A systematic framework for the design & manufacturing of voxel-based multi-material thick folding origami

Purpose Origami has expanded beyond its paper-craft origins to solve problems related to volumetric constraints and deployment within fields such as aerospace engineering, civil engineering, and biomedical engineering. While paper folding enables the design of complex mechanical systems that can inspire engineering designs, realizing these systems in thick, engineered materials requires additional design and manufacturing considerations when contrasted against traditional, thin origami. Methods to accommodate for thickness in origami-based systems require numerous processes and assembly steps. However, the material and functional complexity of voxel-based additive manufacturing can address the drawbacks inherent to traditional thick-folding origami. Design at the voxel level can allow for precise and continuous functionally graded material properties that enable novel behavior and improve the overall performance of thick-folding origami designs. This study aims to construct a framework organized into three main considerations for the design and manufacturing of voxel-based multi-material thick-folding origami: (1) geometry, (2) printing, and (3) material. The effectiveness of this framework is demonstrated through two case studies. Design/methodology/approach This paper develops a framework composed of three major categories: geometric, material and printing considerations. These considerations makes the formation of thick-folding origami using voxel-based multi-material additive manufacturing possible. The geometric considerations are based on fundamental origami design theory. Findings This framework is demonstrated through two case studies that show the application of voxel-based multi-material additive manufacturing to thick-folding origami techniques. The case studies have a range-of-motion greater than or equal to traditionally manufactured thick-folding origami-based mechanisms using the same thickness accommodation method while successfully using the same functionally graded materials. Originality Multi-material additive manufacturing and voxel-based design are applied to thick-folding origami-based mechanisms. This paper presents a robust marrying of fundamental origami design theory with state-of-the-art voxel-based design approaches to create functionally graded material interfaces that are infrequently seen in existing studies.