‘zipshape’ chair
on display at the upcoming cologne fair will be ‘zipshape’, a series of cantilevered rocking chairs developed by students from the hamburg school for timber technology, together with swiss company schindlersalmerón. the ‘zipshape’ research project involved creating a universal fabrication method where it was possible to join single curved panels from any plain material without moulds. using rocking chairs as an example they created two individually slotted panels that interlock when bent to the predefined curvature. the chairs are made with walnut and cherry wood.
detail of zipshape assembly
‘zipshape’ curved panels
the panel slots cut at a specific angle
connecting the two panels
interlocking and bending the panels
‘zipshape’ series of chairs assembled all images © schindlersalmerón
IMM COLOGNE 2009 (28)
Jan 31, 2009
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Jan 27, 2009SCHINDLERSALMERóN (3)
Jul 08, 2009
Jul 03, 2009PRODUCT LIBRARY
Jan 25, 2021
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Jan 18, 2021
‘shopped.
i’ve seen some shop’s in my day ans these pixels are to die for!
Most veneer in engineered lumber isn’t sawn, but cut, producing ZERO waste. Justifying this waste because another technique is wasteful doesn’t make sense. There are less wasteful techniques: such as using cut veneer as opposed to sawn veneer.
Joe and Karl make a good point about function (waste and efficiency are important considerations);
Cabinetmaker makes a good point about form (new methods must be considered – this is a great example!!!).
Dear Joe, Dear Karl,
have you ever thought about a different manufacturing method? If you create a chair like this out of plywood, there might be a lot more waste than 50%. If you want to build a chair like this out of sawn veneer, you have a 3mm sawblade to cut a 3mm layer. The layer has to be sanded down to a 2mm layer to get it flexible for bending. How about the waste??? And I promise, you would never reach such a narrow radius.
At least you can manufacture this chair out of precious veneer. You just need round about 43 layers (0,7mm) including 42 coats of glue to get a construction in 30mm. Have fun to produce a layer-bent-construction.
And I din´t talk about the statics.
Sorry, but don´t depreciate this system with a cheap argument like the 50% loss of wood!
Open your mind.
some notes on earlier comments:
— this method is developed to save the mould in individual production and small series
— the image titled “interlocking and bending the panels” indicates that there is no solid walnut inside the panels
— details on http://www.schindlersalmeron.com/images/stories/publications/2008_Schindler_ZipShape.pdf
I came in here to say what Joe said — I love the end-on effect, but the way it’s done is just crazy. There’s ways to achieve the same thing using existing woodworking techniques and products that don’t involve turning large pieces of solid walnut into powder and scraps.
Yes, but you could also say it is the inefficient way of doing what laminated pieces have accomplished more successfully for decades. Seriously, you loose 50% of the wood to have a weaker piece. This holds together because of the insane amounts of glue, as it is trying to glue endgrain to endgrain, which everybody knows is just not wise.
this is the coolest thing ive seen done using simple woodworking techniques.