An Ancient Craft Unleashed in a Whole New Way

Almost all of the posts of this blog have involved, in some way, ceramics; because, much of what we know about our past is based upon the permanence of ceramics.  And, that is true over the entire globe.

The fact that dating of archaeological finds often relies on the style of the pottery found, tells us that the methods, modes and style of creating ceramic objects has always been in flux since the earliest days of civilization.

Perhaps my mind works in weird ways (some would remove the "perhaps"!); but, I cannot help imagining the horror felt by those that coiled their pottery at the thought of using the new-fangled wheel!  And, the shock of those using a foot powered wheel when someone dared to attach an electric motor.

FROM THE PAST:   DESKTOP FACTORY

The reason for my writing this article is that change is coming to individuals working in ceramics today.  And, that change is 3D printing.  The prospect of the ability to 3D print ceramics has been my focus since at least 2007.  Rather than fear it, I welcomed it.  In fact, the very first blog post I wrote, in May of  2007, was about a 3D printer that was quite different from the RepRap printers that had come before it.   It was called the Desktop Factory, being developed by a small start-up in California.  And, they were aiming at a $5,000 price point.

Desktop Factory (circa 2007)

The materials used in the DeskTop Factory included micro-beads of aluminum and glass. This gave the printed parts a very unique feel.

Printed Desktop Factory Part

Upon finding out about the existence of the Desktop Factory, I immediately contacted the CEO, Cathy Lewis.  This resulted in my being sent some sample parts.  My goal was to explore ways to remove the support material and methods of post-processing the parts and report back my findings.

Smoothed Desktop Factory Part

I had a ball!  It was a lot of fun working with the parts and capturing videos that documented the hurdles encountered and the solutions discovered.  Even though this printer and 3D printing technology was never brought to market, I still have the parts that Cathy Lewis sent my way and cherish them as important relics of my own 3D printing journey.

Desktop Factory was purchased by 3D Systems and Cathy Lewis became their Vice President for International Marketing leading to their bringing out the Cube series of consumer 3D printers.

INTO THE FUTURE:  KWAMBIO CERAMO ZERO MAX

So let's fast forward to 2019.

A new company, Kwambio, has captured my imagination in my quest for an affordable ceramics printer. Interestingly, the 3D printer that sparked this interest is also targeted to be released at the $5,000 price point.  But, this time, the technology behind the printer is quite different.  And, the price point is amazingly low for the technology being used.

Their new consumer desktop ceramics printer is the Ceramo Zero Max.

Ceramo Zero Max

It is based on the industrial ceramics printer that Kwambio developed for the print-on-demand service.  The professional version used two materials and I am assuming this will be true of the Ceramo Zero Max.  (But, until I am able to see it in person in a few weeks or so, I cannot confirm that potential.)

The first material is Ceramic Powder:

Ceramo Zero One Ceramic Powder Sample

The second is remarkably similar to my cherished Desktop Factory parts.  It is a glass infused powder called GS One.

Kwambio GS One Sample

THE KWAMBIO RAMIFICATIONS

We started this article musing about disruptions that have repeatedly impacted the crafting of ceramic works throughout all history, from antiquity forward.  But, all of these once-feared disruptions contributed immensely to those who adopted them.  3D printing of ceramics is no exception.  While a PORTION of the creative work flow IS created by a machine, it is only a SMALL portion, with huge benefits.  The design, the slip, the glazing and even hand-formed modifications are still entirely dependent on the will and the skill of the artisan.

Before closing, let me tell you a story about an event that convinced me that there is a place for a 3D printer in the life of a ceramics artist.  For many years I watched my daughter create beautiful carved ceramic works of art.  It took a long amount of time to go from creative vision to concrete expression of that vision.  Here are some smaller works, each painstakingly built-up, carved and finished by hand:

Amplexus by Cheryl Meeks Manger

Fleurette by Cheryl Meeks Manger

Unfortunately, one of her larger, and perhaps, her most beautiful work, cannot be shown here.  As she was nearing the completion of a very large, incredibly intricate, and delicate piece, the entire object shattered as she accidentally hit her worktable as she turned her chair.  The entire work was lost in one devastating instant.

That was the instant and instance that made me realize that has she been able to 3D print the basic form of that object all would NOT have been lost.  She could bring it back to that same point and move on from there to the finished expression of her creative vision.

Thirteen years later, I am hopeful that my dream of a viable 3D printer for ceramics artists is nearing fulfillment.  In the next few weeks I will be traveling to see the Ceramo Zero Max in person and will report what I find.  And, I will be doing so with twelve years of experience in 3D design and 3D printing.  The Ceramo Zero Max is a ceramics powder based printer.  I now have had five years experience printing with a professional powder based printer.  The big difference is that the parts of the one I have been using (Z450) cannot be glazed and fired, which, to me, is critical for ceramics artisans.

I am extremely optimistic that what I will find on this visit is to be a major milestone in both art and art education.  I cannot wait to meet the Kwambio team to see if the dream has actually become a reality.