Conical Task Lamp Made From Recycled Paper Pulp

Conical Task Lamp Made From Recycled Paper Pulp by

Lightweight, cost effective and sourced primarily of post-consumer materials, the “Pulp” Task Lamp by Tom Mollnow was designed with a focus on a minimal carbon impact. Constructed of a single molded paper pulp part, similar to egg cartons, the lamp shade also serves as the fixture’s base. Manufacturing is simple and requires no undercuts that would need expensive slide features. It is matched mold with generous draft, which can be used to mold the entire piece of locally sourced post consumer (non-bleached) cardboard or newspaper.

The yield rate on the process is very high, particularly as defective parts can easily re-enter the front of the cycle. Unlike thin-wall egg cartons, the Pulp’s shade utilizes a thicker wall cross-section, resulting in a more sturdy part without the need for any substantial ribbing features. Due to the molding process' lack of extreme precision, each part of the tool may be slightly different, which also gives it an organically variable feel. The molding slurry can be easily modified to produce a family of unique and varied color options.

The electrical system is composed of a standard Edison base lamp socket, controlled by a capacitive rheostat switch. This configuration takes advantage of the dimming capability of many retrofit LED driven lamps, such as the Philips AmbientLED A19’s, and allows the user greater control of the light. The cast (or machined, based on volume) aluminum dial can be set to a specific intensity, and then a simple touch turns the lamp on and off. This part must be made of a conductive material to utilize the capacitive functionality, but lower cost versions could be produced that use standard, non capacitive rotary switches. This method could be used to complete a tiered product offering family.

At the end of Pulp’s life cycle, the paper lamp shade, aluminum control dial and copper wiring can be easily recycled using traditional channels.