….and create a 200mm high printed pottery piece in under 15 minutes!
Of course, to demonstrate to your students exactly how 3d printing works you need a 3d printer and 3d model content which fits the bill for a single or double lesson.
It was through thinking of the issues of how best to get 3d printing to bridge Art and Design & Technology that we evolved the notion of a portable 3d printer that works with clay. And now, in its 2nd evolution, we have created an ideal combination of machine and material which can be made available for a free six week trial in schools.
Such an approach, we reasoned, would also allow students to channel their creativity post-print – because clay allows carving, surface decorations, handles, and, of course, glazes to be added … all actions that 3d printing with plastic does not offer.
And so this is what we have produced.
Because our 3d clay printers are light and portable, they can be moved within the school into other departments. In fact many schools plan to share their 3d clay printer with other schools in their area with each school having the printer for (for example) half a term.
Setting up the 3d clay printer is simplicity itself, and once set up one has a printer that produces its items within the time constraints of a standard lesson – all without any of the environmental impact that 3d printing in plastic can bring.
If you would like our 3d clay printer on a six week free trial we will deliver it free of charge, provide full training to the relevant member of staff, and remove the printer at the end. Example 3d computer-models are provided to begin with, and our Vase Creator offers a simple and fast introduction to model design for those with fewer computer skills.
In terms of technical details, the 3d clay printer has a footprint of 550 x 350mm and a total height with the cartridge loaded of 1235mm. As for installation, there are no special requirements – just two plug sockets. And we deliver by hand at a time convenient to you.
If you would like to see what the machine can do, there is a series of videos of the machine in operation on our website. You can also find technical details, etc, at www.claybot.co.uk.
If you are interested in taking a 3d clay printer for six weeks for free in your school in either the late spring or summer terms (places for the year are disappearing fast!), please do call us on 01926 865109 or email mike@claybot.co.uk
I look forward to hearing from you.
Mike Ellis