Z Machine
A Mechanical Clay 3D Printer (May, 2017)
Award: Guang-Yang Gold Medal Award
Built an original clay 3D printer together with an industrial design student. Calculated the gear ratios, predicted print outcomes, and experimented to find the perfect mixture of clay.
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About Z Machine
Designer and Builder: Chris Chao
Support Engineer: Maurice Chiu
Chris's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000066298345
Maurice's LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maurice-chiu-068207108
Z Machine is the world’s first, fully mechanical, un-plugged, no computer chips required, axial Clay 3D Printer.
This unique printer is powered entirely by the force of gravity with 20 kilograms of weight.
The printer, driven by chains and gears, works as a geometry calculator that prints out an unlimited amount of geometric shapes.
The printed clay can then be glazed and fired to become a piece of beautifully engineered art.
Mechanical machines were once the force that brought humanity forward.
Back in the Age of Machines, when we first gain control of the coal, the gear, and the steel, mechanical machines were built roughly but look beautiful.
However, these machines of the past no longer exist. They were either made safer, covered in shells, or being replaced with computer chips.
These machines that once shook the ground may one day be forgotten.
The Z in Z Machine implies the end of an era. It’s a way to commemorate the machines of the past. And the china that is being made with the Z Machine is a symbol of the existence of mechanical machines.
The Z Machine is not only a printer for art, it’s also the perfect scientific instrument for educational presentations. It is only through the uncovered machine parts and its designer’s performance of precision control over the Machine, can the crowd experience the power and beauty of mechanical machines once more.