Unfold has started printing with ceramics on a modified rapman. First results look amazing:
We took some time to play around and get used to the dynamics of the clay print process. It was also time to step up (or down?) the resolution from 1.9 to 0.8 mm using screw-on luer lock tips. We are also now using powder clay that can be mixed in exact quantities instead of moisturizing chunks of clay. Also figuring out ways of reliably filling the syringes without trapped air. I’m using a similar 60cc syringe where the front is cut off and use this to suck in the clay from the mixing bowl. Then the clay is transferred to the print syringe, this works really well actually.
After some calibrating I decided to print a test design that would be hard to make using conventional techniques: a double walled vessel with fins connecting in- and outside. I was expecting mostly failure but it finished without to much trouble! Due to the restrictions of Skeinforge expecting 3d models, the walls are double filament (1.5mm total). As you can see on the Pleasant3d view there is an outer and inner shell and instead of a line connecting both there are o-loops. Testing a different design now that enables us to test a single filament double wall vessel. But in the end We will need a way to generate tool paths from single walled surfaces instead of solids.
Last weekend I talked briefly with Adrian Bowyer after his excellent talk at FOSDEM. I was excited to show him our results after he finished his talk with mentioning ceramics as future possibilities (hence the title, wink, wink)
Now lets pray all together that trapped air bubbles won’t make it pop…
Read about the process @ the Unfold Fab blog:
:: Claystruder parts
:: Claystruder first test
:: Design for the extruder
:: Claystruder mounted, ready to test
:: Hello slurry world!
:: Images
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2 Responses to “claystruder :: printing ceramics”
Keith Anderson
6 months ago
Look around for things related to clay slip. Slip is a fine liquid clay used to mold parts or to glue other clay parts together. Usually slip is about the consistency of maple syrup, but you can make it thicker, and is made of water, clay and a deflocculant that keeps the clay particles apart. No clumping means smoother slip.
The usual technique for getting bubbles out of a thick liquid is some form of vibration. Maybe you could rig a table with a small motor and eccentric weight bolted to it.
I don’t know what printer you are using, but it is feasible to change the print syringe? If you fill them ahead of time, keep them tip down without a plunger and vibrate the bubbles out, that would work.
If that is not feasible, try to find a catheter-tipped 60cc syringe - they have about a 0.5cm opening on the end of a 3 or 4 cm nose, so you can reach down into the print syringe and fill from the bottom up.
Talk to a potter or the ceramics teacher at your nearest art school.
mrmeval
6 months ago
Also posted on Make magazine’s site.
A bell jar vacuum may help.
Use a cap for the needle end of the syringe or make one from a used needle. This is so mixture will not leak. The company that makes the needles may actually have a mini-vacuum pump for this rather than an expensive bell jar.
You will have to see how much material to put in as this will cause some movement of material which could come out.
Make several syringes and place on a vacuum safe rack
Evacuate the chamber. For non-volatile material you can go very low. When air is reintroduced slowly voids if any should be filled.
Place the plunger in them and transport as needed. Place a needle on it when needed.