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Left: Setup overview including industrial articulated robotic arm, thermoforming apparatus and driving parametric computer software. Right: Tiles produced by casting white cement into plastic thermoformed molds.
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We present a process that revisits form-finding within digital media, namely parametric design and robotic fabrication. It is inspired by classical architectural and engineering experiments producing minimal surfaces and tensile structures by physical simulation of materials and natural forces. Fabrication is based on thermoforming, where thin shee...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... methods, address some of the limitations of each approach and propose a new perspective which fuses geometry and materiality with its formation. We present the design, development, testing and deployment of the process; a case study for the design of an artwork installation; and offer insights into a notion of robotically controlled form-finding (Fig. ...
Citations
... In addition, there are reviews of specific techniques: the studies on membranes and minimal surfaces by Bletzinger 16 ; tensegrity structures by Tibert and Pellegrino 17 ; bending-active structures by Lienhard et al. 18 ; reciprocal structures by Thönnissen 19 ; and folding structures by Lebée. 20 In the context of plastic sheets and heat, Chen et al. 21 introduce a form-finding technique based on thermoforming. This method involves heating thin plastic sheets until they reach a malleable state, allowing an industrial robot to subsequently manipulate them and generate three-dimensional shapes. ...
A form-finding technique based on the deformation of plastic sheets by the action of gravity and temperature increase is proposed, allowing the exploration of complex geometries to support form-giving processes within architecture projects, both by students and practitioners. Using an analog and computational approach , the ideal material for the technique was selected from a multifactorial experiment. Semi-structured analog experimentation was carried out based on inputs, rules, and outputs previously identified, and the resulting models were morphologically analyzed, to later translate the components of the analog experimentation into a computational algorithm to carry out computational experimentation. The technique can be used as a generator of novel forms possessing adequate transformational qualities. Finally, potential applications of the technique and avenues for future research are presented.
... However, applications of interlocking blocks to the out-of-plane behaviour of walls are still rather limited and, more in general, the works on the mechanical properties of interlocking blocks with non-planar geometries are limited to the very few applications to tubular [20] or freeform shell structures [21], disregarding the recent transformations in digital manufacturing that allows to fabricate assemblages having joints with complex shapes. Recent advancements in this filed includes, e.g., 3D printing of concrete blocks [22], stereotomy of stones with CNC machines [23], and concrete casting using thermoformed molds [24]. ...
This paper presents a computer aided design tool that analyses the structural feasibility of interlocking assemblages with orthotropic sliding resistance and automatically adjusts the assemblage shape to remove the infeasibility. First, the static problem of limit analysis is extended to the corrugated interfaces. To model different bond patterns and openings, an assemblage is abstracted to different types of joints representing the dry joints between the blocks, joints inside the blocks and the excluded joints where the openings are located. This problem is then reformulated to measure the structural infeasibility due to the sliding constraint violation. The so-called sliding infeasibility measure shows how far an infeasible model is to become feasible. This problem is used as the objective function of a shape optimization algorithm that minimizes the sliding infeasibility measure through automated change of the interlocking joints, by which the model becomes structurally feasible. The optimization is validated using the discrete element analysis.
Algorithmic Design (AD) tools enable the creation of geometrically complex architectural shapes that might be challenging to manufacture. This paper presents an overview of recent design-to-fabrication processes based on AD. It reflects on how AD can help overcome fabrication limitations and enhance the connection between architectural geometry, material, and manufacturing, approximating design exploration and construction.
After analysing the literature on AD-based design-to-fabrication processes, the research identifies methodological trends, showing that AD is often used to increase (1) design flexibility, (2) tool interoperability, and (3) control over design manufacturing. It also reveals that custom and standard algorithms are equally used at early-stage design tasks, but that custom algorithms are markedly more used at later stages, where the amount of data and level of detail are higher. The research concludes with a critical reflection on the still-existing design-to-fabrication barriers and proposes future research directions.
Fibrous networks are abundant in nature and commonly used in industry. However, their geometrical modelling is challenging due to their complex microstructure. In this study, a novel method, called Fibre Placement Method (FPM), is developed. In contrast to the existing methods, the FPM has various advantages, such as a fully parametric definition of structure. Also, this method is superior in mimicking the stochastic microstructure of fibrous networks compared to other schemes. Various fibrous networks can be generated easily by employing a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI). Also, the generated fibrous networks are compatible with analysis software such as computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools. Finally, this algorithm characterises various features of networks including uniformity, void area fraction, and average curliness.
