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Alumina 3d printing
3D printed zirconia and alumina • 3D Matters
3D printed zirconia and alumina parts? It has been possible for sometime for engineers and designers to create complex shapes. Previously, there where greater restrictions on what could be manufactured with traditional forming processes. There have also been a lack of suitable hard-wearing materials for use on a 3D printer. However, now an engineer can create a CAD file, then easily 3D printed in ceramic materials. As with all ceramics; Zirconia and Alumina have fabulous material properties that are resistant to heat, chemical, electrical and physical wear.
3D printed zirconia and alumina and moreover ceramic materials in general are available on all of our printers. From an entry level desk top printer to one that can produce complex geometries in production volumes.
Ceramic 3D printing can use the same materials used in conventional process. So you will see it is possible to have 3D printed zirconia and alumina. Also other ceramics like silicon carbide and silicone nitride to name a few. Ceramics have the following properties;
- Good mechanical strength
- High hardness
- Resistance to thermal shock
- Very resistance to wear
- Good electrical insulation
- Resistant to corrosion; liquids, gas and abrasion
- Biocompatible
- Review the properties of ceramic materials used in our printers by visiting our materials guide.
Applications
There are a great number of applications for 3D printed zirconia and alumina. Firstly, typical applications include, aerospace, aviation, investment casting, electronic, optical, medical and luxury markets. Secondly and most controversially, ceramic materials should replace many parts made of metal. Certainly, we believe it is likely these applications would benefit from the material properties of technical ceramics. In short, if you would like to discuss a project where the material properties of ceramic could help please get in touch.
When scientific research focuses on 3D printed zirconia and alumina
As we know 3D printing offers so many opportunities for product development.
And so it has become a flourishing field for research. Here, our purpose is to give you the opportunity to read these scientific articles regarding 3d printing, stereolithography, technical ceramics and all kind of applications.
Building parts with an optimized design allows more efficiency in their applications. A 3D printed part allows more compact assemblies with a better optimal integration targeting a significant reduction in the total mass. Indeed, there are many examples of this practise in the field of aeronautics.
Thermo-mechanical properties of 3D printed ceramic parts.
As such, the tool of choice for precise parts made of ceramic is laser Stereolithography (SLA) due to the accuracy and repeatability. To provide weight to this fact this study provides details on the stability of the thermo-mechanical properties of 3D printed ceramic parts. As a short summary; to conduct this study three-dimensional parts were printed then mechanically tested to obtain tensile strengths (<1000MPa) and good hardness (>13 GPa) demonstrate excellent results.
Impressively a densification measure was at 98% after sintering.
Anticipating alumina’s’ mechanical and thermal properties.
Another area of significant and interesting research evaluated the elastic and thermal properties of SLA 3D printed alumina. Users of 3DCeram’s alumina formulation developed several simulation models to anticipate its mechanical and thermal properties. The outcome proposes a predictive model that accounts for variation of the microstructure during the manufacturing process and validates the results to be predictable and repeatable. Full details of the study are available through via the authors published research.
3D Matters have searched the market for the best fully functional and proven capable technologies. It is for this reason that we are proud to work with the leading manufacturers of Additive Manufacturing equipment and as a result partner with 3DCeram and Nanoe.
In conclusion, we specialise in the design, printing and post processing of hard-wearing materials including ceramic and metals.
Could 3D printed zirconia and alumina be an advantage to your next project? We often have webinars planned so that we can share and demonstrate more about the technology. Feel free to review and register on our contacts form page.
Recent Case Studies
Researchers Develop Strongest 3D Printed Aluminum Oxide
Published on April 10, 2021 by Amelia H.
Researchers at the Montanuniversität Leoben in Austria, known for the fields of mining, metallurgy and materials science, have successfully 3D printed aluminum oxide with a tensile strength of 1 GPa (equivalent to 1,000 MPa). The project was made possible by the multi-material 3D printer CeraFab Multi 2M30 from the Austrian company Lithoz, which focuses on the development and manufacture of materials and generative manufacturing systems for the 3D printing of bone substitute materials and high-performance ceramics. Together with the engineers from Lithoz, the university’s researchers were able to use a layer-by-layer printing process to generate controlled residual stresses and thus effectively create a type of aluminum oxide.
As far as aluminum oxide is concerned, it is one of the most important oxide ceramic materials and is characterized by its high hardness, corrosion and temperature resistance. Components made of aluminum oxide are electrically insulating, dielectric strength and are therefore suitable for many applications.
A tensile strength of 1 GPa thanks to the multi-material approach
Tensile strength is the resistance of a material to breaking under tension. It is one of the most important material properties as it shows both the breaking strength and the toughness (together with the ductility) of a part. The higher the tensile strength, the better. This is especially true in areas where structural, mechanical components can be found, such as B. in construction, in the aerospace or automotive industry . Nowadays, 3D printing can have the same or even higher tensile strengths than conventional plastics using the injection molding process (e.g. ABS), as the researchers at the Montan University Leoben and Lithoz have demonstrated.
The CeraFab Multi 2M30 from Lithoz can be used to print with different materials (photo credit: Lithoz).
The multi-material approach was applied by embedding aluminum oxide – zirconium oxide layers between outer pure aluminum oxide layers with considerable internal compressive stresses. Because 3D printing is done with different materials, researchers can control material placement in a way that makes the materials denser than pure (or monolithic) alumina during sintering. The tensile strength of 1 GPa – compared to the strength of 650 MPa for monolithic aluminum oxide – could be achieved through the different materials and temperatures: During sintering the different layers of material press together even more due to the different temperatures. This leads to controlled internal compressive stresses. The approach to the control of such tensile and compressive residual stresses goes back to previous excellent results, such as B. Gorilla glass, a thin, toughened glass that is mainly used to protect smartphone screens.
In recent years, great efforts have been made to develop multi-material ceramic architectures with improved strength. It was obviously worth it: So far, this is the first report on the use of additive manufacturing to adjust the strength of aluminum oxide ceramics using the layer-by-layer printing process. Among other things, the lithography-based ceramic manufacturing technology (LCM) from Lithoz contributed to this progress, which was also able to advance the production of ceramic bulk materials with mechanical properties. It should be mentioned that Ceramics stand out due to their outstanding properties, such as B. Biocompatibility, Corrosion Resistance and Wear Resistance, especially good for 3D printing and for projects of this kind. This is also made clear when additive ceramic manufacturing is compared with conventional ceramic manufacturing processes, because the production of complex geometries with traditional processes is extremely expensive, requires special tools and is extremely difficult.
What’s your opinion on this 3D printed aluminium? Let us know in a comment below or on our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages! Sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox!
* Cover picture credits: xtra GmbH
3D printed ceramics. Print media
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Today we continue to talk about 3D printing with ceramics. We already wrote about the benefits and applications of ceramic 3D printing, and today we'll talk about printing materials.
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| Alumina - Aluminum oxide or alumina. Most end products are printed with this material, which require high strength mechanical characteristics, good detail, chemical resistance. It has good thermal conductivity, hardness, corrosion resistance and refractoriness, excellent dielectric. Used in catalysis, water treatment, electronics. Maximum density 99.9%, roughness Ra = 0.3 mm. |
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| Zirconia - Zirconium oxide. Main use - aesthetic products, such as jewelry. Very durable. It is biologically compatible with living tissues and has high chemical resistance. Zirconium dioxide is used in the manufacture of dental filling material, coatings that create thermal barriers, and jewelry. You can make products with high resolution, polish. |
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| Fused Silica - Silica-based materials for investment casting. Silica-based materials with various additives are excellent ceramic solutions for the production of cores in investment foundries due to their high temperature stability, heat resistance and leachability. AdmaPrint C130 is the feedstock for silica-based casting cores with alumina and zirconia for casting steel and nickel-based superalloys. It allows the production of rods with high mechanical strength at high temperatures with good surface characteristics. nine0032 |
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| Hydroxyapatite - Hydroxyapatite. Printing with hydroxyapatite is currently in R&D. In the near future, this material will be actively used, as it is excellent for the manufacture of structures for bone replacement and for dental implants. |
Recall that the Admaflex 130 3D printer is a system that is completely open in terms of parameters. The user can change all settings, as well as create their own print materials. nine0003
Our video shows the 3D printing technology of Admaflex in detail.
If you are interested in ceramic 3D printing technology, want to know more about the equipment, visit our website .
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3D printing with aluminum on a printer
Printing with aluminum
Our company offers 3D aluminum printing using Selective Laser Melting technology. SLM technology allows you to create structural parts that are close in parameters to casting. Complex shapes are possible with internal structures that cannot be replicated by casting or milling. nine0003
We have a Concept Laser M2 Cusing machine for printing with AlSi10Mg powder alloy. This is a 3D printer for layer-by-layer printing with powder metals and alloys in a nitrogen or argon environment.
During the printing process, a thin layer of aluminum powder is applied to the platform, where it is fused by a laser along the outlines of the future part. The platform then lowers slightly and the process repeats. As a result, we get a strong anisotropic part, as close as possible in terms of characteristics to casting. nine0003
Aluminum printing examples
Aluminum 3D printing prices
| Technology | Equipment | Region | Layer, µm | Accuracy, mm | Materials | nine0187 Price (r/cm3)|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLM | Concept Laser M2 | 250x250x280 | 20-80 | +-0. 05 | 12X18H10T (stainless steel) 03Х17Н12М2 AlSi10Mg (aluminum) | 500r/cm3 500r/cm3 400r/cm3 |
| Manual post-processing | nine0227 Cleaning of support material, surface grinding and polishing, painting work1500 rub/man-hour | |||||
| 3D modeling | Create 3D models from drawings or templates | 2500 rub/man-hour | ||||
SLM and DMLS aluminum printing technologies are used in completely different areas: from the creation of new parts for the aerospace industry, to the printing of broken parts for cars and other equipment. Unlike traditional manufacturing methods such as milling and casting, the selective layer-by-layer fusion process has much fewer restrictions on shapes, negative angles, cavities, and so on. nine0003
Why is powder metal printing so good? First of all - small-scale.
For one medium or small part made of aluminum, casters and millers may simply not take it - the preparatory procedures are very expensive. Making molds for casting, as well as preparing and debugging a CNC program, require time and money. And one detail will be easily printed for you.
For 3D printing with aluminum, we use AlSi10Mg powder alloy - its composition is aluminum, about 10 percent silicon and magnesium. Lightweight and strong, this alloy is great for rapid prototyping and making new parts. nine0003
SLM printing with Al powder is widely used in the aerospace industry. Lightweight and durable parts with the ability to create internal cavities and cooling channels are indispensable for modern aircraft manufacturing. Also, this technology began to be used to create custom cooling radiators in electronics.
How is aluminum printed on a 3D printer? First, a thin first layer of powder is applied, with a thickness of 25-100 microns. Then the laser beam goes around the desired areas, fusing the powder to the metal.
Then a layer of powder is applied again and the process is repeated. Of course, a lot of experience of the staff is necessary, the specialist must correctly locate the part and support in the specialized software. 3D printing parameters may also differ for different alloys and different powders with different grain sizes. And finally, post-processing in the form of tumbling or grinding may be required. nine0003
Why order from us? Our company has its own production, with its own 3D printers, including those for metal. This allows us to quickly fulfill your orders and keep prices low. Our employees have extensive experience in the field of additive technologies, which allows us to perform prototyping work as efficiently as possible.
Advantages of 3D printing with aluminum
Main advantages of powder printing with aluminum alloys.
nine0259 Speed
Printing an aluminum (silumin) part is much faster than making it with traditional metal casting and CNC milling.
