ExTramics: Robotic Extrusion Printing of Volumetric Ceramics

+ EXTramics

// ROBOTIC EXTRUSION PRINTING OF VOLUMETRIC CERAMICS

// Project Description EXTramics explores the use of scripted work paths for producing texture and variety in extruded clay printing. The scale and complexity of printable geometry continues to increase with the progress of technology. Comparatively, the level of detailing beyond overall massing has remained relatively constant. Given the potential impact that robotic extrusion printing may have on the world of architecture and construction, the method used to add detailing and character needs to be taken into consideration. Typically with robotic extrusion printing, complex levels of detailing are not evidently distinguishable. EXTramics attempts to embed the detailing into the work paths themselves, which can, in turn, be reused and applied to a variety of printable geometry. Using a controlled variety of complex geometries the project tested the effectiveness of these work path manipulations on extrusions with different cantilevers, angles and layer thicknesses in order to determine how the added detailing may affect final production.

We tested these work paths on three different base geometries: a threepronged, a four-pronged and a ten pronged symmetrical extrusion each torqued about its center z-axis. The variations in the geometries were used in an effort to see the effects of the tool path variations on extrusions with vastly different cantilevering extremes but similar rotations.

The tool paths were created using Grasshopper with the KukaPRC plugin.

In the first attempt of a scripted work path we multiplied every forth point of the extrusion spline. This created an instance where the robot would hesitate on these points before continuing forward. This method generated massing effects at each hesitation point that differed from the paths that were not time sensitive. Further experimentation with this method also created a visual “counter rotational” effect when used in the the ten-pronged extrusion print.

The next iteration’s main purpose was to achieve the same effect but instead of multiplying the points to achieve slight hesitations, a KukaPRC wait command was added to the work path after each selected point. This allowed for a longer hesitation and more significant effect on the extrusion. Because the variations were time controlled they did not achieve proportional results as the speed of the robot varied.

The following iteration used the same approach of isolating the desired points for variation, but rather than allowing the robot to remain in these locations for prolonged periods of time, the robotic extrusion would divert out perpendicular to the typical path for a set distance before returning to the initial path. This created a cresting wave of clay that increased in the number of its folds proportionally to the increased height.

Our last iteration of scripted work paths experimented with the level of deliberate detailing that could be applied while maintaining a continuous spiral extrusion. We created a work path that would use the same wait commands that similarly produced the bead-like texture of our previous iterations. We then applied them to the geometry in a stripe, rotating counterclockwise, opposite to the base geometry’s natural clockwise rotation. This allowed us to see the affect of a non-symmetrically printed texture and how the affect of printing against the grain of the geometry effected the overall volume.

FIGURE 1 // OUR PRIMARY DIRECTIVE WHEN CREATING THESE FORMS WAS TO GENERATE A TOTAL 360 DEGREE ROTATING SHIFT FROM OUR BASE PATTERN AS THE LEVELS OF THE FORM INCREASED. THE SECOND, WAS TO EXPERIMENT WITH CLAY MASSING ALONG OUR TOOL PATH TO CREATE VARIED SURFACE TEXTURES.

FIGURE 2 // AN EXAMPLE OF A LONGER TIME DELAY FOR OUR EXTRUSION PATH. THE ADDITION OF EXTERIOR LIGHT FOR THE INSTALLATION, AS WELL AS INTERIOR COLORED LED LIGHTS, EMPHASIZED THE BEADED EXTERIOR STRUCTURE OF THE FORMS.

FIGURE 3// THIS ITERATION INCLUDED A LOOPING SPLINE ALONG THE WORK PATH CREATING A RIBBED SURFACE EMPHASIZING THE ROTATION OF THE FORM

FIGURE 4 // A SMALL TIME DELAY IN IN THE PATH OF THIS ITERATION GENERATED A COUNTERING ROTATION OF BEADS AGAINST THE ROTATION OF THE EXTRUDED MASS

FIGURE 5// COMBINING THE TIME DELAY AND NON RESTRICTED WORKPATHS GENERATED A HYBRID SURFACE TEXTURE FOR OUR VOLUMES

FIGURE 6// A THREE PRONG ITERATION WAS SUBSTANTIALLY WEAKER THAN OUR OTHER MODELS. HOWEVER THE INTERIOR OF THE FORM PARTNERED WITH PROPER LIGHTING CREATED AN INCREDIBLE TWISTING EFFECT.

FIGURE 7 // COLORFUL LIGHT COMES FROM THE SURFACE BELOW CREATING A POWERFUL NEGATIVE SPACE WHICH IS EMPHASIZED IN A DARK ENVIRONMENT…

FIGURE 8// …ADDING A FOCUSED LIGHT TO THE INSTALLATION’S ENVIRONMENT SHOWS THE RESULTING HIGH CONTRASTING PALE EXTERIOR TEXTURES. PAIRED WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF THE COLORFUL, SLOWLY CHANGING LED LIGHTING FROM THE INTERIOR MAKES THE FINAL INSTALLATION SEEMINGLY BREATHE WITH LIFE.