Be part of the change!
What is ⍺.node?
The ⍺.node is an adjustable bracket (or locking hinge). That can be geometrically locked at practically any angle. Shown below is the 5 degrees variant, compared to one second in a clock:
⍺.node has only 3 parts that fully geometrically interlock to form a solid block that is extremely rigid and strong. This simplicity leads to its industrial robustness allowing it to be used in the most demanding applications.
⍺.node can then be used to join struts/rods/panels to form any desired structure in any shape. This way you don’t need a separate bracket/node for each different angle. It can be made to meet any strength requirement.
You save on: Mold making, Manufacturing, Design/Engineering, Logistics, Construction
Advantages
Adjustable: ⍺.node can be locked at fine intervals.
Environmentally friendly & Modular: Instead of manufacturing a new bracket for each application, ⍺.node can simply be reused in numerous applications, preventing the environmental impact of producing structures.
Strong & Light: ⍺.node’s simple, fully geometrically interlocking 3 part structure and optimized shape ensures high strength and robustness in a light package.
Industries
Various industries can benefit from our technology, including:
- Spaceframe/Construction Industry
- T-slot Framing/Insdustrial Structures Industry
- DIY Industry
- Mechanical toys Industry
Spaceframe/Construction
⍺.node can replace custom CNC machined nodes used in free-form Spaceframe buildings Thus you can use one standard mass produced node, reducing both design complexity, construction costs and logistics efforts tremendously.
T-slotted framing / Industrial structures
T-slotted framing systems use rigid angled brackets to achieve 30-45-60 degree joints, existing variable angle systems are either too big, not robust enough, too complex or friction based (low torque capacity). ⍺.node is just 3 parts that interlock to form a solid metal bracket, no weak points no complicated mechanisms.
Toy Industry
It is possible to make mechanical/construction toys where the children can build any organic form they can dream of, not being limited to a few angled brackets.
Variants
It is possible to produce ⍺.node‘s with different step sizes. Displayed above 5 degrees and 0.6 degrees variants.
There is a push-button version in the development process. It can be set & released with the press of a button.
Licensing
Add value to your product range with ⍺.node technology! Licenses for ⍺.node technology are available for all industries. Contact us to discuss the details. Let’s change the way we build things together.
Story
The invention of ⍺.node starts with curiosity. İlker ÖZCAN – the inventor – was always fascinated by modular structures. One day while inspecting a modular construction toy that claimed to allow building anything with a minimal number of type of parts he noticed that there were still too many parts – and that most of them are angled brackets. So he set out to design a bracket that can take any angle.
Months of design studies led to this interesting concept. The first prototype was a 2D proof of concept in cardboard. Laser cut plastic samples and PVC pipe ones followed. What followed was the arduous cycle of CAD modeling, 3D printing and testing iterations. Hundreds of them!!!
One design stood out with its simplicity and robustness. And it became the standard ⍺.node.
Design Software
We are also developing a software that makes designing structures with ⍺.node very easy.
Team
Özgür Keleş – R&D and Business relations, Assistant Professor at San José State University
İlker Özcan – Inventor, Materials Engineer, Software Developer
Onur Cemali – Business relations, Materials Engineer, Building Contractor
Contact Us
info@alphanode.tech