S.N.O.W

Sintering tpu via NichrOme Wire

Material-oriented

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University - Fall 2020    

Academic Work - DigiMat programmable material and geometry lab
Advisor: Shih-Yuan Wang, Yen-Cheng Lu
Team Member: Tsung-Han Tsai, Chun-Yu Lo, Ting-Chia Chen, Ching-Wen Huang, Yian-Yang, Shi-Ci Yueh

​

Generating objects through additive manufacturing methods  such as SLS(Selective Laser Sintering) or SLA (Stereolithography) have been established in a mature traditional construction process. In 2011, Markus Kayser applied the sand in the desert as a raw material sintering through the sun to produce glass products.Researchers at SCI-ARC(2012) have created a system that generates material form through a UV light projector controlled by robotic arms using  special photo-sensitive resin as material.Inspired by these projects, they introduce an increased degree of formality and focus on the manufacturing process and stunning results, which omits the possibility that objects can be generated freely in spatial space beyond the limitless boundary.

This project introduces the notion of additive manufacturing through investigating a unique method of digital fabrication. Rather than building an object through selectively depositing melted material in a predetermined path layer-by-layer,this research focuses on rapidly forming objects in two-dimensional and three-dimensional space, through weaving nichrome wire and  sintering TPU(Thermoplastic Polyurethane) on it by utilizing the instantaneous high temperature of nichrome wire after electrification.

The method of sintering TPU via nichrome wire mainly involves three factors: (1)the diameter of nichrome wire (2)power supply (3)control and measurement of temperature.The feature of nichrome wire heated up after electrification is wildely used in manufacturing processes and commercial products.    In ideal conditions, the relationship between the rising temperature of nichrome wire and power is a proportional relationship.In order to maintain the temperature and adjust the power rate  in optional range,the diameter of nichrome wire is set as a fixed value(0.5mm). A PID(Proportional Integral Derivative ) is used to maintain the temperature in a much more accurate range for the purpose of the same results under equal conditions and values.

The project is aimed not only at the development of weaving and sintering systems but also the exploration of the composite material.In other words, this project investigates the development of rapid fabrication in spatial space and its applicability of the composite material of nichrome wire and tpu, and it further explores the possibility of novel construction method construction and perception of architecture.