Plate

2018, personal

Porcelain plate created using a 3D-printed mold

Work
︎ 3D modeling
︎ 3D printing
︎ Mold assembly
︎ Slab building with porcelain

Goal
︎ Dinner plate with tall outer lip
︎ Exterior pattern for grip
︎ Stackable

I set out to create a plate with a high bowl-like lip to make it easier to scoop up the last few bites of a meal. I modeled the plate in CAD and added a textured pattern to the bottom side for improved grip and tactile interest. I created a mold by assembling a set of 3D-printed parts using alignment pins. The plates are created by pressing porcelain slab into the mold. I also created a tool for better distributing pressure while fitting the slab to the mold. The texture of the burlap cloth used when rolling the slab is retained in the final product. This creates interesting interplays between the two scales of pattern.

In future iterations, I would stop the molded pattern before the very edge of the bowl. I found this serves as a stress concentration where starter cracks can form during firing.