RoboFold
Brixton, London robotic-folding studio founded by Gregory Epps; runs two ABB IRB6400 robots that fold sheet metal into curved forms without molds.
RoboFold is a design and fabrication studio based in Brixton, South London, founded by Gregory Epps, a graduate of the Innovation Design Engineering joint master's program at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London.
RoboFold folds sheet metal and composite materials into curved, three-dimensional forms using two six-axis ABB IRB6400 robots fitted with vacuum-cup end effectors; the robots move in coordination along paths generated from CAD files, folding pre-scored sheets from roughly 60 square centimeters to 1.5 square meters within about two minutes per piece. Because the CAD file defines the fold geometry, the process replaces fixed molds or dies and can be re-run without new tooling, suiting bespoke and prototype architectural and product components. The studio's software runs through a Grasshopper plug-in for Rhinoceros 3D, letting designers simulate and export folding sequences from their own CAD environment; folding-simulation and robot-motion tools built in-house were later commercialized through the affiliated venture Robots.IO.
RoboFold's client list includes Zaha Hadid Architects, whose Arum sculpture for the 2012 Venice Biennale was produced using the studio's process, along with Foster + Partners, BMW, and designer Joris Laarman; its work has also been shown or commissioned in Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, and the United States.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
RoboFold Robotic Sheet Metal Forming Service
Bespoke robotic curved-folding service using ABB six-axis robots to produce complex sheet metal forms directly from Rhino/Grasshopper CAD files without molds.
Contact RoboFold
WEBSITE
https://robofold.comHEADQUARTERS
United Kingdom
Company Facts
Founded
2007
Primary Role
System Integrator
Company Size
-
Primary Region
Europe
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
-
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