Mallet-Based Assembly: Enabling Load-Bearing Laser-Cut Models
Laser cutting has a long tradition of building load-bearing 3D objects based on box joints and T-joints, as these joints are naturally robust against compression and shearing. Achieving robustness against tension, however, is challenging. One presumed solution is to make all joints extremely tight, to the point where they can only be assembled using a mallet. However, our survey found that making joints tight can cause models to break during assembly. In this paper, we identify the 10 underlying issues and present techniques for overcoming them: by extending parts with what we call scaffolding or by adjusting the models’ assembly order, so as to bypass states that are subject to these issues. Fixing these issues speeds up assembly and reduces assembly effort.
Publication
Shohei Katakura, Chiao Fang, Mehdi Gouasmi, Lino Hellige, Yoan Tchorenev, David Bizer, Conrad Lempert, Martin Taraz, Muhammad Abdullah, and Patrick Baudisch
Mallet-Based Assembly: Enabling Load-Bearing Laser-Cut Models