Ti-Join’s first design was made for casting the frame in a 3D-printed sand mold (+/- 1 cubic meter of sand). By re-designing the chair, the 3D print volume was reduced by 95% and the weight by 70%. Now, 22 (3D-printed) joints and 9m of carbon fiber tubes make the frame’s construction lighter and stronger.
Peter Donders had fifteen years of experience and craftsmanship as a furniture designer and maker before he considered using computers to aid in the design and manufacturing process.
Nowadays, the computer serves as another tool to assist in and facilitate the design and development process as well as several stages of manufacturing.
Of course it is an extremely valuable asset if one can fall back on years of hands-on experience using all kinds of different materials and techniques and design styles. As much as computer design might accelerate some of the actual design and manufacturing, creating unique furniture, as Peter aims to do, remains a manual labor of love.