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.
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