3D Printing Ceramics

[Hyn Patty]

So I'm not really sure which forum category to post this - and I have been doing some searches to see what has been posted on this topic before.  So far, most 3D printers for ceramics are the extrusion kind that spits out a very thin coil of slip to build up pottery and other forms.  Without resin in it.  It produces greenware that you can clean up and put right into the kiln and isn't even stilted or anything like 3D resin printing, but ... the quality for high detail isn't really there.  They are getting there with VERY TINY nozzles that can print out better and better smooth surfaces but it is an evolving technology.

So I don't do pottery.  I'm a fine art sculptor who does animals.  Wildlife, dogs, horses and the like.  My pieces have to have /extremely/ fine detail and making my molds, which can be quite large and heavy, is a PITA.  Been doing it for years.  But how nice it would be if I can make my pieces using porcelain (or even better, fine English bone china) and print them out instead of casting?  I could also print out the settles at the same time.

But as said, the tech isn't quite there yet.  Form Labs was toying with making a 3D printer that could use porcelain mixed with resin.  To get extremely precise, very fine detail.  The resin then fires out of the porcelain greenware when bisqued.  There is some distortion but at a standard rate you can correct for using pretty basic math skills to account for it in your 3D programming.  Unfortunately, Form Labs didn't carry this over into their latest 3D printer and discontinued the Form2 that handled the porcelain.  So I really need to chat with them about it.  I was so excited and then they dropped the ball!  Their printer was also the most affordable.  There are new ones coming out now that can do the same level of detail but the printers and their porcelain mixes are STUPID expensive.  Something I could buy with a business loan, granted, but risky if I'm trying out new tech that may or may not work for my applications.

SO I want to hear from any of you who have also been researching this field and have experience with 3D printing ceramics.  Especially those using resin binders, not the extrusion kind that is like coil building pots.  There's a big difference in these two methods and one is totally not applicable to my needs.  This is a new field and one I am keenly following.  I need this for my sculpture.  The same thing is happening with bronze sculpture.  A lot of the traditional lost wax foundaries are closing and being replaced with hot printing bronzes with 3D printer tech.  It's fascinating and changing the playing field rapidly in big ways.

[Rae Reich]

Think you may be our pioneer in this very interesting field! Looking forward to anything you share. 

[Min]

+1 to what Rae said. Interesting topic.

[Magnolia Mud Research]

@Hyn Patty  

You might find some insight on how from this article: 

https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/3d-printing-the-perfect-piece-of-chocolate/ 

LT
 

[Hyn Patty]

Thank you all for your input.  I've been reading up on it for years but the technology is going SO SLOW and yet very fast at the same time.  Just not fast enough for me!  I'm really only interested on 3D printing of porcelains at very high detail rather than other materials since I have already done so much research into the field in general.  Now I'm focused down on just that very precise area and chatting with the 3D print manufacturers directly.  It may take me a while yet before I purchase a machine to try.  I already have 3D printers here in my studio I use with resins, waxes, etc.  But getting one that works with porcelain, or making my own slip-resin mixes, and putting it through a machine that can print LARGE enough pieces?  We are talking industrial pricing on cutting edge tech that is still in development.  But it is getting there one baby step at a time.

[Min]

6 hours ago, Magnolia Mud Research said:

@Hyn Patty  

You might find some insight on how from this article: 

https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/3d-printing-the-perfect-piece-of-chocolate/ 

LT
 

Neat stuff Lou, thanks for sharing that, looks like vast areas of application.  Metamaterials  in food, can hear the protestors already, but chocolate that is even more enjoyable? Awesome!

[High Bridge Pottery]

Never tried it but I have seen Porcelite https://tethon3d.com/product/porcelain-ceramic-resin/ being used in this video https://youtu.be/Qu79vUbcXCU?t=501

[PeterH]

I found this page on printing a "difficult" shape interesting, lots of promise ...

Printing Porcelain in 3D https://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com/blog/?p=7341

 

PS For much simpler shapes it is possible to avoid the complexities of porcelain-resin inks by printing plastic block moulds. From which plaster moulds can be cast, and the object finally slip-cast. Obviously all the restrictions of multi-part moulds apply, and possibly the need for multi-mould solutions (cf figurines).

 

[Hyn Patty]

Yep, exactly, Peter!  Though I'm not interested in printing my master molds when I'm already used to making rubber masters from silicone and my plaster production molds from that.  I have all I need here to do that already so it actually saves me a step not to mess with 3D printing a mold master.  Vacuum chambers, pressure pots, etc. 

But being able to print far more highly complex forms directly in porcelain, or better yet fine bone china if I learn to make my own slip-resin material, is really exciting to me!  When we work on sculpture (as you know because I saw your photos of Karen Gerhardt's 'Caprice' you posted) we as sculptors, mold makers, and casters are limited both by our materials and our molds.  Having the ability to 3D print pieces in ANY size, scaling up and down and making adjustments in Zbrush, is amazing to me.  Print out my settles (props) right along with each piece I want to fire.

Anyway, such things aren't available in fine bone china yet.  So still studying and testing.  Even a single bottle of 3D porcelain resin can run $300 USD so ouch - depending on the size and whether or not my existing 3D printer can use it.  I need to get better with Zbrush and working 3D scans first.

[Denice]

My son is deep into 3D printing,  he bought a broken one from the Goodwill and repaired it.  Him and his wife moved to Palau and took it with them,  it was broken in the shipping.  We sent him all of the components he needed to repair it.  They didn't take much with them, he would print out anything they needed.  The apartment building they lived in  was perched on a rock wall,  everyone was robbed one night,  scaling the wall and going through the sliding windows that were open for air.  He design a latch for the windows so they could be only opened so far,  he gave everyone in the building latches he had printed.  The most creative project was copying a small wasp nest,  he entered it in a contest but was denied entrance.   Told him it was to industrial they were looking for more primitive work.  I have seen pottery type shapes printed,  some of them are nicely designed but they have no soul.    Denice

[Magnolia Mud Research]

23 minutes ago, Denice said:

Told him it was to industrial they were looking for more primitive work.  I have seen pottery type shapes printed,  some of them are nicely designed but they have no soul. 

The solution is to add the "random errors" into the design sent to the program  controlling of the printer. just requires some extra coding.  The code gets very messy.

LT