China’s porcelain craftsmen have an international reputation for fine workmanship, but they may feel threatened by the evolution of 3D-printing technology - the production of high-quality porcelain will soon be available to everyone.
At the Jingdezhen International Ceramics Fair, held in China’s Jiangxi Province on Thursday, examples of 3D-printed porcelain caught the eyes of many visitors.
With the help of the cutting-edge technology, a new ceramic object can be crafted in just 20 hours rather than the five days typically required when using traditional methods.
And while porcelain is easily broken during the heating process used for the older techniques, with 3D-printing the success rate is nearly 100 percent.
Porcelain from Jingdezhen has the best reputation in China. But can it survive the introduction of faster, more reliable manufacturing techniques? With the cost of 3D-printing technology set to decline over the coming years, the traditional porcelain manufacturing industry will have to be ready for a challenge.
