Week 6: Clay 3D Printing

This week we printed clay extrusion coil pots using the PotterBot with code generated using Mert's Grasshopper examples. We each printed multiple vessels using boolean surface textures, graph curves, and differential growth parameters.

• Rhino / Grasshopper
• PotterBot
• Clay
• 3mm and 5mm Nozzles

Our first test print, designed by Nefeli and Iason, used the differential growth Grasshopper patch. We used a 3mm nozzle for fine detail. There was one small area where the coil misaligned, but otherwise it was a successful first print.

We worked with the provided grasshopper templates. We chose to experiment with the Surface Texture patch and the Differential Growth patch and managed to print two models of each example with different nozzles, layer heights, and scales for each object. In the example with the surface texture, the first implementation was smaller in scale and we used the 3mm nozzle (aiming for higher level of detail), a thin layer height (1mm), and the normal extrusion of the texture was 4mm outside of the original shape. In the second implementation of the surface texture design, the nozzle was 5 mm, so we needed to adjust the layer height, the normal extrusion, and the curvature of the design. The result of the surface texture design was quite interesting in both the exterior and the interior surfaces of the print.

For the differential growth example, we made multiple versions since our first print, trying to avoid any gaps, and by changing several parameters we got a “cleaner” shape more suitable to be printed with the 5mm nozzle. The print was successful and there was detail was better than expected.

I generated numerous parametric designs with the Grasshopper examples, and was able to make two prints in our allotted time.

My first print used the Surface Texture patch. I added additional boolean statements (false-true-false-false-true-false-false-false) to the example code to effect the patterning. With the radius set to 4cm this boolean pattern results in a nice spiral pattern. This regularity went away if I lowered the radius value, so I wanted to try to print the 4cm radius, even though it was wide. This print worked really well on the front half, but the layers on the back failed early, and we allowed the print to run its course to see if this failure added any dynamic behavior. I would like to print this form again to see if I could get a more successful result. This print used a 3mm nozzle.

We stayed in the lab for a second printing session, which was much more successful. My second print used a 5mm nozzle, after being inspired by the stability of Lara and Tina's prints. I added a slight parabolic curve to this second vessel with the graph function, and I lowered the "Normal Scale" value. This second print was much more stable, and I think the 5mm nozzle helped to produce thicker walls.

I really enjoyed the new materiality of clay this week, and would like to continue experimenting with the PotterBot. I would particularly like to try the Obsidian clay and different glazes in combination with the parametric prints.

I included a few screenshots of differential growth patterns that I wasn't able to print. I gravitated to differential growth patterns that were pretty subtle in form, but complex in surface texture. I think these would be printed with a 3mm nozzle to accentuate the fine surface detail. I included one final design that was glitched to the limit, and would definitely fail as a print, but I would still be curious to see the result.