Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
Il progetto esplora le modalità di produzione di una piastrella ceramica innovativa e relativi strumenti di assistenza digitale, a supporto dei designer industriali. In particolare, l’espressione “piastrella ceramica senza colla” si riferisce a una sottile piastrella di ceramica composta di più elementi, che può essere innestata con altre piastrelle, con vantaggi dal punto di vista della facilità applicativa. L’obiettivo è completare la fase di studio con prove di simulazione meccanica e del flusso produttivo, comprese simulazioni virtuali delle potenziali ambientazioni d’uso.
The Glueless project aims to have a digital tool that guides the design of a sustainable tile, accordingly to the input material. The goal of the tool is to also simulate the properties of the final tile. The goal of the project is to have a tile much thinner than today’s tile (for example, typical floor tile thickness is between 8 to 11 mm). The research will analyze an extensive number of materials that can be coupled with the thin tile, mostly polymeric plastic materials from waste or recycling stream. Extensive analysis will be done to identify the best material to be coupled with the thin tile. Material to be coupled will be searched with the goal of a sustainable one (from environmental and economic point of view). A substantial part of the research will be to find and test different methods of adhesion without gluing with the goal to find a reliable method. The chemistry part plays a central role in this phase. This is a pillar of the whole project: chemical adhesion between flat ceramic tile and flat substrate without glue. This research will be combined with a study of the ceramic interface. The deliverables will be: • A report about the patent overview on ceramic combined solutions (with sticking), with a substrate that can be assembled together. This result of the research will identify an area of application free by patents and eligibility for patenting. • A report about the patent overview on glueless ceramic tile engage systems. • A report about ceramic interface needs for improving adhesion for support. • A digital tool for simulation of ceramic engagement. • An advanced tool dedicated to industrial designers to choose a substrate for ceramic tile. • A digital tool in real-time rendering for virtual simulation of the ceramic customization. • 10 different glueless ceramic tile products • 5 small floors (6 glueless ceramic tiles) engage together, with a small groul line or substantially groutless. • An event with industrial designers to testing the tools and discovering new research directions. • An event with technical operators of sector to testing the tools and the usability of the process.
