Patterns and layers

INTRODUCTION :

How can layering in patterns by depositing different material can develop a design and a form?

Depositing source material like grey cement and white cement in layers in  different patterns and exploring newer techniques to develop forms.

Intent:

Non woven -

Non-woven define a category of material that depend upon neither the weaving or knitting process, but it is a system which works with pattern and line typology in which form is created by layering within possible variation in line-weights, overlaps and continuity which is achieved by controlling the flow and pressure of source material. Non-woven is a part of additive manufacturing which involves continuous deposition of material. In additive manufacturing, the process starts by making CAD designs first, which is later translated into a physical model using digital tools.

Earlier when craftsmanship only involved hand work, they understood the design but not in specifics. Then, the engagement of precise  digital tooling helped to study the form in detail with the playful nature of a material body. The process of deposition allowed the freedom to create a surface with more possibilities. Unlike the traditional making process, 3D printing or additive manufacturing helped to study the design and its details before making it through computer aided design. And therefore exact quantities of material requirement could predicted and wastage of material reduced. 

This project is an attempt to take this process at domestic level or without digital tools. It explores the idea of layering. Like in 3D-printing, computer aided designs are used. Additive manufacturing allows for the creation of objects with precise geometric shapes which are built layer by layer. Likewise, this process will include drawings and different ideas of layering to make geometric forms and structures. Starting with depositing material through various tools and then creating newer patterns through it, the process will slowly emerge developing different forms and designs.

Material :

This process will specifically explore the material white and grey cement.

TOOLS :

Oiling bottle, plastic piping bag and snack maker are used to deposit material.

Experiments :

Aim : To understand the materials and explore different techniques of layering material to create and develop form.

1 ) Experiment with white and grey cement to create patterns using different tools-

• Mix white cement and water.

• Pour the mixture in the tools like piping bag, oiling bottle.

• Deposit the mixture slowly through the tool.

• Try and make different patterns in it.

     Observations : 

• In both, piping bag and oiling bottle, force applied is manual, therefore the deposition of material is unequal according to force.

• Pattern lines get mixed if water content is higher.

• Process has to be done rapidly, because the mixtures start drying after some time.

• Mixtures dry out faster in a piping bag than an oiling bottle.

2 ) Experiment with grey cement to create form by layering -

•  Make a drawing of desired form.

• Mix cement and water and pour it into a snack maker.

• Deposit the material in a pattern.

• Add layers to create form.

Above experiments fulfilled the part of form making by layering but the idea behind layering in pattern is to create voids and reduce the use of source material which isn't achieved in previous experiments. For that, the next experiment aims to use less material and create form by layering.

3 )  Experiment to create designs with less use of material :

• Pour the mixture into a plastic piping bag.

• Deposit the material in a way that it will take support of the previous layer.

• Add material layer by layer and keep voids at certain spaces.

• Try to avoid excessive use of material.

Above experiments and designs required less source material and layering helped to open up more ways and possibilities to create voids. Also, use of plastic piping bag helped to control the flow of deposition and shape of material.

4 ) Experiment to make bring in scale in the model -

• Pour the mixture in piping bags.

• Decide the dimensions for the model.

• Fix the pattern for the desired model and make it by depositing material.

• Layer the pattern to give it thickness.

• Dimensions of the model - 300 mm × 300 mm × 30 mm

• The diameter for deposition - 0.4 mm

• Contains 10 layers of original pattern.

• 3 parts of material and 1.5 parts of water approximately is the best ratio for material to avoid mixing.

5 ) Experiment to make scaled model - 

• Pour mixture in a piping bag.

• Decide the design and pattern of the model.

• Let the deposited material dry quickly using a hair-dryer.

• Then layer the pattern and dry it simultaneously.

Above model is a self-standing structure which is achieved by giving some heat and drying material simultaneously. The process takes comparatively more time as two different steps of depositing and drying happen in it. Less amount of water content in source material can help during this as it makes the mixture more viscous and it dries faster. 

Doing this process at home totally changed the perspective of seeing household tools and materials and changed the way of using them. And control over manual force and accuracy in doing work increased.