ABSTRACT
Other products in the “2D: 3D” design typology include office equipment, such as the in/out box, letter sorter (2:1:1,2,3), CD holder, magazine rack, and coat rack. Each of these designs fold from a nearly solid, rectangular sheet of powder-coated steel. The form of each of the pieces is constrained by the ability of the steel to fold along a series of dash cuts. Proportionately, the ratio of slot to tab across a dashed edge in steel is directly tied to the ease with which it might fold, and the relative strength the steel maintains once it has yielded. For each of these patterns the cuts are approximately 1⁄16" inch wide, and are placed once every inch (2:1:4). Compared to other iterations of folded components this is a very small ratio of tab material to slot. The material is strengthened by two characteristics; the powder coating provides a thickening of the overall cross-section of the tab and each form is constructed from a series of small tabs that create a depth or third dimension to each object, as in a pop-up book. Each product design can be assembled relatively easily, as each fold is orthogonal; however, the folds for the chair design are each unique.
