Formvlies
2016Working with “Formvlies” was one of my first short term projects at the Weißensee School of Art and Design.
Formvlies is a fabric by Becker Brakel consisting of PET fibers, which can be melted and hardened by applying localized heat. This property allows for unconventional processes, creating new applications.
Over the course of a few days, I was tasked to explore this new material and find new and unique functional and aesthetic qualities.
#blender #lasercutting #photography #adobephotoshop #adobeillustrator #adobeindesign
exploration
I started my exploration with the creation of different aesthetic surface qualities by creating different die tools.
While exploring the functional potentials of the material, I experimented with the integration of joints by using both cutting patterns and the integration of secondary materials.
Integrating steel sheets into the material created magnetic surfaces.
Joining multiple layers in a sandwich like construction is also possible.
Modeling flexible undercuts creates snap joints.
Joining multiple layers in a sandwich like construction is also possible.
Modeling flexible undercuts creates snap joints.
After these initial experiments, I focused on a principle that plays with both functional and aesthetic qualities.
These cutting patterns were created by laser cutting the material.
These cutting patterns were created by laser cutting the material.
The localized heat of the laser beam did not only cut the pattern into the material, but also hardened it, creating an array of joints.
By adding these black “keys”, bistable joints are possible as well.
These Joints are also enabling the material to be deformed in three dimensions.
After binding the material with wire and shaping it with molds, it can be baked in order to make it retain its form.
The result of this exploration is a structure that opens new aesthetic and functional possibilities.
