laser cutting
As an architect I have used the laser cutter quite a lot over the last few years, both in my studies and in my professional experience.
However, I have never used it for other uses than urban, landscape or architectural models. It was very interesting for me to discover the potential of these machines beyond the limitations of this field.
Prototyping and physical modelling (maquettes) are two very different approaches: In the first case, the model is nothing more than an interpretive simulation of the “real” project:
different scale, different materials, different functions.
On the other hand, prototyping has a much more direct relationship with the project. It is the project itself; ok, maybe still quite far from the final goal or original idea, but still, more closely related to its origin.
This was for me the first time using the laser cutter in a 1-1 scale· first time I didn’t have to convert meters to 1:20 or 1:50 scale when preparing the laser file!
Here are two examples of what I got to cut in the machine so far.
press-fit¶
during the first microchallenge week, together with my team Amanda and Seher we decided to build quite a complex and ambitious tool that could store data (audio) in objects (cups). For that we had to employ multidisciplinary design tools: ideating & storytelling, electronics and coding, engeneering, digital fabricating. The part that needed to be designed and fabricated from scratch was the turning table, which would spin the cup as a pen carved sound graphs on its outter surface.
our only guidance in terms of dimensions was of the aluminum framework and the motors that we borrowed (!) from an old, broken 3D printer.
We used the press-fit technique to secure the stability of the structure, therefore we designed the pieces on rhino using our measurments, instincts and a lot of hope.
Given the fact that these days were intense and the fab lab was full of stressed students queuing impatiently to cut their drawings, we wouldn’t have the luxury of failing and retrying. thankfully we were very lucky making our first cutting work (ok, with some sanding..) and using them for our final result. It came out neat and definitely strong!
workshop cards¶
here we used the laser cutter to make cards for a workshop we organised with Stella.
The puprose was to enhance the experience of the participants, and give a more concrete aspect to the relatively abstract and speculative concepts we are dealing with..
