Assignment 3 reflection

Assignment 3 reflection

Course Overview

BEIL 0014 provides the platform for me to learn physical and digital fabrication of materials. Arising new challenges in making and creating the objects and spaces  really improve my ability for digital making itself and communicating with teammates. This reflection critically reviews the strengths and weakness for tray and proposes related solutions to deal with possible problems or weakness in the processes.


Strengths:

Image 1 

Image 2

1 The edge of  tray perfectly fits the edge of the other one.

It is supposed to communicate with team member about the technique or methods used in the processes to fit the edge of 2 trays.




2 The surface of both trays are smooth and shiny.

Sanding and polishing make the surface to become more smooth.





 





Possible problems and solutions:


1 Taking out wood plank

Image 3

As it shown in the image 3, it is supposed to separate wood plank and aluminum at last. The  method
commonly used is using I shape screw key to prize up the tray. However, this approach may cause the abnormal shape of the edge. In addition, because there is almost no space between tray and wood plank, the barometric pressure will stick wood plank and tray together. In conclusion, both conditions make it becomes difficult to take out wood plank.

Thus, it is supposed to drill a little hole in the wood plank to connect inner environment with outside atmosphere and then drill a screw into the wood plank so that I can take the wood plank out by pulling drilled screw to keep the shape of the edge unchanged.


2 Overlapped edge

Image 5

Image 6

The edge of the tray can be overlapped because the aluminum will shrink after being hammered     
especially for the corner part as shown in the image 6. Actually I and my partner have made 2 overlapped tray.

we need to pay attention while hammering, cutting off extra aluminum while hammering and prize up
overlapped part to re-build edge can be solutions.


3 Irregular edge caused by hammering

Image 7

Image 8

When hammering the aluminum to build the shape as shown in image 7, the aluminum will expand and become to an irregular shape (image 8) which is not rectangular as before.

Thus, it is suggested to hammer the right side of the lateral rectangular not the left one to prevent the aluminum from expanding. Besides, we can cut off irregular part.

Image 9

Weakness:

1 The edge is not consistently even or straight

To handle this problem, it is suggested to use great strengths while hammering the tray. Because there needs to be no space between aluminum and wood plank so that the shape of tray can perfectly fit the shape of the wood plank. In addition, after taking out wood plank, it is better to rebuild the shape of tray by using another new smaller cuboid model. Furthermore, utilising a dolly could have enabled me to hammer my edges in a more considered way which would result in a cleaner finish.

Conclusion

In conclusion, by learning different methods how we turn a flat aluminum sheet into different rectangular shapes, I had greater understanding within the realm of landscape architecture in relation to my discipline. I really like the entire processes of making different projects. Provided by the specific guide from tutors, I improve my work by solving several new-coming challenges in my assignment. Besides, as an student who does not study industry design, I briefly get familiar with design industry and know the theory applied in it.