Advantages of 3D Printing of Ceramics

Unmatched Design Freedom and Complex Geometries

Our ceramic 3D printing enables fabrication of intricate geometries and fine structures unattainable through traditional manufacturing methods such as milling, grinding, pressing, or injection molding. Complex, lightweight geometries like bone-like scaffolds, thin-walled crucibles with wall thicknesses down to 0.3 mm, and intricate internal channels or nozzles become easily achievable. Threads as small as M2 can be printed directly; however, for threads requiring higher precision and mechanical load capacity, we recommend our subsequent CNC grinding.

High-Purity and Customizable Ceramic Materials

Our standard slurry formulations include high-purity 99.9% Al₂O₃ and 3mol% Yttria-stabilized ZrO₂ (YSZ). Additionally, we provide tailored blends such as Zirconia-Toughened Alumina ATZ with standard formulations of ZTA-5%-ZrO₂ and ZTA-15%-ZrO₂, enabling customized solutions for specific application requirements.

Precision and Accuracy

Our DLP technology achieves a native pixel resolution of 50 µm, resulting in dimensional tolerances of ±1.5% (minimum ±0.15 mm). Accuracy limitations mainly arise from shrinkage-induced distortion during sintering. For applications demanding even greater precision, our CNC grinding is available, capable of achieving tolerances up to ±5 µm on selected features.

Fully Dense, Gas-Tight Components

Despite a linear shrinkage of approximately 30% during sintering, our 3D-printed ceramic parts achieve densities up to 99.4% of theoretical density, making them fully dense, gas-tight, and suitable for demanding industrial applications.

Comparable Mechanical Strength to Machined Ceramics

The mechanical strength of our 3D-printed ceramics approaches that of conventionally machined ceramics. Ceramic strength is inherently statistical, influenced by microstructural defects. Although the layer-by-layer printing process has a slightly higher probability of microstructural irregularities compared to fully pressed and machined ceramics, the resultant strength difference is minimal for most applications. If your application involves significant mechanical loading, we recommend consulting with our engineering team. We can suggest alternative solutions such as using tougher ceramics like ZrO₂ or redesigning parts to minimize tensile stresses – ceramics typically withstand compressive stresses up to 10 times better than tensile loads.

Excellent Surface Quality

Our additive manufacturing process produces surfaces with roughness typically between Ra 0.6 – 1.2 µm, depending on orientation during printing. For applications demanding superior surface finishes, we offer CNC grinding and polishing services, achieving mirror-polished surfaces down to Ra = 0.01 µm.

Economically Viable for Small Complex Parts

While ceramic 3D printing scales with the cubic dimensions of the parts—meaning larger components become disproportionately costly—it offers unmatched economic efficiency for small, intricate parts. For small-sized geometries, our additive manufacturing service can even outperform ceramic injection molding in terms of cost-per-part. Use our convenient online pricing tool to quickly determine if ceramic 3D printing is the optimal solution for your project.