Snap-build Cellular Structure

thingiverse

This three-dimensional lattice structure is made from two halves of a single, interlocking snap-together cellular component. With a bunch of these re-usable components you can create large structures using a minimum of plastic. The design was inspired by the recently published work of two researchers Kenneth Cheung and Neil Gershenfeld from MIT. This version is not identical to theirs, because the frame components only stack orthogonally on two planes (not three). However, this simplified design snaps together quickly like lego, yet is strong enough to build large self-supporting structures. I have no doubt that the basic design of individual pieces could be augmented in lots of interesting and unusual ways to create unique wall and terminal pieces - enjoy! Instructions The full_plate is designed to be printed on Replicator 2/2x build platform. You probably need to print at last 4 copies of the full_plate before you have enough parts to make something interesting. I suggest printing with a 150 micron layer height, 30% infill and 2-3 shells to provide enough resolution and strength for the parts to snap firmly together. To recreate the cube I made, you will need to print: 80 x male_pair (or sail) 80 x female_pair (or sail) 32 x male_single 32 x female_single 40 x male_terminal 40 x female_terminal 16 x corner_spacer 64 x edge_spacer