Alexandra Contreras
Innovation in Four Dimensions: Zahner Research Team Presents at AECtech
At the recent AECtech Conference, part of a unique, week-long conference that brings together designers, engineers, technologists, and builders from around the world to advance innovation across the built environment, Zahner Lead Research and Development Engineer, Burcin Nalinci, presented “Innovation in Four Dimensions: From Tacit Craft to Computational Knowledge.”
Expanding Intelligent, On-Site Fabrication: Can Manufacturing and Logistics Be Simplified With More Transformable Geometries?
Our expertise in custom perforated metal panels was tested since all panels were manufactured in our Kansas City and Dallas facilities, using a mass customization process developed in coordination with the architect. In the ever-evolving landscape of architectural fabrication, the journey from digital design to physical manifestation is often laden with complexity and significant expense....
Labs Report 003: Human-Robot Workflows for Positioning in Shop & Field
To address the challenge of assembling unique parts with compound angles in the shop, we have deployed robots to support the welding process through our Robot-Assisted Welding initiative. Robots are able to work directly with 3D positional data, which means we don’t need to use jigs or other supplemental instructions. This leads to improved production...
MaterialComposer
This versatility makes metal cladding a great solution for a multitude of projects, but it also makes for an overwhelming task for designers to search, source, and specify. Since architectural metal is just one of the materials used on a project, the design space explodes to millions of options and combinations with the addition of...
Robot-Applied Precision Patina
Patinas are in a sense “living finishes” that respond to local environmental conditions and exposure, adding temporal richness to a building’s exterior. Zahner Surfaces include a wide array of custom patinated sheets (including Copper, Zinc, Steel, and Aluminum) used to fabricate many of our projects and are also provided as flat sheets for fabrication by others. Each...
