PLEXUS The Space of Man
HANNAH ARKELL
3.0 Fibrous Structures 3.1 Fibrous Composites in Nature
Cellulose: The common fibrous material in plants
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Chitin in insects and crustaceans
Fibres are omnipresent in Nature. There are just four types of basic polymer fibres in biology. From a limited assemblage of ingredients, nature has
enabled an incredibly complex and diverse range of systems at varying scales and densities of fibrous structure.
Silks in spiders’ webs
Collagen in animals
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3.0 Fibrous Structures
3.2 Fibrous Composites in Industry
The single fibre
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Multiple strands bundle and weave to create rovings, twines and ropes.
I am interested in how geometries learnt from nature, can create material efficient, light weight structures in architecture.
The arrangement and geometry logic of fibres embed the properties and capacities of the architecture: flexibility, rigidity, brittleness and strength.
Multiples rovings ordered and wound together to create a fibrous unit.
These units can be assembled to create a fibrous architecture that is light weight, aesthetically intricate and material efficient.
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4.0 Fabrication Method 4.1 Filament Winding
For my project, I am interested in filament winding as a fabrication method for the translation of fibrous structures. The process of winding, originally a hand craft is now adopted in industry by automated machines. A filament is anchored to a start point, the strand is then fed around a mould or framework under variable tension, following a geometric logic to embody its form. The ‘strand’ has the potential to be continuous and therefore the theory of scale is infinite. The framework defines the edge boundaries for the geometries. Each edge is divided into nodes for winding. The geometries are then created using shift list patterns in one plane to create 2D geometries and multiple planes to create 3D geometries. The geometry must be created as a continuous line, only changing direction at the node points.
Simple framework requiring only bolts and washers to wind around.
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4.0 Fabrication Method
Spatial Model Investigation, Wool 0.8mm
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4.0 Fabrication Method
Spatial Model Investigation, Wool 0.8mm
3D Material Test, wool 0.8mm
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4.0 Filament Winding
Spatial Model investigation, Carbon Fibre Rovings
Carbon Fibre Roving Material Test Module 17
4.0 Fabrication Method 4.2 Geometry Logic 1
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Initial 2D geometry studies, understanding how different patterns were created through shift lists.
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4.0 Fabrication Method 4.2 Geometry Logic: Framework
Fibrous geometries are dependent on the node set-up. The premise of the frameworks are to be adaptable and re-usable between different fibrous geometries. As a starting trajectory, I have used a multi-scalar geodesic grid allowing for multiple geometry outputs with the same edge conditions for assembly. Geometries can be random, repetitive, wound in one plane or multiple planes, with multiple filaments and densities.
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Example of outputting different geometries from one ‘peg board’ adaptable framework.
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4.0 Fabrication Method 4.3 Robotic Filament Winding
Advancement in technology, specifically robotic filament winding has allowed new opportunities for fibre composites within architecture. These technologies have reduced the cost, enabled a direct linkage between digital design information and materialisation and allow for design freedom and bespoke geometries. I have conducted initial robotic filament winding tests (see across page) in one plane, producing a 2d wound geometry. This is a starting trajectory for my project. My ambition for this project, is to work in multiple planes to create 3-dimensional spatial units. To achieve this, I will need to develop the tool head effector, the framework for winding and the translation of complex geometric designs to windable robotic paths.
Personal Investigation: Initial 2D robotic winding test set up. My ambition is to develop into 3D spatial robotic winding.
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5.0 State of the Art 5.5 Design Ambition
A fibrous architecture has started to emerge in the last 10 years of architecture. To be critical of the outputs, they are all aesthetically similar. They are all in black and white carbon fibre and glass fibre, structural performing pieces, cured in resin with a glossy ‘plastic’ coating. My ambition for my project is to intersect the advancements of robotic filament winding with natural fibres. Natural fibres are more sustainable than synthetic fibres being biodegradable and recyclable after use. Additionally, there is a vast range of natural fibres, which allows for a multi-material graded system that can be treated with colour pigment to allow for a colour fibrous architecture. Through the proposal of a spiritual place, I want to experiment with the use of colour and pattern in fibrous architectures.
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6.0 Natural Fibres
Natural fibres are more sustainable than synthetic fibres being biodegradable and recyclable after use. The vast range of natural fibres allows for a multi-
6.1 Natural Fibres Material Exploration
material graded system that can be treated with colour pigment to allow for a colour fibrous architecture.
NATURAL FIBRES
NON-WOOD NATURAL FIBRES
WOOD
Straw
Bast
Grass/Leaf
Seed/ fruit
Animal
Wood
Examples: Corn, wheat, rice strass
Examples: Flax, kenaf, jute, hemp
Examples: Sisal, henequen, Bamboo, switch, grass, miscanthus
Examples: Cotton, coir
Examples: Wool, Silk, Angora, Cashmere
Examples: Paper, Hard wood, Soft wood,
Geometries have been materialised from a selection of six natural fibres. ‘Natural Fibre Material Selection (left to right): Cotton, Wool, Silk, Paper, Jute and Hemp
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6.0 Natural Fibres
6.1 Natural Fibres Material Exploration
Allocate winding joints on peg board
Select material (hemp), wind geometry.
Measure resin and hardener ratio. Mix pigment to aesthetic preference.
Cotton Wool
Silk
Paper
Hemp
Leave to cure, remove framework.
Jute
Repeat for 18 units and assemble
Top: Multi-scalar unit geometry design Bottom: Natural fibre allocation and pigment intention
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The material study geometries are repetitive to be comparable, but the system is adaptable and flexible allowing for many geometry outputs.
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6.0 Natural Fibres
6.0 Natural Fibres
The output geometries are repetitive to be comparable for material evaluation. Modules do not need to be the same shape or geometry. The ‘pegboard’ framework can output many different non-repetitive geometries in one plane or multiple planes.
The connections are embedded into the winding so the assembly is simple, no additional joints required. Normative building components such as bolts and washers can be used to secure the wound geometries together.
2d Assembly of Units
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3d Assembly of Units
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7.0 Material Evaluation 7.1 Stress Test
Force (N) applied until failure
Although structural optimisation is not the drive behind my investigation, structural capacity is still integral to this multimaterial system working. I therefore compared Jute fibre - the strongest natural fibre in my evaluation - to carbon fibre and glass fibre. I created three identical, load spreading units to perform a stress test on to evaluate the strength of each material in isolation. The carbon fibre unit deformed by 23.38mm at 827 N. After removing the load, the unit returned to its original form. There were some failures within the winding, but it still maintained structural integrity in most strands.
Force achieved: 887.1 N
Displacement: 23.38mm
Before
After
Carbon Fibre Rovings unit after stress test
Minute Carbon Fibre Failure
**The machine used for the test isn’t strong enough to break the carbon fibre unit to complete failure. Therefore, the test was to evaluate how much force was required for first deformations. As you can see, the ‘failure’ of the carbon fibre was minimal and would still be able to perform to structurally. Industry tests, show that carbon fibre is approximately 10x the strength of jute fibre and flax fibre.
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7.0 Material Evaluation 7.1 Stress Test
Force (N) applied until failure
Force achieved: 40N
Displacement: 35.20mm
Force achieved: 471.5N
Displacement: 27.7mm
Before
After
Before
After
Glass Fibre unit after stress test
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Force (N) applied until failure
Jute Fibre unit after stress test
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7.0 Material Evaluation
COTTON
7.2 Natural Fibre Evaluation
COST
EASE TO WIND WITH
STRENGTH
Wool scored evenly across the criteria. It is a very accessible, cost effective material. It isn’t strong enough to be the sole structure, but could be applied as an intermediate infill. This wool, 1.5mm thickness, provides a good balance between strength and delicacy to articulate different wound geometries. Additionally, it remains smooth and tactile when cured in resin.
ABILITY TO CURE IN RESIN
The aesthetic of cotton fibre is really delicate. It doesn’t hold structural capacity, but creates a ‘glass’ transparent aesthetic which could be applied decoratively.
AESTHETIC
The materials are evaluated and compared by five criteria: aesthetic, ability to cure in resin, strength, ease of winding and cost.
WOOL
Silk is translucent when resin cured. It is a light weight material to work with yet has relative strength. Similarly to wool, it absorbed the resin pigment well. It’s downfall, is the cost in comparison to the other natural fibres. Aesthetic Screen
Intermediate Infill
Structural Jute
Cotton Paper
SILK
Silk Wool Hemp
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7.0 Material Evaluation
PAPER
7.2 Natural Fibre Evaluation
Paper was the most difficult to wind, because the fibre is stiff, visible in the rounded curves of the lines. Once cured, it has a very clean aesthetic and is tactile - smooth like bamboo. It is relatively strong for its weight, and would therefore be a good intermediate infill. However, paper fibre didn’t absorb the pigment very well, only slightly tinting the natural paper aesthetic. Jute is the most structural performing natural fibre that I tested. It absorbs pigment well and is easy to wind with. It is a thicker fibre and therefore creates depth to the unit. I would therefore only use the fibre for structural winding. It is harder to achieve visual delicacy with Jute. The fibre is ‘hairy’, so it is not as clean. This can be resolved through ‘brushing’ the material before winding. Once cured, the ‘hairy’ fibre becomes very solid and is rough to touch. Hemp fibre is 0.8mm thick. I think Hemp could be used as a structural natural fibre if thicker (1.5-2mm). The fibre is flexible and easy to wind with. The aesthetic is very delicate - the output reminiscent of spun sugar. Hemp coloured well however didn’t fully cure with pigment added: there was a softness to the two coloured elements. Therefore, I would only colour hemp fibre for aesthetic winding, or use this property for areas of flexibility.
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JUTE
HEMP
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8.0 Program: Sacred Spaces 8.1 Islamic Architecture
‘Geometry that follows mathematics, similitude, symmetry and geometry isn’t subjective to man’s tastes, but a beauty that is universal, and eternal.’ What makes a space sacred? The design of light? The material? The craftsmanship and detail? The vast ceilings? I have chosen Islamic Architecture as a foundation to designing a sacred space. This is due to a plethora of reasons: Firstly, the focus on geometry and nature. This is partially a personal decision as the designer, it is an architecture I find inspiring and beautiful. Secondly, it is translatable to filament winding, using the geometry logics of pattern, nodes and numbers is reminiscent to a winding syntax. In addition, Islamic vernacular celebrates colour and its symbolism. Beyond physical qualities: space, rhythm, light and character are embedded to this architecture. The project will explore how a filament wound colour fibrous architecture can facilitate and reinterpret an ornamental architecture.
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8.0 Sacred Spaces
8.3 The Sense of Unity: A guide line
SHAPE
COLOUR
SURFACE
SPACE
Body
S
Spirit
Soul
Body
Hot
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Ai
Soul
Dry
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Cold
E
MANIFEST
Wet
r th
W at er
Ea
Spirit
N
HIDDEN Geometry Mathematics Inspiration from Nature
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The System of Four Colours Harmony / Juxtaposition Symbolism in Colour
Ornamentation Pattern Roof: ‘Heavenly Vault’ Hierarchy of surface
Rhythm Character Light ‘The space of man’ : Sphere of Privacy
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1.0 Design Iteration 1 1.1 Plexus: The Space of Man
PLEXUS Natural Fibre Material investigation
Robotic Filament Winding Fabrication
The Space of Man
A sacred space that echoes unity and reflection, designed with respect to Islamic architecture using filament winding as a new translation for the bespoke, highly geometric, symbolic architecture.
Sacred Spaces
Iteration 1 Design Proposal for a colourful fibrous sacred space.
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1.0 Design Iteration 1 1.1 Plexus: The Space of Man
The square is the symbol of stability and completion. The dome an image of heaven and beyond it of the infinite and illimitable world of the Spirit of which the sphere or circle is the most direct symbol.
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1.0 Design Iteration 1 1.1 Plexus: The Space of Man
Pavilion Dimensions
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Top: Back Elevation Bottom: Front Elevation
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1.0 Design Iteration 1 1.1 Plexus: The Space of Man
Geometries that could be achieved using Filament Winding 76 // PLEXUS
Exploded Axo showing the different interlocking layers of fibrous units 77
1.0 Design Iteration 1 1.1 Plexus: The Space of Man
Interlocking roof geometries, exploring how different depths and densities can be achieved, translating ornamentation with fibre-winding.
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1.0 Design Iteration 1 1.1 Plexus: The Space of Man
Geometry build up Spatial Unit Example
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6 differing units One adaptable frame set up
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1.0 Design Iteration 1 1.1 Plexus: The Space of Man
FRAMEWORK
STRUCTURAL EDGE ENFORCEMENT
INTERMEDIATE INFILL
AESTHETIC SCREEN
STRUCTURAL EDGE ENFORCEMENT
FRAMEWORK
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2.0 Spatial Unit
2.1 Adaptable Framework Concept
Parameters of framework: The shape of the frames can vary. The distance between each frames and ratio of size can change. How many frames are used. The winding syntax must take the central core into consideration.
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The spatial unit is reminiscent of a kaleidoscope. As you look up into the unit, the opening is sparse, growing more complex and more densely wound as the unit protrudes. This is to create spatial pattern in 2d and 3d.
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2.0 Spatial Unit Increasing Density
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2.0 Spatial Unit
2.5 Multi- Material Spatial Units 1:2 Procedural Winding
First the edge enforcement is wound in carbon fibre. This is in a 2d plane.
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The winding must occur on the inner side of the frame to allow for the frame to be removed afterward.
The inner cone is wound first in wool and hemp.
The cone is wound in carbon fibre and hemp fibre.
After the inner core is wound, the additional framework is added to allow for multi-layered winding.
An additional inner core is wound in silk and jute.
An intermediate fill is wound in flax fibre.
The carbon fibre minimal framework is the last element to be wound.
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Spatial Unit 1:2
3.0 Colourful Fibres
3.3 Multi-material Colourful Spatial Unit 1:2
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3.0 Colourful Fibres 3.4 Light and Shadow Study
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4.1 Prototype Design Iteration 1
Geometry Workfl ow and Design Intention
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Unit Design Prototype 1:1 Iteration 2: Unit 1
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Opening in winding syntax to allow for Framework Core
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Carbon fibre Black Flax Natural (Brown) Wool Navy Dye: 36463 Wool Blue Dye: 36770 Wool Plum Dye: 33685 Wool Pink Dye: 32701 Hemp Natural (White grey) 174 // PLEXUS
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Unit Design Prototype 1:1 Iteration 2: Unit 2
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Opening in winding syntax to allow for Framework Core
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Carbon fibre Black Flax Natural (Brown) Wool Navy Dye: 36463 Wool Blue Dye: 36770 Wool Plum Dye: 33685 Wool Pink Dye: 32701 Hemp Natural (White grey) 176 // PLEXUS
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Unit Design Prototype 1:1 Iteration 2: Unit 3 and Unit 4
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Opening in winding syntax to allow for Framework Core
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Carbon fibre Black Flax Natural (Brown) Wool Navy Dye: 36463 Wool Blue Dye: 36770 Wool Plum Dye: 33685 Wool Pink Dye: 32701 178 // PLEXUS
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Material Programming 4 Materials, 4 Dyes
UNIT 1 CARBON FIBRE ROVING BLACK
Carbon fibre Black
Flax Natural (Brown)
Tufting Wool Navy Dye: 36463
NATURAL FLAX ROVING
Tufting Wool Blue Dye: 36770
Tufting Wool Plum Dye: 33685
Tufting Wool Pink Dye: 32701
TUF TING WOOL PLUM DYE: 33685
Hemp Natural (White grey)
TUFTING WOOL PINK DYE: 32701
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Material Programming 4 Materials, 4 Dyes
UNIT 2
UNIT 3, UNIT 4
CARBON FIBRE ROVING BLACK
CARBON FIBRE ROVING BLACK
TUFTING WOOL NAVY DYE: 36463
TUFTING WOOL NAVY DYE: 36463
HEMP YA R N NATURAL (WHITE/ GREY)
TUFTING WOOL BLUE DYE: 36770
TUFTING WOOL PINK DYE: 32701
TUFTING WOOL NAVY DYE: 36463
TUFTING WOOL PINK DYE: 32701
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Unit Assembly 4 Unit System
Unit Assembly in Elevation Front, Left and Plan
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Unit Assembly Connection Points
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Minimum distance between nodes is 40mm to allow for Robot tool head. M5 Winding Nodes M6 Connection Points
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Unit 1: M5 Bolts, Washer and Sleeves: 102 M6 Bolts, Washer and Sleeves: 6 Connections
Unit 3: M5 Bolts, Washer and Sleeves: 44 M6 Bolts, Washer and Sleeves: 4 Connections
Unit 2: M5 Bolts, Washer and Sleeves: 114 M6 Bolts, Washer and Sleeves: 6 Connections
Unit 4: M5 Bolts, Washer and Sleeves: 44 M6 Bolts, Washer and Sleeves: 4 Connections
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Procedural Winding 4 Units, 8 Components
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Unit 1
Unit 3
Unit 2
Unit 4 191
Procedural Winding Unit 1 Structure
Parameters of framework:
Light Pink Tufting Wool
The shape of the frames can vary
The winding must occur on the inner side of the frame to allow for the frame to be removed afterward.
The distance between each frames and ratio of size can change
Carbon
Fibre winding
Edge
Inner
Carbon Fibre Structure
Flax Intermediate Infill
Outer Carbon Fibre Structure
After curing, the screws are removed from the frame, and the wooden plates are fully removable.
How many frames are used The winding syntax must take the central core into consideration
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Procedural Winding Unit 1 Cone Structure
Parameters of framework:
Light Pink Tufting Wool
The shape of the frames can vary
The winding must occur on the inner side of the frame to allow for the frame to be removed afterward.
The distance between each frames and ratio of size can change
Flax and Wool Edge Winding
Flax and Wo o l Intermediate Infill
Wrap
around Wool Structure
After curing, the screws are removed from the frame, and the wooden plates are fully removable.
How many frames are used The winding syntax must take the central core into consideration
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Winding Syntax Tool Path Generation
Top and Bottom Anchor Geometries
Output Geometr y as continuous poly-line
Surface to offset planes to for ‘safe travel’ between winding nodes
Output Winding Geometry
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Hook path made by interpolating planes to form arc
Poly-line divided into multiple planes for Robot travel path
Turntable limits movement of robot head to one side of geometry.
Tool Path Geometry output
Robot Tool Path
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Winding Syntax Tool path Generation
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Winding Syntax Unit 1 Flax Structure
Winding Syntax Unit 1 Cone Wrap Around Wool and Flax
Robot Winding Tool Path
Robot Winding Tool Path
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Winding Syntax Tool path Generation
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Winding Syntax Unit 2 Carbon Fibre Structure
Winding Syntax Unit 3/4 Carbon Fibre Structure
Robot Winding Tool Path
Robot Winding Tool Path
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Robotic Fabrication Core-less Filament Winding
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Fabrication Workflow Robotic Filament Winding
Geometry Workflow and Design Intention
Syntax adjusted in response to dry wind test
Robot Path Generation
Procedural Winding
The robot code is broken down into dif ferent materials. The winding synta x must be a continuous line.
Dry Wind Test
Frame Design
Above is an example of the procedural winding for Unit 2 outer structure.
Building the Frame
Robot Calibration
Geometry Evaluation
Tool Head Adjustment
Material Testing
Dimensions exported from the parametric model. The frame must be made precisely and centred to the turn table correctly, to ensure the winding geometr y is correct.
The physical frame is calibrated to match the parametric model.
Dry winding allows to evaluate the geometry and fibre to fibre contact before winding with resin.
For the two smaller diamond units, a smaller tool head was used.
The fibre quality is controlled by the tension of wind, the tool head and the resin impregnation.
Resin and Material Set up
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Wet Wind
Post-winding
Resin Preparation
Resin Bath and Dancer
Change of Materials
2D Edge Winding
3D Carbon Fibre Frame
3D Intermediate Infill
Transport
Installation
The resin is weighed. The ratio of hardener to resin must be within 5g of each other.
The rovings are fed through the resin bath and ‘dancer’, a series of reels that are weighted to keep the rovings in tension when winding.
For my investigation I used Carbon Fibre, Flax, Hemp and Tufting Wool.
First the 2d enclosures are wound. This includes carbon fibre edge winding to create a strong frame for connecting units.
Next the carbon structure is wound. This syntax is looser than the proceeding layers, to ensure fibre to fibre contact.
Finally the fl ax body is wound. The depth of the unit, provides structural stability.
The lightweight units are easy to move by hand even when over the side of a three storey building.
The units are joined together by normative building components: bolts and washers.
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Fabrication Workflow Complications during Fabrication
Steep angle geometries
Winding Speed
Tool Head Adjustment
Fibre Quality
The intended geometry of Unit 3 had to be adjusted after dry winding tests.
The smaller unit was wound using two wool threads. The wool fibre, had to be wound at a slow speed, due to it being more fragile. This extended the production time of the component by double.
For units three and four, the winding nodes were 40mm apart from each other. Therefore a smaller tool head was used during fabrication.
The smaller tool effected the fibre quality of the carbon fibre rovings. This was due to the rovings clogging in the tool head, causing the roving to break. When carbon fibre rovings start to break, it is difficult to achieve a clean aesthetic.
The wound geometry angles were too steep, and therefore not holding. By increasing the shift pattern, this improved the stability of the component and the fibre-fibre contact. This meant that the unit had to be wound in two parts as the interim frame would not be able to be removed after winding as the geometry aperture was too small.
The fibre quality was improved by lessening the tension in which the unit was wound, however this then effects how the geometry deforms and the fibre-fibre contact.
However, this allows for more design opportunity going forward, allowing for new geometries to be interchanged or updated, post installation.
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Unit 1 Dry Winding Test After dry winding unit 1, the winding geometries of the body were adjusted to be more extreme, to create more identifiable layers of winding.
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Dry Winding Test Dry winding allows to test the code, identify any calibration errors or changes to the winding geometry.
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Unit 1 Body Here the 2d enclosure has been wound in both carbon fibre and wool. Now, the inner carbon fibre structure is being wound.
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Unit 1 Cone For this unit, I wound with two materials flax roving and two wool filaments.
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Unit 1 Cone Corner Detail Procedure winding: Enclosure 2d winding, Cone winding and finally the wrap around geometry at the base of the cone.
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Unit 3 Dry winding testing. The geometry was iteratively changed to improve fibre-fibre contact by increasing the shift geometry. The wound geometry is hyperbolic.
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Unit 3 Carbon fibre edge winding and minimal framework Pink Tufting Wool intermediate infill winding
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Transit and Installation Light Weight Deployable Structures
Stuttgart to Copenhagen
Light Weight
Three Storey Climb
Installation
The four units were shrink wrapped and loaded onto a van, for transit between Stuttgart Germany and Copenhagen Denmark.
The units are light weight, requiring two persons to move around - due to the size of the unit not the weight.
The units were installed on the third floor of a university building. Due to the size, the units could not fit through a door so had to be lifted up over the balcony.
The tolerances of the units were very good and easily fit together using bolts and washers. Each edge was connected in four places.
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Installation
Colourful Natural Fibre Structure
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Prototype Output
Colourful Natural Fibre Structure
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5.0 Deployable Sacred Structures 5.1 Temporary Urban Spaces: Suspended Dome
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5.0 Deployable Sacred Structures 5.1 Temporary Urban Spaces: Suspended Dome
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Axo of dome showing the gradual density increase
The Dome spans 8 metres, one unit is 1.75 metres wide
Left / Right Elevation
Front / Back Elevation
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Deployable Sacred Structures Geometry Build Up
Surface
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Framework Tiling Geometry
Inner Dome Carbon Fibre Minimal Framework
Outer Dome Carbon Fibre Minimal Framework
Connecting Carbon Fibre Minimal Framework
Flax Fibre Intermediate Infill
Aesthetic Screen Wool and Flax
Output Geometry
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5.0 Deployable Sacred Structures 5.2 Vaulted Public Walkway
Surface
Tiling Geometry
Framework
Unit Geometry
Fibrous Structure Build up
Geometry Output
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5.0 Deployable Sacred Structures 5.2 Vaulted Public Walkway
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The vaulted walkway spans 8 metres.
Axo of walkway showing the protruding light wells
Front / Back Elevation
Left / Right Elevation
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Surface
Tiling Geometry
Framework
Fibrous Structure Build up
Geometry Output
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3000 Left / Right Elevation
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3200 3200
3000
The installation spans 3 metres
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1500 1500
Axo of installation
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3200
5.3 Installation in Controlled Environment
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5.0 Deployable Sacred Structures
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A plexus is a multi-linear network of interweavings, intertwinings and intrications; for instance, of nerves or blood vessels. A plexus describes a multiplicity of local connections within a single continuous system that remains open to new motions and fluctuations. - Lynn, G