Monday 9 November 2015

These Past Few Months - Weaving in 3D



My work is going in a really exciting direction at the moment. Through an RSA  - The Great Recovery project, I have been using FabLab London as my base and source of all 3D printing knowledge. Since July I've been developing 3D printed materials that are based on woven structures, with the circular economy model ever present in every stage of the design process.

Using the 3d printing facilities I am developing material samples that aid my research into creating shock absorbing textiles solely from one component. Cutting out any excess waste and additional materials usually required for spacer/ shockproof fabric. Using a 3d printer to create textiles enables me to transform traditional weave structures from the x and y axis into the x,y and z. It frees one from the constraints of a loom and adds a third dimension to the fabric.

Developing textiles for the circular economy is achievable through the use of a 3d printer. A traditional weaving loom creates waste at the start and finish of each warp and a selvedge along the edges of the fabric that is then discarded. A 3d printer has none of this excess waste textile.