Research

Where would we be without the steam engines?

-with out mechanical tools such as planers, pointers, Mills, Drills, Grinders, Presses, Saws.

Now tools such as those are combined and ran by computers to get high precision and quality

LASERS AND LASER CUTTING

laser cutter works by directing the output of high power laser, by computer, and the material to be cut. The material then either melts, burns, vaporizes away, or is blown away by a jet of gas leaving an edge with a high-quality surface finish.

In 1917, Albert Einstein theorized the principle of a laser, when he came up with his theory of stimulated emission. Einstein’s theory said that an excited atom in isolation can return to a lower energy state by emitting photons, a process he dubbed spontaneous emission (http://www.ehow.com/about_6391803_history-laser-cutting.html)

http://www.olympusfluoview.com/java/stimulatedemission/index.html- shows the stimulation

In 1960, Theodore Maiman Developed the first working laser at Hughes research la. It was diescribed as “a solution looking for a problem.” So many companies began to look for that problem. Then in 1971, one of the first well known uses was the laser printer.

First experiment in laser material processing was conducted in may 1967 when peter Houldcroft used an oxygen assist gas to cut 1mm thick steel sheet with a focused CO2 laser beam. This was one of the first 2 axis moving optics CO2 laser cutting machine built in 1975 made by Bystronic, similar to what we use today.

“With the correct laser power settings, the industrial laser can cut cleanly through mild steel to 0.75 inch, 0.5 inch of stainless, as well as aluminum, bronze, and titanium. Industrial laser cutting machines are the fastest machining process for flat sheet and plate materials. With the utilization of high intensity light surrounded by a high-pressure gas, many geometric complex contours can be manufactured without the need of hard tooling. A by-product of these laser cutting procedures, edge quality rarely needs secondary processing.”” most importantly, the speed is normally faster than other profile cutting methods.” (http://www.ehow.com/about_6391803_history-laser-cutting.html)

CATIA: (computer aided three dimensional interactive application) a multi platformed CAD/CAM/Cae commercial software suite developed by French company Dassault Systemes and marketed world wide by IBM

The software was used in the 1970’s and the 1980’s to create dassault’s mirage fighter jets, and then used in industries to digitally design and manufacture machines like in aerospace, automotive, and shipbuilding. Before it moved to these industries and became CATIA it was CATi but once it partnered with IBM it became CATIA in 1981

3 D Printing: used to construct objects by printing successive layers of material to form an object. Works by taking a 3D computer file and making a series of cross-sectional slices. Easch slice is then printed one on top of the other to create the 3D object. “It works like this. First you call up a blueprint on your computer screen and tinker with its shape and colour where necessary. Then you press print. A machine nearby whirrs into life and builds up the object gradually, either by depositing material from a nozzle, or by selectively solidifying a thin layer of plastic or metal dust using tiny drops of glue or a tightly focused beam”

(http://www.economist.com/node/18114327)

-Leonardo Da Vinci connection to 3D Printing- "To make his case Reti compared Leonardo’s drawings of basic machine and kinematic elements with the basic list of ‘constructive elements’ found in Reuleaux’s Kinematics of Machinery (1876).

One such comparison is the slider crank mechanism. Leonardo da Vinci drew several designs of slider cranks and also appeared to understand the nature of kinematic singularities through these drawings"

-Also Introduction to kinetic History.

"There are several rapid prototyping technologies, including laminated object manufacturing (LOM), selective laser sintering (SLS), photo polymerization (stereolithography, SLA), and fused deposition modeling (FDM)"

http://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/2715/1/2003-6.pdf

Old Mechanisms used for the teaching and development of mechanical engineering :

http://www.archimuse.com/mw2001/papers/shiroshita/shiroshita.html

CNC (NC to CNC)

1949-us airforce 1st numerically controlled (nc)machine - used 1st for airplane wings- (Video Included on HIstory channel) This design design grew out of the work of John T. Parsons during the late 1940s and early 1950s. (http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/CNC-Machine-Tool.html)

(http://www.sullivancorp.com/history-cnc.htm)

computer numerical control first design software, and then it is processed by the computer and manufactured using the CNC machine.

CNCs will performing work as lathes, milling machines, laser cutters, abrasive jet cutters, punch presses, press brakes, and other industrial tools. the first practical metalworking lathe was invented in 1800 by Henry Maudslay. (http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/CNC-Machine-Tool.html)

Cnc machine tool itself:

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/CNC-Machine-Tool.html

Plasma Printing: digital-on-demand plasma print hardware solution that enables software patterned surface funstionalization, etching and deposition of functional coatings on thin (plastic) substrates. Printing electronics in a fast growing market with a large variet of different applications such as RFID tags, organic and polymer LEDs and solar cells.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEs1gfwYC5w

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_cutting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3d_printer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNC_wood_router

EX:

Beijing Olympic stadium

DYMAXION- (in my book) built in 1920’s- mass producing, affordable, easily transportable and environmentaly efficient house. Heated and cooled by natural means and created its own power

Daniel Libeskind’s futuropolis, st. Gallen 2005

Eero Sarrinen GM technical Center- warren Michigan

BanQ, Office da -south boston- The restaurant design leverages the capabilities of the cnc technology to develop a carved interior space within the plywood ribs

(New tectonics towards a new theory of digital architecture: 7^th feidad award):

CODES, EROS and Craft (page 46,47, 139) designer- evan douglis

CNC cuts foam

Miran Gallery (page 42, 130) designer-DeCoi architects mark

Goulthorpe

Fashion show room in paris 2003-04

CNC

Blobwall(54, 150) designers- greg lynn, Emmanuelle bourlier, andreas

froech, Christian mittman

Robotic construction

WHERE IS DIGITAL FABRICATION HEADING?

**K12 schools having digital fabrication software.

** fabrication of living tissue and cells

FACTS

http://www.designnews.com/article/511989-Urbee_to_Be_First_3_D_Printed_Car.php

“At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Peter Schmitt, a PhD student, has been printing something that resembles the workings of a grandfather clock. It took him a few attempts to get right, but eventually he removed the plastic clock from a 3D printer, hung it on the wall and pulled down the counterweight. It started ticking.” Started with making most prototypes, however now it is creating 20% of the final product. “3D printing allows for a great deal of customisation. Indeed, in the future some see consumers downloading products as they do digital music and printing them out at home, or at a local 3D production centre, having tweaked the designs to their own tastes” Stratasys is even trying to print a car! (click to see image)(http://www.economist.com/node/18114221)

PLACES THAT PRODUCE 3D Printing

http://www.physicaldesignco.com/

http://www.shapeways.com/