Ceramic 3D printing is now available in Europe

KYOCERA Fineceramics Europe GmbH now offers the production technology 'Ceramic Additive Manufacturing' for customers in Europe. Employing this method, products with complex geometries and almost any type of customised shape can be manufactured. Prototypes can also be produced quickly, enabling production volumes of thousands of units per week to be reached swiftly.

The company's Ceramic Additive Manufacturing uses alumina and zirconia as base materials. Products and components created with 3D printing technology have the same material properties as products that employ more traditional processes, such as injection moulding or isostatic pressing. In comparison to these methods, CAM provides the advantage of being able to realise complex geometries and almost any customer-specific shape.

Alumina is a versatile ceramic material with high strength, stiffness, and wear resistance. Zirconia is also characterised by high mechanical strength, toughness, and wear resistance. Therefore, these materials are good options for long-service-life applications. Ceramic additive manufacturing allows low tolerances, narrow channels, composite shapes, etc.

Producing prototypes is feasible, with a lead time of about two weeks. Subsequently, a transition to large-scale production of up to thousands of units per day is possible in a very short time. In contrast to other production processes, no costs or time are incurred for the production of special tools.

It is feasible to make design modifications in real-time by changing the 3D CAD model. This even permits the simultaneous production of several iterations of a design. The manufacturing processes for prototypes are identical to those for series production. Even complex forms such as internal passages and cavities, interlocking assemblies or curved surfaces can be realised. Integrating text, logos, labels, and serial numbers is also possible. CAM-printed component examples include medical implants, spray nozzles, electrical coils and insulators, fluid flow/internal tubing or valves and bearings.

CAM-printed objects have a wall thickness between 0.25mm and 10mm. The maximum size of a single object is 200mm x 105mm x 40mm. The tolerances are below +/-1% (as-fired).

The company offers a wide range of services related to Ceramic Additive Manufacturing. These include 3D design and modelling with CAD, structural and flow analyses (FEA/CFD), and conjugate heat transfer analysis. Also, CAM allows computer-aided machining of parts with multiple axes.