RESEARCH
Additive manufacturing with glass for facade applications Figure 1: Render showing an envisioned future spider connection using additive manufacturing with glass
Over the last decades, the role of glass has become more and more prominent in modern facade engineering. Because of its rare combination of strength, transparency and durability, glass offers a unique combination of material properties that trigger the imagination from a variety of industries such as buildings, cars, yachts, interior design, optics, glassware, art, tableware, data cables, etc. Glass is perceived - depending on the mixture - as transparent or translucent, as colored or clear. Despite the fact that glass is often addressed as such, glass however is never invisible. The TU Darmstadt, specifically the Institute of Structural Mechanics and Design (ISMD), the Center for Structural Materials (MPA-IfW) and the Glass Competence Center (GCC), are exploring the potential of additively manufactured glass components in terms of material behavior, printing technology, structural behavior, design and envisioned applications.
14 | INNOVATIVE MATERIALS 2 2020
