Biological inter-dependencies in 3D printing: Larvae scaffold excavation of high filigree clay structures

Abstract

Ceramic 3D printing has emerged in recent years as a new method for working with age-old material, a blend of the digital and analog that breeds a new type of artisan. Working with clay in an FDM extrusion system presents a number of challenges due to the nature of the material, restricting the forms that can be produced to rudimentary levels of ornament and shape. This research tackles the issue of resolution and thickness when creating and designing shell structures from ceramic materials, notably when 3D printing is used for complex geometry. This research aims to navigate these material and technological constraints by designing a novel approach to support scaffolds using a secondary material. This secondary material serves as an organic encasement for the ceramic object, and nature is treated as a co-collaborator in the excavation and controlled curing of a high filigree clay structure. By introducing edible bio matter and/or cellulose solutions, this encourages a new relationship with nature as a tool and co-author, becoming a stakeholder in the final result. This research examines the relationship between human, machine, and nature in the design and manufacturing of products.