Rapid Prototyping Austin Collier  Fall 2010
DAI-360
Overview The assignment for this class was to design a floor standing lamp or torchiere. My design is based off of and has drawn inspiration from architecture and fashion. Not only does this project focus on problem solving and big lamps, but it provided me with the tools and programs that are being used in todays industry. This experimental hands on class pushed me into the unknown. By going through this intensive studio experience I’ve learned the processes and technologies that are applied in automated product manufacturing.
Product Survey Target’s Home collection Floor Lamp has a brushed-silver finish, a white plastic shade, and touch sensor to turn it on. The simplicity of this lamp is what makes it stand out. The touch sensor allows for a low, medium, and high level of brightness, which is nice when you are studying, and it can be pleasant when in low. The structure of the lamp is a combination of conical or cylindrical shapes, which resemble a column. The bottom has weights in it to give stability to the 71” tall lamp and screwing each hollow cylindrical piece into each other holds the main structure together. The cord runs through a hole in the side of the bottom metal piece then through the weighted bottom of the base and up the shaft. At the last cylinder the cord is tied so it won’t stretch through the top. At the top the cord is attached to the fixture, which is held inside the top metal piece. What drew my attention to this lamp was not just because it was affordable, but because it was sleek and minimal, the touch sensitive lamp works by using the human body and its capacitance. The human body and the lamp both hold a certain amount of capacitance, which is the amount of electrons an object can hold. This applies to the lamp because this is what allows it to have three brightness levels. The circuit changes the brightness of the lamp by changing the “duty cycle” of the power going to the bulb. This basically means that the circuit is turning on and off the power to the bulb very fast. The lamp has three power levels 0 percent, which is off, 33 percent, 66 percent and 100 percent duty cycles to control the brightness of the lamp.
Target Home Collection Floor Lamp
Image Map
Ideation
Austin Collier
DAI-460
Lamp Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation
1/4 Scale Prototype For the quarter scale prototype I made various models made from chipboard. The one shown on the left is the model that influenced my design the most. I used this chipboard model to make another more realistic model. The model in the middle is made out of bendy board and was cut out on the laser printer using the Illustrator file on the right. 72�
The main materials for these lamps would be apple core ply and a opaque acrylic. I wanted to use LEDs to light it up from the middle so the wave cut out would glow.
Full Scale Cardboard
Solid Works Drawings
Solid Works Renderings
Prototype
Prototype
Prototype In his pictures I was trying to work out the acrylic box and how it sets in the bottom piece. After using cardboard as a template I had a good idea of what it was going to look like when I would put together my final. The main problem I had with the prototype was the top piece being top heavy and trying to fall off. Prior to me using nails and slotting the acrylic in them I was just using tape. Tape was a great way for me to figure out where the stress points were in my piece. After contemplating the top piece I finally came up with using a metal plate to hold the top piece on.
Final Product
Concluding Remarks Being given this opportunity to express myself through design and experimentation with the equipment I’ve been able to help my colleagues and at the same time hone in on my skills with the Shop Bot. The only way I got this lamp created was by the encouraging comments I got which gave me the strength to carry out this project to it fullest and most satisfying state.