Module 3 fabrication

DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2016 M3 JOURNAL - FABRICATION

Ng Xuan Ly, Yu Mengyan, Feng Hao 751730/732107/742200 Tim #3

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Introduction As an overall, our concept for a sleeping pod mainly emphasized on the repetitive structures and intersection of joints to allow articulation on the structures. Based on our prototype made, we created repetitive wood structures of different lengths with the pattern structures attached along different axis to form segments of articulating structures. The segments are joined at different angles using a metal wire to produce a volume that helps mould a user’s head more efficiently. Along the head, the long structures that drop down to the user’s face acts as an enclosure that blocks the user’s sight as well as part of the hearing. The ends of the head structure that stick out acts as a form of protection and a support for the neck when being placed against the top of a chair. As for the body, the ends of the structure is expandable to act as a form of protection and personal space for the user to keep other people away at a distance. The overall design gives an effect of sharpness and rigidity to provide a sense of self-security from other people .

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Design development Based on the feedbacks given, we were suggested to progress onto the fabrication methods and the intracacies of the making process of our design. Some aspects to be taken into consideration include the variation and sizes of structural members, fixings at shifting points as well as the materials of the structures. Throughout the process of prototyping, numerous problems were encountered, causing us to modify to solve these problems as well as further developing it to improve on our design. Based on the prototype, our model allows maximum articulation along the axis due to the absence of a stopper mechanism which provides friction to oppose the motion. Besides that, the prototype made was unable to sit on the body well as it was too fragile.

Through identifying the problems, we came up with solutions that may work and would be tested out through our prototype. We decided to create a second fixed layer for the structure to restrict the movement of the articulating structures. Besides that, we decided to use the body part structure as the weight to pull down the overall structure in place. This can be done by shortening the length of the body structures and made holes at 1/3 of the length instead of 1/2 of the length to maximise the advantage of the weight pulling down the structures.

Inner Layer

Inner Layer

A

B

Outer Layer

Outer Layer

User’s head exerts pressure onto the structure by leaning backwards, causing the structures to rotate in a respective manner

Fixed Outer

Then: 1/2 hole

A Now: 1/3 holes

Top Half of Structure

B Bottom Half of Structure

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Design development + fabrication of Prototype V.2 We created a 2 layer concept model to test out the articulation of the model. The outer layer which is fixed act as a stopper that restricts the inner layer of the structures from maximising its rotation.

When the head of a user is pushed against the inner layer, it gradually rotates the whole structure, moving the top part of the structure downwards. The gradual movement on the top half of the structure act as a continuous flow of system that will also move the other structures that are joined with the it. Thus, the long structures being joined with the top part structure will block the user’s sight. As the bottom part structure move upwards and hit against the axis of the “stopper”, the restriction of the movement of structures will allow the user to lay against the structure comfortably.

We used balsa wood to test our the articulation of the prototype with nails as the component joints of each sticks and wood sticks as the axis that holds all the segments of structures together.

Prototype of double layers

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Plan View of Model

Elevation View of Model

Perspective View of Model

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Reading Response Wk 6 + Reading aplied to design Architecture in the Digital Age - Design + Manufacturing/ Branko Kolarevic, Spon Press, London c2003

Briefly outline the various digital fabrication processes. Explain how you use digital fabrication in your design?

According to the reading of architecture in the Digital Age, there are various digital fabrication processes mentioned which include CNC cutting as well as laser cutting. The readings gives a more in depth explanation on what digital fabricating can produce which is much more of what an architect draws as they tend to limit the possibilities of venturing out designs. During our process of producing our final design, we created a 3D model that accurately shows how our design will look like when placed on someone’s body. With that, we create repetitive structive in 2D form in a template for laser cutting. We also tried to 3D Print our axis for our models as a form of experiencing on new technology as well as experimenting on how it works.

How does the fabrication process and strategy effect your second skin project?

It provides an accurate measurement on our sticks which allows us to have an accurate repetitive patterns. However, it is tedious work to create the template as well as finding out what is the best measurement that suits our design. Through the fabrication process, we get to test out the different dimensions of the hole sizes which plays an important role in determining our component joints.

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Reading Response Wk 7 + Reading applied to design Digital Fabrications: architectural + material techniques/Lisa Iwamoto. New York: Princeton Architectural Press c2009

Describe one aspect of the recent shift in the use of digital technology from design to fabrication?

This aspect of shift allows architect to have more and new opportunities to think further on their design and fabricate new innovations of geometries and materialities. The orthographic projections that include sectioning and plans are really useful representational strategies for architects to communicate ideas and designs.

Design Development

Looking through our 3D model on Rhino, we realised that the structure will not sit on the body of the user as the weight is not distributed accordingly throughout the body. We decided to create this shoulder structure that gradually changes the shape of the structure while reataining the whole form of it. This shoulder structure can allow the user the put his arms within the diamond-like shape to hold the structure like a back pack. This way, the weight can be distributed evenly throughout the whole body.

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Prototype development

Image focusing on body part

Image focusing on head part

Image focusing on shoulder part

We created a prototype that evidently shows the incorporation of the body part, head part as well as the shoulder part to test out the overall effect. We constructed the prototype by laser cutting the pieces with MDF board of 3mm as well as making holes within the structures. We were experimenting with different component joints and tested out with nuts and bolts that consist of nylocks. As for the axis, we joined different segments together using wire as it is easier to mold the structures around the head. With the shoulder part, we found its effectiveness on holding the whole structure just by having the pieces wrapping around the body.

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Prototype optimisation Based on the prototype made for the fitting on the user’s head (pictures on the left), we realised that the user’s head was being pushed forward, causing restrictions along the head and resulting in the difficulty to lie backwards when sleeping. This creates a sense of discomfort and no support over the neck. After tedious analysing, we realised that the scale of the head structure is too small for the user and should be made to scale up to 2:1 based on the prototype.

Red structures shows the scaling up of segments which is double.

The overall structure with double layer shows a scaled version of the previous structure (on the left).

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Images of showing discomfort by the user based on the structure

Cutting File for Sharp- ended structures

Cutting File for Round- ended structures Round Ended Structure

Looking at the prototype sitting on the user’s head, it provides a sense of danger due to the pointy structures that look sharp and rigid. The overall structure looked too uncomfortable for the user and does not provide a sense of user friendliness for people attempting to use it.

The overall structure provides a sense of personal space for the user, however, gives people a threatening effect when approaching it.

We did not wish to give out a feeling of vulnerability (negativity) but a form of protection (positivity). We wanted to produce a sense of security yet notifying people to provide a personal space for users using the structure. This allows us to form an understanding of personal space between the users and the people around. Therefore, we decided on modifying the sharp-end structures into round-end structures. This way, it allows the structure to look more user friendly yet still gives a sense of sharpness due to the formation of the structures.

Besides that, we also tested out on different width of the sticks to best suit our design. We tried out on the width of sticks at 5.0mm,7.5mm as well as 10.0mm and realised that 7.5mm best suit our structure. This is because using the small width of the sticks will require more sticks to form the structures that may affect the weight of the overall structures whereas the width at 10.00mm is too wide which may restrict and does not provide an evident effect on the articulation of the moving joints.

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Prototype optimisation During the fabrication process, we have experimented with different fabrication methods in order to test out the best solutions to create our design model. We started off by taking accurate measurements of our sticks based on a real body figure and recorded the measurements into a table. However, as further progress on our development is being made, we had to double the scale for our measurements in order to solve some problems such as users being restricted with their movements due to the lengths of the sticks measured manually.

SEGMENTS

PIECES: EF- A BC- B AB- C AE- D

CATEGORY

A-1-A CATEGORY-SEGMENTS-PIECES

FD- E CD- F

Part of A sticks in laser cutting template

As our final concept include a lot of repetitive pieces and segments of different lengths, a labelling system is very crucial in identifying which piece is allocated in which segment under which category. We labelled them in three sections which is piece, segment and category. Under category, it allocates where the piece is situated on the body, e.g. on the body, ear, head or shoulder. In terms of pieces and segment, there are 6 pieces that makes up a segment. Through this process of labelling, it makes our work much easier as well as more efficiently.

Table of measurements

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Rhino 2D model as laser cutting file

We broke our design into chunks so that they could be assembled individually and putting them together as segments for optimising fabrication. We found that that is the best approach towards designing our final concept, that is, breaking it down to small elements and rebuilding them together through segments to make a whole as our design. There about about 300 pieces together and about 50 joined structures and 5 parts to be joined together to build our structure.

Cube holes from laser cutting

We created cube-like blocks with holes in between through laser cutting to act as nuts for the sticks to hold the structure together. It helps to fix the structure in place without using an actual nut and bolt.

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Prototype optimisation Axis We experimented on different ways to fabricate the axis that holds the structures together in segments. In the first prototype concept, we used sticks as a form of axis to hold the segments of the structure. As we further developed our concept into prototypes, we tried on wires as it provides a better curve towards the structure, allowing it to mould the user’s head better. Instead of having the axis as segments, we decided to try on using one long wire to form the whole axis of the head structure. As for our final development, we tested on digital fabricating on the axis by 3D printing them off. We were hoping to create a curved structure. However, a few problems were revealed in the midst of the process which result us in disposing the idea of 3D printing.

First concept: Using sticks as axis

1.

The 3D printing machine is not capable to print out a long curve which brought us to decide on making segmented joints instead of having one overall axis printed out.

Sticks can be seen in the final development

2.

The curves made in Rhino Template and sent for 3d printing did not come out as well or nice as we thought it would be. Thus, we scraped the idea of having the axis printed out.

3.

Printing curves cause the clashing of the top front head structure as the structures on top are too long. This will result in the collision of the structures. Therefore, we decided to stick with having segments and join them together to form an overall structure as wel as having the axis straight instead of curve.

Second concept: Using wire as axis

Based on the experiments and analysis made, we decided to combine the use of stick material and wire to form the axis for our final concept.

Third concept: Using 3D Printing as axis

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Prototype optimisation

Compopnent joints In terms of component joints, we started off by experimenting on nuts and bolts as a form of joints to piece our individual structures together. However, as each individual structure allows movement in joints, the nuts and bolts as well as the pieces of the structure experienced a form of friction which push the nuts backwards, allowing the joints to make full rotation without any stopping mechanism.

We then tried searching up having a cap like joint that could cap the bolt instead of screwing in the nut. We searched up on thingiverse. com and found a book screw which is also called a Chicago screw.

After making some alterations, we tried printing the book screw off.

However, as the product is too small, the 3d printer did not print out the screw in a clean cut, affecting it being able to fit into the holes.

Image of book screw in thingiverse.com

We also tried different holes sized to try to suit the component joints, or at least create sizes of holes that are more standard so it is easier for us to look for a suitable component joint. We tried hole sizes of 2.0mm (Seen in our first concept model), 3.2mm (seen in our prototype concept) as well as 3mm which is what we decided on using for our final design. We used Grasshopper software in making our holes in the middle for better efficiency.

Perspective View if Rhino Model of Book screw after modification

In the end, we managed to find nuts and bolts with nylocks that has the function of a stopping mechanism to lock onto the bolt. We decided to use them in our final development as our form of component joints for our structure.

Elevation View of Rhino Model of Book screw after modification

Grasshopper Software

Nut and bolts with nylocks bought from Boltmasters and Metric Men

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Prototype optimisation With our materials, we started off with balsa sticks on our first concept. As we progressed onto our further development, we wanted to experiment with laser cutting, thus, using MDF for our second prototype. However, a few problems were encountered when experimenting with MDF material.

1.

The overall model was too heavy for the user to use and able to lie in it comfortably, considering a heavy burden lies before its head and body.

2.

Due to the top front head structures being longer than the bottom ends of the head structure, it causes the structures to drop down towards the person’s head even though the user has not yet to lie on it. This is because the front head structure is heavier than the bottom head structure, causing it to tilt itself.

Based on the problems faced, we decided to change the materials from MDF to Opal White Perspex as it is more lightweight and provides a less rigid and overpowering structure as its translucency blends in subtly into the environment. As for the top part of the head, we decided to use a lightweight material such as balsa wood that is lighter than Perspex so it provides a balance on the structure.

Change of materials at the top part of the structure: Transition from Perspex to Balsa Sticks

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In terms of the templates for laser cutting, we initially used Rhino Nest to nest our 2D cutting structures as we thought it was a more efficient way in placing our 2D stick structures as tightly as possible. However, as we laser cut them, we realised that it took a lot of time to rearrange and classify them into their categories. Thus, we decided to make sharing edges by exploding the 2D structure and cancelling one part of it to share the edges with another structure. This may take time in terms of repeating the process as well as arranging it manually, we felt that it is better in terms of saving a lot of time when assembling it as well as money in terms of the laser cutting time.

Nested Files Using RhinoNest Rhino Cutting Template with shared edges

Nested Files Using RhinoNest

Rhino Cutting Template with shared edges

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2nd Skin final design

Plan View of Final Design

Elevation View of Final Design

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Perspective View of Final Design

Fabrication Sequence- Constructing Process

We prepared our materials and tools needed to construct our final design.

Firstly, we put all the sticks in their categories which is based on alphabets.

We then sorted them in groups of their own segments within their categories to be assembled individually.

After sorting them out, we formed the pattern structures using nuts and bolts.

We then grouped them into their respective segments to be combined.

As for the head structure, we spry painted part of the structure to blend into the overall design.

We tested out on the articulation of the head structure. The progress was well on its way when the top half structure managed to drop down when the user exerted pressure by laying backwards against the head structure.

We assembled the segments along axises before putting them together as an overall concept.

We made the extension of the structure to further cover the face of a user as a form of blockage of sight.

We continued to create axis that hold the outer second layer together in progress towards assembling one another together.

Lastly, w e combined the segments together to form an overall structure using sticks as the axis and wires to coil it around for extra support.

Assembly Drawing

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2nd Skin The images on the left evidently shows the effect of the articulation of our final model. When the user brings his head backwards to lie down, he exerts a pressure that pushes the top part of the structure up, which eventually brings the end of the top structures down as a form of blockage of sight. We used Perspex as the final material as it is not only lightweight but provides a less rigid structure that blends into the surroundings. With the end top structure of the head being opaque, it allows the blockage of sight when the user is sleeping.

The effect of the final design as the user lies backwards.

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DETAILS OF THE FINAL SLEEPING POD

Images shows a sequence of a storyboard as the model rotates slowly whilst capturing the details of the model.

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