SLS

Introducing Coup de Foudre

French for “stroke of lightning”, or “love at first sight”

We’ve designed and additively manufactured a suspended modular lighting system from scratch that straddles the line between function versus sculpture, frugality versus grandeur, and nature versus technology.

The catalyst for the lighting system emerged from an entirely pragmatic opportunity — to utilize the dead space between parts built within industrial selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printer machines. Filling these gaps with smaller maneuverable parts minimizes unnecessary material loss and increases machine production yield.

Lighting was an industry identified as a platform where the unique capabilities of additive manufacturing could be applied in novel ways, in particular with the interplay of lighting effects with otherwise unachievable geometries.

This modular design allows the structure to be scaled up or down to fit nearly any ceiling space or room appropriately. This is made possible with the optimization of material properties in Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM), where the design takes into account the yield strengths of the junctions. The internal cabling stemming from the ceiling, through the central hub and to the various branches, allows for full wiring concealment and minimal distraction.

The finished product is unapologetically bold in scale and presence. Adaptable dimming blurs the line between a functional illumination product and a sculptural artifact during daylight hours. The fractal “stroke of lightning” inspiration has led the product to organically become equal parts aesthetic and efficient; guaranteed to be “love at first sight”.

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