What technologies have emerged in 3D printing of ceramics, the newcomer to additive manufacturing? What are its advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and threats? In its new report, "3D Printing Ceramics 2022-2032: Technology and Market Outlook," IDTechEx compares the printing processes and technologies currently used in ceramic additive manufacturing to answer these questions. Of the many 3D printing processes in the world of additive manufacturing, IDTechEx highlights the following as market leaders:
Vat Photopolymerization:
The most popular printing process within ceramic additive manufacturing is vat photopolymerization (VPP), which includes stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP). Three of the market leaders—Lithoz, Admatec, and 3D Ceram—produce ceramic-focused printers using either DLP (Lithoz/Admatec) or SLA (3D Ceram). In VPP-based ceramic printing, ceramic powder is mixed with UV-curable polymer resin to form a ceramic paste; the exact amount of ceramic incorporated varies depending on the ceramic used. After printing, the green part is first depulped in a kiln to remove the polymer resin. The green part is then sintered in a kiln to densify the ceramic and produce the final printed part.
Material Extrusion:
The material extrusion category includes fused filament fabrication or fused deposition modeling (FFF/FDM), arguably the most popular 3D printing technology worldwide. Ceramic FFF/FDM consists of thermoplastic filaments filled 50% with ceramic powder, such as alumina or zirconium, which are used for 3D printing. Similar to vat photopolymerization, the printed parts are demolded and sintered to create the final ceramic piece. Although there are several ceramic thermoplastic filaments on the market, FFF/FDM is not the most popular type of material extrusion in ceramic additive manufacturing. That title belongs to paste extrusion, also known as clay extrusion, one of the most visible ceramic 3D printing technologies on the market. Videos of paste extrusion printers from manufacturers such as 3DPotter, WASP, and CERAMBOT can easily be found online. Clay extrusion printers are most commonly used to print clay sculptures and ceramics that are then fired. However, extrusion printers are being experimented with to produce other interesting ceramic objects, such as building bricks or even houses.
jetting
is the primary powder bed-based printing technology in the ceramic 3D printing landscape. Ceramic binder jetting involves depositing binder droplets from an inkjet printhead onto a bed of ceramic powder. This deposition process continues layer by layer until the part is complete, after which it is removed from the powder bed and sintered. Unlike vat photopolymerization and FFF, no intermediate polymers are used in ceramic printing. Two market leaders in binder jetting, ExOne and voxeljet AG, produce printers that are not exclusively or marketed for ceramic 3D printing but are compatible with ceramic powders. Additionally, there are binder jetting printers from manufacturers such as ComeTrue and Kwambio that are specifically targeted at ceramic additive manufacturing.
What about new, innovative technologies?
The technological landscape of ceramic additive manufacturing is not static; as new players enter the ceramic 3D printing sector each year, the landscape becomes more dynamic with exciting technologies.
For example, XJet's innovative "Nanoparticle Jetting" technology introduces material jetting as a printing process category in the field of ceramic additive manufacturing. Nanoparticle jetting involves depositing droplets of ceramic nanoparticles suspended in liquid. Unlike polymer jetting, where each droplet is cured with ultraviolet light, nanoparticle jetting uses heat to evaporate the liquid from the suspension, leaving only the ceramic.
Another example of interesting printing technologies comes from pellet extrusion manufacturers like Pollen-AM and Uprise 3D. These manufacturers are trying to leverage available ceramic injection molding (CIM) pellets as 3D printing feedstock. Their printers melt the CIM pellets in their extrusion heads and then extrude the ceramic-loaded polymer feedstock in the XY plane (similar to FFF/FDM printers, but substituting pellets for filament).
Finally, micro-scale additive manufacturing is reaching the field of ceramic 3D printing, as micro-AM leader Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF) recently unveiled a new ceramic-compatible printer. The microArch S230 is compatible with two new ceramic resins from BMF: alumina and magnesium titanate.
Market Predictions for Ceramic 3D Printing:
Overall, in the 10 years since the launch of the first industrial ceramic 3D printer, ceramic additive manufacturing has seen the market innovate with several new technologies. IDTechEx predicts that technological innovation will continue over the next 10 years as companies continue to develop and diversify their ceramic printers.
