Cast It

PD L5

KSENIA SEMIROVA

11.2018

CAST IT

Designing and producing a surface-mounted light switch manufactured with molding technique.

Module: Design Materials & Technology

Idea Development Inspiration Types of light switches

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Types of feedback from light switch itself 12 Types of feedback from light switch Digital Prototype

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Experimenting with molding and casting

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Silicone & Plastic workshop

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Light switch master-model making 22 Master-model molding preparation 24 Types of utilized silicones

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Molding Master model

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Types of utilized epoxy resin

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Casting the form

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Casted light switch model.

Final

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Visualization

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In the Interior

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Dimensions

62

Idea Development

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Manila

Venini Chandelier

Inspiration

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4 VENINI 1.

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Venini Sconces, Paolo Venini, 1958 Siderale, Giorgio Vigna Sasso, Mimmo Rotella, 2003 Balloton, 2014 Abaco, Monica Guggisberg & Philip Baldwin, 1998

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Idea Development

Inspiration

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Rain Drop Shell Crystal Shell Spear Cloud

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Idea Development

Vitrine Guerlain Idylle | 09.09

Inspiration

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Idea Development

Push-button

ALTERNATIVES

Types of light switches

Rotary

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Touch sensitive

Toggle

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Switch by Orsteel light Garby by Fontini Sentido by Basalto Switch by Elo

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Idea Development

Types of feedback from light switch itself

textural interfaces

Visual

HIGHLIGHTING

HAPTICS TOUCH GRAFIK T light switch & dimmer by Lutron

Tactile Verbal

NATURAL TEXTURED MATERIALS

mostly for decoration

MECHANICAL SOUND

Arteor by Legrand

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Idea Development

Digital Prototype

THE IDEA The chandelier Manila by Venini became the main source of inspiration of the project.

The main feature of the item is the air bubbles which are formed during the glassblowing.

I tried to imagine the surface with this side effect inside out.

This surface seems solid, at the same time it is lightweight.

Also, it looks sophisticated and it is hard to understand what it is exactly.

Thus, curiosity became the main feature of this light switch concept.

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Idea Development

Experimenting with molding and casting

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SILICONE MOULDING

Silicone & Plastic workshop

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Silicone & Plastic workshop

PLASTIC CASTING

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Light switch master-model making

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Master-model molding preparation

MAKING TWO PIECE MOLD

Separating component

Different sticks to make a lock

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Types of utilized silicones

SILIFORM WHITE Two-component silicone rubber mixture. Molded.

Component ratio 100(A):3-5(B).

Claimed cure time 8-12 hours.

TOOLDECOR T 20-18 Two-component silicone rubber mixture. Molded, cured at room temperature.

Component ratio 100(A):5(B).

Claimed cure time 12 hours.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Molding Master model

Wet parts of the form were masked with masking tape.

The form will be utilized as a sample for epoxy casting.

TEST 1. SILIFORM WHITE The required amount ≈220-250gr.

Cure time was more than 12 hours.

The form is half soft.

Some external parts of the form were not cured even after 24 hours.

The gate was masked with gluegun to get the solid surface.

The quality of the master model texture could be claimed as satisfying.

The formwork quality was low.

Cast corners are rough.

It is impossible to make second part of the form.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Molding Master model

Part of the texture was damaged due to premature extraction of the form.

The form will be utilized as a sample for epoxy casting.

TEST 2. TOOLDECOR The required amount ≈220-250gr.

Cure time was more than 12 hours.

The form is very soft.

Some external parts of the form were cured after 24 hours. It was extracted before full cured timed.

It was not clear, that inner part of the form was not cured.

The gate was masked with gluegun to get the solid surface.

The quality of the master model texture could be claimed as very satisfying.

The formwork quality was low.

Cast corners are rough.

It is impossible to make second part of the form.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Molding Master model

It was spent more time and afford to make better plasticine model for molding.

The quality of f ramework was pretty good.

TEST 3. SILIFORM WHITE The required amount ≈220-250gr.

Cure time was more than 12 hours.

The form is half soft.

In spite the different time and strength of mixing, some parts of the form were not cured even after 24 hours.

The gate was masked with gluegun to get the solid surface.

The quality of the master model texture could be claimed as more than satisfying.

It is impossible to make second part of the form.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Molding Master model

The parts were separated easily.

It needs to clean some artif icial pieces of silicone.

TEST 4. TOOLDECOR. TWO SIDE FORM The required amount ≈220-250gr. per each part.

Cure time was more than 12 hours.

Finally, the successful result!

One piece of the top part of the form has not dried enough, but it still can be utilized.

In spite all diff iculties during molding process, the form looks pretty good and potentially can be utilized to casting.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Types of utilized epoxy resin

MG-EPOX-FLASH Two-component epoxy resin.

Cured at room temperature.

Component ratio 100(A):20(B).

Claimed cure time 10 minutes.

MG-EPOX-ELASTIC Two-component epoxy resin.

Cured at room temperature.

Component ratio 100(A):50(B).

Claimed cure time 24 hours.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Casting the form

The texture is soft and touchable. It can be slightly stretched.

It was a bit diff icult to get it out of form. Texture was not damaged due to pulling it out.

TEST 1. MG-EPOX-ELASTIC The required amount ≈10-15gr.

Cure time was ≈12-16 hours.

The resin originally transparent.

Only green glitter was added.

Sample made with Test 1 form Overall, the result of the texture is more than satisfying.

It needs to connect the texture with the sensor.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Casting the form

Extension piece was placed to put sensor part.

The piece of polyethylene f ilm was the reason of smoke.

The part placed in epoxy was completely dissolved.

TEST 2 & 3. MG-EPOXFLASH

The quality of the texture is rather poor. There are a lot of bubbles.

The required amount ≈20-30 gr.

Test 3. The place for sensor looks terrible.

Cure time was ≈30-40 minutes.

The resin is originally bright dirty yellow. They were dyed to blue and red.

There was a minor smoke during the solidif ication.

The resin gets some heat.

Switch on/off sensor.

All samples made with Test 2 form.

Touch sensitive.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Casting the form

Test 5. In this example, a single wire was placed in the cast.

Unfortunately, the sensor has not turned on. The wire was not close enough to the top surface of the casting.

TEST 4 & 5. MG-EPOXFLASH. FINDING THE WAYS TO CONNECT SENSOR The required amount ≈20-30 gr.

Cure time was ≈30-40 minutes.

The resin is originally bright dirty yellow. It was dyed to green.

All samples made with Test 1 form.

Test 4. Foil and wire were placed into cast.

The experiments with wire were not effective.

Sensor switch only with touching back side of the cast.

Foil gave nice effect of reflection.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Casting the form

The rivet that working perfectly with sensor wad placed into cast.

The example fully provides the idea of sensitive textured light switch.

TEST 6. MG-EPOX-FLASH. FINDING THE WAYS TO CONNECT SENSOR The required amount ≈20-30 gr.

Cure time was ≈30-40 minutes.

The resin is originally bright dirty yellow. It was dyed to blue with glitter.

The side where supposed to be gate looks rough.

The samples made with Test 3 form.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Casting the form

Unfortunately, the sensor has not turned on. The elastic part was too thick.

TEST 7. COMBINING MGEPOX-FLASH AND MGEPOX-ELASTIC. The required amount of Elastic resin ≈15-20 gr. The required amount of Flash resin ≈20 gr.

Total cure time for both resins was ≈20 hours.

Overall, the idea to mix both resins was interesting and gave good result. The top surface is touchable, but the bottom is solid.

It was dyed with glitter and luminophore.

All samples made with Test 2 form.

It was def initely better to put rivet into the f irst layer (elastic) of casting.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Casting the form

Tests 7 & 8 were made simultaneously. Test 8 was f inished before this one. There was no room for extra resin in this form to make the surface solid f rom bottom side.

TEST 8. MG-EPOX-ELASTIC The required amount ≈40 gr.

Cure time was ≈18 hours.

It was dyed to blue with glitter and luminophore.

The sample made with Test 3 form.

The most successful experiment which shows well developed touchable texture that connected to the sensor and switches the light correctly.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Casting the form

The test showed all rough and weak parts of the cast form which were caused by not well prepared master model.

Also, the huge problem with air bubbles (which are the inspiration for the project) was revealed. It was noticed, that this type of epoxy, in general, is vulnerable to this problem.

TEST 9. MG-EPOX-FLASH The required amount ≈60 gr.

Cure time was ≈30-40 minutes.

The resin is originally bright dirty yellow. It was dyed to red.

The resin gets some heat.

The sample made with Test 4 two part form.

Overall, the experiment with two part form could be claimed as successful.

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Casted light switch model. Final

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Casted light switch model. Final

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Experimenting with molding and casting

Visualization

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LED DINER CEILING LIGHT

In the Interior

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Visualization

In the Interior

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61

Visualization

Dimensions

SINGLE TOUCH

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MULTI TOUCH

Visualization

KSENIA SEMIROVA PD L5 | BHSAD