Mill to fit - RobArch

Digital handcraft sets new standards for traditional building techniques. Linking the topics as geometry, the work piece, tooling and joining totally new meanings are turned out. Especially stonecutting has a long tradition in using machines and industrial robots in praxis. The “Roboterdesignlabor” established at TU Graz offers a process chain from cad data, cam data for 3- and 5 axis tooling translated to the machine controller language for milling processes with an ABB IRB 6660. The hardware allows milling of hard materials like stone or concrete. During the workshop the focus is directed towards pushing through digital information, illustrating interfaces and the realization of work pieces. The force flow becomes a synonym for the digital workflow. The joining of the work pieces stands for the digital interfaces. The assembly of the different work pieces causes a new form of balance. An arch made of Foamglas as a placeholder for brick, composed of several work pieces acts as a case study. Thereby the focus is put on the gap between the artificial bricks. Mechanical principles and restrictions of tooling influence the modification of the gap. It is an aim to visualize the flow of forces and make the gap as transparent as possible.