3D Printing

New 3D printing technology creates stronger ceramics

New 3D printing technology creates stronger ceramics
The process developed by the HRL team can create a ceramic material that is said to be ten times stronger than similar materials
The process developed by the HRL team can create a ceramic material that is said to be ten times stronger than similar materials
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3D printed ceramic material under a blowtorch
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3D printed ceramic material under a blowtorch
Ceramic material printed via a 3D printing process developed by HRL Laboratories
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Ceramic material printed via a 3D printing process developed by HRL Laboratories
A ceramic corkscrew created with the HRL Laboratories 3D printing process
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A ceramic corkscrew created with the HRL Laboratories 3D printing process
A ceramic impeller created with the HRL 3D printing process
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A ceramic impeller created with the HRL 3D printing process
A ceramic honeycomb created with the HRL 3D printing process
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A ceramic honeycomb created with the HRL 3D printing process
The process developed by the HRL team can create a ceramic material that is said to be ten times stronger than similar materials
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The process developed by the HRL team can create a ceramic material that is said to be ten times stronger than similar materials
Ceramic material printed via HRL Laboratories 3D printing process
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Ceramic material printed via HRL Laboratories 3D printing process
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Researchers at HRL Laboratories have developed a 3D printing technology designed to overcome the limitations of working with traditional ceramic processing. The process includes a resin formulation that once printed can be fired and converted into a ceramic that is harder, stronger and more compatible with ultra-high temperatures.

Traditional ceramics are more difficult to work with than polymers or metals because they cannot be cast or machined as easily. They tend to be more porous which also limits the kinds of shapes you can make and the strength of the finished parts.

Ceramic material printed via HRL Laboratories 3D printing process
Ceramic material printed via HRL Laboratories 3D printing process

The process developed by the HRL team can create a ceramic material that is said to be ten times stronger than similar materials and can withstand temperatures in excess of 1700°C. The 3D printed ceramics are expected to also be more resistant to abrasion and corrosion.

Potential applications could include large components in jet engines to intricate parts in micro-electromechanical systems and electronic device packaging.

The following video explains the process in more detail.

3D-Printed Ceramics

Source: HRL Laboratories

View gallery - 7 images
5 comments
5 comments
S Michael
Great... Now get on with making something useful. Something EVERYBODY can use.
Stephen N Russell
Must for 3D Homes alone to use. Lisc process.
TimothyRichburg
How about engine blocks?
JoeMara
The research in this field in HRL Laboratories and is quite impressive and surely is a breakthrough in this field.
If they succeed to make a fast serial production and hot keep the conventional hours-long production of conventional 3D printers, this would lead to a large scale industrial production and would surely offer new potential of new materials, starting from insulators, ending up by aviation and other uses.
benjadams
I agree with Joe, this is something that can be explored further and 3D printing will become more widespread and accessible to different industries if production time is decreased.