3DCeram Sinto & Avignon Ceramic Partner for Aerospace Ceramic Cores
A collaboration between 3DCeram Sinto and Avignon Ceramic leverages ceramic 3D printing to produce complex aerospace investment casting cores, overcoming limitations of traditional methods.
3DCeram Sinto, a provider of ceramic 3D printing solutions, and Avignon Ceramic, a specialist in ceramic components, have announced a partnership focused on the additive manufacturing of ceramic cores for the aerospace industry. This collaboration aims to address the geometric limitations of conventional ceramic injection molding (CIM) for intricate core designs.
Avignon Ceramic, which supplies ceramic cores for investment casting to sectors like aerospace and gas turbines, has historically relied on CIM. However, this method struggles with complex geometries, such as double- or triple-skin cores. Recognizing this constraint, Avignon Ceramic began exploring ceramic 3D printing in 2017, leading to the partnership with 3DCeram Sinto.
The partnership utilizes 3DCeram's C100 Easy 3D printer, a stereolithography (SLA) machine that produces parts with high accuracy and minimal warping. This system allows for variable print outputs while adhering to industrial standards. The collaboration combines Avignon Ceramic's expertise in mineralogy and core production with 3DCeram's knowledge of binders for 3D printing, resulting in a specialized ceramic paste suitable for directional solidification (DS) and single-crystal (SX) casting.
According to the companies, the new 3D printing process significantly reduces lead times. Mold design, fabrication, printing, firing, and finishing can now be accomplished within two weeks, a substantial improvement over the weeks or months previously required. Design modifications can be implemented in a matter of hours. This efficiency has led an undisclosed major aerospace company to adopt the 3D printing approach for a test project involving military parts, which has since progressed to small-series production.
This partnership highlights the additive manufacturing industry's push to overcome traditional manufacturing bottlenecks. By enabling the rapid production of complex ceramic cores for aerospace investment casting, it allows for faster design iterations and the creation of geometries impossible with injection molding. This accelerates development cycles for components like turbine blades, crucial for next-generation aerospace applications.
Edited by the news editor with AI from the original report — please refer to the original source.