In recent years, 3DCeram has continued to evolve, always striving to adapt to the changing demands of the market. This evolution encompasses not only digitalization and hardware, but increasingly also the development and provision of new ceramic materials.

An important step in this direction was unveiled this year—more specifically, during Ceramitec 2026: 3DCeram has developed new material solutions for open, light-based 3D printing systems. These include, among others, the CERA-BASE photopolymer binder system as well as various ceramic suspensions from the CERA-XXX series, which are designed for different ceramic powders and specific printing requirements.

These materials were developed specifically for open printing systems and 3D printers based on light-based technologies. The material systems are specifically tailored to the respective light source or wavelength used.

The key advantage of this approach lies in the flexibility that 3DCeram offers—particularly to developers and users of open printing systems. Instead of relying on a strictly defined, closed material system, developers can explore different combinations of binders, ceramic powders, and printing technologies, thereby developing their own material systems for specific applications.

CERA-BASE is a binder system that can be used as a starting point for developing custom ceramic slurries. At the same time, the CERA-XXX product line offers pre-developed ceramic suspensions for selected ceramic materials and different wavelengths.

What is CERA-BASE?

CERA-BASE is a photopolymer binder system for the production of ceramic slurries that can subsequently be used in SLA 3D printing.

The binder system forms the organic phase of the slurry. To obtain a processable material, CERA-BASE must be combined with a ceramic powder and homogenized. The resulting mixture thus consists primarily of ceramic particles and the photopolymer binder system.

From a technical standpoint, formulating the slurry is a critical process step: The properties of the ceramic powder significantly influence the required binder concentration, viscosity, flow behavior, and ultimately the processability of the material.

With which ceramic powders is CERA-BASE compatible?

CERA-BASE can generally be used with various ceramic powders. Furthermore, the powder used should be binder-free. The actual suitability of a powder must be tested as part of the respective material development and slurry formulation.

Slurry Development

The preparation of a slurry with CERA-BASE is the responsibility of the user. The customer is responsible for the mixing and homogenization process.

This means that the formulation must be adapted to the specific ceramic powder being used. A standardized mixing process is technically only possible to a limited extent, as different powders can exhibit very different surface and flow properties despite having comparable chemical compositions.

Therefore, when developing a slurry, particular attention must be paid to the interactions between the powder and the binder. The goal is to achieve a suspension that is as homogeneous as possible with suitable rheological properties for the subsequent processing step.

Is there a specified mixing protocol?

There is no universal mixing protocol for CERA-BASE that specifies a fixed powder quantity, mixing time, or defined homogenization parameters.

The reason for this is that the mixing process depends on the properties of the specific ceramic powder. Factors such as particle size, specific surface area, particle morphology, and agglomeration behavior influence the process parameters required for a homogeneous slurry.

Accordingly, it is the customer’s responsibility to develop a suitable mixing and homogenization process for the specific powder being used.

A typical development approach involves gradually optimizing the formulation and process parameters. For example, powder loading, mixing energy, and mixing time can be systematically investigated. The key is to ultimately achieve a slurry that is sufficiently homogeneous and suitable for the specific process.

Technical Considerations

From a technical perspective, CERA-BASE should therefore not be regarded as a ready-to-use ceramic printing material, but rather as a binder component for the production of a customer-specific ceramic slurry.

CERA-BASE can be used to produce a material suitable for the respective additive manufacturing process.

To this end, 3DCeram offers another solution: ready-to-use ceramic suspensions for light-based 3D printing technologies, designed for different wavelengths.

Established materials include CERA zirconia and CERA alumina with a purity of 99.8%. Both are among the well-known ceramic slurries for 3D printing of engineering ceramics and enable direct processing in light-based additive manufacturing.

The print-ready ceramic construction resins are available for various wavelengths:

• 355 nm
• 385 nm
• 405 nm
• 465 nm

This provides users with pre-optimized material systems for various light-based 3D printing technologies, eliminating the need to first develop their own slurry formulation from a binder and ceramic powder.

Furthermore, other oxide and non-oxide ceramics can, of course, be developed for the wavelengths mentioned or for other wavelengths and made available as suspensions. The specific material design can be adapted to the respective requirements of the printing process and the light source used.

If you have any questions about the available materials or need a specific ceramic or wavelength for your application, please feel free to contact us. We’d be happy to assist you in selecting the right material and with further technical implementation.