Parametric design

The goal is to develop a parametric design able to create infinite possible cardboard lamps. The external shape of the lamp is defined by 3 polygons each one of them is changeable in is radius, number of edge and relative distance from the central one. Also the internal shape, hosting the bulb, is independently definable by change the 2 extremes polygons.

Off course the para metrically is not related just with is form. Is possible define different cardboard thickness an distance between the horizontals frames that will composed the final Lamp. The cardboard thickness setting will automatically update all the junctions defined by a Boolean difference from the frames and the 2 vertical supports placed in the internal shape.

Once choose the desired form and the card board thickness, 3 mm in this case, using Grasshopper , I baked it to pass in Rhino and project the 2D frames to cut.

Nesting

I was looking for different solution, changing the distance between the frames, to find one that was fitting in one board nesting, and find extra space to cut some joint test.

Laser Cutting Issue

was cutting using a Spirit GE Laser Pro.
In order to cut a 3 mm cardboard for the first test I set
Power 98 and Speed 22.
Those setting required 2 times to cut through the card board. During the test due to inflection of the material the board moves, living a double path. In order to avoid that inconvenient in the following cuts I set
Power 90 and Speed 10.
and used some double-pasting tape to ensure the board horizontally. That setting cut through almost all the frames, some of them have to be finished by traditional hand-cutter.

Snap-fitting tests

First of all I cut one frame with 2 options of cardboard settings. The first set with 3mm cardboard, had holes to big. The second set with 2,75 mm shows one hole fitting and the second to big. I supposed that due to the different orientation of the joins respect the cardboard direction. So I choose to set all the futures joint with 2,70 mm of thickens to avoid error due to the material.

Making One Lamp

The lamp had been cut, in the same board of the joint's test, and assembled by fitting all the frames first in one of the supports and than introducing the send support. That operation was not really comfortable so I decide to develop a better design.

Making it better

The second Lamp has more internal space to fit easily the two vertical supports that have been re-design to be thinner and better looking. Than the distance between the horizontal frame passed from 25 mm to 18 mm, always in fitting in one board thanks to a better nesting. The external shape has be changed to, inverting the finals frames and increasing the relative distance...Is a new Lamp, the second of infinite possible.