---
title: "Ceramic AM applications (and services) take the spotlight at Ceramitec 2026"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/ceramic-am-applications-and-services-take-the-spotlight-at-ceramitec-2026/
date: 2026-04-01
modified: 2026-04-07
lang: en
author: "Davide Sher"
description: "With 2025 revenues of $187 million and projected 2030 revenues of $635 million, the ceramic AM market is maturing into a solid business opportunity. For this to happen, a complex..."
categories:
  - "3D Printing Events"
  - "Additive Manufacturing"
  - "Advanced Materials"
  - "Ceramic Additive Manufacturing"
  - "Ceramics"
  - "Ceramitec"
  - "Materials"
tags:
  - "Featured"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2533-640x480.jpg
word_count: 2900
---

# Ceramic AM applications (and services) take the spotlight at Ceramitec 2026

[With 2025 revenues of $187 million and projected 2030 revenues of $635 million,](https://www.voxelmatters.com/voxelmatters-launches-pre-sale-campaign-for-ceramic-am-market-2025-report/) the ceramic AM market is maturing into a solid business opportunity. For this to happen, a complex transition is now underway: the market is shifting from hardware- and investment-driven to service- and application-driven. This means that machines are—to a certain extent—becoming commoditized, while materials (new ones and more affordable conventional ones) are the epicenter around which the market is rotating. [This transition was evident at Ceramitec 2026,](https://www.voxelmatters.com/event/ceramitec-2026/) the global reference fair for advanced ceramics manufacturing and [an increasingly important reference for ceramic additive manufacturing](https://www.voxelmatters.com/ceramitec-2026-draws-485-exhibitors-and-12000-visitors-to-munich/).
After all, the capabilities of ceramic stereolithography and binder jetting, introduced over a decade ago, have not yet been fully exploited. No new hardware is needed until adopter companies understand how to fully leverage the existing ones. That's what's happening now. What Ceramitec 2026 did show us is an impressive number of new applications, new materials and a rapidly expanding base of ceramic AM service providers. The technology is still evolving and maturing, but it is now doing so more linearly as more companies adopt and implement ceramic AM capabilities.

![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2556-rotated-e1775027477352.jpg)Implant 3D printed by KLS Martin using Lithabone 480 from Lithoz (full article to follow).

## VPP grows through materials and applications

All that said, hardware and AM processes remain the dominant force and a fundamental pillar on which the market rests. Hardware companies, both the more established market leaders and the latest to emerge, deserve an in-depth look. At Ceramitec, there is always plenty of advanced ceramic innovation to see.

Even as they increasingly focus on new materials and their customers' and partners' applications, the hardware companies [Lithoz](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/lithoz/) and [3DCeram](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/3dceram/) remain the global market leaders. Vat photopolymerization, both 3DCeram's laser stereolithography and Lithoz's DLP stereolithography (known as Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing, or LCM), remain the dominant technologies in the market.

Both companies, however, are also expanding their offerings to include new technologies such as [3DCeram's MAT](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/tiwari-scientific-instruments/) (a multi-material extrusion system gaining widespread adoption for its versatility) and Lithoz's LIS (Laser-Induced Slipcasting). When speaking with both Lithoz CEO Johannes Homa and 3DCeram CEO Richard Gaignon and their teams, the conversation often focused onto materials. In Lithoz's case, the focus this year was on LithaBone 480 and the impressive ceramic implant production capabilities developed by Frank Reinauer at KLS Martin (read the full interview [here](https://www.voxelmatters.com/how-a-collaboration-between-kls-martin-and-lithoz-led-to-hundreds-of-patient-specific-ceramic-implants/)). For 3DCeram, the biggest news — one of the biggest in the company's recent history — is the introduction of open materials, compatible with third-party hardware.

![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2497.jpg)3DCeram's new open material strategy allows users to create their own ceramic suspensions by combining the binders available for multiple photopolymerization wavelengths.
This new strategy deserves a more in-depth look. On one hand 3DCeram continues to offer a wide range of standard materials under the 3DMIX brand that have already been validated for its machines (alumina, multiple zirconias, HA, TCP, cordierite and more); on the other, the company has introduced CERA Base, a photopolymer binder system that enables users to create their own ceramic suspensions by combining the binders, available for multiple photopolymerization wavelengths (465, 405, 355 and 385), with their preferred ceramic powders. This opens up a broad range of new adoption possibilities, especially at first in R&D, and eventually likely also for production runs.

It is no coincidence that both Lithoz and 3DCeram are exploring new ways to innovate in materials and applications. One reason for this could be the emergence of more low-cost competitors across the board. On one side, there are low-cost desktop systems such as those from Formlabs, Tethon's Bison, or the new entrant xtra-lab. On the other hand, tougher competition from higher-end systems such as those from Prodways. The French company's ceramic business (using top-down DLP technology) has been growing significantly through its partnership with Tethon as a material developer. After a major relaunch, Prodways identified the aerospace foundry core as a key application and has been aggressively targeting that segment with its SiCast 1200 material.

![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2480.jpg)Prodways, via a close collaboration with Tethon, is becoming an increasingly credible competitor in ceramic stereolithography, especially in foundry cores for aerospace via the Silica Sicast material
The toughest competition, however, is on the horizon and is coming from Asia.

This year, due to a concurrent ceramic fair in China, many of the APAC hardware manufacturers did not exhibit at Ceramitec. Companies like iLaser, SK Fine, PrismLab, ADT and many more were not in Munich but their products are taking over the APAC market. Only one major Chinese company, Ten Dimensions, is specifically targeting Western markets (3D Control, a smaller Korean company, was also present at Ceramitec). It is doing so through a collaboration with the German AM hardware distributor Equipp3D because, as the company's CEO, Edward Wang, explained, "hardware competition in China is becoming too intense." As we show in our report, it is also price-driven, which means that when more Chinese companies reach a sufficiently large size that they can begin to target Western markets, two things will happen: one is increased overall adoption of ceramic AM, and the other is extreme commoditization of (mainly) stereolithographic hardware.

![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2424.jpg)The competition in China from lower-cost stereolithographic ceramic 3D printers is becoming so strong that Ten Dimensions is now looking at Western markets through new distributor Equipp3D.
This is why Western companies need to leverage their experience and know-how to continue developing new technologies and creating new adoption opportunities. This can only happen through close collaboration with both material developers and AM service providers (often one and the same). For both Lithoz and 3DCeram, one of the closest production partners is Sinto Advanced Ceramics, which recently underwent major changes following its acquisition of Bosch Advanced Ceramics by Sinto (which also owns 3DCeram). Under the leadership of Nikolai Sauer, the company has already achieved multiple production applications, establishing significant leadership.

Lithoz also relies on Steinbach, one of the first and most prolific ceramic AM service providers, while Tethon 3D is the key materials and services partner for Prodways. Similarly, 3DCeram works closely with Singapore-based Creatz. This collaboration extends to the point that, as representatives from 3DCeram told us, Creatz's Sean Looi has developed know-how that is even superior to 3DCeram's on certain unique materials. Looi himself showed us parts made with exotic materials such as Spinel, YAG, transparent YAG and Silicon Carbide (using stereolithography).

The photogallery below shows some of the most impressive stereolithography parts seen on the show floor:

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2474-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2474.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2472-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2472.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2444-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2444-rotated.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2406-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2406.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2411-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2411.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2413-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2413.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2430-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2430.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2432-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2432.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2433-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2433.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2435-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2435.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2436-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2436.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2499-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2499-rotated.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2542-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2542.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2544-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2544.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2545-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2545.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2423-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2423.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2477-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2477.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2527-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2527.jpg)

## Jetting technologies are opening up the market

When it comes to new technologies, the biggest innovations are based on material jetting processes. It is curious that in polymer 3D printing, vat photopolymerization and material jetting are similar, as both processes are based on a photocuring reaction. In ceramic 3D printing, this is not the case, and material jetting is more similar to binder jetting, as both processes involve the jetting of materials. In binder jetting, the binder is jetted over a powder bed. In material jetting, a suspension of powder and (usually) water is jetted onto a substrate. That is why, [in our report on the Ceramic AM market](https://www.voxelmatters.report/product/ceramic-am-market-2026/), we include both technologies under the "JET" category. And that's also why we will discuss both together here.

![Explore the future of ceramic additive manufacturing at Ceramitec 2026. Discover market trends and business opportunities in ceramics.](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2451-rotated.jpg)Parts presented by Desktop Metal at Ceramitec.
As we reported in our latest study, the current leader of the jetting segment is [Desktop Metal](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/desktop-metal/), the company that emerged from Arc Impact's acquisition of Desktop Metal and ExOne's X-Series ceramic (and metal) binder jetting systems. Although the company is experiencing a very challenging transition after collapsing from its peak $2 billion valuation to facing bankruptcy, the X-Series systems remain the most widely used for ceramic binder jetting globally. And innovation doesn't stop, with the company showing unique graphite 3D printed parts, developed through a collaboration with SUPSI and Professor Ortona's lab, along with other applications.

At the same time, more companies are entering the market. Dutch company [CONCR3DE](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/concr3de/) went from startup to a leading contender in just a few years, especially after opening a large facility in Rotterdam to offer services last year. [The Japanese company Roland has also just entered this segment](https://www.voxelmatters.com/roland-launches-two-new-ceramic-3d-printers/); however, it is currently focusing only on BrightOrb (a type of artificial sand) applications for arts and design products. This was the case for Concr3de initially, so things may change quickly. Concr3de today offers one of the broadest selections of materials (including alumina, zirconia, silicon carbide and CeO2) through its partnership with the experts at WZR.

Below, binder jetting parts, by CONCR3DE and Roland:

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2552-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/ceramic-am-applications-and-services-take-the-spotlight-at-ceramitec-2026/ceramitec_2026_img_2552-2/)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2442-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/ceramic-am-applications-and-services-take-the-spotlight-at-ceramitec-2026/ceramitec_2026_img_2442-2/)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2503-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/ceramic-am-applications-and-services-take-the-spotlight-at-ceramitec-2026/ceramitec_2026_img_2503-2/)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2502-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/ceramic-am-applications-and-services-take-the-spotlight-at-ceramitec-2026/ceramitec_2026_img_2502-2/)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2501-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/ceramic-am-applications-and-services-take-the-spotlight-at-ceramitec-2026/ceramitec_2026_img_2501-2/)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2505-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/ceramic-am-applications-and-services-take-the-spotlight-at-ceramitec-2026/ceramitec_2026_img_2505-2/)

In the material jetting segment, the market is led by [XJet](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/xjet/). After several years of development, the company seems to have found its path to commercial success, and the range of production applications it showed at Ceramitec was impressive. While expensive, XJet's nanoparticle jetting process is fast and efficient. It is ideal as it allows for soluble supports, meaning almost any geometry is possible. The newly introduced Carmel Pro system has made NPJ more accessible, and several new materials have been introduced: beyond the initial alumina and zirconia, boron carbide and aluminum nitride are now available options, with proven applications in [medical implants (Nivalon)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/nivalon-medical-produces-metal-free-spinal-implant-using-advanced-ceramic-printing/) and industrial applications (Ter Hoek).

Production applications shown by XJet and partners like Ceramtec, Ceramaret, Nivalon and Ter Hoek:

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2462-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2462.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2461-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2461.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2463-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2463-rotated.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2459-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2459.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2458-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2458.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2457-rotated-e1775030167856-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2457-rotated-e1775030167856.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2523-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2523-rotated.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2524-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2524.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2521-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2521.jpg)

While more materials are becoming available, binder jetting and material jetting of silicon carbide remain the largest revenue opportunities in ceramic AM. It is true that stereolithographic technologies dominate overall across more segments and materials, but binder jetting of silicon carbide is a significant business opportunity in and of itself, with a lot happening.

One is that there are now several profitable applications for binder jetting of silicon carbide. Using both Desktop Metal (ExOne) and voxeljet 3D printers, Schunk is the overall leader through its IntrinSiC division. The company's display, which is not located in the AM zone of Ceramitec but in a more general area, was impressive last year and remained so this year: large silicon carbide parts (mostly furnace furniture and tools for semiconductor manufacturing) impress with their complexity and precision. [For the company, this business is so relevant that it acquired ESK-SiC](https://www.voxelmatters.com/schunk-group-acquires-sic-raw-material-manufacturer-esk-sic/), a manufacturer of silicon carbide materials, including powders for binder jetting.

In the gallery below, the impressive arrays of silicon carbide binder jetting 3D printed parts from service providers like Schunk, Hyundai-owned MADDE and Kyocera, adopters like Saint-Gobain and materials manufacturers like ESK-SiC (Schunk), Sanzer and FLK:

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2571-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2571.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2572-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2572.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2568-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2568.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2567-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2567.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2566-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2566.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2517-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2517-rotated.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2511-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2511-rotated.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2454-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2454-rotated.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2453-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2453-rotated.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2488-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2488-rotated.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2486-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2486.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2447-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2447-rotated.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2549-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2549.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2548-150x150.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2548.jpg)

![Explore the future of ceramic additive manufacturing at Ceramitec 2026. Discover market trends and business opportunities in ceramics.](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2569.jpg)The massive Schunk booth.
And Schunk is not alone. Besides SGL Carbon, [Kyocera has also entered the silicon carbide AM service segment](https://www.voxelmatters.com/kyocera-advances-3d-printing-of-sisic-components/) in Germany, as have other companies we'll discuss later when we analyze the state of ceramic AM service providers. It is curious that Kyocera US offers 3D printing services for alumina and zirconia (using what appears to be an internally developed stereolithographic technology), but this business is not directly connected with the German SiC business. [Saint-Gobain, on the other hand, has been using this technology as an end-user](https://www.voxelmatters.com/saint-gobain-uses-two-exone-binder-jetting-systems-for-am-technical-ceramics/) to produce the SpyroCor and NOxBuster radiant tube inserts. These tubes manage the furnace's heating process, helping control it so that heated materials are not exposed to combustion gases. For Saint-Gobain, this is an established and profitable business segment.

Because the printed parts that can be produced are so large, this segment has also become an opportunity for materials manufacturers. Besides ESK-SiC, ceramic materials companies such as Washington Mills in the US and Sanzer in China have set up additive divisions. This year, more companies entered the segment, mostly from China, such as FLK Technology Group (FLK), while others offer SiC powders that can be used for AM, although they don't specifically market it as such.

Sintered silicon carbide parts from D3 and NUWAM:

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2546-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2546.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2547-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2547.jpg)

Because the types of parts produced via binder jetting are generally reaction-bonded (RBSiC), they don't usually achieve full density. This is ideal for applications that either do not require full density or, even better, require specific densities that can be digitally controlled via geometry. Achieving higher density requires silicon infiltration, but it has limitations because you're essentially introducing yet another element into the mix. On the other hand, material jetting technologies, and specifically the systems introduced by Durst Group's D3-AM division, can achieve much higher densities, mainly because they work using water-based solutions rather than binders. These parts can also be sintered, thus enabling the production of sintered silicon carbide components.

![Explore the future of ceramic additive manufacturing at Ceramitec 2026. Discover market trends and business opportunities in ceramics.](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2418.jpg)The silicon carbide 3D printing business is now so mature that some of the first service startups are emerging specifically around it. These include companies like NUWAM, the first to acquire a D3 microparticle jetting system to offer services, and CENTAM, a company founded specifically to offer sintering services for 3D printed SiC parts.

## New tech on the horizon

When it comes to the newest technologies, the fringe segment in ceramic AM is also one of the oldest in polymer AM: material extrusion, both bound filament and paste-based (also referred to as Robocasting). This, as we showed in our report, is the fastest-growing segment today, but also the smallest in terms of generated revenues. It is a varied and broad segment, with several different types of approaches that can yield valuable applications across many different industrial settings.

Because entry-level systems can be very affordable, materials extrusion technologies are widely used in academic institutions and R&D departments. At the same time, because they are so versatile in terms of materials, they find uses across many advanced industrial manufacturing realities. This means they can cater from basic prototyping to advanced parts for nuclear reactor linings.

Parts from FastCast, 3D printed by paste extrusion on an Apium machine:

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2403-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2403.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2402-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2402.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2404-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2404.jpg)

Because the basic processes are similar across all material families, Material extrusion is the platform where more materials and technologies can converge, even beyond ceramics. One of the first and most interesting new applications of MEX for ceramics came from FastCast, a specialist in ceramic paste for foundry cores. Working with high-temperature polymer extrusion 3D printing hardware company Apium, FastCast developed a high-quality water-based ceramic slurry (paste) that can be used to print complex components.

![Explore the future of ceramic additive manufacturing at Ceramitec 2026. Discover market trends and business opportunities in ceramics.](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2466-rotated.jpg)The Bambu Lab 3D printer making parts with Nanoe's alumina filament.

In terms of accessibility, nothing can beat ceramic material specialist Nanoe's adaptation of a Bambu Lab PS1 printer (cost around €500) to print using the company's Zetamix ceramic filament. On the opposite end of the spectrum, 3DCeram's M.A.T. systems enable advanced, multi-process hybrid 3D printing, featuring three extrusion heads for printing and complemented by a CNC tool for green machining of printed parts. AMRICC, the UK-based Applied Materials Research, Innovation, & Commercialisation Company, brought parts produced using the

In terms of materials, WZR showed perovskite 3D printed parts made by MEX, while research centers such as CTTC showed parts made in silicon carbide, as well as more standard materials like alumina and black zirconia.

Still more fringe innovation came from the hybridization of technologies, where MEX (single nozzle) meets material jetting (multiple nozzles) and binder jetting (multiple nozzles and powder). Via multiple nozzles, it becomes possible (although extremely challenging) to combine multiple materials. [These capabilities are most evident in AMAREA's material jetting technology,](https://www.voxelmatters.com/amarea-delivers-first-mmj-prox6l-multi-material-3d-printer-to-fraunhofer-ikts/) one of the most innovative in AM. With up to six penumatic print-heads, AMAREA's MMJ system can be used to process just about every metal and ceramic material, creating incredibly intricate parts for a wide range of applications, from design to electronics.

Some of the most impressive multi-material parts from AMAREA's MMJ technology:

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2421-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2421.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2420-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2420.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2419-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2419.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2416-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2416.jpg)

[![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2415-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2415.jpg)

Or Schaeffler's multi-material recoater system, obtained through the acquisition of Aerosint. While the larger Omnifusion 3D machine implements a laser PBF process for multi-metal parts, the OmniForm 3D implements a binder jetting process (developed during Aerosint's brief stint as part of Desktop Metal) that can be used to create green multimaterial ceramic parts (like the one seen at the top of this article).

![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramitec_2026_IMG_2561-rotated.jpg)Exentis production parts 3D printed by screen printing

Or, yet again, Exentis' screen printing process, which can print millions of extremely precise ceramic parts and could, in theory, use layers and screens of different materials joined together. Although they have some geometric limitations, Exentis' capabilities are among the most production-ready in all of AM.

The hardest part of creating multi-material parts is, of course, the sintering process. Sintering two materials with very different melting temperatures is impossible, and it requires highly complex materials science to fine-tune both the materials and the geometry to achieve successful sintering.

However, one way to avoid sintering altogether is to use HIP directly as part of the manufacturing process, which is what the US company Grid Logic does, using HIP systems from the emerging Chinese leader HIPEX.

But sintering–along with its complexities–goes beyond multi-materials. It is a relevant aspect of any advanced ceramic 3D printing. That's why Nabertherm, the leader in sintering furnaces, has created an additive-specific division. According to Benjamin Kolkwitz, the company's Head of Sales for Advanced Materials, "AM is still a relatively small yet rapidly growing business opportunity and one to keep a close eye on."

We've been doing it for the best part of the past 10 years, and with Ceramitec, we'll continue to do so for the next 10 as the sector continues to grow exponentially.