Integrative fabrication of sandwich shells: An integrative approach to design of robotically fabricated wood-based sandwich segmented shells

Abstract

This paper presents the development of an integrative and adaptive robotic fabrication process for the production of wooden-based segmented shells of variable thickness. A material and construction process is presented whereby an industrial robot with a two-degree-of-freedom end effector acts as active formwork, positioning flexible strips of plywood so they can be assembled into a structurally performative configuration and then filled with a polyurethane expandable foam. The resulting material system is a structurally performative and doubly curved sandwich composite which performs well in bending. This paper discusses the construction process and the material system, methods for structural analysis, an adaptive robotic fabrication process, as well as a computational design tool which integrates material constraints, robotic constraints, and structural performance. The resulting construction system expands the design possibilities for robotic fabrication in wood, particularly as a viable material system for implementation directly in an on-site condition.