White Paper

Conventional ceramic manufacturing techniques limit the geometric complexity of ceramic components. Tooling and moulds used in forming often need to be accounted for in the design process, which can lead to certain structures being impossible to manufacture, even with the use of advanced CNC milling equipment. On the other hand, additive manufacture (AM) offers greater freedom of design, facilitating the manufacture of complex components, which are inaccessible through established manufacturing methods. This enhanced capability has resulted in new products with improved performance, which are slowly emerging into the market as ceramic AM matures and becomes more scalable.

This white paper introduces the most common methods for ceramic additive manufacturing: stereolithography, direct ink writing (robocasting) and binder jetting. In addition, ceramic components with the potential to benefit from the design freedom offered by additive manufacturing will be explored, examples of which include: heat exchangers, filters, catalytic converters, solar receivers, static mixers and bio-scaffolds. Where applicable, prototype products manufactured at Lucideon are shown.