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Harnessing plastic deformation in porous 3D printed ceramic light screens

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Abstract

Traditional fabrication methods of architectural ceramics seek to minimize plastic deformation during wet-processing by prioritizing sectional consistency. Adapting sectional thickness is critical for improving material performance to address localized functional requirements. Functionally Graded Additive Manufacturing (FGAM) enables a design-to-production process where sectional profiles can be designed to achieve targeted performance characteristics. This research utilizes FGAM with Liquid Deposition Modelling (LDM) to prioritize sectional performance over form generation. Functionally graded 3D printed ceramic screens are produced for decorative lighting applications. Custom tool path generation is implemented to create modelling techniques that capitalize on the viscoelastic properties of clay. The prototypes obstruct, reflect, and transmit light across their component sections to grade brightness and illumination. This paper outlines the methods involved in altering plastic deformation during the wet-processing of porous clay structures and the corresponding light-scattering behaviour of their ceramic counterparts. The light screens are organized by the resolution of porosity within each series of prototypes. In the 'Small' typology, deformation is utilized at the scale of a single print layer to form a dense multi-layered sectional condition that disperses light evenly. In the 'Medium' typology, deformation is compounded over multiple layers to form directional light apertures. In the 'Large' typology, extrusion variation is introduced to exaggerate deformation and generate multi-directional light scattering.

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Notes

  1. Ibid.

  2. Ibid.

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Acknowledgements

The work presented in this paper builds on research initiated at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture by Adjunct Professors Isabel Ochoa and James Clarke-Hicks as part of their Master’s thesis, supervised by Associate Professor David Correa. This paper is part of Isabel Ochoa and James Clarke-Hicks’ larger ongoing body of work entitled ‘Grading Light.’ ‘Grading Light’ explores how designing custom digital tool paths, not otherwise possible through slicer software, can capitalize on the way that print layers deform to create porous geometries that alter light-scattering behaviour.

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  1. School of Architecture, University of Waterloo, Cambridge, Canada

    James Clarke-Hicks, Isabel Ochoa & David Correa

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  1. James Clarke-Hicks
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  2. Isabel Ochoa
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  3. David Correa
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Correspondence to James Clarke-Hicks.

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This manuscript is to be considered for the special issue on "Intelligent Construction and Automation: Challenges and Emerging Technologies".

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Clarke-Hicks, J., Ochoa, I. & Correa, D. Harnessing plastic deformation in porous 3D printed ceramic light screens. Archit. Struct. Constr. 3, 193–204 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44150-022-00079-0

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