final inflation!
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I'm glad that the first inflatable turned out well (surprisingly successful!). The TPU fabric that I used was thicker, which made it easier to work on ironing.
To further customize the inflatable, iron wire was added to the edge of the fabric. This allowed for shape changes and provided even more flexibility in the design of the inflatable. With the addition of the iron wire, the inflatable could be adjusted to create a variety of shapes and sizes, making it more versatile for different use cases.
failed print
Hot press
failed outcome
The second prototype experienced some failures. When cutting the first baking paper, I left a very narrow space in order to create a larger inflation area. Instead of ironing the fabric by hand like in the first prototype, I used a hot press to heat it. Although I used the same blue TPU fabric, the final outcome leaked air and the two pieces of fabric did not stick together except at the edges. This may have been due to either ①the gap being too narrow or ②not heating the fabric enough.
Second Cut
Final Outcome
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Therefore, I changed the TPU fabric to a transparent one (because Mia had success using this material with a hot press). I heated it to 160°C for 10 seconds, but it still leaked air. I tried again by pressing it at 180°C for 10 seconds, but the result was still unsatisfactory. So, I patched it by hand-ironing, and it finally worked.
I guess I did not find the right hot press setting for this material, I will keep on experimenting!