3DCeram is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of systems for the industrial SLA 3D printing of engineering ceramics. The French company develops specialized 3D printing systems for the additive manufacturing of high-performance oxide and non-oxide ceramics and offers fully integrated solutions for research, development, and industrial production.
Ceramic SLA 3D printing (stereolithography) is based on the principle of vat photopolymerization (VPP). In this process, a ceramic-filled, light-sensitive suspension is cured layer by layer using a UV laser. After the printing process, the components are debound and sintered, resulting in the final material properties of the technical ceramic.
Using 3DCeram’s technologies, highly complex ceramic components with excellent surface quality, high dimensional accuracy, and complex internal structures can be manufactured. This makes SLA 3D printing particularly suitable for applications in aerospace, medical technology, energy, electronics, and research.
3DCeram is a leading manufacturer of systems for ceramic SLA 3D printing and has more than 20 years of experience in the additive manufacturing of technical ceramics. The company develops solutions for research, material development, prototyping and industrial series production and is considered one of the technology leaders in the field of ceramic 3D printing systems.
SLA 3D printing (stereolithography) is an additive manufacturing process in which a light-sensitive material is cured layer by layer using a UV laser. With ceramic SLA 3D printing from 3DCeram, ceramic-filled suspensions are processed, which are debinded and sintered after printing.
SLA 3D printing process flow:
Step 1 – Prepare the suspension: Ceramic powders such as aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) or silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) are mixed with a photopolymer to form a homogeneous suspension. 3DCeram refers to these materials as 3DMIX.
Step 2 – UV laser exposure (top-down SLA): In 3DCeram ‘s patented top-down process, a UV laser passes precisely over the surface of the suspension and cures it layer by layer. Typical layer thicknesses are between 25 µm and 100 µm.
Step 3 – Green body: Once the printing process is complete, a so-called green body is created. The component already has its final geometry, but still contains organic components.
Step 4 – Debinding: Resins and organic components are removed in a controlled thermal process. The component remains dimensionally stable and can then be sintered.
Step 5 – Sintering: Temperatures between 1,400 °C and 1,700 °C are reached in the sintering furnace. The ceramic particles are compacted into a dense, monolithic material. The resulting shrinkage process is already taken into account during the design phase.
Step 6 – Finished component: The result of SLA 3D printing is a high-precision technical ceramic component with high density, excellent surface quality and outstanding temperature and wear resistance – without any tooling costs.
3DCeram develops SLA systems specially optimized for technical ceramics and offers a combination of:
3DCeram systems can be used to process a variety of technical ceramics, including:
Oxide ceramics
Non-oxide ceramics
3DCeram ‘s ceramic SLA 3D printing is used, among other things, in:
SLA 3D printing offers decisive advantages over conventional manufacturing technologies, particularly for complex geometries, high-temperature applications and components subject to wear.
Sales Lead 3D-Ceram