--- title: "D3-AM expands capabilities of ceramic AM with Micro Particle Jetting" url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/d3-am-expands-capabilities-ceramic-am-micro-particle-jetting/ date: 2025-11-13 modified: 2025-11-10 lang: en author: "Tess Boissonneault" description: "The ceramic additive manufacturing landscape may be small in size, but it is filled with strong players that are transforming how technical ceramic parts are manufactured at an industrial level...." categories: - "Ceramic Additive Manufacturing" - "Formnext" - "Sponsored" tags: - "Featured" image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Foto-1_SiSiC-Aerospike-640x406.jpg word_count: 890 --- # D3-AM expands capabilities of ceramic AM with Micro Particle Jetting The ceramic additive manufacturing landscape may be small in size, but it is filled with strong players that are transforming how technical ceramic parts are manufactured at an industrial level. One such player is [D3-AM GmbH](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/d3-am/), a company in the Durst Group, which has broadened the ceramic AM market with its Micro Particle Jetting (MPJ) technology for ceramic 3D printing. The company, which first introduced its technology in the [LAB II system at Formnext 2023](https://www.voxelmatters.com/d3-am-introduces-micro-particle-jetting-for-technical-ceramics-am/), will this year be unveiling a new software-based quality control (QC) solution that takes its ceramic AM solution to another level in terms of performance and quality. D3’s origins and expertise in ceramic AM can be traced to its parent company, Durst Group, a specialist in photographic printing equipment with a wealth of experience with inkjet engineering, AI-driven QC tools (i.e. its Hawk AI tool) and ceramics. In fact, Durst Group has been pioneering the digital decoration of ceramic tiles for over two decades. D3 has leveraged this longstanding expertise in the development and commercialization of its MPJ technology for 3D printing technical ceramics. [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Foto-6_SSiC-ring-255x340.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Foto-6_SSiC-ring.jpg) ## Unlocking AM for commercial ceramic powders The company’s Micro Particle Jetting process is based on a specially engineered inkjet printhead capable of dispensing water-based suspensions with a high solid content of ceramic particles. One of the technology’s biggest selling points is that it can process a wide range of ceramic particle sizes and distributions (with particle sizes up to 62 µm). This means that the MPJ process can print commercially available ceramic powders—from finely milled alumina powder to coarse silicon carbide powder—thus giving users the potential to reduce material costs and simultaneously maintain the microstructure known from established ceramic manufacturing processes. This ensures outstanding material properties in the produced parts. In the MPJ process, the printhead selectively deposits the ink, layer by layer, resulting in ceramic components that—after sintering—are fully dense and high quality. With the LAB II, users can print parts up to 400 x 480 x 160 mm or a series of smaller components from a broad range of technical ceramics. This material compatiblity extends to dark ceramics like sintered silicon carbide (SSiC) or reaction bonded silicon carbide (RBSiC), which are notoriously hard to print with UV-based 3D printing systems due to their light absorption properties. [![D3-AM Micro Particle Jetting Formnext 2025](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Foto-5_ALumin-Rotor-e1762806294494.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Foto-5_ALumin-Rotor-e1762806294494.jpg) ## LAB II gets QC upgrade At the upcoming [Formnext 2025](https://www.voxelmatters.com/category/events/formnext/) trade show in Frankfurt, D3 will be once again showcasing its impressive LAB II 3D printer and will, for the first time, present a new software-based quality control solution. This solution, driven by machine learning tools, is engineered to analyze every printed layer and identify and classify defects, such as air inclusions or cracks, in real time. This streamlines the production process significantly, as it eliminates the need for manual layer-by-layer inspection and can flag defective components earlier in the production cycle. Furthermore, in the case of a detected fault, the software provides actionable insights that operators can use to improve the overall reliability of the printing process. The new quality monitoring tool also facilitates the development of new materials on the LAB II. Specifically, the tool can drive efficiency for material testing through faster iterations with real-time fault detection and more data-driven insights. This is an important application since the ceramic AM platform is engineered not only for serial production and industrial prototyping, but also for research applications.  [![D3-AM Micro Particle Jetting Formnext 2025](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Foto-7_QC-tool.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Foto-7_QC-tool.jpg) The QC tool marks a significant step towards D3’s ultimate goal of establishing a closed feedback loop between digital inspection and mechanical validation. As the company says, “Over time, the data collected by the QC tool will be correlated with results from mechanical testing, creating a comprehensive understanding of how microscopic layer imperfections influence sintering behavior and final part performance. This long-term vision aims to transform process monitoring into a true foundation for predictive manufacturing intelligence in ceramics.” [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Foto-3_Alumina-Inner-Channels-255x340.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Foto-3_Alumina-Inner-Channels-scaled.jpg) ## D3 at Formnext 2025 At the upcoming AM industry exhibition in Frankfurt, D3 will be presenting a series of 3D printed components made on its LAB II, including large-scale alumina parts and sintered silicon carbide components that demonstrate MPJ’s propensity for the production of high-quality, dense, thick-walled parts. It will also be promoting its material development roadmap, which will see more qualified technical ceramic powders, including silicon-infiltrated silicon carbide (SiSiC), and advancements with alumina (99.8%). Notably, the company is eager to work with partners in industry and research to develop more materials and applications for its process.  “MPJ has many advantages and includes the entire spectrum of dark ceramics, since it does not rely on light absorption for layer generation,” says Stefan Waldner, CPO of D3. “The LAB II is a versatile additive manufacturing system. We encourage our customers and research partners to work with known and application-relevant materials rather than relying solely on like-as substitutes. Only in this way can true innovation emerge and the technology gain a foothold in emerging markets.” [![D3-AM Micro Particle Jetting Formnext 2025](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Foto-8_LAB-II-Operator.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Foto-8_LAB-II-Operator.jpg) Presently, D3 is preparing to deliver the first LAB II systems to customers. With MPJ technology in-house, users across the aerospace, energy, optics, research and semiconductor sectors can exploit the benefits of ceramic AM—like design freedom, rapid turnaround times and production agility—on a cost-accessible platform using commercial ceramic powders.  If you are interested in learning more about D3 MPJ process and LAB II platform for technical ceramic AM, you can find them at Formnext 2025, from November 18-21 in Hall 11.1 Booth D18.