This PhD research project explores the use of 3D printing for bespoke ceramic building components, enhancing production efficiency, design flexibility, and potential applications in both modern brick architecture and historical restoration.
Organization
TU Darmstadt, Institute of Structural Mechanics and Design & Hagemeister GmbH
Project information
This project was carried out within a PhD-research in order to investigate the potential of additive manufacturing methods for creating bespoke ceramic building components. Although the exhibited custom brick-geometry resembles an already market-available product, Hagemeister GmbH’s Nesting-Brick, the production technology used to create it treads new paths. By using a 3D-printer to shape these bespoke components, the predominant process, a fully manual and artisan modelling was bypassed, leading to increased efficiency in production.
This project serves as a blueprint for the creation of a multitude of articulate ceramic components, as the developed methodology allows for great range of adaptions in terms of geometry. Therefore, the shown exhibit does not only display the processes’ capability to replace shortage in skilled labour, but also gives a glimpse on the new freedom of form it is coming with.
Besides a more efficient way to create the highly-requested Nesting-Bricks, other application cases, such as the restoration of damaged ornaments in historical brick-buildings are imaginable. Furthermore, the targeted use of AM-shaped components could even usher in a new era of brick architecture, which would be characterized by digitally designed ornamentation.
Â