The depth of designer Kazuko Akamatsu’s Lumi-Line tabletop is only 1/8 inches (.3 centimeters), thanks to engineering ingenuity and a synergistic combination of materials. Akamatsu adhered bundled fiberglass threads to a nonstructural, translucent plastic sheet with a translucent liquid glue. The pattern of the reinforcing “strings” is not random, but rather the result of a structural study to determine how to construct the thinnest tabletop possible. The table surface, reinforcing, and legs all act together as one system in order to resist loads and allow the legs to be placed away from “expected” locations.
While Lumi-Line allows light to pass through its milky surface by day, it assumes an entirely different character at night. Akamatsu imbued the fiber strands with phosphorescence, thus rendering the strings as sharp glowing lines floating midair in the dark. [Contact:
CAt, Tokyo, Japan.]
Labels: 12, light, plastic, recombinant, table
Unlike conventional petroleum-based plastics, polylactic acid (PLA) plastic is mass produced by chemical synthesis using raw materials derived from corn. The production of PLA contributes less CO2 to the atmosphere than that of conventional plastics and offers superior biodegradability after disposal. Because PLA plastics are often more expensive than conventional ones, researchers are developing ways to add value to PLA plastics.
NEC Corporation’s Dr. Masatoshi Iji has developed a PLA-based bioplastic with shape memory and recyclability. The polymer deforms with heat and external pressure and remains in that altered shape when cooled. Once reheated, the plastic returns to its original shape. Shape memory conventionally requires plastics with a cross-linked structure, which prohibits melting and thus recycling. However, NEC’s shape-memory polymer utilizes a characteristic called thermo-reversible cross-linking. The material can be deformed and restored to its original shape by heating at the temperature of a hairdryer (approx. 140°F [60°C]), but if heated to a typical molding temperature 320°F (160°C) the cross-linked structure dissociates, causing the material to melt and enabling easy recyclability.
This recyclable, shape-memory bioplastic allows users to deform the material into any shape, making possible all kinds of new products and applications, like futuristic wearable electronic equipment. [Contact:
NEC, Tsukuba, Japan.]
Labels: 06, plastic, transformational
Make/Shift is a flexible shelving system that can be arranged to fill spaces of varying sizes and between walls or even pillars. The interlocking wedge shape of the units allows them to “expand” or “contract” within a space: a single pair may be used for small gaps, or multiple modules may be linked together to make larger units.
Conceived by Peter Marigold, Make/Shift was designed for frequent movers who often encounter difficulties adapting their existing furniture to new settings. The shelves easily conform to any space larger than 19 7/32 inches (the width of a single module). Make/Shift units may also be assembled into freestanding units using the clips provided.
Make/Shift is fabricated in black, white, and pink Arpro expanded polypropylene (EPP), which is a lightweight, steam-cleanable foam that is stronger and more resilient than expanded polystyrene (EPS). Arpro also recycles the CO2 emitted in the manufacture of the material, which may also be recycled at the end of its life. Make/Shift is available from Movisi. [Contact:
Peter Marigold, London, UK.]
Labels: 10, intelligent, plastic, shelving
Structural polymers are susceptible to damage: cracks form deep within the structure where detection is difficult and repair is almost impossible. Damage in polymeric coatings, adhesives, microelectronic components, and structural composites can span many length scales. Structural composites subject to impact loading can sustain significant damage on centimeter length scales, which in turn can lead to subsurface millimeter scale delaminations and micron-scale matrix cracking. Coatings and microelectronic packaging components have cracks that initiate on even smaller scales. Once cracks have formed within polymeric materials, the integrity of the structure is significantly compromised.
Inspired by biological systems in which damage triggers a healing response, Scott White at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois developed a structural polymeric material with the ability to autonomically heal cracks. The incorporation of a microencapsulated healing agent and a catalytic chemical trigger within an epoxy matrix accomplished this healing process. An approaching crack ruptures embedded microcapsules, releasing healing agent into the crack plane through capillary action. Polymerization is triggered by contact with the embedded catalyst, bonding the crack faces. [Contact:
Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL.]
Labels: 06, plastic, polymer, transformational
When Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec received a commission to create a rooftop shelter in Paris, they devised a system based on a tiny three-dimensional motif. Like their Algues product, Twigs is comprised by an aggregation of polypropylene units resembling small branches. The Twigs clip together on supporting cables, creating an extensive, irregular, and colorful tapestry. A Twig wall approximates camouflage, with a visual complexity resulting from the repetition of simple units. [Contact:
Vitra, Birsfelden, Switzerland.]
Labels: 12, multidimensional, plastic
TOPO is a series of Corian tables with built-in reconfigurable landscapes. Plastic inserts drop into the table to create functional topographies. TOPO uses rapid-prototyping technology in a way that enables each table to be different, and customers color in the areas where they want inserts placed in the finished product. These inserts sit in the holes and can be swapped out and rearranged. The little hills and valleys are made of plastic that is formed over real rocks. When not in use, these functional land forms invert to become sculptural mountains. According to designer Scott Franklin, “We spend a lot of time sitting at tables, so it’s nice to have some basil planted nearby.” [Contact:
NONdesigns, LLC, Los Angeles, CA.]
Labels: 06, landscape, multidimensional, plants, plastic, table
Clampology is a family of informal objects designed to increase functionality of interior spaces. Manufactured by London-based designer Jorre van Ast of plastic and spring steel, the collection of adaptive utensils for the domestic environment include a bookend accompanied by a “book finger," a book display, a hook and a rail that clamp onto the side of horizontal surfaces, a hook to clamp onto electrical pipes, a candle holder, and a cable manager that can be clamped onto a table leg. [Contact:
Jorre van Ast, London, UK.]
Labels: 12, intelligent, plastic, support
3D Systems's stereolithography process creates three-dimensional objects using a laser to cure sequential layers of material to form shapes that have been modeled in digital environments. Accura Bluestone is an engineered nanocomposite designed specifically for this process.
Accura Bluestone is an exceptionally rigid, thermally resistant material, making it suitable for scaled automotive and aerospace wind-tunnel applications. Bluestone has also been used in the design verification of lighting components, as well as the production of jigs and fixtures for complex assembly operations. [Contact:
3D Systems Corporation, Rock Hill, SC.]
Labels: 06, interfacial, plastic, stereolithography
The depth of designer Kazuko Akamatsu’s Lumi-Line tabletop is only 1/8 inches (.3 centimeters), thanks to engineering ingenuity and a synergistic combination of materials. Akamatsu adhered bundled fiberglass threads to a nonstructural, translucent plastic sheet with a translucent liquid glue. The pattern of the reinforcing “strings” is not random, but rather the result of a structural study to determine how to construct the thinnest tabletop possible. The table surface, reinforcing, and legs all act together as one system in order to resist loads and allow the legs to be placed away from “expected” locations.
