Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing of Ceramic Materials

American Ceramic Society Short Course Jesse Blacker, Product Development Manager & Principal Investigator

10.12.2017

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

Presentation Overview

1. Introduction to Binder Jetting AM

2. Binder Jetting Machines for Ceramics

3. Ceramic Materials & Applications in Binder Jetting AM

4. Summary

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Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

1. Introduction to Binder Jetting AM

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Comparison to other AM Technology

* Additive manufacturing categories as classified by ASTM

Binder Jetting Benefits • Machine Size • Part Size • Machine Speed • Low cost • Broad portfolio of materials

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

1. Introduction to Binder Jetting AM

Raw Material

(Powder) Forming

High Temperature

Processing Finishing Characterization

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Ceramic Part Manufacturing Process Flow

Powder Recoating

Digital Data Feed

Binder Deposition

Binder Jetting is an alternative shape forming process for ceramic material manufacturing.

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

1. Introduction to Binder Jetting AM

Powder & Recoating

Digital Model / Data

Binder Deposition

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Components of Binder Jetting Process

3D Printed Glass Artwork produced with Binder Jetting AM

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

1. Introduction to Binder Jetting AM

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Powder & Recoating

Standard dispenser for free-flowing, large diameter powders (d50 >25 micron)

Modified dispenser and leveling systems for poor-flowing, small diameter powders (d50 < 25 micron)

Representative only

• Challenge: • Ceramic powders suitable for sintering (high surface area, small particle size) don’t flow or spread well,

which makes thin layer and voxel creation difficult. • Ceramic powders suitable for printing (historically) don’t sinter well due to large particle sizes.

• The push for enabling direct printing of technical ceramics with binder jetting is in creation of new recoater designs to print powders with small d50 PS, bi-modal PSD, or large PSD

Smooth layer of sinterable, poor flowing, Alumina powder using experimental recoater

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

1. Introduction to Binder Jetting AM

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Binder Deposition

• Surface finish is driven by: • Binder Droplet Size & Spacing

• Layer Thickness

• Powder Size

Piezo-wall

Drop Generator Chamber

Binder

Drop generator chamber is displaced to eject a drop.

Droplet Volume (pL) 80 30 10

DPI 450 900 1200

Innovent™ M-Flex® M-Print™

Print Nozzles 256 1024 1200

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

1. Introduction to Binder Jetting AM

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Overall Process

1. CAD model 2. Part is printed

4. Part is depowdered 5. Part is processed through heat

cycle

6. Part is completed in less than 3

days

3. Part is cured

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

1. Introduction to Binder Jetting AM

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Video

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

2. Binder Jetting Machines

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Innovent™ - Ceramic Printing Machine – Designed for Research & Development

Innovent™ Description

Build Size 160 x 65 x 65 mm

Build Speed 30-60 sec / layer

Min Layer 50 mm

Powder Size* > 5 micron

Data Interface STL

* Powder dependent

Test coupons

Recoater and Build Box

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

2. Binder Jetting Machines

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M-Flex® - Ceramic Printing Machine

Innovent™ Description

Build Size 400 x 250 x 250 mm

Build Speed 30-60 sec / layer

Min. Layer 50 mm

Powder Size* > 15 micron

Data Interface STL

* Powder dependent Printed SiC Optical Structure

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

2. Binder Jetting Machines

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M-Print™ - Ceramic Printing Machine

Innovent™ Description

Build Size 800 x 500 x 400 mm

Build Speed 60 sec / layer

Min. Layer 150 mm

Powder Size* > 60 micron

Data Interface STL

* Powder dependent

Printed Ceramic Mandrel

Printed Ceramic Castle

Ceramic (Mullite) Parts from ExOne M-Print

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

3. Ceramic Materials & Applications Binder Jetting Closely Related to Powder Metallurgy / Materials

Bonded

Partially Sintered

Highly Sintered

Possible Product Forms

Infiltrated

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

3. Ceramic Materials & Applications

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Tungsten Carbide

Global Tungsten & Powders Towanda, PA

AM WC701 powder

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

3. Ceramic Materials & Applications

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Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide

https://www.sglgroup.com/cms/_common/downloads/innovation/future-carbon-technologies/CARBOPRINT_additiv_manufacturing_with_carbons_e.pdf

Carbon Print Material & Si Infiltration / Reaction SiC Print Material & Si Infiltration / Reaction

Program Goal: Develop 3DP capability for SiC optical

support structures, meeting MDA material property

requirements.

Si Infiltrated SiC SiC optical structure 3D printed preform

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

3. Ceramic Materials & Applications

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Aluminum Oxide

ExOne® 3D Printed Alumina Sintering Setters

• Designed to prevent distortion during sintering process of MIM

and Metal AM Parts

• Significantly reduce lead times for custom geometry setters

• Printed in >99% purity alumina

High Density Alumina – University of Texas El Paso (UTEP)

Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics – ACerS Short Course

4. Summary

• Binder Jetting has inherent advantages for Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics: • Print Speed, Print Size, Material Choices & Flexibility

• Binder Jetting has inherent challenges for Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics: • Limitations on powder size capabilities

• Knowledge gaps in thermal processing of AM pre-forms

• Binder Jetting with today’s state-of-the-art capabilities has application in many ceramic materials markets: • Reaction Bonded / Siliconized Silicon Carbide (SiC) for Optics, Automotive, Chemical, and High-temperature Material

industries

• Tungsten Carbide / Cobalt (WC/Co) for wear parts and cutting tool industries

• Oxide based ceramics for filters, electronics packaging, etc.

• Binder Jetting is continuing to grow, and future machine enhancements for printing small particle size, sinterable ceramic powders will continue to create broader adoption.

• Published material property characterization data from large industrial players will also drive adoption throughout the industry.

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Binder Jetting for Ceramic Materials

Thank You! Jesse Blacker

Jesse.Blacker@exone.com

www.exone.com

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