INNOVATIVE AND BIONICS DESIGN: THE WOOD BASED AREA AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GENERATION OF NEW MATERIALS

Setting requirements for the making of manufactured products compel companies to a continuous search and application of new materials in order to keep and improve their competitive status, as well as to provide better services for their customers.
On the other hand, Industrial design conventional process has been taught and carried out at a business-productive level, thus restricting the device conception to those material options that are currently in-force in the market. This means that products are traditionally conceived and understood from a design process that does not include the design of those materials that are involved as part of it.
With respect to this theoretical and practical scoped research work, and which has brought together cooperation between University and Companies , material design has been valued as an opportunity both for industrial manufacturers and designers regarding design-based innovation. By doing so, material design has contributed to the knowledge and understanding of bionics when applied into design, along with material design that, in this case, features Radiata Pine as wood based raw material being the core and hub for its development.

Research work has been stated from three points of view:

1. The understanding of bionics methodology as an innovative explanation of those principles found in nature, which are likely to be conveyed to the artificial world.

2. Material design, although featuring objects of reference as old as adobe (sun-dried bricks), it is just in recent times that it has become a useful thematic option for industrial design, while being also feasible for the innovation and diversification of the semi-manufactured product industry.

3. Interest in generating new options for Radiata Pine and material instances that can be provided from (material) design to (manufactured products) design.

Theoretical and project-based work is carried out under Professor Carmelo Di Bartolo’s assistance. He has provided guidance in bionics and material design related methodological issues. On the other hand, material samples, together with the tests to be conducted to state physical-mechanic characteristics have been done under the collaboration of Masisa S.A. at Universidad del Bío-Bío Compound material Center laboratories. This experience has been deepened at the Material Design Workshop, where design process is started with material design and is finished by making use of such material in new object-related proposals. It has been carried out in the framework of the School of Industrial Design Industry Workshop at Universidad del Bío-Bío. By doing so, research works are transferred to educational activities with the purpose of having a new approach regarding the design process conception areas, as well as its scope and applications.