THE 3D MOLDED GLASS

Peter B. Houk is Director of the Glass Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1997. In collaboration with Blacks Oxman has developed the glass 3D printing technology.
Giorgia Franchin Materials Engineer and PhD in Ceramic Group and Advanced Glazing of the Graduate School of Industrial Engineering of the University of Padua. E ‘became part of the project of Peter B. Houk focusing on characterization and aspects of material and process optimization.

Peter B. Houk and Giorgia Franchin have focused on a single extruder 3D printer of its kind, able to print clear glass components.
The platform consists of modular elements able to operate at the high temperatures necessary for working the glass from the molten state until the final product ricotto.Le molded parts are highly repeatable and recall the visual and mechanical properties of glass objects produced in a conventional manner. The interaction of light with layered surface of the objects generates complex luminous designs. This project is located at the intersection of design, technology, science and art.
The 3D printed objects have the potential to evolve and implement new stairs and capabilities in the field of product design and architecture.
3D printing will show the solutions that new technologies and applied research offer to the market, supporting knowledge as assets essential to the competitiveness of the companies. Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is beginning to sink roots in the companies of the made in Italy, opening new opportunities in the international market is a sector in rapid expansion of which Italy, for its network of small and medium industries, is reaping the potential , but it requires training and technical updating.