A 3D Chair That Prints Folded and Without Assembly
Dassault Systèmes and the French designer Patrick Jouin have just presented something that could perfectly come from a SolidWorks or Catia render: the Ta.Tamu chair. The curious thing is that we're not just talking about a pretty design. Here, concepts like digital twins, topological optimization, and real-time simulations come into play. All of this, of course, within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, known in the industrial design and CAD sector for its power in advanced engineering.
A Structure Inspired by Nature (But Without Unnecessary Flourishes)
The chair weighs only 3.9 kilos, but it can withstand up to 100 kilos of load. The trick? A lattice structure based on biomimicry principles, inspired by how bone density and human joints distribute loads. This not only reduces material, but also allows the chair to be 3D printed in a folded position, ready to deploy... and without the need for subsequent assembly. Imagine dropping it into your Blender or 3ds Max scene as an asset and done, not a single assembly click.
Generative Design with Ecological Awareness
The process wasn't about improvising a mesh and sending it to print. It has been four years of work where each iteration of the virtual model went through life cycle analysis, load simulations, and optimization of pressure zones. Thanks to this, the final design has 75% less material compared to a full-density model, but it is still structurally safe.
From the Solid Collection to Support-Free Printing
For those who follow Patrick Jouin's work, this is not a total surprise. Already in 2004, he began experimenting with 3D printing in furniture with his Solid collection. This new collaboration with Dassault Systèmes, which began in 2019, now focuses on generative design and deployable structures. What was once render theory is now a physical reality... although with just the right size to still fit in your viewport without slowing down your scene.
And the Best Part of All...
They say the design is inspired by nature's efficiency. What they don't say is that if nature had to wait four years to produce a chair, we'd probably still be sitting on the ground 🪑.