Ceramic & Metal 3D printing
Patented technique
We developed an innovative way to transport our ceramic and metal filled printing resin (‘slurry’), by using a foil roll during the printing process, enabling speeds from 5mm up to 20-25mm p/hour, depending on the material. A doctor blade distributes an even layer of slurry onto the foil and moves it under the building platform, pressing the slurry, allowing for layers to be built on top of each other. This process is followed by an innovative material reconditioning system, using a wiper to collect the excess slurry, pumping filtered material back to the initial reservoir, minimizing waste to none.
DLP: curing with light
An integrated DLP light engine allows for large surface printing, while maintaining high precision and resolution. This results in producing even the smallest sized features in full detail. While the building platform presses the slurry, a 405nm light source cures the exact shape of the layer from underneath, decreasing the amount of cured excess slurry to -almost- nothing.
Open platform
We have kept the system as much as open as possible, so the user can have layer-to-layer control over the print that will be built. Through an adaptive touchscreen, each parameter can be set, allowing for precision printing of fully dense (>99%) technical components. The system’s housing not only looks nice, but also supports the optimization of the 3D printing process.
Finishing steps
Once the print has finished it is still in the green stage, containing binder components and post-processing is crucial. After a 12-24 hour water bath, a debinder oven takes care of removing the supporting polymers, resulting in a 100% ceramic or metal product. Finally, sintering will ensure a fully dense ceramic end-product.
Ease-of-use
In the animation on the right-hand side you can experience the printing process from start to finish.
- It starts with the mixing of the AdmaPrint; a homogeneous mix of ceramic or metal powder and UV-sensitive liquid
- A 3D-cad model will be sliced into layers between 30-50 micron thick
- Printing starts with circulating the AdmaPrint
- The process is without loss of printing material. A unique feature.
- After printing the printed objects go into an oven for debinding.
- The final step is to sinter the printed objects. Shrinkage up to 30% will apply. This will give the object it’s final form and strong material properties.
- More information about our Admaflex 130 ceramic 3D printer.