Smart Tooling for Ceramic Extrusion: Developing craft based experiments into industrial applications.

Jorgensen, Tavs

Abstract

This paper will outline research into ceramic profile extrusion. The research was initiated as creative explorations within the author's own craft practice. However, the project has since developed into a UKRI funded project, with global companies, such as Arup, Sibelco and Wienerberger as collaborating research partners.

Innovation with digital fabrication in the field of ceramics has to date been predominantly focused on 3D printing, with both powder and plastic clay printing methods having been established. While these methods have extended ceramic production with new geometric possibilities, 3D printing remains a very slow production method, which limits the process’ commercial potential with the ceramic medium. In contrast ceramic profile extrusion is an extremely efficient production method. This method dates back to the 17th century and remains a highly utilized manufacturing process in the production of bricks, clay pipes and cladding products. However, ceramic extrusion is generally limited to the productions of straight linear sections and remain significantly under-utilised in many aspects of ceramic production. This research project seeks to explore how digital fabrication technologies can be used to establish new approaches with the extrusion technique that extends conventional capabilities to provide new creative and commercial opportunities. The research investigates how customised, curved and bespoke shapes can be generated through the application of robotics and how rapid workflows from computer aided designs to creation of extrusion dies be developed through the use of parametric scripting and digital fabrication approaches, which collectively are termed: Smart Tooling.

The initial experiments that led to the development of the project was initiated as practice based research experiments. These experiments concerned the use of visual scripting and 3D printing to create a series extrusion tools (dies). The extrusion dies were designed to affect the clay extrusions to curve as they emerge from the die. A series jugs (Jugtrusions) were produced using this approach. The material characteristic of clay means that the extruded forms will always have a level of unpredictability, and the shape of each of the jugs will always be unique.

In contrast the next phase on the research aims to establish methods which ensures a high level of control over the extruded forms to make the research relevant to the requirements of the architectural industry. However, a key aim is still that knowledge established through the research will extend the tool making capabilities of craft practitioners as well as industrial companies.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Making Futures 2019
• Start Date: Sep 19, 2019
• End Date: Sep 20, 2019
• Deposit Date: Nov 1, 2019
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/4272463