Margret Müller, Managing Director of the Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Kannenbäckerstadt mbH (WfG), City Mayor Michael Thiesen and the Mayor of the Verbandsgemeinde Thilo Becker visited Kompetenzzentrum zur Additiven Fertigung anorganisch-nichtmetallischer Werkstoffe “3DKeramik” at CeraTechCenter (CTC). The tour was led by Dr. Marcus Emmel from Forschungsinstitut für Glas – Keramik GmbH (FGK) as head of the competence center and Lee Klein from Koblenz University of Applied Sciences as project manager. The project, which is made possible by funding from the Ministry of Economics of Rhineland-Palatinate (MWVLW) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), initially serves to establish an infrastructure and develop know-how for additive manufacturing of inorganic non-metallic materials. It has been located in the Technology and Start-up Center since spring 2020.
After Dr. Emmel had presented the development of 3DKeramik and an overview of the activities to date, Mr. Klein explained the approach for adapting refractory concretes to modern 3D printing technologies. In addition to a description of the complex material development, the specially constructed large-format printer was also presented. This makes it possible to print refractory concrete components with a weight of up to 400 kg, which are used at temperatures of up to 1600 °C. Finally, Dr. Emmel illustrated those printing processes that are used to additively manufacture technical ceramics, such as transparent components, but also silicate ceramics based on regional clays.
Most impressive to all was a ceramic panel produced by 3D printer for the 35th anniversary of FGK GmbH. Here, even small photographs of people became recognizable when the ceramic was indirectly illuminated. Varying layer thicknesses in the printed ceramics allow light to penetrate differently, making the tiniest details visible. In addition to detailed miniatures such as the Mainz Cathedral or the Atomium in Brussels, large components the size of a brick can also be printed. However, these examples are merely illustrative to show interested individuals and companies the possibilities of ceramic 3D printing.
The aim of the competence center is to intensify knowledge and experience in the use of 3D printing and thereby advance the adaptation of the wide range of ceramic materials to this technology. The resulting knowledge will ultimately be made available to domestic industry in particular.
Ceramic 3D printing, for example, is regarded as a forward-looking cross-sectional and key technology for almost all industries. The market potential is estimated to be correspondingly large. According to Dr. Emmel, the product properties enable an almost unlimited variety of geometries and designs and thus offer countless possible applications, for example in the fields of technology and design or in medicine for bone and tooth replacements, implants and prostheses.
Are you interested? Then you can find out more details on the Internet at https://3d-keramik.com/. You can find Kompetenzzentrum zur Additiven Fertigung anorganisch-nichtmetallischer Werkstoffe “3DKeramik” at CeraTechCenter in Rheinstraße 60a in 56203 Höhr-Grenzhausen.
Published in Kannenbäckerland Kurier.