Week 01 ~ Computer-Controlled Cutting
Laser Cutting
Goal: a light-weight bed-side table based on simple design rules.
A stacked tower based on simple design rules (90 deg rotation and vertical translation): sketch and CAD in Onshape.
Making the cut-pattern in illustrator (red = cuts, blue = top folds, green = bottom folds). It was important to have different colors for the top and bottom folds so that we could selectively 'skip' them in the laser-cutter print setup.
Universal lasercutter interface showing line-colors and the ability to "skip" lines, so that we can flip the cardboard for the scoring of the folds on the back.
Doing tests of different power/speed/PPI (pulse-per-inch) settings to figure out the ideal scoring settings to allow the cardboard to be folded wihtout going to far.
Folded sheets stacked
Slimmer sheets
Book load-test
In a way the final structure mirrors what cardboard already is ~ Bill McKenna from N52/MAD: "You have recreated cardboard"
Cardboard explorations for the future: compliant mechanisms made from cardboard/experimenting with bi-stability to make snap-fit style connector out of cardboard or paper (see some quick sketches below).
Quick sketch of a cardboard grabber in illustrator; cardboard model of a bi-stable snap-fit connector
Trying to anticipate the constraints of a compliant snap-fit design through sketches in illustrator.
Vinyl Cutting
For the vinyl cutting I went with the most classic example of a laptop-sticker. The main takeaway was to always make sure to unclamp the lever at the back when done.
Vinyl-cutter in N52/MAD workshop space
Stickers
Some quick ideas for further explorations: using vinyl cutting as a way of fabricating something for substantial (e.g. as an adhesive substrate for something else to attach to)? Creating cardboard/vinyl composites, where the vinyl could be used for hinges/compliant areas.
Files: [1] zigzag_cut_pattern.dxf [2] smiley_vinylcut_positive_negative.png