Under the new MATES label, Sebastian Voigt from Design+Robotics shows new approaches to how we can achieve a new, future-proof manufacturing process by combining subtractive, additive and formative manufacturing techniques in the triad of man, machine and material.
The idea of manufacturing in which craftsmanship in harmony with high technology such as AI and robotics and the use of regional resources enables new circular manufacturing starting from a quantity of 1.
Additive manufacturing in the form of 3D printing has now been democratized and, transferred to a robotic arm, has reached completely new dimensions and also decoupled itself from the simple stacking of two-dimensional layers. In combination with subtractive processes in so-called “hybrid manufacturing”, the advantages of both processes are already being combined and the disadvantages partially eliminated. Closing the circle and additionally using formative processes such as incremental sheet forming leads to completely new manufacturing possibilities that can also exist beyond the mass industry in regional crafts. These open up new design potential with far fewer limitations and offer the opportunity for circular and sustainable production. The use of plastic recyclates in particular could become the most important driving force here.
MATES will be showing various approaches to this new production method in form of demonstrators and is planning to produce and present a chair prototype from the “TRIAS” series, which will be manufactured using a combination of all 3 production methods by an industrial robot.
