Field Trip: Lawrence Paper Company

INDD 508 Materials & Processes 

Field Trip Notes
Who is/ what is Lawrence Paper Company?

• Lawrence Paper Company is a retail display and packaging company who also provide industrial and retail design services. Their facility has been established in Lawrence, Kansas for 120 years. 

Products & Services: What do they do/ what do they make?

• Lawrence Paper Company makes retail displays for companies like Pet Co., Walmart, and Target. They also mass produce packaging products as well. Within their company, designers have a close relationship with the sales team in order to problem solve and strategize ways to efficiently make packages and displays in a cost effective manner. 

Vocabulary Terms & Definitions (Materials):

• The raw materials that are used to produce the displays and packages are sourced from companies such as George Pacific International Papers, and Green Pacific Packaging. Lawrence Paper Co. also outsources dying of cardboard and printed texts on some occasions.

• Programs such as SolidWorks and KeyShot are used to render cardboard boxes and shippers that are intended for retail stores.

Forming Technologies:

•  One of the primary machines used within the facility is the Flex-O-Folder-Gluer. Its name describes the job it is tasked with. It flexes boxes into certain shapes an forms, folds them, and glues them as the final stage in the machines cycle.

Cutting Technologies:

• A corrugated roll-cutter is used to cut the boxes after being produced. They also have die-cutting and pad printing as well.

Corrugated Roll-Cutter

Joining Technologies:

• Papers are glued using a corn based adhesive which is not only environmentally friendly, but cheaper. In order to help the process of adhesion, the paper is steamed.

Finishing Technologies:

• Shippers and packages that are sent out to retails stores are dyed using a variation of colors. Within the facility, the primary dyes that are used are red, yellow, green, blue and black. During the process of dying packages and shippers, any excess dyes produced during the process is recycled and repurposed as dye. There are only a few initial selection of colors because a white base can be used to achieve a different colors. 

Overall Impressions/ Epiphanes/ Aha Moments?

• I was impressed by how well organized the facility was as well as how vested the company was in being environmentally friendly. The facility seemed very efficient and the workers seemed to value time. In fact, time and space seemed to be highly valued in the company. Time is saved by keeping the facility organized, while space is valued in the ways in which packages and displays could be produced and shipped out. Keeping that in mind, I guess Lawrence Paper Company compared to the other companies we visited seemed more business oriented. When I think of being business oriented, I think of someone, or something attempting to save on every little thing that is possible. 

Raw paper used to produce displays and packages.

Here, you can see steam being used to help the adhesion process.

Tools that are highly organized for ease of use.

Film: Waste = Food

Waste=Food Reflection

One of the most attention grabbing statements made in the film was when the Ford executive said that it essentially took about fifty thousand pounds of material to produce a three thousand pound car. Such a statement shows how inefficient and feudal the manufacturing process is. The single largest goal the human race must achieve today is to transcend itself from the industrial revolution. Based on what I saw in the film, there is a great imbalance between what we are creating, and how those creations are being disposed of. Our technology is far beyond that of what was seen during the industrial revolution. However, the aftermath and subsequent byproducts of such technological feats remain trapped in history. We must advance the imbalanced, and what I would go as far as to saying the neglected realm of manufacturing and technology.

The film touches concepts which can help us achieve this balance. Concepts like Cradle-to-Cradle and Up-Cycling bring forth promising results that will not only move us away from the industrial revolution way of thinking, but help us advanced forward. Currently, one of the largest issues we encounter in the manufacturing and recycling process is the act of Down-Cycling. Down-Cycling is what most people know as conventional recycling. In this process, materials from products are reused, but are reduced in quality, and eventually unusable. An example that is provided is a plastic bottle being recycled to form plastic wood. Such an act actually degrades the quality of the plastic to the point where we are basically only prolonging the time of turning the product into a pollutant which will eventually harm the environment. Up-Cycling proposes that products are recycled in such a way that their quality is either maintained or improved. An example of this process would be to take a water bottle containing antimony and extracting the harmful materials so that the plastic forming the water bottle becomes more purified and deemed higher in quality. This new process of recycling would not only greatly reduce harm caused to the environment by waste materials, but also reduced the amount of materials being processed from raw materials since not as much would be necessary since the products in use would essentially sustain the supply needed to create other products.

The Cradle-to-Cradle concept proposes that we view materials as nutrients so that they can be circulated in the environment to provide nutrients. It also proposes that we make products in such a way that the process of recycling is simplified and that products can be re-purposed without Down-Cycling them. An example of this that the film provides is making a book out of plastic which would make it waterproof. Making the book out of plastic would also give it the capability to be reused as a different plastic product. Inks printed on the book would also have the ability to washed off and made so that they provide nutrition to the environment when hitting the water system. The basic concept of the Cradle-to-Cradle approach is to keep products in what is called the "Technosphere."

I do believe that we are truly a wasteful generation. It is evident based on the film that so much goes into producing one thing, that the reality is the effort and energy, as well as the materials used to produce it aren't really worth the amount of damage we are causing to the environment. At this rate, we will eventually run of materials to use, or cause so much pollution and harm to the environment that the Earth itself will no longer be inhabitable. Also, the human population is exponentially growing. So when we think of these things, the concepts mentioned in the film will actually be necessary to implement in order for us to sustain the Earth as an inhabitable environment.

Materials and Design: Design & Designing

Chapter Three: Design and Designing

Reflection:
This chapter aims to differentiate the two subcategories of technical design and industrial design. It differentiates the two by defining what each field typically does as well as describing the differences between the processes and ways of thinking in both fields. The focus then shifts from describing the two fields to providing aids to the reader who it assumes is a designer. It suggests looking at nature for inspiration, ideation and prototyping to further develop and improve the final model. It also describes how tools such as sketching and CAD can be beneficial to a designer by describing the advantages to each system within the process of development as a designer designing something. We also get a glimpse of case studies from design firms such as IDEO to further understand the processes by which each product is made, and how that process may have actually altered the final form of the product. That seems to be a reoccurring theme of the book; that is that the process and materials that a designer uses can actually be more influential in the final design of a product than whatever preconceived form that may be imbedded within the head of the designer. This chapter, as well as the previous chapters seem to suggest that knowing the process, and the materials you are going to work with will alleviate issues that you are likely to occur as a designer attempting to design something and see it through towards the production line.

Film: CBS 60 Minutes: The Electronic Wasteland

This picture is an example of one of many electronic wastelands located in China.

INDD 508 Materials and Processes

CBS 60 Minutes: The Electronic Wasteland

Three Sustainable Strategies:

• Implementing Intelligent Product Systems which involves grouping products into distinct categories to help move away from the current system of production and consumption which is primarily a result of the Industrial Revolution.
• Up-cycle products that are recycled rather than down-cycle them. Today, products are generally considered to be down-cycled since they tend to lose their material quality during the recycling process.
• Cradle-to-Cradle Protocol which involves making products easy to assemble and disassemble which will not only reduce waste, but help companies save money in production and recycling costs.

Reflection Paragraph

Technology has progress so far, yet the process of organizing waste and the recycling of products has remained so primitive in comparison. This is obviously a major issue, not only to the environment, but to all living things including humans not only in the present, but also in the future. We are once again reminded of how primitive our methods of waste control and recycling are as the reporter calls attention to a Chinese worker using a medieval method of metal extraction on a circuit board. The process is noted as being dangerous, which is evident by the claims the workers make about how their health has been affected by working in the wasteland. I would say one of the more striking pieces of information in the film was when it was stated that it takes approximately fifty thousands pounds of material to construct a three thousand pound car. It is nearly unimaginable how so little could come out of so much. It really shows how the level of efficiency in product production is way behind and how wasteful we are as humans.

Field Trip: Dimensional Innovations

Dimensional Innovations

INDD 508 Materials & Processes 

Field Trip Notes
Who is/ what is Dimensional Innovations?

• They are a design consultation firm comprised of architects, graphics artists, brand strategists , filmmakers,interior, interactive and environmental designers, and digital engineers.

Products & Services: What do they do/ what do they make?

• DI's main focus is branding and design. Within the building, there was also a separate company that focused on making materials that were cheap, strong, and usable. At the time, they were focusing on making products out of their special white plastic/ceramic type material that was easily cleanable and had many applications due to its properties.

Vocabulary Terms & Definitions (Materials):

• Large Scale Interactive Walls
• Augmented Reality Experiences
• Interactive Kiosks
• Tradeshow or Event Installations
• Collegiate Recruiting Experiences
• Social Media Zones

-Most of DI's workspace actually seemed digital. There weren't specific materials that they tended to work with other that what their clients needed.

Forming Technologies:

•  One of the more memorable machines in their workshop was the Bender bending machine. DI also staffs numerous sculptures, welders, woodworkers, and other specialty craftsman for specific jobs making the company very dynamic.

Cutting Technologies:

•  They had cutting machines, and saws for wood, as well as routers for aluminum used for signage.

Joining Technologies:

• Welding machines, glues for wood mock-ups and artworks.

Finishing Technologies:

• Depending on their project, they would use clear coat for signage that required weather resistance. They also had plastic casings for signs as well to both protect them and give them a cleaner look.

Overall Impressions/ Epiphanes/ Aha Moments?

• DI was definitely not the conventional workplace. They were so diverse, it is hard to name the tools they used since each shop or person had their very own tools or methods of working on projects. Overall, the environment seemed both professional and friendly at the same time. It reminds me of IDEO because so many of the people working for DI have a wide range of skills making the company itself very diverse and capable of working different types of projects rather than only being able to work within a certain genre of consultation for their clients.

Film: Design & Thinking

Design/ Thinking Reflection:
The message seems to be that we should think about design as a tool, rather than some type of skill. I think that people sometimes confuse design with creativity, and they do indeed seem to go hand and hand however, creativity simply defines how a person thinks while design should be thought of as tool that anyone can use. So, the notion of Design Thinking is proposed where design is applied to fields outside of conventional applications like in the business world or in general problem solving. It does in fact seem very effective. A message that seems to continuously reoccur in films like this is that the arts are generally neglected in the education system because we fail to see its utility in the real world. Design is often associated with the arts because the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word design is typically something involving aesthetics. But it does seem that design is far more useful that people tend to think. Design, as mentioned before, is a powerful tool, capable of being manipulated in many ways. It is specific to the user, not just someone with amazing creativity. I would say that someone who is creative is simply someone who understands how to use design effectively.

Manufacturing Processes For Design Professionals: Materials (Metals)

Definitions:

-Ferrous: These are metals which contain iron. They may have small amounts of other metals or other elements added, to give the required properties. All ferrous metals are magnetic and give little resistance to corrosion.


-Non-Ferrous: Metals which do not contain any iron. They are not magnetic and are usually more resistant to corrosion than ferrous metals. Examples are aluminium, copper, lead. zinc and tin.

-Alloy: An alloy is material composed of two or more metals or a metal and a non-metal.

-Iron: Iron is one of the most common elements on earth. Nearly every construction of man contains at least a little iron. It is also one of the oldest metals and was first fashioned into useful and ornamental objects at least 3,500 years ago. Pure iron is a soft, grayish-white metal. Although iron is a common element, pure iron is almost never found in nature. The only pure iron known to exist naturally comes from fallen meteorites. Most iron is found in minerals formed by the combination of iron with other elements.

-Steel: Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that is widely used in construction and other applications because of its high tensile strength and low cost. There are different types of steel as well which vary from being either very hard or soft depending on the amount of carbon contained within the steel alloy.

-Aluminum Alloys: Aluminium alloys are alloys in which aluminum is the predominant metal. The typical alloying elements are copper, magnesium, manganese, silocon, tin and zinc. There are two principal classifications; casting and wrought alloys, both of which are further subdivided into the categories heat-treatable and non-heat-treatable. About 85% of aluminium is used for wrought products, for example rolled plate, foils and extrusions. Cast aluminium alloys yield cost-effective products due to the low melting point, although they generally have lower tensile strength than wrought alloys.

-Magnesium Alloys: Magnesium alloys are mixtures of magnesium with other metals, often aluminium, zinc, manganese, silicon, copper, rare earths and zirconium. Magnesium is the lightest structural metal. Magnesium alloys have a hexagonal lattice structure, which affects the fundamental properties of these alloys.

-Titanium Alloys: Titanium alloys are metals that contain a mixture of titanium and other chemical elements. Such alloys have very high tensile strength and toughness (even at extreme temperatures). They are light in weight, have extraordinary corrosion resistance and the ability to withstand extreme temperatures.

-Zinc Alloys: A widely used alloy that contains zinc is brass, in which copper is alloyed with anywhere from 3% to 45% zinc, depending upon the type of brass. Brass is generally more ductile and stronger than copper and has superior corrosion resistance. These properties make it useful in communication equipment, hardware, musical instruments, and water valves. (Think Reuter Organ Company and why they use so much Zinc!)

-Copper Alloys: Copper alloys are metal alloys that have copper as their principal component. They have high resistance against corrosion. The best known traditional types are bronze, where tin is a significant addition, and brass, using zinc instead.

-Nickel Alloys: Nickel alloys are alloys that are high in strength and are tough, high in corrosion resistance, and have exceptional elevated temperature characteristics. Generally, nickel alloys are substituted for steel alloys where steel alloys cannot provide adequate performance.  

-Lead/Tin Alloys: Often very cheap to produce, and easily shaped. Lead and tin both have soft characteristics which allows them to be used in things like soldering, or piping.

-Precious Metals: A precious metal is a rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical element of high economic value. Chemically, the precious metals tend to be less reactive than most elements. They are usually ductile and high in luster. Most people tend to associate them with jewelry, but precious metals are often used in electric components in very miniscule amounts.

Materials and Processes: What Influences Product Design?

Chapter Two: What Influences Product Design?

Reflection:
There are so many considerations that go into the design of a product, it's easy to neglect thinking about them when we interact with everyday products. As an industrial designer, we must think about the environment, the cost of materials being used, and the technologies available to produce things. It is almost like the design and aesthetic aspect of designing a product should come last. When you think about all the things that must go into producing a product, it is easy to see why some are designed the way they are. It is not that the designer is not creative, it is just that they were conforming to the limitations put on them. It really seems like a good designer is one that is able to balance everything, and is actually placed in the middle of the spectrum between an engineer and an artist. I believe that artists aim for aesthetics while engineers aim for more realistic things. A good industrial designer must have the capacity to be creative while conforming to real world problems and limitations like cost and waste reduction.

Materials and Design: Function and Personality

Chapter One: Function and Personality

Reflection Paragraph:
After reading the first chapter, I kept thinking about carbon fiber as a material and how it emits a certain personality on its own, and transforms the characteristics of things made out of carbon fiber. It is an exotic material that is light weight, and reusable. It's also very strong, but many people aren't aware of these facts. The chapter briefly talks about the wants of a consumer, and how the design as well as the functionality of a product relies on this. However, it is the materials the product is made of which enables both designers and engineers to produce such a thing. I guess that's why I kept thinking of carbon fiber. It is one of those materials that enables designers and engineers to accomplish things that other materials simply couldn't do, or do inefficiently. Carbon fiber as a material can also be used as a an example to convey on of the main messages of the first chapter. That is, we must know the process by which something is created to understand the limits and possibilities of creation. The act of knowing starts from the materials. Once you know the materials, we can get an idea of how it can be manipulated to produce something. It's like a cyclical process. We may want to produce something, but we must know about the materials. We must also know about the process to get an idea of what materials to use. Someone must be an expert in carbon fiber to know what can be made out of it, but they must also be aware of the processes they may potentially use which can alter the end product.

Field Trip: Zahner

INDD 508 Materials & Processes 

Field Trip Notes
Who is/ what is Zahner?

• They are an internationally known fabrication company located in Kansas City who specialize in the use of various types of metals that are eventually applied to art and architecture.

Products & Services: What do they do/ what do they make?

• Designers around the world contract Zahner to supply to them highly crafted architectural metalworks. When touring their facility, I noticed that they liked to experiment with creating various metal surfaces using different tools.

Vocabulary Terms & Definitions (Materials):

• Zahner works mostly with steel, copper, zinc, and aluminum. However, they some experimental sample works constructed from more exotic metals such as titanium. On Zahner's website, they list a variety of different types of metals, as well as variations of each type of metal, some of which are patented. 
• Solanum Steel, Baroque Zinc, Roano Zinc, Angel Hair, GB-60, Hunter Zinc, Star Blue Copper, and Dirty penny are some of their listed products and surfaces they offer. 

Forming Technologies:

•  Zahner uses different size breakers to bend and shape metal, and punchers to manipulate surfaces of metal.

Cutting Technologies:

• Zahner relies on CNC machines to cut their metals with precision as well as create complicated patterns in the metal work. 

Joining Technologies:

• Metal sheets are joined in a conventional way such as with glues or hardware if allowed for a project. However, when trying to combine sheets of metal in a way that is unnoticeable, Zahner uses patterned edges to combine pieces together so that joining points are hidden.

Finishing Technologies:

• Zahner had many ways of finishing their metal works. They often coat the metals with weather-proof surfaces. They may also manipulate the surface of the metal itself in order to achieve a certain look. For example, making the surface of aluminum coarse to reduce reflectivity, or polishing them to increase it. They also would finish metal surfaces using chemical reactions such as allowing copper to patina to give it an aged appearance. 

Overall Impressions/ Epiphanes/ Aha Moments?

• I was impressed by how well design and engineering coexisted within Zahner's facility. Some of their metal surfaces were very impressive, and it was interesting to see how often they would experiment with metals. If you go on their website, they have what is called Tessellate which is an animated metal surfaces and it looks like something that you would see in a futuristic movie. Tessellate is an example of how Zahner combines their expertise in design with engineering. 

Pictures Taken at Zahner

Frank Gehry

Guggenheim Museum located in Bilbao, Spain

INDD 508 Materials & Processes 

Spencer Visit: Frank Gehry Film

Frank Gehry is a world renowned architect, sometimes referred to as "starchitect." When watching the film on Frank Gehry, I was fascinated at how ambitious, and confident he seemed. Even as an old man, he seemed very ambitious which I think is rare. It was also interesting to see him construct mock ups of potential buildings for the future. My one criticism of the film, though, is that there seemed to be a disconnect between the famous building Gehry was responsible for, and the buildings themselves. We see him talk about designing the buildings, and make mock ups of them, but I wanted to see a connection between his radical designs, and what engineering would allow. It's hard to imagine that designing buildings with completed shapes would go without road bumps. I wonder if he was criticized with the use of materials, and the ways in which he used them. At some points, although his designs seemed elegant, they seemed wasteful. 

As one of the world's most famous architects, Frank Gehry earns commissions from various parts of the world. Due to his success with the Guggenheim Museum, many locations seek Gehry's expertise in architecture in hopes of bringing economic growth to their cities. The beginning of the film was interesting as well. It sort of foreshadows the seemingly randomness in thought that Gehry seems to portray during the process of building. He doesn't give specific reasons as to why certain shapes exist within a structure. His explanations mostly state that 'it doesn't seem right,' and I think that's part of the cleverness that Gehry possess; he instinctively seems to know what's pleasing to the eye, and what is not.

Matthias Pliessinig

INDD 508 Materials & Processes 

Hallmark Speaker
Who is Matthias Pliessinig?

• Matthias Pliessinig is a famous furniture designer who is from Philadelphia. 

Products & Services: What does he make?

• Matthias is most famous for his furnitures made of steam bent wood.

Market For Whom Does He Make It?

• Most of his clients are architects who want to add exotic furniture to their buildings. Matthias also builds furniture for major universities and other public facilities. For example, he was once asked to build custom benches for Harvard's library. 

Vocabulary Terms & Definitions (Materials):

• The most frequently used words and process mentioned by Matthias would have to be steam bending. The majority of his recent works, if not all, are made of wood which require steam bending in order to form into usable furniture. 

Forming Technologies:

•  For Matthias, steam bending is the most commonly used process to shape wood. Steam bending allows the wood to become pliable by forcing the polymer fibers to become shapable. Steam rollers are also used to heat the resins lying within the wood to force the wood into a pliable state. However, Matthias says that steam rolling is his favorite, and most efficient method of shaping wood. He also mentions kelm drying which is a quick way to dry wood, however, it damages the resins making it harder to manipulate. 

Cutting Technologies:

• A CNC machine and router are commonly used at Star Signs. The router uses CAD base software to route materials. However, the tools located on sight are somewhat limited in their capabilities to manipulate materials. For example, Star Signs cannot transform aluminum that is thicker than half an inch. In such scenarios, Star Signs simply outsources their work to other companies that can complete their work. Such companies may include Gemini, High Tech Laser, and P1.

Joining Technologies:

• Joints are held by glue and rivets, but pinch clamps are initially used to hold various pieces of wood together. 

Finishing Technologies:

• Wood furniture is finished by sanding out imperfections, and applying a clear coat to protect the wood through usage and time. 

Overall Impressions/ Epiphanes/ Aha Moments?

• I thought it was interesting how Matthias had a handful of interns helping him in the process of making pieces of furniture. For as unique as the work is, it's surprising that he allows outside help to finish his projects. I also found it interesting when he mentioned that certain architectural projects that are funded by the public's money are allotted a certain percentage of the budget to fine arts no matter what.