Voro Lamp
Parametric lighting design integrating laser cut and 3d-printing
Overview
​Introduction
This is the final project of my elective, 3D Printing for Creatives. The scope of this elective is about how to use digital fabrication such as laser cut and 3d printing to make things in multi-disciplinary setting. My background is industrial design with a criterion, easy-to-mould, in traditional fabrication. However, I want to build a pattern from flexible algorithm in this project by integrating new technologies.
Concept
In this project, my goal is to integrate the same athletic language in one product with both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional details. Here I use Voronoi as the basic algorithm, because there are a lot of different elements in nature contain Voronoi pattern, such as cells and dragonfly wings. I think it is the beauty of algorithm deriving from nature.
3D Modeling
The Voronoi pattern was coded in grasshopper. The algorithm contains some variables so that it could be flexible for personal adjustment. Then I use rhino to improve the details based on shape, materials and fabrication process. The advantage of digital fabrication is that it can ensure accurate assembly for a complex shape in digital simulation and it can reduce trial-and-error cost.
Assembly
For laser-cut I chose plywood and acrylic. Based on transmission of light, the basic Voronoi pattern was made from plywood in hollowed-out frames, while trans-white acrylic sheets could diffuse the light. Hence plywood and acrylic could create different lighting experience with 2d surfaces.
The lamp base was made from 3d-printed nylon transmitting light with a 3d shape. Nylon could achieve a strong powered support with SLS (selective laser sintering) technology, which could reduce material waste compared with FDM (fused deposition modeling) technology. Also, the accuracy of SLS is higher than FDM for high-quality surface. Finally, the heat resistance of nylon is 172-180°C, so nylon is more suitable than SLA resin plastic with heat resistance at around 60°C, when light bulb is diffusing heat during use.
Packaging
​Product Photos
Details
Usage Scenarios
