Towards a new ceramic future

This article describes the findings of the AHRC funded research project 'Solid Free-form Fabrication in Fired Ceramic as a Design Aid for Concept Modelling in the Ceramic Industry'. Investigators Huson and Hoskins have developed a patented ceramic material. Whilst there are several research groups working internationally in this field, the CFPR team are currently at the forefront of these developments with a method which uses 3D computer aided design (3D CAD) software to design an object on a computer and print a model directly in a ceramic material to be subsequently fired, glazed and decorated. The article also briefly discusses the need for craftsmanship and the differences in performance between clay and the patented ceramic material