Ice Architecture

'"Rapid Freeze Prototyping" is a casting process using the fabricated ice patterns to produce metal castings. Rapid Freeze Prototyping builds ice parts from CAD models by selectively depositing freezing droplets of water in a layer-by-layer fashion. Compared with other SSF ("small form factor") processes, it has many advantages including cheaper equipment and material, cleaner material and process, less energy consumption, faster building speed and better surface finish.'

Missouri University of Science and Technology is investigating issues including part and support materials, geometric coverage, dimensional accuracy, and surface finish. They are also developing on-line process control strategies that adjust the process parameters to regulate the part morphology. The goal is to develop an enabling technology capable of building three-dimensional ice parts of any three-dimensional geometry accurate enough for making metal castings used in industrial and medical applications.

Research is also occurring at McGill Centre for Intelligent Machines (McGill University, Québec) on how the phase change properties of water, along with Rapid Freeze Prototyping can be further developed. Here is a link to their blog.

FAB@HOME desktop rapid prototyping machine at McGill University in Québec