Ceramic 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing with ceramics) is revolutionizing the production of high-performance ceramic components for industries where precision, durability, and complex geometries are critical. By using advanced processes such as photopolymerization, binder jetting, and material extrusion, which are specially adapted for ceramics, manufacturers can produce complex parts with exceptional accuracy and material performance.
The areas of application range from aerospace to dental and medical ceramics to electronics and energy, enabling the production of heat-resistant ceramic parts, bioceramic implants, electrical insulators, and ceramic components for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). With improved process efficiency and reduced costs, ceramic 3D printing technologies are becoming increasingly profitable for both prototype development and series production.
Advantages of ceramic 3D Printing
Vat photopolymerization is a generic term for processes in which objects are built up layer by layer from a ceramic-filled photopolymer suspension that is cured by light. In additive manufacturing with ceramics, UV light or another specific wavelength selectively cures the suspension either from above (top-down) or from below (bottom-up).
This technology produces highly detailed ceramic parts with smooth surfaces and densities that are close to those of conventionally manufactured ceramics. Post-processing steps such as debinding and sintering are essential.
Lithography-based ceramic manufacturing (LCM), as developed by Lithoz, is a special VPP approach that has set standards for precision ceramic printing.
SLA is a photopolymerization process that uses a laser to cure a layer of high-ceramic liquid resin layer by layer. This process delivers exceptional accuracy and fine surface quality, making it ideal for applications that require precise technical ceramic parts.
In ceramic stereolithography, the laser scans each layer of the slurry and selectively cures the binder to form the green part. After printing, the part is cleaned, debonded, and sintered at high temperature to achieve the final density and strength.
Digital Light Processing (DLP) is another subfield of photopolymerization. Instead of tracing each layer with a laser, as in SLA, DLP uses a digital light projector equipped with a micro-mirror array containing millions of individually controllable mirrors to project the entire cross-section of a layer at once. This approach enables faster build speeds for larger cross-sections, but the resolution is determined by the pixel size of the projector.
In ceramic 3D printing, DLP follows the same principle but uses a liquid photopolymer resin with a high proportion of ceramic particles. Each projected image cures an entire layer of the slurry in a single exposure, after which a new layer is spread over the build space. Layer by layer, the geometry is formed with high precision until the finished blank is created.
Material jetting is a 3D printing process in which objects are built up layer by layer by applying liquid material droplets to a build platform. This differs from the VPP process, in which the entire platform is covered with a layer of resin. This technology is known for its ability to use multiple materials or colors and is compatible with a wide range of ceramic powders.
The process begins with print heads that spray tiny droplets of material onto a build platform. The droplets are applied precisely according to the design of the 3D model. After application, each layer of droplets is immediately cured before the next layer is applied. Support structures are often created simultaneously from a separate, easily removable material. The ability to combine different materials in a single printing process makes this method particularly valuable for functional prototypes and complex assemblies. However, the process can be slower than other 3D printing techniques.
Binder jetting is a 3D printing process in which objects are built up layer by layer by selectively applying a liquid binder to a powder bed. The binder holds the powder particles together, forming a solid structure. This process is known for its ability to produce parts quickly and with a wide variety of materials. To ensure a flowable powder that can be spread on the print bed, a relatively coarse powder must be used. This results in open porosity, which is ideal for SiSiC, which must be infiltrated in the sintering process.
The process begins with a thin layer of powder, spread evenly over the build platform. A printhead moves across the powder bed, depositing liquid binder in a desired pattern based on a 3D model. A new layer of powder is then spread, and the process repeats until the entire object is formed. After printing, the part is removed from the powder bed. Depending on the material, additional post-processing, such as sintering, infiltration, or curing, may be required to achieve the desired mechanical properties.
Material extrusion in ceramics is a 3D printing process in which objects are built up layer by layer by applying a ceramic-enriched starting material through a nozzle onto a build platform. The starting material usually consists of a ceramic powder combined with a binder or an aqueous ceramic paste, which gives it the flow properties required for precise extrusion.
During the printing process, the starting material is pushed through the nozzle and applied in a controlled pattern, forming each layer of the “green” ceramic part. Once one layer is complete, the next layer is extruded on top of it until the entire geometry is formed. If necessary, support structures are made from the same or a compatible ceramic material to stabilize overhanging parts.
A variant of this process is laser-induced slipcasting (LIS), in which a laser selectively solidifies thin layers of ceramic slip without mechanical extrusion. This approach can offer improved contour sharpness compared to conventional ceramic paste extrusion.
Material extrusion offers advantages such as ease of use, low material waste, and compatibility with a wide range of technical ceramics. However, limitations include rougher surfaces, lower resolution compared to photopolymer-based processes, and difficulties in producing very fine details, which often require manual removal of support structures prior to debinding and sintering.
Die Wahl der richtigen Technologie
Die Wahl zwischen VPP, SLA, DLP, Binder Jetting, Material Jetting oder Extrusion hängt ab von:
• Erforderliche Präzision
• Oberflächenbeschaffenheit
• Materialtyp (Oxid-, Nicht-Oxid- oder Verbundkeramik)
• Produktionsvolumen
• Kostenaspekte
Für höchste Präzision in der technischen Keramik bleibt die lithografiebasierte Keramikfertigung der Goldstandard. Binder Jetting wird für Anwendungen mit hohem Durchsatz bevorzugt, während Material Extrusion und Jetting spezielle Fertigungsanforderungen erfüllen.