Clay XYZ, a new clay 3D printer that will bring the artist out of you
Developed by Eponymous, the Clay XYZ is a new 3D printer that takes 3D printing to a new level by printing with clay. After recently starting a Kickstarter campaign that has already surpassed their goal of $10,000, this machine is making it easier than ever to create clay objects, making pottery a breeze. An ideal tool for sculptors and art enthusiasts who are looking to combine traditional methods with additive manufacturing.
In 2015, John Fray, an artist who is specialized in ceramics, created the Clay XYZ in order to recruit more people to ceramics as well as to make the pottery easier as the pottery process can be difficult. He therefore decided to turn to 3D printing, which he considers to be a ‘magical tool’, in order to bring life to ceramic designs in a quick and easy manner. Although there were already machines capable of printing ceramic objects on the market, the drawbacks were that industrial ones were more expensive and the desktop ones were not satisfactory in terms of your final product. Because of this, he figured that the only true solution was to create his own machine.
With a print volume of 210 x 220 x 180 mm, the Clay XYZ can create all sorts of designs from any basic modeling clay. The startup has already uploaded an array of 3D models of cups, bowls, lampshades and small sculptures onto its site as well as to Thingiverse. An added bonus of printing with this machine is that if you are not satisfied with the results, you can rework the design very easily. Once you’ve finished and have a final product you are happy with, you can then varnish, decorate or paint it before baking it.
The Clay XYZ is equipped with a unique extrusion system that consists of a tube where the user inserts the clay. The machine then uses a compressor that removes air bubbles from the clay, thus increasing the accuracy of the print. This system is compatible with several different FDM printers, meaning that if you already own a FDM printer, you only need to buy the system.
This new 3D printer allows the printing speed of the clay to be increased by 15% with an accuracy of between 0.2 and 0.8mm. This ends up giving you better results than you would see with traditional methods. Other advantages with this machine include the easiness of finding the material, as well as the fact that it can be reused if it has not already been cooked. This is done by simply dissolving the printed object in warm water and recovering the clay.
The 3D printer includes the extrusion system and a toolbox, which will all be available starting from $699 for Super Early Birds; The extruder alone is available for $399. To find out more about the Clay XYZ campaign, check out the Kickstarter campaign here.
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