Exploring Material Structure & Surfaces
Souvik Bhattacharya LAD 2016
Acknowledgement The one week spent on “Exploring Material Surface & Surfaces� module has indeed been an enriching one. It taught us about the different types of materials, their uses and properties. This brilliant learning experience would not have been possible without the constant guidance of our course faculty Ms. Priyanka Baliyan. I would like to sincerely thank my batchmates for being so patient and helping me out with my problems.
Assignment 1 Collect different materials that can be found inside the camus.
Brainstorming on “material� and categorisation of different materials
Learning We got to know about the organic and inorganic materials that are found in the campus. Analysed the different textures of mterials and divided them into their respected categories. We were divided into groups of three and asked to select a particular category on which we would do detailes study.
Different materials collected from the campus
Assignment 2 Do a detailed study of metal in a group and prepare a presentation on that.
Learning From our detailed study on metal and from the presentation given by other groups we leaned about the different chemical and physical properties of different materials, their uses, special fasts, process of manufacturing and manipulation.
Assignment 3 Select two textures that can be found in the campus and explore the texture using other material.
Carving on MDF
CarvingWood
Texture 1
Corrogated sheet
Hammering on Paper
Salt glued on Paper
Cardboard
Learning
Tissue glued to cardboard
Paper
Tissue paper glued to paper
Hammering on paper
Hammering on paper
Paper
Understanding the texture of different material and then exploring different materials to replicate a given texture. We got to know how different materials can be manipulated to get the desired texture.
Texture 2
Explorations Explorations
Make a fabric swatch of 6 inch length by weavng using the four shaft loom provided.You are allowed to create different textures using different textures by varying the patterns and colour of yarn
Corrogated sheet
Paper
Cardboard and paper
Corrogated sheet
Brown paper and corrogated sheet
Paper
Paper
Fevicol on Paper
Classroom Display
Assignment 4 To come up with ideas for products where the given texture can be used. Texture which we will be using should be magnified 50 times and also same size when used in the products. Texture 1
Centre Table Recycled glass bottle to make the glass. Base of old glass models can be used to make the glass.
Glass made from old glass bottles.
Shoe Rack Front panels of the shoe rack can be made of perforatted metal which will alow air flow, reducing bad odour.
Texture 2
Learning From this assignment we learned the scaling of texture and how a particular texture can be used in a product. Night Lamp Plastic, Fabric
False Ceiling Lighting Metal , POP
Table Lamp Metal
Assignment 5 Come up withe products using the given texture by scaling it.
Given Texture
Detailed Study of the fiven Texture
Product 1 Dressing Table
Learning We did a detailed study of the given object, which helped us to understand its texture and form. By designing products we learned about scaling and how a particular form or texture can be used in different products.
Product 2 Table lamp
Product 3 Speakers, Deck
Assignment 6 Take pictures of things that u find interesting and explain why u fuind it interesting Khopcha Window The small hole in khopcha from where we get access to ramesh bhai’s shop. I find it very interesting how this small hole connects us to the outside world.
Paint Lab Table Many Years of paint and dust got collected and has created an unique texture.
Thinking Chimp It seems like a chimp is sitting behid that old rusted fire hoze.
Learning We learned to appreciate the things around us. It increased our observation skills. Learned how textures and forms can create illusion.
Magical Door From a distance it seems like there is is a door but in reality its just a door painted on the wall. Its an interesting way of playing with persepctive.
Holy Cow This pic was taken in Mount Abu at the top of a cliff where the road ends. We were surprised to see a very big herd of cows chiling there
Assignment 7 We had to select our favourite food, get it sourced from the market and make a replica using different materials
Making of form and texture
Colour Matching
Real
Fake
Learning Learned about the new materials and how they can be manipulated. Light and shadow and feel plays a very important role in any form.
Display at Foyer
Brainstorming We did a brainstorming on what are different techniques that can be used in the integration, disintegration and formation of a material. Each of us choose a technique and explore the technique on different materials. I had choosen carving, which could be used to disintegrate a material.
Wood
Ice
Clay
Bone
Foam
Glass
Metal
Leather
Carving Carving is the act of using tools to shape something from a material by scraping away portions of that material. The technique can be applied to any material that is solid enough to hold a form even when pieces have been removed from it, and yet soft enough for portions to be scraped away with available tools. Materials which can be carved: *Wood *Metal *Stone *Chalk *Wax *Leather *Fruits & Vegetables *Foam *Ice *Plaster *Bone *Glass *Polymers
Explorations
Learning * MDF is a soft material which can carved with proper finishing using hand tools. *MDF sheets can be fused together to make a thicker structure to carve bigger forms. *Because it is easy to carve, i found it to be one of the best materials to make moulds for sand casting. *MDF is brittle, so care should be take. If it falls it might break. Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) It is an engineered wood product made by breaking down hardwood or softwood residuals into wood fibres, often in a defibrator, combining it with wax and a resin binder, and forming panels by applying high temperature and pressure.
Explorations Wood Wood has been used as a building material for thousands of years, being second only to stone in terms of its rich and storied history in the world of construction. Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees, and other woody plants.
Learning * While turning wood in a lyadh machine, direction of the grain of wood should be checked. * If the wood has small cracks that can be dangerous for working on the lyadh machine. *Wood and sandpaper is used for the final finishing of wood in the lyadh machine. * Hardness of bamboo depends on its age. Bamboo Bamboo fibre is a cellulose fibre extracted or fabricated from natural bamboo, and possibly other additives, and is made from the pulp of bamboo plants.
* Bamboo can also be turned in the lyadh machine. * Direction of the grain also have to be kept in mind while carving bamboo. *Bamboo can be bent using heat.
Explorations
Stone Stone is the one of the major building materials. It is a versatile material and hence it can be used from the foundation to the parapet in a building and hence the scope comprises the study of use of different stones at these places.
Learning * The density of the stone has a big role to play on how easily a stone can be carved. * Its difficult to carve stone which are porous in nature even if its soft. * Thermocol can carved with sharp blades and hot wire tools. *Sand paper is used to give finishing and sealed with a final layer putti.
Thermocol Thermocol is a rigid cellular plastic foam material derived from petroleum and natural gas byproducts. The spherical beads of resin are subjected to steam, which causes the thermoplastic polystyrene to soften and expand up to 40 times its original volume.
* It can be moulded when heated but it becomes brittle.
Thermocol Explorations Layers of thermocol was removed using a hot air gun. Its gave crystal like like effect and also changing some of its property. This technique was used on different shapes of thermocol.
Learning * Thermocol make crystal like structure under hot air gun.
Themocol + PVC sheet + Muslin
Thermocol + Muslin
* The structure is mouldable when fused with fabric or pvc. *The material with which its fused has a big role to play in the final stucture’s physical properties.
Themocol + Cardboard
Themocol + PVC sheet
Tried moulding thermocol with different materials to achive flexibility and make it moldable.
Themocol + Leno
*After colouring it becomes a little bit more resistant to heat. *After melting it becomes more resistant to heat but at the same time it becomes brittle.
Thermocol was coated with layers of gum and colour in different proportions, then hot air was applied. With different composition it reacted different and its physical property also change accordingly.
Learning *Leather get moulded when heat is applied. *Carving on the leather get a burnt effect which makes it aesthetically appealing. *Leather on to much of exposure to hot air gun becomes brittle.
While trying to mould thermocol i got to know leather and pcv sheets can be moulded. In the top picture u can see pieces of leather are carved and then moulded to shape using a hot air gun. PVC sheets when kept on a shape and hot air is applied, it melts and gets moulded.
*Pvc sheets can be moulded under little heat. *It becomes brittle after heating. *PVC looses its strngth after heating.
Ideation
Portable Partitions
Panels for doors Windown blinds
Aquarium Backgrounds
Learning
Night Lamps
*Importance of scaling while designing products. *After applying hot air and colouring, thermocol becomes water proof. So it can be used to make aquarium backgrounds. *When fused with fabric it becomes flexible, can be used to make curtains.
Speaker panel
Fused with fabric to make curtains
*Texture that we get after applying hot air on thermocol allows a paticular amountr of air and sound to pass through. So it can be used in door and window panels.
Space & Product
I want to make a window blind for the boys hostel. All the rooms face towards east and have more than need light in the morning, it a big problem during summer. The window blind should be such that it can be attched to all the windows simply, at the same time aesthetically appealing.
Prototype
Three prototypes of the window blind has been made to see whether to melting effedct using the hot air gun can be controlled. The final prototype is placed on a windw frame to give an idea of the final product. Prototype 1
Prototype 2
Prototype 3 (Placed on a window)
Prototype 4 (Placed on a window)
Learning *I got to know how the material interacts with different techniques. *The change in properties of thermocol after applying hot air gun and paint. *Acrylic based paints cant be applied on thermocol so i had to get hold of emulsion for colouring thermocol. *Scaling of the product is very important. Something look good in a particualr size and shape.
Visit to Allwin
Allwin Industries specialises in sand casting of copper and aluminium alloys. We were taken here to learn the process of sand casting of metals.
Sand Casting It is a process that uses a mold made from either metal, wood, or wax to create a negative impression in a special sand that will be the mold for the molten metal. Six stps of Sand castingStep1: Place a pattern in sand to create a mold. Step2: Incorporate the pattern and sand in a gating system. Step3: Remove the pattern. Step4: Fill the mold cavity with molten metal. Step5: Allow the metal to cool. Step6: Break away the sand mold and remove the casting.
Making pattern for casting out of wood in a metal turning machine
Learning * Process of sand casting. *What are the different metals that can be used for sand casting. *Process of making mould. *Byproducts of this process. *Different materials that can be used to make moulds. *Final finishing of the cast.
(Top) Sand mold being made using the pattern. (Left) Molten metal is being poured inside the sand mould.
Visit to CEPT Fab Lab FabLab CEPT is located within CEPT University. A fab lab is a small-scale workshop offering digital fabrication.
Learning Learnt about the different technologies that are there in the market to make quick prototypes. Uses of different equipements, softwares they support and how they work. Collaboration is a very important part of designing.
Fab Lab Equipements