Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTSAdditive manufacturing of complex ceramic components – individually, tool-free and inexpensive
Difficult ceramic components were previously injection molded requiring an intensive use of tools, or manufactured with high material losses from green, isostatic moldings. Scientists at Fraunhofer IKTS have now succeeded to quickly realize highly intricate, individualized ceramic components without tools by additive manufacturing – going to be unveiled at the Hannover Messe.
What was exclusively possible in the plastics and metal industry so far, Fraunhofer researchers now utilized for the production of complicated geometries of long-term stable, temperature, wear and corrosion resistant ceramics.
New freedoms in design and resource-optimized production
Additive processes allow a tool-free production. Solely from CAD data surfaces, undercuts, inner channels or hollow structures are built with optimal use of material in layers resulting in individual components or in small series for medical technology, jewelry or micro reaction technology. “For ceramics manufacturers and users completely new possibilities open up in the design, production and application of high-performance ceramics.”
says Dr. Tassilo Moritz. For example, efficient patient-specific implants or plant components with inner perforated ducts or interference folds with an improved mixing quality and homogeneity are produced.
Scientists at Fraunhofer IKTS utilize several additive manufacturing processes, for example the powder-based routes for the 3D powder printing or selective laser sintering. Furthermore, the lithography-based ceramics manufacturing (LCM) is used, for which suspensions are needed. Here, the ceramic powder is dispersed homogeneously in a photopolymerizable organic binder system. By selectively mask exposure of this suspension a ceramic green body is formed according to the CAD data model, which is debinded in heat treatment processes and densely sintered.
By LCM technology extremely complex ceramic components can be manufactured with mechanical properties comparable to those of conventionally manufactured ceramics. In addition to the optimization of the system technology, research activities at IKTS aim on the development of customized suspensions with the photo-sensitive components, as well as to the optimized heat treatment of the additively made green body.
Production cycles can be accelerated and thus be realized more cost-effective by the savings in tooling and materials.
Further developments of the Dresden Fraunhofer researchers focus on the economic production of multifunctional components from material and shape combinations. Soon, e.g., porous ceramic components could be added with solid housing structures.
On Booth B16 in Hall 6 additively manufactured products, such as mixing structures with complex channels and thin-walled heat exchangers from oxide ceramics are presented.