Toward the Digital Fabrication of LEDs Lighting Prototypes

The rapid evolution of LED technology in terms of performances (both quality and quantity of light) at lower costs, followed by the reliability of the technology encounters the digital fabrication, enabling the customization and design of lighting fixtures from digital models. This allows to frame new ideas for hitherto undreamt lighting solutions in terms of appealing aesthetics, infinite configurations and technical reliability. By completely transforming the way the lighting fixtures can be conceived, modelled, built and realised, digital fabrication allows the rapid prototyping (RP) and direct digital manufacturing (DDM) of the optical, electrical, mechanical and thermal interfaces of SSL luminaires. This paper would present the state of the art of design experiences and design explorations realised as demonstrators for educative, experimental and research scopes at the Laboratorio Luce, Design Department of the Politecnico di Milano. The scope is to showcase the limitation and capabilities of the digital fabrication technologies such as additive manufacturing (AM), laser cutting (LC), robotic automations (RA) and 3D printing (3DP) to transform digital drawings of lighting system in functional and feasible LEDs based lighting fixtures.