CNC

FABRICATION
(computer numerical control)
IN ARCHITECTURE

ARC 488 DESIGN & THEORY PRACTICAL

MAYA DURGAPRASAD DANG 11612176
CNC - Computer numerical control

◦ Numerical control - automated control of

machining tools (such as drills, lathes, mills and
3D printers) by a computer.
◦ computerized manufacturing process
◦ pre-programmed software & code controls
production equipment movement
DIGITAL
FABRICATION
◦ machine manufacturing process controlled by
The Three Graces hotel & office Gwanggyo Power Center, by MVRDV
technological devices towers, Dubai. NOX’s proposal

◦ CAD and Computer modeling software

◦ concept innovated in the design industry

◦ facilitated enthusiastic designers to have a different

design approach
Faulders Studio, Airspace Tokyo Zaha Hadid’s Mobile Art Pavilion
(façade design)
 Digital
fabrication
CNC / RP

3D
CNC LASER
PRINTING
REMOVES MATERIAL HEAT / LIGHT BEAM BUILDS THE OBJECT

GENERAL

CUTTING
LASER CUTTING
| |
•most accessible & common
• production of flat components
using a cutting head
•CAD/CAM limited by thickness
•diff cutting technologies for diff
materials : Laser-beam, plasma-arc
& water-jet.
•slicing material in a precisely.
DIGITAL
FABRICATION
PRINCIPLES
SUBSTRACTION ADDITION FORMATION
CNC MILLING/ROUTING RAPID PROTOTYPING 3D PRINTING
|
• Bespoke components – direct conversion from digital
• Component size –large elements
model, no additional devices (jibs/ moulds) required
• Material selection –wider range of raw •mechanical forces to reshape or deform materials into
• Complex form – material deposit at all required points
material the required shape.
to produce element, easy fabrication of sophisticated
• Precision –accurate elements fabricated • Heat or steam is typically used
geometry & internal voids.
(lower tolerances). • renders the material being formed
• Fabrication environment – enclosed & quiet :
• Production –large quantity elements • retains its new geometry once cooled
• Non-expert use – users do not require specialist
(machines typically more economical &
programming languages /machine skills prior
faster )
ACTUAL
 DIGITAL TOOLS & MACHINES
FABRICATION

COMPUTER- GENERATIVE/
3-D MODELING
AIDED PARAMETRIC
DESIGN SOFTWARE SOFTWARE
AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Google Digital Project,
MicroStation SketchUp, MAYA Generative Components,
Vector Works Rhino Grasshopper, MAX script,
MEL script, Processing.
 DIGITAL TOOLS & MACHINES
FABRICATION

SOFTWARE RAPID RAPID HAND HELD

LASER-CUTTING CNC ROUTER CNC ROUTER CNC MILLING
INTERFACE PROTOTYPING PROTOTYPING KEYPAD
SOFTWARE MACHINE MACHINE EQUIP GANTRY CONTROL ENCLOSED MACHINE

Detailed
model/
removing material
prototype In contrast to
use of digital typical from
components gantry type, this

| | | | | | |
fabrication to clean off any configurations machines a wooden sheet.
thick paper Z-Starch version : has an enclosed
machines is excess powder that utilizes a are often milling vs routing
cardboard builds up layers using a environment and
typically using gantry to enable controlled : type of
acrylic sheet powder which is may be used to cut
facilitated by the specific tools in a the cutting head by a drill bit attached to
thin metal bonded together thin
machine’s controlled to move across handheld cutting head (the
sheets sheet metal and
software environment the machine keypad overall apparatus
slim wooden plastics as well as
interface bed is typically
veneers wood identical)
composite
sheets
 CNC MILLING & ROUTING-TOOLS
◦ machines come in a
range of sizes & types,
depending on the
purpose & materials
intended for processing.
◦ most common - gantry
type : cuts a variety of
materials through
simple change of tool
bits in the machine head.
| CNC APPLICATIONS
◦ limitless combination & types of shapes & apertures may be achieved
due to the spectrum of different cutter geometries main applications:
• Drilling or boring –diameter holes
• Carving –contoured 3D surfaces
• Shaping –fabricate profiles on edges
• Sanding –finish profiled edges
• Sawing –large quantity linear cuts
• Squaring –remove excess material
CNC (Computer numerical control) cuttings
 CNC MILLING STEP BY STEP
1 2 3

design developed digitally wrt the maximum size of
plywood sheets able to fit on CNC milling bed. Cuboid-
sphere grown from epicenter, modifiers- spherical form
pulled towards internal, cuboid geometry
tested using a laser-cut MDF scale model – simulation
Of proposed manufacturing method & potential issues
identified. Structural stability - major problem ribs were in one
plane only. led to developing cross-sectional ribs, affording
easy assembly & rigidity.
Once all the components drawn in CAD software, sheets prepared
for ‘file-to-factory’ order. A specific package optimized the number
of components from each sheet, reducing material waste.

4 5 6

drawing errors in sheet files typically identified in machine’s
software, but ensure that data is correctly formatted. Using
cutting patterns/ toolpaths, from CAD/CAM files, milling
machine cuts full-size components from 18mm plywood
sheets.
The components are slotted and jointed together. Assembly To protect the wood from weathering, a Uvi polythene skin was
may be greatly assisted by using the CNC machine to provide stapled and glued to the structural shell to allow outdoor usage
reference numbers and pre-cut holes and slots.
 ARCHITECTURE
STRATEGIES

NON-LINEARITY
AND DIGITAL TOOLING CONTOURING FOLDING FORMING SECTIONING TILING
INDETERMINACY
THANKYOU
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