Digital Materials

Exploration

This study explores the potential of ‘digital’ materials enabled through voxel-based 3D printing. Unlike conventional techniques, this approach allows for precise control over material properties at the voxel level, which can reduce the number of production steps. Using the Stratasys J735, this technique was applied in a case study designing a child-proof bottle cap, combining regions of flexible (white) and stiff (blue) material to create a bi-stable mechanism that locks and opens with a single, simple movement. The 3D model was developed in Rhino and Grasshopper, enabling procedural control over each voxel to define material behaviour and functionality.