A Bridge Too Far – Complex Modelling

CITA – Centre for IT and Architecture –
Prof. Dr. Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen
KET – UdK Berlin –
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Gengnagel

A Bridge Too Far takes point of departure in the process of robotic incremental sheet metal forming. The research prototypes and tests methods for multi-scale modelling, for the purpose of informing other scales of design with the material implications of this fabrication process, and demonstrates their application to support bi-directional information flows in the design of a panelised, thin skinned metal structure.
This project uses robotic incremental sheet forming to introduce rigidising and connection geometries into a panelised structure. The Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF) method imparts 3D form on a 2D sheet, directly informed by a 3D CAD model. A simple tool, applied from either one or two sides, facilitates mouldless forming by moving over the surface of a sheet to cause localized plastic deformation. In this research we have used a double sided robotic approach that supports forming out of plane in opposing directions.

Images © CITA