2.31 Recycled Carbon Chair

Marleen Kaptein has engaged in perhaps an unlikely partnership for a furniture designer—working together with the Netherlands aerospace centre (NLR). The organization gave her access to a fibre placement robot capable of printing thin, but strong, carbon tape in all directions. These strips fuse as they cool, forming a strong yet lightweight surface.

The machine is normally used for manufacturing structural components for the aerospace industry. Kaptein employed this innovative fabrication technique on a more intimate scale to create furniture. The machine prints the thin seat and backrest of the chair. The frame is made from recycled carbon fibre from cutting waste of the car and aerospace industry.