Volumes of production

Best suited to batch production.

Unit price vs. capital investment

No tooling, but some designs require prototyping.

Speed

Blow forming (of which inflating metal is just one example) is instantaneous. The process is semiautomated and runs at different times according to size. For example, an inflated 4-inch metal square can be produced at the rate of 30 squares per hour.

Surface

Full range of high-quality factory-applied finishes, including mirror finishes, colors, etchings, textures, and embossed finishes.

Types/complexity of shape

Any shape that can be produced from flat two-dimensional templates, including organic forms, figurative lettering, soft, cushion-like creased forms, and smooth, uncreased forms.

Scale

From 2 inches up to the maximum single sheet size, typically 10 by 6½ feet.

Tolerances

1/5 inch per 40 inches in overall dimensions.

Relevant materials

Most metals including stainless steel, mild steel, aluminum, brass, and copper.

Typical products

Architectural cladding and screens, large-scale public art, outdoor design, including water features, and contemporary interior products.

Similar methods

Glass blowing by hand (p.116) and superforming aluminum (p.70).

Sustainability Issues

Although very hard and rigid, only very thin sheets of steel are used to make these steel structures, which reduces material consumption without compromising strength. However, the extreme temperatures required for the metal welding, along with the high pressures required to pump in the air, consume a fair amount of energy.

Further information

www.fullblownmetals.com

Pulp Paper

Product	Parupu
Designer	Claesson Koivisto Rune
Materials	paper pulp
Manufacturer	Sodra Pulp Labs
Country	Sweden
Date	2009

The Parupu chair combines strong geometry with advanced use of an archaic material. The mold of the chair is dipped into a paper-based slurry, heated in an oven, and then pressed to activate the DuraPulp.

Paper can be a wonderfully low-tech material and it’s so common, everyday, and often banally dull, that we often forget its contribution to life simply because of its sheer number of manifestations.

Evolved from Swedish company Sodra who produce wood-based materials, Pulp Labs are creating a whole range of pulp-based materials and experimenting with manufacturing processes to create some exciting new outcomes. This is a high-tech approach to a low-tech material for creating semidurable papier mâché products. The process is based on various methods; in one the press forms layers of paper together that have been impregnated with polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable material made from corn starch or sugar cane. Heat and pressure combine to melt the PLA and bind all the layers of paper together to produce remarkably strong parts. Depending on the geometry of the part, compressed pulp just 1/12 inch thick is able to support the weight of a person. Due to the fibres being encapsulated by the PLA the material is also unaffected by humidity and heat, and its durability is almost comparable to that of steel, wood, or plastic.

–  An alternative to plywood.

–  Economical material usage.

–  Process is not yet fully commercialized.