Additive manufacturing for endless variety in ceramics
Ceramtec
According to a recent study by the European Patent Office, 3D printing is growing rapidly in a wide range of industry sectors, especially in recent years. Compared to polymers and metals, the process is not yet used as frequently in technical ceramics production. The parts made from 3D printing silicon carbide by Ceramtec exemplify the many advantages of the innovative process:
Additive manufacturing is faster overall than conventional subtractive production processes, including production lead times and individual processing steps. Equally important are the almost limitless possibilities in terms of product geometry and individual shaping, which are difficult to realise with traditional processes. Producing ceramic elements using 3D printing offers many advantages, especially for small series: The development of components can be realised more quickly and this often results in a faster product launch at lower costs. In the current Covid-19 crisis, additive manufacturing can also bridge bottlenecks in the supply chains. The process furthermore enables component optimisation, including better product quality, customisation and the production of complex workpieces. In addition, intricate functions can be combined in one component by combining assembly components. The material parameters correspond to conventionally produced components up to a few percentage points. Ceramtec manages the respective production process including data evaluation and production optimization. Due to the large printing range of the 3D printer, several components can be produced simultaneously at low cost.