Extrusion-based 3D Printing of Ceramic Components

Engineering ceramics are becoming increasingly important in the nowadays-industrial landscape, thanks to the exceptional combination of good mechanical, thermal and chemical properties. Nevertheless, traditional ceramic manufacturing technologies lack the ability to compete in a market of customized complex components. Additive Manufacturing therefore provides an important contribution, given the nearly unlimited design freedom. This research aims at developing an extrusion-based AM technology using UV-curable dispersions. The homogeneity, rheology and printability of these dispersions, containing 22,5%vol to 55%vol ZrO2 in different commercially available resins were investigated. A sintered density of 92% was obtained, proving the potential of the technology in development. Download : Download video (2MB)