A flexible additive manufacturing method from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems allows researchers to produce bone implants, dentures, surgical tools, or microreactors in a variety of designs.
“We have no limitations in terms of type or color of material for the target components," said Dr. Tassilo Moritz from Fraunhofer IKTS’s “Materials and Processes” business division. "This allows us to process ceramics, glass, plastic, or even metal using thermoplastic 3D printing."
The different materials can be produced at the same time. In the lab, the scientists have already successfully made components out of high-performance ceramics and hard metals.
The multi-material approach will improve surgical instruments like endoscopes, which require both high-grade steel and insulated ceramic components.
The ceramic and metallic mixtures rely on a thermoplastic binder that becomes liquid at temperatures of around 80 °C. The suspensions can quickly cool down, and one layer after another can be deposited in sequence. The binder disperses powder particles of metal, glass, or ceramics.
”Our mixtures are very homogeneous and we precisely set the optimum level of viscosity. Only then can the printer put out the droplet size suitable for the particular component contour,” says Moritz.
The electrically generated temperature in the printer melts the suspension. After deposition, the droplets immediately harden as a result of the quick cooling process.
The workpiece is then built up point by point on a flat platform. The technique allows different materials to be deposited at the same time via multiple application units.
