Hillary Davlin 002: Digital Design and Manufacturing

This article, “Digital Design and Manufacturing”, looks into manufacturing design and systems that are implemented in different shops.  Taking the typology of different manufacturing and production plants, the article informs and distinguishes the difference between job shops (small production shops), project shops (medium production shops where parts are made elsewhere) and flow shops (high production shops).  Another large component of these shops, which resonates with our class, are industrial robots. Robots in a manufacturing setting are typically used in settings were the tasks are dangerous, very repetitive or require extreme precision (like in an automotive or technological production plant). These robots have similar components to the Kuka robots, including basic arm assembly, end effectors, programmable controllers, feedback and sensory input devices, a drive unit and associated servomechanisms. The Effectors and work envelope (which is the robot’s spatial volume limit) typically define the Industrial Robot from other robots. Robots, in addition to different manufacturing approaches and systems, help define productivity and the “quality” of output.

            This article, while it is oriented towards production and manufacturing systems, is also applicable to robotic fabrication used in an architectural setting. Taking into consideration the different systems that are used in a production plant, we can intuitively apply the same techniques when deemed appropriate. When we, as architecture students, need to produce a model, which requires very monotonous production movements, we may consider using a robot to speed up productivity and perhaps our aesthetic of “quality”.  By considering the Kuka robot like an industrial robot, we may be able to create quick, iterative products that help us reconsider our design and production processes.