WISRD Research & Engineering Journal

Figure 17. Prints of Hog Slat v.1. Left: Printed directly on Potterbot surface. Right: Transferred to ceramic tile. The main issue with the Hog Slat v.1 was that the slots were not wide enough for the ceramic plugs to fit into. This print cracked while drying. Because this print took place outdoors, it dried in the sun, and we suspected uneven drying caused the cracks to form.

3.3.3.2 Hog Slat v.2

Version 2 addressed the slot width issue. The slots were widened to 18 mm. The plugs were now able to fit into the print, as shown in Figure 18.

Figure 18. Left: Plug (purple object) fitting into a slot. Right: View from beneath the platform to show the depth of the slot. We have printed the Hog Slat v.2 a total of 5 times. In the first of these prints, printing conditions caused deformations in the base. These deformations were wave-like structures that can be seen while viewing the various layers of the print from the side (Fig. 19). While printing, the motion of the printer caused the table (which was placed on uneven ground) to rock and bounce back and forth. This in turn caused the entire printer, especially the extruder, to rapidly move up and down, making these wave-like structures. The print was functional but messy, and the bumpy edges in the slots limited where the ceramic plugs could fit.

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