RelWood™ - Potential Substitute of Wood

DEGREE PROJECT RELWOODâ„¢ - POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD Sponsor : RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LIMITED, NAVI MUMBAI

Volume : 1 of 1 STUDENT : AKSHAY CHANDEKAR PROGRAMME : Masters of Design (M. Des)

GUIDE : PRAVINSINH SOLANKI

2018 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN FACULTY (FURNITURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN)

Copyright Š 2018 This document has been written and designed by Akshay Chandekar Student documentation publication, meant for private circulation only.

All rights reserved.

No part of this document can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronically or mechanicallly, including photocopying, xerography or video recording without permission from Akshay Chandekar and National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India.

All Illustration and photographs in this document are copyright Š 2017 by respective people/organization.

Editedd and designed by: Akshay Chandekar mime.industrialdesigns@gmail.com ph: +91 758 710 0644 Typefaces used in this document: Frutiger by Adrian Frutiger Calibri by Luc(as) de Groot Halvetica by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann Arial by Robin Nicholasvv This document has been published in Ahmedabad

The Evaluation Jury recommends AKSHAY CHANDEKAR for the Degree of the National Institute of Design In INDUSTRIAL DESIGN (FURNITURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN)

Herewith, for the project titled "RELWOOD - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD" on fulfilling the further requirements by*

Chairman Members :

Jury Grade : *Subsequent remarks regarding fulfilling the requirements

This Project has been completed in ________________ weeks.

Activity Chairperson, Education

ORIGINALITY STATEMENT I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and it contains no full or substantial copy of previously published material, or it does not even contain substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or final graduation of any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in this graduation project. Moreover I also declare that none of the concepts are borrowed or copied without due acknowledgement. I further declare that the intellectual content of this graduation project is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged. This graduation project (or part of it) was not and will not be submitted as assessed work in any other academic course.

Student Name in Full: Signature: Date:

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT I hereby grant the National Institute of Design the right to archive and to make available my graduation project/thesis/dissertation in whole or in part in the Institutes’s Knowledge Management Centre in all forms of media, now or hereafter known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act. I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my document or I have obtained permission to use copyright material.

Student Name in Full: Signature: Date:

RelWoodâ„¢ A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Acknowledgement Many people have been involved in the pursuit of this project over the period of 8 months. I would like to thank my guide Mr. Pravinsinh Solanki (guide) who gave me an opportunity to work on this project with Reliance Industries Limited and Praveen Nahar for his words of wisdom and invaluable input. At RIL I am thankful to Mr.Anurag Srivastava who helped me see my errors as learning opportunities and Dinesh Bhai for turning my imaginary concepts into tangible products.

In the background are family away from home Eemon, L.C.U. , Dishank, Suraj, Bhargav, Nayana, Sayee, Nargis, Somil, Nitish and Amisha. Also Dinesh Bhai and his family for providing working environment as warm as home.

I am eternally greatful to my parents, my sister and Kuttu (dearest pet) for giving me the confidence to embrace each struggle with humility.

Contents INTRODUCTION

13

MENTORS

19

SPONSOR

21

VENDOR

23

RELWOOD

25

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

29

OBJECTIVE

41

INITIAL BRIEF

43

MATERIAL INTRODUCTION

45

MATERIAL INSIGHTS

65

MATERIAL APPLICATIONS FURNITURES 1. Round Table 2. Stadium Seats 3. Dining Table 4. Conference Table ARCHITECTURE 5.Building Facade SIMPLE PRODUCTS 6.1. Cord Organiser 6.2. Phone Stand 7. Dustbin

CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY

74 118 120 150

166

192 196 225 217 219

Introductions

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National Institute of Design is internationally acclaimed as one of the finest educational and research institutions for Industrial, Communication, Textile and IT Integrated (Experiential) Design. It is an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. NID offers professional education programmes at Bachelors and Masters level with five faculty streams and 20 diverse design domains.

The institution has established exchange programmes and ongoing pedagogic relationships with more than 55 overseas institutions. NID has also been playing a significant role in promoting design.

The overall structure of NID’s programme is a combination of theory, skills, design projects and field experiences supported by state of the art design studios, skill & innovation labs and the Knowledge Management Centre. Sponsored design projects are brought into the classroom to provide professional experience. Interdisciplinary design studies in Science and Liberal Arts widen the students’ horizons and increase general awareness of contemporary issues .More than 50 years ago, design education has made history at our heritage campus in Ahmedabad. Much has gone by during this period. Many changes occurred at regular intervals which have kept NID going from strength to strength. Changes have never deterred NID from its position of leadership in design education and promotion. A strong body of faculty and state of art infrastructure provide a perfect environment for creating design professionals ready to face industry and provide design leadership.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

National Institute of Design

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The Discipline of Furniture and Interior Design deals with the creation and evolution of objects, structures and systems at human scale that aim to improve the quality of life in the immediate living and working environment, while looking at sustainable and innovative use of diverse materials and processes. It believes in a broad and interdisciplinary attitude for enriching the design activity and draws from experiences of Industrial and Environmental Design professions. The Programme provides an integrated approach to the design of Furniture and Interior objects and systems as part of one’s living and working habitat, while striving to redefine the boundaries of such elements with a systems perspective.

The Furniture and Interior Design discipline encourages the students to develop a strong foundation of basics, which facilitates anticipation of the future. The institute achieves this purpose through a diverse pool of faculty who brings academic knowledge and work experience to their instruction.

The programme aims to educate designers to handle all aspects of furniture design as one integrated user centric area of study; and their ability to integrate all such elements and systems into coherent wholes in various interior spatial contexts is considered to be important.

Special emphasis is placed on the ability to develop self-made prototypes in order to test human and functional factors v/s aesthetics and use of materials.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Furniture and Interior Design

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Mentors

Mr. Pravinsinh Solanki

Mr. Praveen Nahar

Pravinsinh K. Solanki teaches Furniture & Interior Design at the National Institute of Design. Pravinsinh started teaching at NID in 2013. He has worked on various high-end residential interiors, school furniture, event designing, furniture design, and boutiques. He has expertise in setting up wood manufacturing, sourcing, production, execution, and cost-cutting.

Praveen Nahar is a Senior Faculty member in Industrial Design at NID. He is currently Discipline Lead for Product Design, Activity Chairperson for International Programmes and Research & Publications.

He studied Production Engineering at the undergraduate level, Industrial Design at the master’s level from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) New Delhi, and postgraduate course in Sustainable Design from Delft University of Technology, Netherlands. Praveen has over 17 years of experience in design teaching, consultancy and research. Prior to NID, he was a lecturer in industrial design at IIT Bombay and a research associate in Transportation Research at IIT Delhi.

At NID he teaches Construction & Fabrication, Space Planning, Retail Store Design, Design Detailing, and Design Management. He also looks after the classic prototypes which are designed by world class designers. He has a special interest in bamboo furniture and is the coordinator of Bamboo Initiatives at NID.

19

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Mr. Anurag Shrivastava

Mr. Dinesh Sondagar

Senior Manager RelWood™ He is currenlty Technical Lead for a new product category with a revenue of $ 200 million with an experience of 25years in the RIL portfolio. His job profile is to stream line a customer oriented technical network throughout the country , Also Implementing marketing seeding and increasing the visibility and awareness though technical sessions, exhibitions, trainings and trials.

Dinesh Bhai is a the founder of Chamunda Furnitech. He is a humble person and has diploma in Interior Design with over 30 years of experience in the furniture industry, proficient in woodworking, metal fabrication and surface finishes. He is inventive and resourceful when it comes to working with material.

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RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LIMITED (RIL) There are several businesses owned and initiated by the big Indian giant Reliance Industries Limited. As the Indian market demands for global technology. RIl is trying to introduce new technology and material which at the same time is beneficial for consumers and the manufactures. One of the major businesses of RIL is petrochemicals. Being the manufacturer of compounds that are further used for manufacturing consumer products, their major engagement is B to B. Continuing the expansion of their business, RIL is looking to expand the range of their products that can be manufactured using existing facilities and also use their existing polymer business network.

India being a developing country is accepting of technologies which are environmental friendly. People today are really leaning towards spending their earnings on lifestyle. Thus the largest amount of building materials are required for consumers. One such industry is Furniture and interior decoration. The major raw material of this industry is wood in the form of : a. Logs - dependent on growth of tree and its size b. Boards OR Sheets - independent of size of the trees both of the above forms of wood require many trees to be cut down on regular basis or even more frequently according to the markets demand. This rate of deforestation is much faster than that of the natural cycle of trees. This brings the market to the necessity for a substitute to existing form of wood. Catering this situation RIL is bringing RelWood™ to Indian market which could have the potential to replace wood in the near future.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Sponsor

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Plot no. 772/2/2. Village: Tukwada, Taluka: Pardi, District: Valsad, Gujarat, India.

Plot no. 772/2/2.

Village: Tukwada, Taluka: Pardi, District: Valsad, Gujarat, India.

Email: chamundafurnitech@gmail.com Email: chamundafurnitech@gmail.com GSTIN: 24AALFC0145P1ZC GSTIN: 24AALFC0145P1ZC Plot no. 772/2/2. Village: Tukwada, Taluka: Pardi, District: Valsad, Gujarat, India.

Email: chamundafurnitech@gmail.com GSTIN: 24AALFC0145P1ZC

To, Reliance Industries Ltd., Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra-400701.

Date: 9th May, 2018.

Date: 9th May, 2018.

To, To, Reliance Industries Ltd., Reliance Industries Ltd., Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai, Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra-400701.

Maharashtra-400701.

Date: 9th May, 2018.

Subject: Urgent approval for louvers and grill work.

Subject: Urgent approval for louvers and grill work.

Respected Sir/Madam, Sir/Madam, Subject: UrgentRespected approval for louvers grill work.

As discussed in ourand meeting during your visit to our unit onth8th May, 2018, we have revised the As discussed quotation as: in our meeting during your visit to our unit on 8 May, 2018, we have revised the quotation as: Respected Sir/Madam, As discussed in our meeting during your visit to our unit on 8th May, 2018, we have revised the Sr. No. Description Amount quotation as: Sr. No. Description Amount Sr. No. 1

2

Economic louvers on all façades and economic grill work Amount Economic louvers for on all façades andfaçade. economic grill work west and east for west and east façade.

Economic louvers on all façades and economic grill work 21,75,000/= for west and east façade.

2 Premium grill work only on south façade.

2 Premium grill work only on south façade.

Description1 1

Premium grill work only on south façade.

2,85,000/= We request you to revert as early as possible.

We request you to revert as early as possible.

Terms & Conditions: Conditions: We request you to revert as early as Terms possible.

1.&GST 18% extra as applicable.

1. 2.GST 18% extra aspayment applicable.

100% advance along with work order copy.

2. 3.100% advance payment withby work Terms & Conditions: RelWood sheet will bealong provided the order buyer.copy.

21,75,000/= 21,75,000/=

2,85,000/= 2,85,000/=

23

Chamunda Furnitech is a recently established company by two brothers from Sondagar Family i.e. Mr. Dinesh Sondagar and Mr. Bhupendra Sondagar. The family has been in furniture manufacturing business from past three decades and have lots of knowledge about the furniture business from their experience.

They have very sound knowledge about furnitures, from manufacturing to selling.

The major business of this company comprises of manufacturing hotel furnitures. The materials used for manufacturing furnitures are wood, metal and upholstery. The manufacturing facility has an area of 1,20,000 sqft which can handle as many as 200 employees for a fully fledged furniture production.

The facility has new and modern woodworking machines which includes: panel saw, planer/thicknesser, edge bander, multiborer, paint booth, band saw, CNC milling etc.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Vendor

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FIRE

RESISTANT

WATER

RESISTANT

UV

RESISTANT

TERMITE

RESISTANT

25

RelWood™ is a polymer technology which has been inherited from a German company named Resysta™. RIL has bought the licence from this German company to manufacture the compound in India. Their aim is to sell this compound to the Indian industries which can extrude it according to the requirement of the end users. Here, RIL does not aim to deal with the end users. RIL limits itself only to compound manufacturing in the form of small pellets (like other polymer pellets).

This project has been initiated 2 years back and currently is in the business development stage. At this stage manufacturing of the raw material has not been started in India. Few metric ton has been imported from Resysta’s Indonesian facility. There have been several extrusion tests at various industries which already has a running extrusion line for PVC boards and UPVC profile extrusions. RelWood has similar extrusion process as PVC and UPVC. Injection moulding, blow moulding or pultrusion are not suitable methods for conversion of RelWood.

The German company has the patented material composition and only RIL has bought the right to manufacture and use the composition. The exact ratio of elements in the compound is not exposed to the user. Rather few of the element in undisclosed proportion are disclosed and highlighted as unique selling points as a marketing strategy.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

RelWood™

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By Resysta™ 1. Rice Husk - 60% 2. Common Salt - 22% 3. Mineral Oil - 18%

By RIL 1. Natural Fibre - undefined quantity 2. Polymer - undefined quantity Relwood™ just being the trademark also has a technical name

NATURAL FIBRE POLYMER - NFP.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Disclosed and Highlighted elements are :

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9 PLANETS (Industrial Area, Kanhesar, Pune, Maharashtra) is one of the many extrusion facilities where RelWood extrusion has been tested. Here at this plant a separate line of extrusion has been set exclusively for RelWood™

Extrusion is a high volume manufacturing process in which raw material is melted and formed into a continuous profile. The plastic extrusion process is a well known technique, widely used in the polymerization industry. In the plastic extrusion, raw thermoplastic material, in the form of small beads is fed from a top mounted hopper into the barrel of the extruder.

The material enters through the feed throat (an opening near the rear of the barrel) and comes in contact with the screw pointed out. The rotating screw is normally tuned up to 120 rpm and forces the plastic beads to move forward into the barrel. It is heated to the desired melting temperature of the molten plastic depending on range from 50oC to 250oC of the polymer The raw thermoplastic material is fed into the hopper in the form of solid pellet which passes through the temperature zones to be heated and melted. The melted polymer material is pushed forward by a powerful screw and then passes through the molding mechanism formed by the die.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Manufacturing Process

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H OPPE R

F E E D THROAT BARREL WITH S C REW D IE

D R I V E U NI T

BREAKER P L AT E

HEATING ELEM EN T

31

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

This diagram shows the arrangement the different parts of the machine.

The two units - screw and barrel - interact together to convey the plastic material, melt the material, and then push it through the die.

The screw is rotated at a predetermined speed by an electric motor drive unit and gearbox. Temperature controllers are connected to heating/ cooling elements on the barrel to maintain the temperature at the setpoint temperatures.

The capability of the screw and barrel assembly to extrude a given material is based on the characteristics or construction of the barrel and screw, the characteristics of the plastics material, and the circumstances under which the system is operated.

Next in this chapter a detailed method of extrusion which was witnessed at Planet 9 is explained in 6 steps and the 7th step explains the making of surface texture. The extrusion process shown next is for the Sheets of dimension 1200 x 2400 x 16 mm3 with 0.7 density only.

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a. compound in the form of pellets b. extrusion line starting from the mezzanine c. mixing the compound d. using gravity to feed compound to hopper

a

b

c

step 1 d

The compound which is in the form of pelettes is mixed well in the ratio of 1:9 = Ground waste for recycle (from step 5) : virgin material/ pellets on the mezzanine floor and then fed to the hopper which then is transferred to the extrusion line using earth’s gravitational pull.

33

b

a

At this step the transformation of the raw material begins. At the starting point of the extrusion line i.e. Just after the hopper, there is a barrel with heating coils on the outside and large screw inside. This screw has ascending pitch towards the screwing direction. After the raw material is transferred to this- screw barrel the application of heat and pressure in the screw brings the material to molten state and gives it a homogeneous density/texture/viscosity/ composition.

c

d

e

a. mixed compound fed through hopper. b. provision for checking the compound quantity. c. closer view of the feeder d. heat coils on the screw barrel e. temperature regulation panels.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

step 2

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a. processed raw material fed into the die b. closer view of the die. c. sectional view of the screw barrel. d. material flow into the die.

a

b

step 3 c

After the screw barrel, compound proceeds to the Die Zone. Here the screw from previous step pushes the molten compund into a rectangular die which gives the compound a defined rectangular cross section.

d

// A small but significant part of the process is a thin plate which is placed at the centre of the cross section, the compound is divided into two equal cross sections, here although they fuse together in the next step. This process gives the material a slightly dense narrow central core but not as dense as the surface. This process may be eliminated, but is preferred for better structural performance.

35

Here the material is successfully converted to the desired profile (i.e. 17mm x 1200mm rectangle) and obtained at the end of the die zone. It is then passed through the Cooling Zone where material is passed through extremely cold metal plates called quenching plates. These quenching plates are at temperatures -7oC and are placed at the top and bottom. These plates quench the top and bottom layer of the compound into solid state maintaining the 16mm thickness and the core in foam state.

a

b

d

c

a. quenching plates for cooling the material. b,c .material transitioning through the quenching plates. d. material processed into sheets after quenching.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

step 4

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a. sheet pulled by rollers to cutters b. cutting off the raw edges c. collection of waste strips d. waste strips e. ground waste material a

b

c

step 5 d

e

f

Once the quenched profile comes out of the cooling zone its sides are trimmed off to give it a standard dimension and a defined/desired rectangular cross section. These trimmed off pieces are ground and fed into the hopper once again in the ratio of 1:9 (as mentioned in step 1).

37

a

At this point the compound has been turned into a sheet form but is still soft and needs to set. To further set the compound it is passed through rollers zone which helps maintaining a flat surface on both surfaces of the sheet.

There are a standard 7 rollers on each surface (top and bottom). At the end of the rollers is a programmed cutting saw which cuts the sheet at equal desired length along its width. With this step the processes involved in extrusion line are completed and the raw material/compound is successfully transformed into sheets (dimensions 1200x2400x16).

b

c

d

a. roller system for straightening the sheet b. sheet passing through roller c. sheets cut into required dimension d. sheets received at the end of extrusion line with a glossy surface.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

step 6

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a. stacking of sheets b. automated system for sanding the surface of the sheets c. sanded sheets received.

a

b

step 7

c

After collecting the sheets from the end of the extrusion line, this final step assists in giving a wood like appearance to the sheets. A Wide Belt Sander with p24 grit sandpaper is used to give the sheet wood like texture on both surfaces. The dust produced during sanding is collected by vacuum using a dust collector.

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STUDYING AND EXPLORING THE MATERIAL - To understand the physical properties of the material in order to use it as a substitute to natural wood - Replace the wooden member with RelWood.

- To create furniture using the overpowering properties of RelWood over Wood. ( for example: Thermoforming , Weather proof, etc.).

The aim of the project is to learn the possibilities of the material in the area of Design and Manufacturing only. There has been no aim to cover the commercial aspect of the material. Further, through-out this book there would will be several explorations and experimentations with the purpose of making and learning.

Since, the material is supposed to be a replacement to wood, It is directly compared to Wood. Woodworking techniques have been used to make furniture, products, building faรงades and other architectural products. This direct comparison with wood has made the student arrive at the learning by the end of this project. Also, new techniques have been innovated and developed to take care of materials advantages and disadvantages. There are few non-recommended methods which have been used in the scarcity of available material and technology

RELWOODโ ข - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Objective

43

Since Reliance Industries Limited is trying to expand their petrochemical business. The project RelWood is only 2 years old, in the “Business Development” stage the strategy innumerates several factors. Applications of the material is one such strategy.

It is necessary to introduce the Architects, Furniture manufactures, Construction contractors and the Consumers about the material and its application. To implement the applications of the material in a creative manner, the requirement for a designer was recognised.

The brief of the project is to showcase the applications of the material in such a manner that it highlights the advantages, at the same time disadvantages would also need to be evaluated.

The applications of the material would require significant experimentation and trials to fully grasp its scope and limitations, that shall be the crux of the journey of this project.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Initial Brief

45

RelWood as a material is new to the industry and to the sponsor hence its scope and limitations are needed to be tested before application. Recalling and adhering to the motto of “learning by doing”, the task of understanding the material was taken up. Samples of varying composition and characteristics were obtained and put to test. These tests were selected based on established understanding of the behaviour of wood, including its strength and shortcomings in order to gauge its workability.

The different properties of RelWood that are put to test during this exercise are: a. Cutting b. Heat - bending c. Sanding & planing d. Milling & Shaping e. Welding f. Fastening i) pasting ii) Nailing and Filling iii) Screwing iv) Knock-Down Fitting v) Dowel Joint g. Inlaying f. Turning

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Material Introduction

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a. Cutting/Sawing Cutting/sawing: Cutting and sawing are important processes in converting the raw material into a finished product; hence the material’s behaviour towards both processes is imperative.

The tools used here are linear as well as circular namely; band saw, circular moving saw and circular table saw.

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

457 x 762 x 16

Density :

0.7

PROCESS Technique :

Linear movement sawing

Tool /machine

Band saw for wood/ aluminium

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

-Porosity in crosssection is visible -No visible burr

Strength

Same as earlier

47

SAMPLE ASPECTS 457 x 762 x 16

Density :

0.7

PROCESS Technique :

Circular movement sawing

Tool /machine

Circular table saw

RESULT Appearance

-Porosity in crosssection is visible -No visible burr

Strength

Same as earlier

images: exploration done with the material

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

457 x 762 x 16

Density :

0.7

PROCESS Technique :

Circular movement sawing

Tool /machine

Circular moving saw

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

-Porosity in crosssection is visible -No visible burr

Strength

Same as earlier

RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Dimensions

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b. Heat Bending Heat bending is a process of moulding a material by applying heat. The bending of material assists in providing larger opportunities to design.

• Convection heating: Heating by air convection currents circulating through the body of the appliance, for example a convection oven. Heats the material evenly from all sides.

• Surface heat: Heats the material from one surface and is carried our using a heat plate.

Wood, in comparison, requires a longer and more intensive process for bending.

RelWood is able to achieve the same results faster.

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

35 x 200 x 15

Density :

0.5

PROCESS Technique :

Convection heating without mould, 140ºC, 15 minutes

tool /machine

Laboratory convection oven

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

Significant amount of necking

Strength

Intermediate

49

SAMPLE ASPECTS 35 x 200 x 12

Density :

1.7

PROCESS Technique :

Convection heating without mould , 140ยบC, 15 minutes

Tool /machine

Laboratory convection oven

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

Bent with appropriate bending radius

Strength

Good

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

35 x 200 x 12

Density :

1.7

PROCESS Technique :

Surface heating , 140ยบC, 15 minutes

Tool /machine

Heat plate

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

Limited bent

Strength

Poor (due uneven distribution of along its cross section)

RELWOODโ ข - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Dimensions

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SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

35 x 200 x 16

Density :

0.7

Technique :

Surface heating , 110ยบC , 10mins ; quenched for 1min

Tool /machine

Heat plate

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

Negligible necking

Strength

Intermediate

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

35 x 100 x 16

Density :

0.5

PROCESS Technique :

Convection heating without mould, 140ยบC, 15 minutes

Tool /machine

Laboratory convection oven

RESULT Appearance images: exploration done with the material

Large amout of necking

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RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

c. Sanding & Planing

Sanding/Planing: A very important part of working with wood is the planing/ sanding process which gives the surface a finished and smooth texture.

Relwood’s composition and cross sectional structure make this process difficult however its limits were tested by trial. The advantage in the case of RelWood is that its surface can be finished well during manufacturing, so the consumer receives it with a wood like texture

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

35 x 150 x 16

Density :

0.7

PROCESS Technique :

Disc sanding

Tool /machine

Disc sander

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

-Porosity in cross-section is visible -No visible burr

Strength

Same as earlier

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SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

35 x 250 x 16

Density :

0.7

PROCESS Technique :

Planing

Tool /machine

Hand planer

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

-Porosity in crosssection is visible

Strength

-Structural strength is lost (since the top most denser layer is worn off)

d. Milling & Shaping

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RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Milling is the process of three dimensional cutting of the material to varying depths and variable shapes. The two techniques used here are; CNC machine and a manual milling machine.

ASPECTS Dimensions

16 mm thick

Density :

0.7

PROCESS Technique :

Milling

Tool /machine

CNC ROUTER

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

-Porosity in crosssection is visible -Dusty edges -Burr stuck on the job-work (since the router bit reaches high temperature during the process

Strength

Same as earlier

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ASPECTS Dimensions

16 mm thick

Density :

0.7

PROCESS Technique :

Milling

Tool /machine

Linear table ROUTER

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

-Porosity in cross-section is visible -Dusty edges

Strength

Same as earlier

e. Welding

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RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

RelWood can be joined by applying heat on the surfaces of two pieces and then joining them. The joint is homogeneous with a little bulge on the surface which can be planed

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

30 x 150 x 16 - 2pcs

Density :

0.7

PROCESS Technique :

Heating to molten state and fusing

Tool /machine

Heat blower

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

-Bulge at the fusing point is seen -Burnt surface is seen ( due to prolonged heating at one point)

Strength

Poor ( due to inappropriate apparatus)

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f. Fastening

Fastening explorations consist of various techniques for combining RelWood with RelWood and with other materials (wood and metal). The techniques tried are Pasting, nailing and filling, screwing, knock down fittings and dowel joint.

i. Pasting

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

50 x 100 x 12 - 2pcs

Density :

0.8

PROCESS Technique :

Pasting using adhesive

Tool /machine / medium

PVC solvent cement

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

-Homogeneous bond with a bonding line

Strength

Excellent

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

Mild Steel Tube: 35 x 90 x 19 Ash Wood : 35 x 90 x 15 Relwood : 50 x 90 x 17 Relwood (base) : 150 x 90 x 17

Density :

0.8

PROCESS Technique : Tool /machine medium

Pasting using adhesive /

Rubber adhesive

solution

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

-homogeneous bond with a bonding line

Strength

Good

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ii. Nailing & Filing

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

Mild Steel Tube: 35 x 90 x 19 Ash Wood : 35 x 90 x 15 Relwood : 50 x 90 x 17 Relwood (base) : 150 x 90 x 17

Density :

0.8

PROCESS Technique :

Hammering

Tool /machine / medium

Mild steel nails & hammer

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

Parting line is significantly visible

Strength

Good

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RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

Relwood (base) : 50 x 90 x 17 Cavity : 6 ø , Depth: 6mm (x3)

Density :

0.8

PROCESS Technique :

Tool /machine medium

Filling with paste of saw dust and PVC solvent cement. /

Saw dust + PVC solvent

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

-Homogeneous bond with no visible parting line

Strength

Excellent

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iii. Screwing

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

Mild Steel Tube: 35 x 90 x 19 Ash Wood : 35 x 90 x 15 Relwood : 50 x 90 x 17 Relwood (base) : 150 x 90 x 17

Density :

0.8

PROCESS Technique :

Screwing

Tool /machine / medium

Hardened steel screws & drill machine

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

Parting is visible

Strength

Good , but not repeatable

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

Mild Steel Tube: 35 x 90 x 19 Ash Wood : 35 x 90 x 15 Relwood : 50 x 90 x 17 Relwood (base) : 150 x 90 x 17

Density :

0.8

PROCESS Technique :

Screwing

Tool /machine / medium

Hardened steel insert nuts & bolt

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

Parting is visible

Strength

Good , repeatable multiple times

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iv. Knock-Down Fitting

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

Mild Steel Tube: 35 x 90 x 19 Ash Wood : 35 x 90 x 15 Relwood : 50 x 90 x 17 Relwood (base) : 150 x 90 x 17

Density :

0.8

PROCESS Technique :

Multiple bores at same distance from the edge to fix the fixtures through friction.

Tool /machine / medium

Multi-boring machine , knock down fixtures

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

Parting is visible

Strength

Very good , repeatable multiple times

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

v. Dowel Joint

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

Mild Steel Tube: 35 x 90 x 19 Ash Wood : 35 x 90 x 15 Relwood : 50 x 90 x 17 Relwood (base) : 150 x 90 x 17

Density :

0.8

PROCESS Technique :

Multiple bores at same distance from the edge. And dowels made from same material.

Tool /machine / medium

Multi-boring machine

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

Parting is visible

Strength

Poor, RelWood dowels are first to fail

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f. Inlaying Inlay is the process of engraving one material into another by creating a hollow space to accommodate the other material

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

150 x 100 x 16

Density :

0.8

PROCESS Technique :

cutting/engraving out the material and filling with a foreign material.

//

Engraving with cnc milling and filling with m-seal

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

Porosity of the foamed part of the material is visible.

Strength

Low ( since leveling of both material erodes to denser top layer)

H . Turning

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RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Turning is the process by which a solid material/wood is shaped in a form symmetrical along an axis of rotation using a lathe machine.

SAMPLE ASPECTS Dimensions

150 x 32 x 32

Density :

0.8

PROCESS Technique :

Shaping while the material rotates in a axis

Tool /machine / medium

Lathe and chisel

RESULT

images: exploration done with the material

Appearance

Porosity of the foamed part of the material is visible.

Strength

Poor

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Finishings Finishing of a material/wood is a process of applying a protective layer by sealing the pores as well as to give the surface a desirable appearance.

Finishing was explored using three different materials, stains/paints (water based) as recommended by the parent company Resysta™, stains/coatings (thinner/petroleum based) used in the Indian market for wood, and paint/ colours (thinner based) used in the global market.

The water based stains are standard recommendations and hence work well with RelWood with less number of processes involved, the thinner based Indian stains don’t produce the same results as wood in a single coat but on multiple coats creates a desirable appearance and the thinner based paints perform as well as their application on wood with the same number of processes as well as its appearance. Since RelWood is manufactured in certain colours the application of thinner based paints would require a base coat of white/lighter colour in order to apply any other colour in required shade.

image: finishes recommended by the parent company Resysta™

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a

b

c

images: explorations done with local wood stains during the project

a. rosewood and wenge b. walnut finish c. truffle finish using two different stains.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

These samples are coated with standard thinner based wood stains and coatings

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Material Insights Initial Conclusion Cutting: It was observed that the behaviour of RelWood to cutting is similar to that of wood with slight differences. Unlike other polymer based materials cutting RelWood does not leave any burr provided that the temperature of both material and tool are not too high. Another observation is that the residual sawdust after cutting RelWood becomes a Fluffy polymeric mass unlike wood where the saw dust is dry like powder. The cutting of RelWood exposes its porous core along the cross section which could in certain cases compromise the aesthetic requirements of the product.

Milling bits rotate at high speeds close to 35000 rpm, this raises the temperature of both tool and material significantly and quickly which in turn produces instant burrs when milling RelWood. The burr of RelWood is very stubborn and is difficult to clean, which degrades the finish of the milled piece if the designs are more intricate they would require scraping and filing by hand. Since the core of the material is porous it is considerably easy to mill, and the machines can be effectively used to their maximum capacity. Since the density of RelWood is homogeneous throughout, unlike wood which varies in certain pockets, the performance of the tool as well as the result obtained is also consistent in a single run.

Turning as process may not be recommended for RelWood as it would explicitly expose the core of the material. However in order to create products that are able to sustain through the turning process the core of RelWood will need to be as dense as its surface which would require variation in its manufacturing in turn also requiring a different lathe machine similar to the metal lathe. The denser RelWood would also compromise on the wood like grainy texture which the sponsor would like to maintain. Hence turning can discarded as a viable opportunity.

Heat bending with standard industrial apparatus, which would mean a larger convection oven accommodating a whole RelWood standard sheet measuring 4ft by 8ft, would give ideal results. The density of RelWood is directly proportional to its required heating time as well as its setting time, i.e. a higher density material takes longer to heat and takes longer to cool down as well. The setting time for the material is very low, close to two minutes on an average, requiring the moulding process to be available just as soon as required temperature is achieved throughout the material in order to avoid premature setting. The material however can be reheated and moulder without losing ion any of its standard appearance or properties. On the other hand surface heating is unable to equally heat the entire cross section of the material causing it to break in most cases.

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Welding in the case of RelWood is good as a joint in terms of structural strength as it is a polymeric joint, but is not visually appealing as it is and requires finishing of the bulge created at the joint.

Inlay with a filler material is possible only in cases where the filled material need not be at the some level as the RelWood because sanding/planing of RelWood compromises its texture and strength.

Sanding/Planing on RelWood may not be recommended as excessive use of the technique exposes its porous core as well as removes its textured surface finish.

Finishing on RelWood is ideal with water based stains/paints as recommended by its parent company. As the material is being compared with wood, the Indian thinner based stains commonly used for wood may also be used, however Indian market seems to be moving towards water based finishes owing to its cost effective and environment friendly properties.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Fastening: The best technique for fastening RelWood to RelWood is a PVC solvent cement as it forms a molecular bond with the RelWood and for fastening RelWood to wood/metal is a rubber solution adhesive which works on the property of surface tension. Nailing may not be advised for permanent fastening of the material, however it can be affective as a quick fastening technique in cases where the joint does not bear any external forcing. Filling for RelWood is easier and more homogeneous as compared to wood as the it can be combined with PVC solvent cement and filled into cavities. Screwing may not be recommended in cases where screwing is required multiple times at the same point in such case an insert nut can be used or knock down fittings may be used.

Knockdown fittings work with RelWood where the materials need to be fixed perpendicular to each other and also in cases where fixing is needed multiple times. Dowel joints and tenon mortar joints are preferred between the same material, i.e RelWood to RelWood, but that would fail in this case as it exposes the porous core which does not exhibit structural strength.

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71

As the material scope involves building materials for internal and external applications of the industry, further segregation of the individual categories was not available. Hence the 9% composition of wood , brick and tiles and glass can be taken as an approximate input value to be compared with the application-wise output estimate value of the materials. Hence, an applicationwise market estimated was done for the scope of the project.

The applications short listed for the study are: Furniture : Furniture is the largest market by size estimated Rs. 1.14 Lac Cr for FY16. Out of this , wood constitutes 65% of the market as per GreenLam’s annual report, while market experts estimate this proportion to be 70-80%.

Doors & Windows : According to an article by Infolin, the doors & windows market for FY14 was Rs.13000 Cr. Assuming a 5% year-on-year growth, the market size for FY16 can be estimated to be Rs. 14333 Cr. Aluminium is the most widely used material for doors & windows at 59% of the share. Wood, Steel and UPVC hold about 22%, 13% and 6% share respectively.

Facade & Cladding : This market is estimate at Rs 6000 Cr, according to a report on Facade market by Grand View Research. The Indian Facade and cladding market is nascent with aluminium dominating the share at 75% and the remainder predominantly captured by glass and plastic.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Material Applications

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Furnitures

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

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ROUND TABLE PROJECT 1 - DESIGN BRIEF Design a round table for an existing conference room to conduct Video Conference Call between the higher officials. Product 1 Brief REQUIREMENTS: - 5 members - clean and plain top - cables organiser - unique and elegant looking As the inspiration for the product in terms of scale and structure various concepts were developed each exploring different properties of RelWood. Of these concepts one was finalised and executed and is currently being used as a conference table in the aforementioned space.

Since the craftsmanship available was limited, a form that could be easily executed using a CNC machine was central to the ideation process.

illustration by: EEMON ROY

690mm 720mm

RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

450mm

75

450mm

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image : illustration showing structure of the column

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The structural performance of RelWood required a form that would distribute forces evenly and in smaller quantities on the members. A hollow tube can sustain large forces along its height, so a tube like structure made of multiple RelWood members was proposed.

The inspiration in the real world for such a structure would be circular foundation columns, whose reinforcement placement could be replicated in RelWood. Here the each member becomes as important as the next, thereby sharing load evenly. The vertical members were also tied together with a circular member at equal intervals horizontally, this would utilise the bending property of RelWood. The top would be a solid circular flat surface showcasing the fine wood like surface texture of the material. Alternatively a glass top was also suggested so as to show off the structure of the bottom in a better way.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Concept 1

This concept focuses on usage of repetitive structural members. here all the vertical members are identical and can be easily produced using cnc ( computer numerical control ) machines. also using this kind repetitive member transfers the load evenly to the ground.

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wooden top

glass top

images: concept iteration based on the material as the top.

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

images: render of the product in use

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+

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The brief required certain properties of the material to be highlighted, one of the most effective properties of RelWood was its bending capacity. The concept of highlights was clearly visible in the realm of automobiles, where tail lights are designed for most noticeable detailing. Hence the tail light form from the Grand touring car Dodge Daytona was taken as inspiration. To multiply the application and achieve desired angular shape in order to accommodate the required five users, the pentagonal form was incorporated.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Concept 2

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This concept focuses on using the bending property of the material as the aesthetic element. here concepts focuses and relies on the heat bending and welding properties of the material.

a

b

c

d

images: a,b,c - views of the product , d. leg detail

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

images: render of the product in use

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image : illustration showing different hand gestures while holding things

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This concept explores inspiration right at the core of any design which is the user and their gestures.

It was observed that most clients attended meeting with either electronic devices (phones, tablets etc.) and/or notebooks which were placed on the table, distracting from ongoing proceedings regularly. A space for putting away these objects was created by utilising the bending properties of RelWood. The form for this design was taken from the basic hand gestures of holding objects.

Another subtle visual cue embedded in this design which redirects the eye to the centre, comes from the direction of the grains also owing to the limitation of the material available in standard defined dimensions.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Concept 3

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This concept focuses on using the bending property of the material as the aesthetic as well as functional element. here concepts focuses and relies on the heat bending and welding properties of the material.

a

b

c

images: a,b,detail of the holder mimicking hand gestures of holding things , c. eye level view

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

images: render of the product in use

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image : illustration showing foliage of the tree

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SELECTED BY CLIENT

Corporate spaces have, under the veil of minimalism, been restricted to a box inside a box inside a box aesthetic, straight lines and mundane times are gradually creeping into the corporate fabric. Also associated with these spaces is isolation and stress. Hence, breaking the monotony and at the same time maintaining the geometry in order to blend it in its environment. Hence taking the inspiration from foliage of a tree. Which also symbolises life.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Concept 4

This concept focuses on using RelWood as a direct substtiutbe of wood. here all the joinary which are used for the construction focuses on woodworking techniques. and also deeply depends on the skills of the craftsman.

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images: renders showing the mimicry of tree foliage in the product

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

images: render of the product in use

exploded view

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Prototype One

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

exploded view

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Construction Detail

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

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This joinery was developed during the project phase for the most efficient utilisation of the material.

It accommodates three members at the junction and is visually seamless.

The grooves on each of the three members (as shown in figure “a�) are cut in such manner that each members fits and gets interlocked to each other.

a.

images: joinary detail at each junction

images: base structure of the product

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images: finsihed product image

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16 mm thick RelWood™ finished with thinner based walnut stain

12 mm thick Mild Steel plate member coated with golden nitrocellulose lacquer

images: material specification

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

12 mm thick clear toughened glass top

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Key Learnings: In the first prototype it was observed it is not possible to handle RelWood as roughly as it is with natural wood.

Rather it needs to be handled carefully and delicately In solution to cater this issue a metal member to give required strength to the material was added and RelWood™ is just used as cladding for aesthetic purposes.

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RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

“ where there is need to use an existing solution it should be used in the most efficient way”

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Prototype Two

70mm ø hole with relwood casing for cord organiser

12mm thick , 1400ø glass top

32 mm leg profile made by sandwiching 15x35 ms tube between two 16 mm Relwood™ sheets.-

RelWood™ First Floor, 8A RCP GHANSOLI NAVI MUMBAI (M.H.)

60

°

~ 600 mm

8

01.1

PROJECT

PROJECT NO.

Round Table (meeting)

188

°

60

CLIENT

188

1

SECTION

PLAN

55 7m m

BY:

2.0

~

mingle

1090 mm

DESIGNED

7° 10

15x35 mm ms tube

BASIC DETAILS

800 mm

0°

12

788 mm

cord organiser cum cable conduit

532 mm

32 mm leg profilemade by sandwiching 15x35 ms tube between two 16 mm Relwood™ sheets.

ISSUE

600 mm

1400 mm

13/10/2017

horizontal member to support glass top

Akshay Chandekar

1200 mm

1400 mm

18 88

1200 mm

ELEVATION LEG

A 01

MINGLE

a

c

b

d

images: a. welding the initial metal members for primary structure b. a rod is placed at the centre of the metal structure to maintain the symmetry c. CNC milling machine in the process of cutting and grooving d. members with grooves ready to be clad on metal structure

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

images: inlay of the metal tube into the groove

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a

b

images : a. RelWood™ cladded over the metal structure on 2 sides b. Bottom view of the structure when fully cladded with RelWood™

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

image: first look of the added metal structure

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images : RelWoodâ„¢ cladded over the metal structure

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

image: first look of the added metal structure with assembled top members.

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cables running through

hole through the glass top

Wire management is difficult yet one the most important aspect in today’s digital lifestyle. Here it has been taken care by a specially designed conduit to service and cover the cables easily. Conduit shown in the image is a simple yet effective means to organise your cables.

cable through the conduit

conduit

grooves to slide and lock into position

flat back to cover the cables

cable hidden in the conduit

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RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

a

b

images: a. finished product with glass top b. RelWood™ logo etched on the surface of a member

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12 mm thick clear toughened glass top

16 mm thick RelWoodâ„¢ 2pc cladded on 15x 35 Mild Steel tube finished with thinner based walnut stain

image: product material specifications

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

image: finished product in use

images: finished product in office space

mingle mingle mingle ED

ID A

20

18

W

IN

NI

NG

EN

TR Y

(S TU

DE

NT

OF

TH

EY

EA

R)

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117

MINGLE

After execution of the first product following are the insights about the material: a. normal woodworking with manual tools is possible. But it has been noticed that RelWood™ cannot be handled as roughly a layman would.

- in this case skilful and precise handling can be profitable. b. Also the material is only available in 0.6 density and 16 mm thickness sheets in company’s stock. c. Material in the form of sheets can take an adequate amount of compressive load but it is not even near to the tensile strength of plywood. d. Sharp and unsupported corners cannot be incorporated into the design since there are higher chances of breakage.

- unsupported member should not used at load bearing points.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

MATERIAL INSIGHTS

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Stadium Seats PROJECT 2 - Design Brief The sponsors required stadium seating for the cricket stadium in Reliance corporate park, Navi Mumbai.

The capacity of seating at the stadium is close to 5,000 viewers and the seats were required to be in solid colours to be able to reflect a certain pattern for commercial purposes.

Since the site was predefined, it was studied extensively for scope of use and installation. The seating was designed before final tiling on the stadium steps which provided more options in terms of fixtures. The seating for the stadium was on tender hence multiple other vendors had also showcased their designs which had been fixed at the stadium, this helped in understanding advantages and drawbacks of certain design elements and assisted in coming up with a well informed and refined design for RelWood.

User study helped in understanding interaction of the viewers with the seating in the stadium bringing to the fore behaviours like standing on chairs, squatting, food spills along with a varied age group. The existing seating options’ study was undertaken in order to identify opportunities and gaps in the market to come up with a concept that would be give RelWood an edge over other vendors.

- 1 person seating - water resistant - Stain resistant - high durability - simple and functional aesthetics.v

450mm

450mm

illustration by: EEMON ROY

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images: proposed site for installation

FROLIC

c. samples installed by competitor vendor

B 01

FROLIC

SHEET BENDING

Akshay Chandekar

BY:

DESIGNED

17/11/2017

ISSUE

02

PROJECT NO.

Stadium seats

PROJECT

RelWoodâ„¢ First Floor, 8A RCP GHANSOLI NAVI MUMBAI (M.H.)

CLIENT

B 02

FROLIC

BASIC DETAILS

Akshay Chandekar

BY:

DESIGNED

17/11/2017

ISSUE

02

PROJECT NO.

Round Table (meeting)

PROJECT

RelWoodâ„¢ First Floor, 8A RCP GHANSOLI NAVI MUMBAI (M.H.)

CLIENT

FROLIC

The profile of the panels was cut on a CNC machine. The bending property of RelWood is used here to mould the unibody of the seat instead of two different panels for the bottom and the back. The form of the entire panel is designed for ergonomic support and bends in multiple places to comfortably fit the human body. The entire production was carried out at the Relwood’s original German parent company’s production unit in Indonesia hence all processes and results are by industry standards. The raw material as well as processes used for the production of these seats is done on custom machinery designed for RelWood production in terms of scale and material handling.

The finish is a water based solid colour paint of international RelWood standard finishes developed by the parent company.

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16 mm thick RelWood™ sheet heat moulded and finished with water based Bright Red paint by Resysta

16 mm thick RelWood™ sheet heat moulded and finished with water based Blue paint

by Resysta

images: iterations to finishing w.r.t. color

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

16 mm thick RelWood™ sheet heat moulded and finished with water based White paint by Resysta

16 mm thick RelWood™ sheet heat moulded and finished with water based Lemon Yellow paint by Resysta

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a

b

c

d

images: a,b,c. attaching the metal frame to seating d. assembled seating

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

images: display of the finished product along with the products from competitors.

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FROLIC

After execution of the Stadium seat at the INDONESIAN FACILITY of the parent company , which accommodates all the apparatus designed and developed to work with material following are the insights: a. If standard apparatus available many new techniques for construction of the product RelWood can be developed easily. b. Heat bending is one excellent property of the material and opens up endless possibilities to explore forms and structure. c. Painting a solid color on the sanded surface gives new dimension to the suface finishings. d. For public spaces like stadium where product need to exhibit high structural strength , RelWood™ alone cannot be used without any support - this issue can be catered by using external metal support.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

MATERIAL INSIGHTS

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Dining Table PROJECT 3 - Design Brief: Dining Table As part of providing interior solutions, the sponsors decided to explore the option of a dining table which could seat four people and would appeal to premium clientele looking for ethnic yet contemporary designs.

illustration by: EEMON ROY

760mm

690mm

450mm

900mm

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Concept One

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closer view of the joint

ants eye view of the product

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

humans eye view of the product

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Concept Two SELECTED BY CLIENT

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closer view of the joint

ants eye view of the product

PARDA humans eye view of the product

12MM THICK .

GLASS TOP

1400

1000

48MM THICK RELWOOD & METAL .SANDWICH

668

750

800

RelWoodâ„¢ First Floor, 8A RCP GHANSOLI NAVI MUMBAI (M.H.)

16MM THICK .

RELWOOD CNC MIILED JAALI

CLIENT

STRUCTUTRE

771

ISOMETRIC VIEW

800 750

3

A

668

870

1400

673

1000

1400

770

48M THICK .

RELWOOD & METAL SANDWICH STRUCTURE

Akshay Chandekar

BY:

DESIGNED

PARDA

05/04/2018

BASIC DETAILS

ISSUE

PROJECT

PROJECT NO.

Round Table (meeting)

870 ELEVATION

12 MM THICK .

GLASS TOP

C 01

A' PLAN

SECTION AA'

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“Design depends largely on constraints.”c – Charles and Ray Eames

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a

c

b

d

images: a,b. erected metal structure c. remains of the sheet after cnc milling d. cut-outs from the milling process e. member with grooving for inlay on metal structure

e

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clamping of the member after glueing

inlay of metal structure

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a

b

c

images: a.first coating of the staining on the surface b. V-cut grooves usning milling machine c. through and through cut using cnc milling machine d. top member after milling

d

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top member assembled to the cladded bottom structure

product ready to undergo finishing

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12 mm thick clear toughened glass top

16 mm thick RelWoodâ„¢ 3pc sandwiched on 20 x 40 Mild Steel tube finished with thinner based walnut stain

cross-section of the sheet

closer view of the jaali work

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image: human eye view of the finished product

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149

PARDA

Following are the insights of the material after production: a. After considering insights of the previous project and taking them into account for designing and then in execution generates a very good result which can be clearly seen in the product. b. Using two different shades of a stain for natural looking grains is a very good method of showcasing fine grains.

RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

MATERIAL INSIGHTS

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Conference Table PROJECT 4 - Design Brief: The sponsors required an existing conference table to be replaced for Mr.N.R Meswani, Director Reliance Industries Limited. The table was to be designed in RelWood to showcase to premium customers its best features and marketability.

illustration by: EEMON ROY

690mm 1200mm 720mm

0m

900mm

m

RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

450mm

151

50

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The user study for this conference table played an important role in the development of its form. It was observed that footfall around the room was concentrated in the two corners of the room closest to the entrance as shown in figures. To be able to accommodate this the table tapered towards the entrance,

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RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

the footfall around the corner and near the entrance creates clutter and insufficient circulation space.

the most efficient shape obtained in order to reduce the chaos near the entrance

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The tapering of the table towards the entrance creates more space and avoiding a bottle neck like situation. Another advantage of this shape was that the head/ convenor of the conference would get a clear cone of vision for more effective communication.

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tapering towards the end creates more circulation space

give the clear view of all the participants to the head person.

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BRASS INLAY TOP (concept 1)

a. pattern used for brass inlay on the top :herring bone. b.c,d,e,. various views of the table

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BRASS INLAY TOP (concept 2)

a. pattern used for brass inlay on the top: concentric circles fibonacci series. b, c,d,e,. various views of the table

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AN ATTEMPT TO INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF THE MATERIAL There are many ways to increase the strength of a sheet: Bending A flat sheet of any material is surely not very strong, but it can be grown stronger by the bending process. Bending helps in providing more strength to it, although there is something that should be remembered. Bending could result in cracks on the outer surface and here comes a concept of ‘bending radius’. Bending radius is the minimum radius that could bend the sheet without cracking it on the outer surface. Sheet should be bent at the minimum bend radius possible.

Changing the profile of the sheet The profile of a sheet metal is an important thing that can provide strength to it if changed. Changing the profile could be done by giving a bulge or a curve to the sheet metal simply by a hand tool like a hammer and a sandbag or a die press.

The material exploration for the conference table sought to increase its load bearing capacity by giving it a corrugated surface by applying heat. The corrugated surface would react to forces as shown in figure.

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sagging would be seen when certain amount of stress is applied on the flat/lateral profile

sagging wouldn’t be seen when same amount of stress is applied on the corrugated profile

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CORRUGATION ON SHEET (concept 1)

a. laterally corrugated sheet top . b, c,d,e,. various views of the table

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CORRUGATION ON SHEET (concept 2)

a. sheet with corrugation in concentric circles for table top . b.c,d,e,. various views of the table

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Small scale explorations were carried out on RelWood™ to understand the possibilities, certain observations are highlighted in the images. One stark issue observed was the discolouration of the RelWood™. Due to the lack of machinery of required scale and power, the prototype of corrugated sheets could not be constructed. Several other options with plane surface and brass inlays were also explored but could not be executed to completion due to unforeseen circumstances.

163

metal jig made using Mild Steel tubes (as shown in the proposed diagrams.)

insignificant amount of corrugation was observed due to absence of proper apparatus to heat the material evenly to the required temperature ( jugaad : the sample was heated using water bath for even heating )

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

figures: proposed method of using the metal jig to corrugate the RelWood™ sheet after heating to a deformable temperature.

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Architecture

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Facade

(Team Shunya IITB) PROJECT 5 - Design Brief Faรงade design The brief was to design architectural faรงade panels in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay to participate at the Solar Decathlon competition organised by US department of Energy at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. IIT, Bombay provided a very clear brief of the percentage of perforations required along with available faรงade area and defined elevations of each face of the structure.

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1

2

3

Drawing: elevation-al drawings received from the client

4

5

6

7

8

9

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images : metal outer frame structure of the proposed space

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Drawing: Concept 1

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Drawing: Concept 2

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Drawing: selected motifs for final design

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RELWOODโ ข - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

Since the designs were to represent India it was to be inspired from traditional/cultural motifs. While exploring climatologically sound vernacular buildings in India, Adalaj step well stood out as a fine example of application of passive cooling techniques. Using Adalaj as inspiration and isolating just its motifs to draw upon, a simple pattern of repeating motifs was created to be used. All the designed panels are shown in the opposite page, along with their placement and faรงade details. The patterns were cut on RelWood panels using a CNC machine and sandwiched a metal framework between two panels taking care to avoid overlap of perforation and metal frame at any point. As shown in diagram milling was done in two steps first edge was cut at 45 degrees and the second was a perpendicular through cut. The finishing of the panels was done using standard Resysta finishes.

176

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BILL OF QUANTITY ( SOUTH FACADE)

PARTICULARS

dimension as per drawing (ALL DIMENSIONS IN MM)

1.

2.

KEY POSITION in south facade (NOT TO SCALE)

177

3.

4.

KEY POSITION in south facade (NOT TO SCALE)

RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

PARTICULARS

dimension as per drawing (ALL DIMENSIONS IN MM)

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DETAILED MILLING STAGES

through and through cut

milled motif design on 16mm sheet

V-cut grove at angle 450

cross-section of the sheet

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

images: various designs

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images: various designs arranged in the proposed order

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images: products installed at site after finishing (during day)

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16 mm thick RelWood™ 2pc sandwiched together using PVC solvent cement finished with water based walnut stain

by Resysta™

sheet 1 sheet 2

cross-section from the edge

images: exterior view (during day)

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images: exterior image (during day)

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a

c

b

a. best participation award received for the project b. team SHUNYA c. the project

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image: south facade (evening)

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image: south facade (during night)

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

image: south facade (during night)

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189

FACADE DESIGN

After execution of this facade where a CNC Mlilling machine is the only tool used for manufacturing, following are the insights about the material: a. Using RelWood™ for facade treatment is the best application till now because it’s physical properties overcome all the issues over a natural wooden facade. b. For these panels, a regular method of fixing an mdf can be used. c. The wooden finish and texture looks great for exterior purposes. d. Though the finished product looks great at the exterior facade, just after milling the burr produced at the milled edge is stubborn and does not come off easily, specially at the inner grooves.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

MATERIAL INSIGHTS

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Simple Products

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PROJECT 6 - Design Brief To design small size give aways made in RelWood for potential clients and visitors. These objects would reflect the best qualities and feel of the material as close to wood as possible.

Two different concepts were explored for this purpose, by observing everyday use objects. The use of gadgets and their peripherals stood out as an opportunity.

Cord Organiser The cords that went with the gadgets tangle up into a cumbersome mess when being moved from place to place often damaging them. The cord organiser can be used by wrapping the cord around its core cosily sandwiched between two layers of RelWood of 3mm thickness each and secured at the notches for both ends cut on each surface separately.

SORT

70mm

illustration by: EEMON ROY

F 01 10 mm

16 mm

SORT

6 mm

PLAN 28 mm

34 mm

61 mm

Akshay Chandekar

BY:

DESIGNED

23/02/2018

ISSUE

6.1

PROJECT NO.

CORD ORGANISER

PROJECT

FRONT ELEVATION

62 mm

BASIC DETAILS RelWoodâ„¢ First Floor, 8A RCP GHANSOLI NAVI MUMBAI (M.H.)

CLIENT

16 mm

62 mm

16 mm

3mm thick sheet of top and bottom

ISOMETRIC VIEW 16 mm 10 mm

A

A' 10 mm

3 mm

SECTION AA'

3 mm

195

RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

a

b

c

d

images: a,c.. cord organiser b,d. cord organiser with cord

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Phone Stand The other opportunity was keeping phones at a viewing angle for prolonged periods for hands free usage. The scale of the product was maintained such that phones of varying sizes could be accommodated.

The profile was cut on a CNC machine and bent by applying heat.

RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

illustration by: EEMON ROY

550 100mm

197

70mm

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images: mockup made wiith card board and binder tape for bigger tablets

The first round of prototypes did not result in the desired bending radius, which was resolved by milling a straight line at the line of bending on the outside. However placing the line outside did not create the effect that was expected.

prot otyp

e1

prot otyp

e2

prot otyp

grooving on the edge made the edge unappealing

logo deformation due to bending

deformation of the material is observed at the bend

SLANT

deformation of the material is observed at the bend

production error

production error

production error

e3

F 02

SLANT

MILLING DETAILS

Akshay Chandekar

BY:

DESIGNED

23/02/2018

ISSUE

06.2

PROJECT NO.

PHONE STAND

PROJECT

RelWoodâ„¢ First Floor, 8A RCP GHANSOLI NAVI MUMBAI (M.H.)

CLIENT

mm

mm

RelWoodâ„¢ First Floor, 8A RCP GHANSOLI NAVI MUMBAI (M.H.)

63

m 5m mm 12

31

39 mm

11MM HIGH GRIPPERS TO HOLD THE PHONE

CLIENT

12mm THICK RELWOOD SHEET WITH SANDED SURFACE ONLY

96 mm

36 mm

107 mm

6.2

Akshay Chandekar

DESIGNED

SLANT

m 28 m

70 mm 53 mm

PROJECT NO.

PROJECT

12 mm

BASIC DETAILS

10

m 51 m

m 5m

10

63 mm

ISSUE

BENDING LINE

23/02/2018

12mm THICK RELWOOD SHEET WITH SANDED SURFACE ONLY

BY:

SIDE ELEVATION

ELEVATION

5m m

Round Table (meeting)

107 mm

F 03

The bending line was cut at two lines at 45 degree on the inner surface leaving a 2mm gap using a circular saw to accommodate bending. This when heated to bend yielded results as wanted.

SLANT

a

b

c

a. cutting using cnc milling b. cut-out pieces c. grooves made on the inner side at 450

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

a

b

c

d

a, b . phone held vertically on the product c, d . phone held horizontally on the product

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images: iterations of the product w.r.t to finishes

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207

PHONE STAND

CORD ORGANISER: a. For the construction of this product a 0.5 density and 3 mm thick sheet is used. Combination of these aspects made the material flexible at its solid state which increase the usability of the product.

PHONE STAND a. during the execution of the product it was noticed that using a simple jig for bending at angle of 900 is not an efficient method to get the desired results.

The material always tends to bend irregularly.

- to cater this issue a groove have been used as the bending line in combination with bending jigs.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

MATERIAL INSIGHTS

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Dustbin cum Planter Design Brief: The company, once again, wanted to showcase Relwood’s water resistant properties at the indiawoods trade fair for which a trash-can was the starting point.

By observing user behaviour around trash cans it was observed that trash cans were considered an eye sore in most interior spaces but were a necessary requirement. The planter came up as a form of attaching a pleasant vibe to the trash can. The planter would be placed on top of the can’s opening inside a hollow space that may be filled with soil directly.

EBULLIANT

1000mm

900mm illustration by: EEMON ROY

75 mm

planter space .

PROJECT NO.

~ 580 mm

CLIENT

Round Table (meeting)

16m thick retractable dustbin lid

300 mm ~ 139 mm

FRONT ELEVATION

~ 123 mm

523 mm

PLAN

11 9

°

~ 53 mm

90 °

A'

~ 56 mm

A 02

16 mm which relwood door panel for maintenance

~ 69 mm

Akshay Chandekar

BY:

EBULLANT

DESIGNED

01

PROJECT

13/10/2018

ISSUE

BASIC DETAILS

16mm thick retractable . dustbin lid

900 mm

RelWood™ First Floor, 8A RCP GHANSOLI NAVI MUMBAI (M.H.)

~ 177 mm

Relwood frame to hang trash bags

75 mm

A

SECTION AA'

176 mm

~ 581 mm

~ 69 mm

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images : unfinished product

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The opening to throw trash would be flushed to the surface to give it a plain hidden away look. The trash can was designed such that the need for an extra container inside the cabinet could be eliminated. This was done by placing a frame right under the trash cans mouth which could hold a bag to collect the trash. This bag could be easily replaced when needed.

images: operation of vaiour compartments in the product

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RELWOODâ„¢ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

images: changing the trashbag

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215

EBULLIENT

a. for the above product fastening of the material is done by using glue i.e.

PVC CEMENT SOLVENT. this glue is an excellent binding technique to stick two surfaces together . Here the glue makes a strong molecular bond when both surface are of RelWood™ and is strong enough for non-load bearing applications like planter and dustbin.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

MATERIAL INSIGHTS

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217

From all of the applications explored of the material in the projects following is the list of applications that are recommended: NOTE: RelWood as a material can be used only for aesthetic applications with an optimum amount of tensile strength 1. Wall cladding interior and exterior. (project 5) 2.Simple household products which do not need to exhibit high structural strength and can use other properties of the material like , heat bending, water resistance and termite resistance. (project 7) 3. This can be an excellent substitute of wooden flooring since it caters all the issues projected by wood as flooring. Apart from having low tensile strength it has an adequate amount of compressive strength to be used as flooring.

4. If the densty of the material can decreased as low as 0.4 to 0.2 it can be a good option for acoustic and thermal insulation.

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

CONCLUSION

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219

page 20 - reliance logo- http://www.eliteconferences.com/past-events/indian-petrochem/indianpetrochem-2016/ page 24, 36 http://www.RelWood.in/images/water-title.jpg page 30 diagram - https://inchbyinch.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/0253-extruder.jpg page 31 diagram - https://inchbyinch.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/0253-extruder.jpg page 34 image c&d - http://www.mechscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ page 178 - router bit images - https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0889/5014/products/sign-tools-18-pc-signmaking-advanced-cnc-router-bit-collection-1-4-inch-shank-2_large.jpg?v=1527531836

RELWOOD™ - A POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

BIBLIOGRAPHY