Additive manufacturing of ceramics via Vat Photopolymerisation (CerAM VPP)

The process, which was specially developed for the additive manufacturing of ceramics, works according to the DLP principle. We use the CerFab7500 and CeraFab 8500 systems from Lithoz GmbH for this purpose. The technology is based on the principle of stereolithography, i.e. organic suspensions highly filled with ceramic powder particles are solidified layer by layer by irradiation with light of a defined wavelength. The exposure takes place by means of DLP module, whereby all areas of a layer to be consolidated are cross-linked simultaneously.

We have summarized an overview of the available material systems, technical equipment as well as our range of services in the field of Vat photopolymerization in our industrial solutions.

Public projects

• Fabrication of patient-specific hybrid bone substitutes for the regeneration of bony facial skull defects (HybridBone)
• Characterization of the real mechanical properties of ceramic AM components (CharAM)
• Development of plant technology, process and material pairing for the production of multifunctional ceramic components (3D-MultiCera)
• Highly dynamic ceramic matrix heaters for generating fast temperature fields (DynaCool)
  
• Additively manufactured ceramic nozzles for application in space (Macaronis)

Publications

• 2015 – Scheithauer et al.: ”Micro-Reactors made by Lithography-Based Ceramic Manufacturing”, ACerS; https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119236016.ch4 
• 2017 – Scheithauer et al.: “Additive Manufacturing of Ceramic Heat Exchanger: Opportunities and Limits of the Lithography-Based Ceramic Manufacturing (LCM); Journal of Materials engineering and Performance, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2843-z
• 2017 – Schwarzer et al.: “Lithography-based ceramic manufacturing (LCM) – Viscosity andcleaning as two quality influencing steps in the process chain of printing green parts”, JECS, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2017.05.046
• 2018 – Schwarzer et al.: “Process development for additive manufacturing of functionally graded alumina toughened zirconia components intended for medical implant application”, JESC, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2018.09.003
• 2018 – Schwarzer et al.: “Additive Manufacturing of Functionally Graded Ceramic Materials by Stereolithography“, JOVE, doi:10.3791/57943
  
• 2019 – Schwarzer et al.: “Functionally Graded Alumina Toughened Zirconia Components made by Ceramic Vat Photo Polymerization (CerAM VPP)”, CMT, https://doi.org/10.29272/cmt.2018.0015
• 2021 – Schwarzer-Fischer et al.: “Combining Zirconia and Titanium Suboxides by Vat Photopolymerization“, Materials, https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14092394
• 2022 – Schwarzer-Fischer et al.: “Study on CerAMfacturing of Novel Alumina Aerospike Nozzles by Lithography-Based Ceramic Vat Photopolymerization (CerAM VPP)”, Materials, https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15093279