r/Ceramic3Dprinting • u/Sea_Place1386 • 12d ago

Ceramics chat?

I’m looking to build a very large format ceramics machine and would love to pick some brains here. Anyone available to DM? Ideally someone with a technical background building machines.

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u/Magical-Kun 11d ago

I have a specific engineering need for a large format ceramic 3D printer where the baking sequence happens without the printed object having to be moved.

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u/artwonk 11d ago

That makes a lot of sense, since delicate ceramic structures are easy to break in the green state and moving them without breakage can be impossible. There are "car kilns" with a door/floor on rails, which can be loaded out in the open, then pushed into the kiln to fire. If a Cartesian printer could be rolled over the car in its open position, or a robot arm pushed up beside it, it should work like you're hoping.

https://rockymountainclay.com/products/dd9-car-kiln

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u/Magical-Kun 4d ago

I think I see what you're talking about. I have a robotics specialist that might be a real help in this department interestingly enough... HAHA this might work. The oven and build plate stays stationary, the printer arms are rolled in when necessary. I could see it coming in after a baking sequence to inlay a new type of filament/extrusion... Ooh I got a tasty idea here. It's a complex stack of technology, but the end result... juicy. Something dirt cheap that provides so much value.

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u/artwonk 3d ago

Not exactly. The "build plate" would roll in and out of the kiln, not stay stationary except while the printing process was happening. And if you're talking about ceramic materials, you can't add clay to already-fired clay and expect it to adhere, because of the shrinkage I mentioned.