Crafting a Brick

1. Preparing the clay

Prior to 3D printing, the clay needs to be prepared. To achieve an even clay, without any dry pieces, the clay is processed properly and then tossed to remove bubbles.

2. 3D printing

Once the cartridge has been loaded with the processed clay and the G-code has been generated, the 3D-printing can begin. The printing time for each brick is greatly dependant on the nozzle size.

3. Drying

The drying of a brick seldomly takes no more than 24 hours, depending of course on the size of the particular brick. To make sure each brick dries evenly, we cover potential protruding elements (or the entire brick) with cling film or a plastic bag.

4. First firing

In the first firing (also known as a bisque firing) the temperature of the kiln reaches around 800°C. The goal of bisque firing is to convert greenware to a durable, semi-vitrified porous stage where it can be safely handled during the glazing process.

5. Glazing

The glaze is applied to each brick by spraying them, or dipping them into a large bucket.

6. Second firing

In the second firing (known as a glaze firing), the temperature of the kiln reaches about 1240°C. The glaze firing melts the glaze and makes the bricks very durable, and restistant to moisture.

7. Filling

In order to be filled, the bricks are placed in sand, keeping them in place and

enabling us to properly fill bricks that have an angle. The bricks are filled with a mixture of cement and different granulates, making the bricks weigh less.

8. Assembling

After the filling has hardened, the bricks can be assembled together with mortar.