Thermoplastic 3D-Printing

Gate Keeper

Dr. Ing. Tassilo Moritz

Fraunhofer-Institut für Keramische Technologien und Systeme (IKTS)

www.ikts.fraunhofer.de

Winterbergstraße 28

01277 Dresden

T: +49 351 25537747

F: +49 351 197

E-Mail: Tassilo.Moritz@ikts.fraunhofer.de

Thermoplastic 3D - printing

Thermoplastic 3D-Printing (CerAM T3DP) is an Additive Manufacturing method for ceramic components which works material independent and which can be used for manufacturing of multi component and/or functionally graded parts. The technology bases on usage of particle filled thermoplastic feedstocks with low melting temperature (80 – 100 °C). The viscosity of the feedstock is relatively low compared to pure thermoplastic materials which are used for the conventional Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM).

By CerAM T3DP building material is only deposited dot-wise where it is needed for the desired component. A heatable dispensing unit which can be controlled in x-y-z-direction moves above a fixed building platform. The thermoplastic feedstock is molten in a cartridge and deposited as small droplets by a piezo driven micro dispensing unit onto the building platform where they solidify immediately. This behavior makes the process almost independent from the powder properties and allows for building components of ceramic, metal, hard metal or glass powders.Furthermore, by applying two or three dispensing units materials with different properties, polymeric supporting structures or sacrificial structures can be deposited simultaneously.

Multi component glass part consisting of differently colored fluorescing glass powders  (Source: Fraunhofer IKTS)

Individualized watch bezel consisting of white and black zirconia printed by CerAM T3DP (Source: EU-Project CerAMfacturing, GA No. 678503)