Alex Garcia_Computer_Controlled

Computer-controlled cutting

I wanted to work with soft and hard materials with the laser cutter. My first approach was to manipulate the Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (E.V.A) and hard cardboard.

So, I did a simple Voronoi and Delaunay (Rhino/Grasshopper definition) to carve and cut the E.V.A. I used binder clips to do the first experiences in order to stabilize it on a 3D form.

Grasshopper Definitions here

To do more complex and curved patterns I worked with a Rhino/Grasshopper definition from Co-de-it.

The definitions from Co-de-it here

In the first attempt I did not calibrate the Laser cutter for the E.V.A material and everything was cut and not carved! It´s very important paying attention to calibrate the machines for the material you are going to use.

After this, I begin to design the 'clips' in 2mm cardboard. First I tried without success to do 'closed flat shapes', but the shapes did not 'clip' the foam to structure it, so, I left it for a while.

I return to the first linear Voronoi and Delaunay designs. I did some holes in the E.V.A and linear cardboard pieces to join with the foam. And the result was great!

At final research, I return to flat pieces pasting them in the foam. First I pasted with double-sided tape and that was a terrible result:

So a pasted them with glue. The result was some accidental holes when forcing the material to stabilize in a 3D form. So I concluded that is possible to work with E.V.A and flat cardboard pieces doing some holes in the E.V.A to stabilize it in a 3D form.

My final approach in this exercise was to develop these two sculptural forms ( see the videos) and to explore possibilities to my final project.

assignment laser cutting 01 from Alex Angelo on Vimeo.

assignment 03 from Alex Angelo on Vimeo.