Ceramic RP Parts

From: Lightman, Allan J. (LIGHTMAJ@main.udri.udayton.edu)
Date: Thu Jul 25 1996 - 18:28:00 EEST


Karl Denton asked:

>Hello RP World...
>
>I'm looking for information of RP processes using ceramic as a build =
>material. I'd like to produce the parts and not the shell so this my =
>rule out Soligen. Any ideas or comments?
>
>Karl R. Denton
>President
>Denton and Company, Inc.

There are several U.S. programs working with ceramic materials for part
fabrication. Most of these are in early stages of material and technique
development but are already demonstrating part fabrication. University
programs include Rutgers where they are implementing a form of FDM using a
feedstock that is ceramic loaded (also pursued at Argonne National Labs.),
Michigan where they are using ceramic loaded polymers for SLA, and Dayton
where they are using ceramic tapes for LOM (also under development at Lone
Peak Engineering). Parts are being produced and issues of consolidation,
infiltration, surface finish, dimensional accuracy, etc. are under study.
 The programs are capable of producing either the part or the shell.
 Materials under study include alumina, silicon carbide, silicon nitride and
aluminum nitride. The Dayton program is also investigating inclusion of
ceramic fiber reinforcement - both chopped and continuous.

Allan Lightman
University of Dayton Research Institute
lightman@udri.udayton.edu



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