RE: [rp-ml] Laser sintering of ceramics

From: Andrea Reinhardt <andrea.reinhardt_at_microtec-d.com>
Date: Tue Oct 31 2006 - 10:20:22 EET

 
Dear Brock,

thank you for detailed background,
maybe its interesting for you to compare:
phenix systems www.phenix-systems.com are using direct ceramics
-no casts- and no polymer to burn out..

Best regards
Andrea
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi [mailto:owner-rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi] On Behalf
Of Brock Hinzmann
Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 8:49 PM
To: Brent Stucker, Ph.D.
Cc: 'Ruggero Gabbrielli'; rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi
Subject: Re: [rp-ml] Laser sintering of ceramics

Ruggero,

If there's a working process out there, I would think Brent knows about it.

There is one company that does layered manufacturing of ceramic parts,
called EoPlex. They use a printing and irradiation process for building
up functional layers and have made a splash in the news for making very
small ceramic fuel cell reformers of 300 layers. They also make sensors
and other such relatively small parts, not prototypes. The CEO, Art
Chait, and some of the board members used to be at SRI International.
They are backed by venture money from Draper Fisher Jurvetson.

SRI itself developed a process for DARPA to make ceramic gas turbine
blades and such. The starting material was a slurry of visable light
photosensitive polymer and ceramic particles. They made good, accurate
parts that were tested and verified under the DARPA program and at least
a couple of the RP&M companies looked into licensing the technology.
You'll have to ask SRI about the current status, however, as it was
never commercialized that I know of.

Lone Peak used to make ceramic parts (and maybe they still do) from a
ceramic green tape that was cut to shape in 2 dimensions and layered and
then fired to burn out the polymer binder and to sinter the ceramic.

I'm guessing many organizations have looked into various ceramic powder
sintering processes. Boeing Phantom Works? U.S. Army Tank Command?
national labs in various countries? You should have lots of choices for
research.

Brock Hinzmann

Brent Stucker, Ph.D. wrote:

>Ruggero,
>
>There are many ways to build ceramic components using RP, including FDM,
>SLS, SLA, 3DP and LOM (amongst others). At this point in time no one, to
>the best of my knowledge, offers a commercial machine to do this. However,
>a number of us have run ceramics in our RP machines as part of R&D
programs.
>
>
>If anyone is currently selling ceramic parts commercially from their RP
>machines, I would be interested to know that. If you have some
>developmental needs and funding available, I have all of the facilities
>necessary to make ceramic parts using SLS and you can feel free to contact
>me.
>
>Good luck.
>
>Brent
>
>_____________________________________
>Brent Stucker, Ph.D.
>Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
>Engineering Bldg. Rm. 419H
>Utah State University
>Logan, UT 84322-4130
>phone: +1 435-797-8173
>fax: +1 435-797-2417
>email: brent.stucker@usu.edu
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi [mailto:owner-rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi] On Behalf
>Of Ruggero Gabbrielli
>Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 4:57 AM
>To: rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi
>Subject: [rp-ml] Laser sintering of ceramics
>
>Hello RP lovers,
>
>I would like to build a ceramic component. Is there any RP machine that can

>operate with ceramic powders?
>
>Ruggero Gabbrielli
>
>
>
>
Received on Tue Oct 31 09:09:18 2006

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