"Where is it again...?" should now be a thing of the past with the desk organizer designed by students at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Academy of Interior and Object Design. It combines attractive design with economical production using modern CNC aggregate technology. Among other things, the SECO cutting unit from BENZ Tooling was used to cut the organizer's felt inserts on the CNC machine.
Anyone who sits across from Sebastian Franz Seraph Strauch, Dominik Braun, Philip Meuser, Marcus Wiesner, Magnus Kragl and Markus Kollmannsberger for a while will quickly realize each individual's passion. While the former are particularly enthusiastic about the optimal and appealing design of objects, Markus Kollmannsberger's focus is clearly on the implementation of such projects – and preferably as economically as possible.
As a specialist teacher for manufacturing technologies and materials science at the Schools for Wood and Design (SHG) in Garmisch Partenkirchen, he is the specialist for machining a wide variety of materials, from classic wood to composites and metal, and thus the man who unites the seemingly contradictory fields of design and economical manufacturing.
It was clear that the students at the Academy of Interior and Object Design used this expertise for one of their ambitious projects: a machine-made desk organizer with design appeal.
The idea was to develop a desk organizer that provides more tidiness at the workplace and also creates an aesthetic added value. In addition, the organizer should be manufactured rationally using the most modern production methods possible, such as CNC technology. For this organizer were used only high quality materials. The base body is made of solid walnut. As a socle serves a part made of cast concrete. Under this, a gray foam rubber was attached so that the organizer does not cause any damage to the setdown surface. The back groove serves as a holder for smartphones, tablets, etc. The two front pockets, with an insert of 3 mm thick felt, invite pens and small utensils to stay.
“However, I remembered a demonstration at our machine supplier HOMAG Bayern, and it clicked”, says Markus Kollmannsberger. “There, a rather untypical aggregate was shown for joiner's workshops so far: the cutting aggregate SECO of the tool system manufacturer BENZ.”
With this automatically exchangeable unit, a wide variety of materials such as foam, veneer, cardboard, carpet, PVC and even felt can be processed directly on the CNC machine.
It was precisely here, with the felt inlay, that the challenge of the project began. Due to its nature, fabric cannot be processed like other materials, including wood or plastic, e.g. by laser cutting. Special tools or machines are often necessary. This is equipment that the "standard carpenter" does not simply have in his workshop.
The unit transfers the rotary motion of the motor spindle into an up and down movement of the cutting blade. The advantage for the user: Due to the oscillating cutting movements of the cutting knife, the material is processed extremely precisely and - in contrast to machining - dust-free. Depending on the blade length, a wide range of cutting depths is possible. The optionally attached hold-down device further improves the result, especially with slightly oscillating materials. The workpiece is held in place during machining by the machine tool's vacuum table. This is the optimum tool for producing the felt inserts of the table organizer.
"My students and I were particularly impressed by the ease of machining combined with the excellent cutting quality. The shape to be cut out is simply read into the machine via dxf drawing, which means that minimal material loss can be realized. The felt insert also always fits perfectly into its negative, the milled-out pocket, as both are produced on the same CNC machine.”
Markus Kollmannsberger, SHG Garmisch Partenkirchen
Buyers of stationery and office furniture were also impressed by the project work of the students of the specialist academy for interior design and object design, which were presented at the "imm cologne" furniture fair. The chances are good that the desk organizer will soon be listed as a sales item with renowned companies. For Markus Kollmannsberger and his SHG students, this is a great conclusion to an ambitious project that, in addition to aesthetic design, lives in particular from innovative aggregate technology.
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