Jenni Lee – Looking Outwards – 03

Demonstrative video of the 3D Printed Ceramics

Link

Engineer Zack Eckel, based in Malibu, California, creates 3D-printed free-form, strong, and temperature resilient ceramics. These ceramics can withstand pressure and heat without breaking, warping, or cracking. By 3D printing these essentially invincible ceramics, Eckel addresses the design problems of both ceramics and of regular 3D printing. Ceramics, such as ceramic plates or mugs, are typically made of clay, easily breakable, despite their strong presence in American households. By designing these flawless, strong, 3D-printed ceramics, Eckel re-envisions and redefines the boundaries of ceramics. In addition, Eckel address the design problem of 3D printing products, as the material that typical 3D printers utilize are not heat resistant or particularly pressure resistant. As a result, Eckel uses stronger, revolutionary 3D-printing materials in order to address this. I found Eckel’s work to be not only aesthetically captivating, but also highly revolutionary in terms of human factors and ergonomics.