry was milled by a 26mm ball mill for horizontal roughing, and later detailed by the same tool as the previous process,  but used for the parallel finishing.

Also posted in Christiana Vlanti, Maria Elena Amescua Dacasa, Milling, Raja Vignesh | Comments closed

3D printed joints

How to make a joint for a movable structure?

The design of the articulation started having as a case study the above working model.The joints were designed in order to serve specific movements which will provide the required mobility in the construction.
In order to have full movement, the construction require 12 articulation.
The essential function of almost all the joints is the rotation round an axis. This axis, and the union, are connected to the basic unit on which we can find connected maximum three related extensions.
However it could not be given the necessary mobility in construction if had not designed a central articulation. It’s basic function is to retain the overall grid. In this case the metal bar did not articulate but glide through the joint.

Also posted in 3d printing, Alexandre Dubor, Anna Kulik, Theodoros Grousopoulos, Uncategorized | Comments closed

The Crater

The main goal of the process was to study the Milling process and use the 54mm Ballmill to explore the different layers of the Valchromat panel by subtraction method.

By creating a pattern of curves in Rhino3D we used the curves as toolpath in RhinoCAM to simulate the process. The entire milling process took 40min.

Also posted in GONZALO MANUEL GARRIGA, Inder Prakash Singh Shergill, Milling | Comments closed

Joints for eqilibrium

We part from the idea of recreating a structure that can move and stay in equilibrium as easily and as gracefully as a Calder Structure. These sculptures allow for a great deal of movement, and work perfectly in equilibrium, continuously stabilizing itself.

We devised a joint that allowed us to take the Calder system a bit further. Our new joint is able to hold as many as 18 rods at the same time.  It rotates elliptically and vertically, allowing the structure to “find” its own balance according to where the rods are placed and where you apply force of movement.

Also posted in 3d printing, Akhil Kapadia, Angel Fernando Lara Moreira, Faculty, Jinglu Zhu, Students | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment