Direct ink jet printing of ceramics: experiment in teleology

There is now more openness about the idea that instruments, machines, and p rocesses might have different uses from those intended by the designer or m aker. This. could benefit both the traditional and engineering ceramics ind ustries. The connectivity of manufacturing pathways both within and between industries is beginning to be recognised in modern approaches to processin g, and this recognition facilitates exchange and innovation. The present pa per describes a change of purpose for ink jet printers to provide, inter al ia, a solid freeforming (SFF) pathway to make components from a computer fi le by deposition of a well dispersed powder in suspension. Solid freeformin g is defined as the creation of a three-dimensional shape by point, line, o r planar addition of material without the use of confining surfaces other t han a base. It complements the categories of casting. plastic deformation, joining, and machining as a core concept in manufacturing. It has its origi ns in stone and brickwork. Internal channels, cavities. and functional grad ients can be created. Both the shape and the spatial arrangement of microst ructure could be rendered from computer files. If this were just a prototyp ing method it would be interesting enough but it has the promises of a manu facturing pathway in which individuation call be conferred in a mass produc tion operation and of a powerful route to large scale combinatorial librari es for materials discovery.