RE: [rp-ml] Laser sintering of ceramics

From: Brent Stucker, Ph.D. <brent.stucker_at_usu.edu>
Date: Mon Oct 30 2006 - 22:11:47 EET

My apologies to Phenix for omitting their machine. I had known about their
work but it slipped my mind when responding to Ruggero, as most people I
have talked to have put their ceramic work in the "dental" category or
mentioned it as primarily R&D. FYI, there are a number of process which
have been developed to make ceramics for dental, medical and other
specialized applications. Some of those are commercialized. But I don't
know of anyone who offers a "service bureau" type of service to build
prototype ceramic parts of arbitrary geometry for others, with short
lead-times, on a regular basis. If there is, please contact me, as I would
like to mention your work in presentations that I give.

One great thing about this group is that, if you have a memory lapse,
someone will catch you. :)

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: Brock Hinzmann [mailto:bhinzmann@sric-bi.com]
Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 12:49 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 Mon Oct 30 21:01:11 2006

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