Metal stamping is the quickest, most efficient way to bang millions of parts out of sheet metal. It also requires expensive dies and a big-ass press to sandwich and stamp the metal. This means that if an auto designer wants to evaluate, say, a radical new fender design, they've got to dig into the budget for new dies and wait weeks or months for those dies to be manufactured.
Unless, that is, they work for Ford. The Dearborn-based auto giant has commissioned a new type of rapid prototyping, which they're calling F3T (Ford Freeform Fabrication Technology). With F3T the sheet metal is suspended in space and lubricated while robot arms, one above and one mirrored below, simultaneously press and yield at their extremities to manipulate the sheet. This obviates the need for dies and can crank a new part out in just hours. Check it out:
Wicked, no? It's obviously not a production solution, but will clearly be a huge boon to designers, who no longer need to wait for new dies to be cut during the design phase. And while the three-axis nature of the arms means you still can't do crazy things like undercuts, it's hard not to be impressed by the complexity of the shapes that F3T is able to achieve.
We previously covered Hilla Shamia's innovative "wood casting" technique and Andrew Perkins' equally gorgeous wood-metal blended furniture. Another firm we've come across blending wood with an unlike material—in this case, resin—is MTH Woodworks, a "functional art and design company" out of British Columbia, Canada.MTH's Bloom Collection takes cedar and birch...
Have you digested everything in Part 1 of our DIY webbing tutorial? Then you're ready for Part 2, where we cover the tools you'll need to get started. Watch the video below, then hit the jump for more details.Used Sewing Machine Buying Tips1. Never buy a machine sight unseen or...
This is the sixth post of an ongoing series about wood. Understanding its nature, the way it moves and changes, and the implications for designers. Check back every Wednesday for the next installment.The previous posts are here: » How Logs Are Turned Into Boards, Part 1: Plainsawn » How Logs Are Turned...
Learning how to work with webbing is a useful skill, but many industrial design programs don't cover how to work with flexible materials. And if you've ever seen a production facility cranking out say, MOLLE systems for military bags, it's easy to get intimidated out of ever attempting to work...
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