Keep built his own 3D printer based upon a delta robotics model, a type of parallel robot with three arms connected to universal joints at the base limited by parallelograms in the arms; the parallelograms limit the printer’s movements to the X, Y or Z direction without rotation (the high speed efficacy of delta robots make them popular in the packaging industry, medical and pharmaceutical industry).
The “ink” in Keep’s ceramic printer is ejected using a clay extruder made from parts adapted from the adhesives industry. 30 psi of compressed air pushes out the clay at around 1mm per second.