Cutting Edge Fabrication: Investigating Timber Sheet Materials with Robotic Fabrication

<p>Timber sheet materials have been used in the same manner for decades despite having a vital role in the construction industry. This often results in indistinguishable surfaces with no identity. The research developed in this thesis is the creation of a workflow to create a self-supporting structure from sheet materials using robotic fabrication and computational tools. Timber sheet materials is the key focus for this research, as timber is a material that can be altered in a variety of ways. Japanese timber connections were a strong influence for this research, due to its prolonged life span and sustainable advantages. In the past, timber fabrication techniques have been limited due to design limitations. Current technology, specifically parametric software combined with the robotic arm was explored to find how it can create timber connections to connect sheet materials at different angles. This method was utilised to repurpose the concept of sheet materials towards a complex structure, which adopted the idea of mass customisation over mass production. Prototypes of timber connections were created to develop an outcome that will structurally support itself. The outcome of each prototype was evaluated and compared with one another to establish which connection would be most suited to bring forward to the self-supporting structure. Computational simulations were used to explore individual structures which created panels that were automatically flattened in the software. This allowed the digital file to be transferred to the robotic arm to be milled. Using the robotic arm was an advantage, as it can rotate around six-axis giving multiple degrees of design freedom which broadened the range of construction techniques that can be used with sheet materials. There is a high chance of human error with manual labour, therefore precision is a positive attribute of the robotic arm. The precision helped minimise waste compared to manual labour. This thesis presented an opportunity for the design/construction industry to adopt a new workflow to bring leading-edge technology to focus on sustainable materials and to steer away from the repetitions evident in buildings today.</p>

Cutting Edge Fabrication: Investigating Timber Sheet Materials with Robotic Fabrication

<p>Timber sheet materials have been used in the same manner for decades despite having a vital role in the construction industry. This often results in indistinguishable surfaces with no identity. The research developed in this thesis is the creation of a workflow to create a self-supporting structure from sheet materials using robotic fabrication and computational tools. Timber sheet materials is the key focus for this research, as timber is a material that can be altered in a variety of ways. Japanese timber connections were a strong influence for this research, due to its prolonged life span and sustainable advantages. In the past, timber fabrication techniques have been limited due to design limitations. Current technology, specifically parametric software combined with the robotic arm was explored to find how it can create timber connections to connect sheet materials at different angles. This method was utilised to repurpose the concept of sheet materials towards a complex structure, which adopted the idea of mass customisation over mass production. Prototypes of timber connections were created to develop an outcome that will structurally support itself. The outcome of each prototype was evaluated and compared with one another to establish which connection would be most suited to bring forward to the self-supporting structure. Computational simulations were used to explore individual structures which created panels that were automatically flattened in the software. This allowed the digital file to be transferred to the robotic arm to be milled. Using the robotic arm was an advantage, as it can rotate around six-axis giving multiple degrees of design freedom which broadened the range of construction techniques that can be used with sheet materials. There is a high chance of human error with manual labour, therefore precision is a positive attribute of the robotic arm. The precision helped minimise waste compared to manual labour. This thesis presented an opportunity for the design/construction industry to adopt a new workflow to bring leading-edge technology to focus on sustainable materials and to steer away from the repetitions evident in buildings today.</p>

Variation of the modulus of elasticity of aligner foil sheet materials due to thermoforming

Objective Investigate and compare the mechanical properties of different aligner materials before and after deep drawing and determine differences in the mechanical properties after thermoforming. Materials and methods Four aligner film sheets from three manufacturers (Duran Plus® [Scheu Dental, Iserlohn, Germany]; Zendura® [ClearCorrect, Bay Materials LLC, Fremont, CA, USA]; Essix ACE® and Essix® PLUS™ [Dentsply Sirona Deutschland, Bensheim, Germany]) were tested in 3‑point bending with support distances of 8, 16, and 24 mm. Dimension of the specimens was 10 × 50 mm2. Two groups each were tested: (1) 10 specimens were investigated in the as-received state (before thermoforming), (2) 10 specimens were deep drawn on a master plate with cuboids of the dimension 10 × 10 × 50 mm3. Then, specimens were cut out of the upper side and lateral walls and were measured in 3‑point bending. Forces and reduction in thickness were measured and corrected theoretical forces of drawn sheets after thickness reduction as well as Young’s modulus were calculated. Results At a support distance of 8 mm and a displacement of 0.25 mm Essix® PLUS™, having the highest thickness in untreated state, showed highest forces of 28.2 N, followed by Duran Plus® (27.3 N), Essix ACE® (21.0 N) and Zendura® (19.7 N). Similar results were registered for the other distances (16, 24 mm). Thermoforming drastically reduced thickness and forces in the bending tests. Forces decreased to around 10% or less for specimens cut from the lateral walls. Young’s modulus decreased significantly for deep drawn foil sheets, especially for Essix® PLUS™. Conclusions Three-point bending is an appropriate method to compare different foil sheet materials. Young’s modulus is significantly affected by thermoforming.