Exploring craft-digital manufacturing processes: A cost-effective methodology for low-series production of custom double-curved geometries with a novel Cement-Textile-Composite material

The construction sector is experiencing a profound transformation, marked by the need for tailored and unique spaces and bespoke architecture or industrial design goods. The shift away from conventional mass production and standardized spaces emphasizes the rise of a user-centric design paradigm, extending from interior layouts to building exteriors. On the other hand, the increasing use of customized components necessitates a new production approach that integrates automation with unique, one-off solutions. Combining digital tech- nologies with expert craftsmanship is key to efficiently optimizing and customizing components. While there’s been research on how Industry 4.0 benefits traditional manufacturing, its impact on smaller craft businesses remains uncertain. While automation and digitalization may seem to devalue specialized crafts, they can also inspire new forms of craftsmanship. Within the established framework, this contribution focuses on a novel patented methodology aimed at facilitating the cost-effective production of double-curvature surfaces, identified as Cement- Textile-Composite (CTC). It combines a 3D-knitted textile with a customized cement matrix, to generate rigid elements able to statically preserve complex spatial arrangements, in particular minimal surfaces. Acknowledging the value of a mixed craft-digital approach, CTC technology offers a cost-effective and low-volume alternative to traditional methods for creating complex surfaces, providing a tool to enhance the competitiveness of artisanal companies and promote the spread of their craft expertise. CTC technology seeks to establish a comprehensive manufac- turing process, combining the development of the material with the creation of essential digital tools for design and manufacturing, thus enhancing the intricate domain of fabric-based design. On this regard, the text will present the design and manufacturing steps of creating double curved surfaces through the CTC material, describing the challenges faced during the prototyp- ing phase that led to the development of digital support workflows. The first furniture-scale prototype production phase serves as an exploratory process, elucidating methodological possibilities, limitations, and objectives for future industrialization efforts. Ultimately, a valid- ation process for the generated geometry is defined via the distance-based comparison of the predictive virtual shapes and the 3D scan of corresponding physical prototypes