| Title: |
Thermoplastic Fused Granulate Fabrication Blowforming A Compound Robotic Method for Moldless Blowforming |
| Authors: |
Turner, S; Karaduman, E; Jain, R; Wu, R; Moriuchi, S; Sideropoulos, N; Anderson, JS; King, N; Stuart-Smith, R |
| Source: |
In: ACADIA 2024: Designing Change - Proceedings Volume 1 for the 2024 Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture Conference. (pp. pp. 59-70). (2024) |
| Publication Year: |
2024 |
| Collection: |
University College London: UCL Discovery |
| Description: |
In the pursuit of a partial or fully off-site additively manufactured (AM) architecture, researchers are exploring alternative methodologies to optimize material use and reduce the environmental impact of buildings. This research focuses on methods to reduce the environmental impact of off-site AM by decreasing component parts material use and transportation volume. This paper introduces a proof-of-concept method inspired by artisanal glass blowing and industrial injection blowforming. Utilizing fused granulate fabrication (FGF) additive manufacturing and the extensibility of polylactic acid (PLA) above its glass transition temperature (Tg), we expand small thermoplastic "preform" parts into larger "blowform" objects without molds. This automated method reduces manufacturing time, enables thinner wall sections, and eliminates the need for temporary supports compared to traditional AM techniques. Our robotic workflow integrates the design, manufacture, blowforming, and assembly of FGF PLA preforms, supported by digital simulation (Figure 2). This unified approach expedites production of thin-walled parts with controllable material dynamics and qualitative effects, fostering alignment between design and production in a singular creative process. With further refinement, the approach exhibits promising advantages for prefabricated building component production. |
| Document Type: |
report |
| File Description: |
text |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10220079/1/Turner.pdf; https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10220079/ |
| Availability: |
https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10220079/1/Turner.pdf; https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10220079/ |
| Rights: |
open |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.5F486BA3 |
| Database: |
BASE |