Pottery Via 3D Printing

We never realized it, but extrusion-based 3D printing is quite similar to traditional methods of making ceramic pots. In the ancient method, a roll of clay is set in a circle, then another is affixed on top, gradually building up the object into a full pot. Sound familiar? 

 

Artist and potter Jonathan Keep realized this and attempted to move his potting activities to a more modern technique: 3D printing. He says: 

 

I have long wanted to get the virtual forms I was creating out of the computer and into the physical world as real ceramic objects to be felt and held in the hand. Touch is such an important sensation. This is an exciting new way to work.

 

Using an inexpensive RapMan 3D printer, modified to extrude clay instead of thermoplastic, he was able to produce some amazing results. 

 

Via Keep Art

3D Printed Ceramic Design

Artist Jonathan Keep provided an update on his experiments using ceramic 3D printing to create very unusual works. Using a modified RapMan personal 3D printer that has its usual plastic extruders replaced with syringes, Keep can successfully 3D print ceramic models. The syringes contain a fixed-capacity cartridge full of ceramic material, meaning Keep's prints have to stay within material volume limits. 

 

Keep has produced some truly beautiful designs by using algorithmic approaches. Software libraries provide mathematical components that Keep combines and tunes into designs suitable for ceramic 3D printing. You can check out all his ceramic works here.

 

Via Keep Art

Shapeways Smooths Out The Ceramics

3D print service Shapeways has re-announced their ceramic service. They've long been known for experimenting with different materials in their 3D printers and now offer what is probably the widest array of materials to choose from when using a 3D print service. 

 

As is their habit, they typically offer a new material experimentally so that they may learn how to do it just right. Earlier this year they brought in ceramics capability and now they have improved the results significantly. Just take a look at their before and after images above (click for higher detail). The left image looks just a tad wobbly, but evidently this has been solved by perfecting their glazing step. 

 

Via Shapeways

The Vitraglyphic Process: Revealed

A wonderful video from Doctoral Student Meghan Trainor and Professor Mark Ganter of the University of Washington shows the entire process of producing 3D printed ceramics. The initial fragile print made from a glass powder formula is placed into a furnace for firing and solidification. 

 

An ongoing issue with the process, which is still under development, is the shrinkage that occurs during firing. The team is experimenting with a variety of mixtures to understand how best to tackle the problem.  

 

Via Technovelgy and YouTube

Ceramic 3D Printer?

Unfold is experimenting with printing ceramics. They've acquired a RapMan 3D printer kit and "Currently we are working on a toolhead that can extrude clay." This is not something the RapMan was originally designed to do, but what are kits for if not to modify? 

 

The test vase, shown above appears impressive, but it may require some finishing: firing, to solidify the object into a true ceramic, polishing to smooth out the irregular surface and glazing in the traditional ceramic fashion. (click for larger image)

 

If this can be made to work, the possibilities of ceramic objects is pretty wide. For example, as you can see in the sample, the bowl's weight was reduced by having hollow walls with appropriate support structures. This is definitely not how ceramics have been traditionally made. Not being potters, we have no idea how you'd even attempt to do that with your hands and a potter's wheel. 

 

One of the barriers to 3D printing is often the cost of the print media. MCOR addresses this by printing with paper, but we think clay could be added as another inexpensive commonly available print material. 

 

Hopefully their experiments with clay extrusion will be made public allowing other RapMans, RepRaps and MakerBots to print ceramics, too. 

 

Via Unfold