Continuous Clay Printer Requirements + Value Proposition

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Requirements

  1. Continuous printing in clay starting from clay powder
  2. Powder allows for easy and continuous material flow with augers and pumps, and easy mixing into a fluid material
  3. Mixing chamber premixes clay and water
  4. Pump, probably peristaltic, pumps into a pressure chamber
  5. Pressure chamber operates by air pressure
  6. Clay print head has automatic flush with water, so maintenance is zero on print head
  7. Mixing chamber retains settled clay material, so cleanout/maintenance requirement is zero between prints
  8. Ability to print with common clays, found in many locations worldwide
  9. Includes ball/roller mill for powdering clays from local sites (rocks are turned to clay-size particles)
  10. 3D prints are kilned after printing to turn them into ceramic

Value Proposition

  1. Printing insulators
  2. Printing flameware for cooking
  3. Printing inert vessels