Tutu Coffee Dripper

A pour-over dripper shaped like a ballet tutu, 3D-printed in ceramic.

A pale-blue ceramic coffee dripper with pleated, tutu-like walls on a white ground, with coffee beans scattered around it.

Year

2024

Role

Group project, concept director and 3D modelling, made with Jingdezhen artisans

Keywords

Product design, Ceramic 3D printing, Material engineering

Inspiration

A ballet tutu dress, and Folding Techniques for Designers by Paul Jackson.

Concept

Made with ceramic artisans in Jingdezhen.

Hand-drawn notes comparing pour-over drippers, with sketched cross-sections and margin comments.

Journal

Note 01 Ideation sketches, then 3D modelling.
Note 02 Ceramic 3D printing on a binder-jet machine.
Note 03 Firing and glazing.

A white 3D model of the pleated dripper, seen from the side and above.

The build bed of a binder-jet 3D printer, spread with white ceramic powder.

Printed and fired white drippers on a tray, one in front and others behind it.

Process

Technical specifications Material: Brightorb ceramic (1% shrinkage rate). Production method: binder-jet 3D printing. Surface finish: proprietary glaze technology.

Precision & production

Precision engineering: high-dimensional accuracy through binder-jet technology, and uniform wall thickness for optimal heat retention. Sustainable production: FINE-Bz recycled artificial sand, and minimal material waste in production.

Slowness

IoT & Hardware Projects