Design Methods for Large Scale Printing

摘要

With an exponential increase in the possibilities of computation and
\ncomputer-controlled fabrication, high density information is becoming a reality in
\ndigital design and architecture. However, construction methods and industrial
\nfabrication processes have not yet been reshaped to accommodate the recent
\nchanges in those disciplines. Although it is possible to build up complex
\nsimulations with millions of particles, the simulation is often disconnected from
\nthe actual fabrication process. Our research proposes a bridge between both
\nstages, where one drives the other, producing a smooth transition from design to
\nproduction. The research showcased in this paper investigates tectonic systems
\nassociated with large scale 3D printing and additive manufacturing methods,
\ninheriting both material properties and fabrication constraints at all stages from
\ndesign to production. Computational models and custom design software
\npackages are designed and developed as strategies to organise material in space
\nin response to specific structural and logistical input. Filamentrics, the first of
\ntwo projects described, intends to develop free-form space frames with robotic
\nplastic extrusion. Through the use of custom made extruders a vast range of
\nprototypes were developed, evolving the design process towards the fabrication of
\nprecise structures that can be materialised using additive manufacturing without
\nthe use of a layered printing method. Instead, material limitations were studied
\nand embedded in custom algorithms that allow depositing material in the air for
\ninternal connectivity. While Filamentrics is reshaping the way we could design
\nand build light-weight structures, the second project Microstrata aims to establish
\nnew construction methods for compression based materials. A layering 3D
\nprinting method combines both the deposition of the binder and the distribution of
\nan interconnected network of capillaries. These capillaries are organised
\nfollowing structural principles, configuring a series of channels which are left
\nempty within the mass. In a second stage alumin