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Three-dimensional Printed Ceramics for Concept Modeling and Bespoke Production

This article discusses research in collaboration with industrial partner Denby Pottery which refined and enhanced the 3D ceramic printing process developed at UWE, enabling the production for the first time of concept models of new design ideas in a real ceramic material. These models, which look and feel like the finished product, were printed directly from CAD data, fired, glazed and decorated. The research provided evidence of the potential of 3D ceramic printing to extend the range of creative opportunities available to artists and designers for the production of one-off and limited edition ceramic pieces.

Three individual design case studies were carried out to produce 3D printed ceramic concept models, using two of Denby’s 3D CAD and computer numerical control models (a sugar bowl and a cup) and a concept provided by Peter Ting, advisor and member of the Board of Trustees to the UK Crafts Council (the Bristol Teacup). These were printed by a ZCorp 3D printer using a low-fire porcelain-type powder developed by CFPR UWE.

The test pieces revealed that specially designed setters were required to support items during firing which could be quickly and easily generated by the 3D CAD software. The Denby cup demonstrated that ceramic 3D printing may be employed to fabricate an item of shape and section thickness the same or similar to a typical mass-produced piece. The sugar bowl and Ting teacup show these processes could be employed to create design features which would be challenging to reproduce by conventional ceramic forming techniques.

This paper was published in Journal of Imaging Science and Technology (July 2013). Pieces created using the processes are displayed at the offices of the AHRC and UK Government Department for Business Innovation and Skills. The Ting cup was exhibited at the Museum of Art and Design, New York, November 2013.