Process:

This second assignment had the aim of fabricating a bench using laser cutting technology. The end product was to become part of a larger additive collection of furniture. We were given a simple 3D model designed in Rhino and our task was to shape it into our desired shape. Some constrains had to be observed, such as the fixed dimensions of the furniture.

Visualizing the bench.

We first generated a cage around the original Rhino model, adding control points in the three dimensions, 5,7,5. These control points allowed us to morph the model into our desired shape, although it wasn’t as easy as we though it would be. Visualizing the shape was one thing, but actually getting it done properly imposed several challenges, specially because we had certain design restrictions.

First problems We discovered that some of our ribs were not thick enough to make it pass the laser cutting process. These ribs were so thin they would have been burned during cutting, or worse, cause an accident in the machine. Not only that, but we also saw, after closer scrutinity, that despite our first attempt, the chair would probably not be able hold structurally, let alone carry the weight of a person. We decided to start from scratch and try a thicker, less wobbling approach for our design. Second design Just as before, we began working with the original Rhino shape, using the same cage with control points on the axis, 5,7,5. This time, however, we went for a cleaner, smoother design. Once we obtained the shape we wanted and made the intersections, the next step was to unroll the pieces into the construction plane and arrange them like a puzzle in the frame that would serve as a template for them to be printed. Laser cutting. Assembly