3D-Printing 3D-Printing is a fabrication method where the forms are created by printing the material and glue in layers. This method of fabrication has a high level of precision, thus was chosen to print varying hardness gradients in one single object.
test_01 (Dry granulate) In the first test, sand and plaster were deposited simultaneously. While the amount of plaster always remained the same, a variation in hardness was achieved by varying the amount of sand deposited. Water was used as the glue to bind the material. The advantage of this method is its speed of fabrication but the disadvantage being that they produce pyramidal forms. Also the strength of the product remains low. To solve these issues, support materials need be used and a better binding agent.
test_02 (Wet granulate) In the second test, a liquid mixture of plaster and sand was used. Additional dry sand was added on top of each layer, to achieve variable hardness. As the initial mix is already in liquid form, additional binding agent is not needed. The advantage of this method is that the product is very strong but the disadvantage being, that the dry sand does not mix with the wet mixture. This method also requires higher precision to avoid deformation of the form. A solution to address this issue would be to use lateral guides in a contour-crafting machine.
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