Maximilian Wacker and Johannes Megens presented two research prototypes at the Design Modeling Symposium in Kassel this year. Both papers, on „Structural Cellulose“ and „Timber Aggregations“ are published in the conference proceedigns „Scalable Disruptors“ by Springer.
Timber Aggregations by Maximilian Wacker, Johannes Megens, Moritz Heimrath, Markus Königsberger, Kristina Schinegger, Stefan Rutzinger
Timber aggregations, which are based on small components, have great potential for design and production. They allow the creation of non-standardized and geometrically differentiated structures and are suitable for human-machine collaboration during assembly due to the easier handling of small parts. In addition, wood scrap or offcut timber pieces can be used. However, the use of small, slightly different parts increases the complexity of assembly and the susceptibility to errors, as the structures resemble a 3D puzzle where each part only fits in one place. The authors present a new construction method and describe the developed design process as well as the structural system. Three iterations of prototype variants are presented in the article and discussed in comparison with each other in terms of the precision of the assembled geometry, applicability for pure timber construction, traceability of the work steps for the worker, time and cost savings, design advantages and applicability on construction sites.
Structural Cellulose by Johannes Megens, Maximilian Wacker, Martin Eddschwandnter, Stefan Rutzinger, Kristina Schinegger
The paper presents a novel design to fabrication strategy that deploys inherent structural properties of bio-composites based on a cellulose-casein mixture. The design and fabrication pipeline involves multiple iterations of robotic spraying including feedback operations based on iterative 3D scanning. This allows to adjust the geometry, to regulate material distribution, and to modify the path generation regarding the spraying with the industrial robot. It also enables vision-based monitoring or repair measurements and allows to observe failure or cracks in relation to the hidden material structure. Several studies are discussed in detail that deployed the “adaptive” robotic spraying method of cellulose-based mixtures on two distinct textile substructures: a winded rope structure and fabric tubes. The mechanical properties of the sprayed cellulose-casein composite material are predicted, based on multiscale micromechanical modelling.