Monthly Tech-Tip | No tracking! No ads! |
Cutting-edge ceramic 3D printing is happening in dental! The focus is not primarily on the printers, attention is going into the paste. They are calling it "the resin" because acrylic resin is the likely medium. Pure alumina powder is being used (also pure silica). Imagine having a pure alumina tooth! What temperature does it take to fire these (and burn out the photopolymer network)? 1600C! They are achieving high percentages (likely 70%+) of the powder in an acrylic resin base and yet the slurry is very fluid (so it can be printed in a very narrow extrusion) and has minimal fired shrinkage. They are adding uV hardeners, this enables solidifying the material as soon as it leaves the printer nozzle. Data sheets specify exactly what uV wave length is needed. The key to the success of these efforts is meticulous lab work to perfect and adapt already established processes and materials. This material-centric lead could be adapted to so many other branches of ceramic fabrication and so many other materials could be made into resins. Another exciting area is investment casting. Thin ceramic shells are being printed and molten metal poured in to get shapes never before possible.
URLs |
https://www.prodways.com/material/alumina-photx-a100-a110/
ALUMINA PHOTX A100 3D printing resin by SINTX They claim >60% solids and cures quickly under 365nm light. They claim low viscosity, no settling, high green strength and minimal densification on sintering at 1650C. Used for printing electronics, tubing, sheets, bars, rods, discs wear-resistant coatings, biomedical, etc. |
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URLs |
https://www.gantrade.com/glossary/acrylates
Acrylic resin glossary (as opposed to Epoxy resins) Covers the all the types, most important of which is the ccrylic radiation curable coatings - these have promise as a carrier of ceramic powders for 3D printing. |
URLs |
https://www.amazon.ca/UV-Resin/s?k=UV+Resin
uV Resin for making 3D printing pastes - at Amazon Crystal clear UV curing resin from many suppliers that claim them to be low odor. uV lights are also available. |
URLs |
https://www.arkema.com/global/en/products/product-finder/product-range/sartomer/n3xt-dimension-3d-printing/
N3xtDimension® solutions for UV-curable 3D printing Resins for additive manufacturers to produce UV-curable 3D printing pastes for applications such as medical, dental, electronics and sporting goods. |
URLs |
https://www.prodways.com/
Prodways, from France, MOVINGLight® DLP technology ceramic 3D printers They claim high precision for prototyping and making molds and casts (e.g. investment casting). Machines are designed to work seamlessly with SILICA SICAST 1200 and ALUMINA A100 resins from SINTX Technologies |
URLs |
https://dental.formlabs.com/products/form-4b/
The 4 Formlabs 4B printers for dental They support high precision (e.g. many dental applications). |
Glossary |
3D Printing Clay
Clay for 3D printing. People are getting carried away with the technology and forgetting the common sense things relating to the clay. |
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