3DCeram Sinto at the forefront of industrial ceramic AM

Of all additive manufacturing materials, ceramics have proven one of the more difficult to get right over the years. Despite ceramics AM being several decades old, viable commercial applications of ceramic printing technologies only emerged relatively recently. However, the long wait appears to be over, and the successful development of ceramic printing hardware by companies like France’s 3DCeram Sinto prove that the technology is now ready for widespread industrial adoption.

Hardware for ceramic printing spans a surprisingly large number of technologies, from extrusion to binder jetting. However, photopolymerization technologies such as stereolithography (SLA) provide a significant edge over other approaches in terms of resolution, surface quality, and process reliability. 3DCeram Sinto stands out in the ceramics AM landscape for its proprietary top-down SLA process, which uses a high-power laser to cure a resin-ceramic paste layer by layer. Several recent developments by the company—including advancements in hardware, software, and materials—have opened up important new opportunities for industrial users.

Powerful hardware for large-scale production

The readiness of technical ceramics AM for large-scale industrial production can be seen in the size and power of the current generation of machines. At the 2022 Ceramitec trade show in Munich, 3DCeram introduced its 320 x 320 x 200 mm C1000 Flexmatic printer, demonstrating notable automation features. Machines like the Flexmatic and the 600 x 600 x 300 mm C3601 Ultimate are built for the single-run production of large volumes of smaller parts or medium-to-large components, reducing assembly requirements and increasing production versatility.

That versatility is increased by an adaptable optical system, allowing industrial users to customize their equipment depending on their production goals. For example, the C1000 Flexmatic can be equipped with one or two lasers, with the dual-laser setup ideal for printing parts in parallel or realizing complex geometries at fast speeds. High speeds are achieved between prints too, as a semi-automatic vat design enables fast transitions between jobs and simple recycling of the unpolymerized slurry, reducing the manual work required for constant operation.

Parameter optimization via new AI tools

Over the last year or so, 3DCeram has ushered in a new era of AI-driven ceramic 3D printing with the launch of its CERIA AI solution, designed to simplify ceramic printing for industrial users and increase the yield of industrial ceramic parts. This followed a strategic shift by the company in 2022 to address two major challenges: increase production reliability and make advanced ceramic printing more accessible to non-experts. 

At present, CERIA consists of two distinct software modules based on AI, one that acts as a pre-print assistant and one for process control:

• CERIA Set simplifies design validation, part orientation and build platform optimization, automating printing parameter selection based on the geometry and material specifications of the part. Two major advantages of this pre-print assistant are reduced preparation time and an increase in first-time-right printing success, which in turn helps reduce scrap. Yields are improved thanks to guided, AI-driven recommendations, leveraging a comprehensive dataset built on 20 years of expertise in industrial 3D printing.
• CERIA Live adjusts printing parameters dynamically during the print, monitoring data from over 20 sensors embedded in the ceramic printer. This real-time optimization of the printing process serves to manage the amount of ceramic material deposited depending on the layer geometry. The result is improved part quality and prevention of the need for rework cycles, also making the process more reliable and energy efficient.

3DCeram users tackling industrial challenges

Advances in hardware and software—not to mention the wide range of oxide and non-oxide ceramics available for printing—have enabled users to achieve industrial production of printed technical ceramics. Customers are already reaping the benefits of the CERIA suite, resulting in greater production efficiency in areas from the semiconductor industry to biomedicine. And with further additions to the AI system expected over the coming years, this is just the beginning.

3DCeram’s top-down stereolithography technology is playing a major role in how industrial AM adopters of today and tomorrow can produce ceramics at scale. It is not the only company making strides in ceramics AM, but its futuristic product offering makes it one of the most exciting.