Recently, ACMIT received a brand-new Lithoz 7500 ceramic 3D printer.

This additive manufacturing system can use CAD data to produce ceramic prototypes and components. It uses a process called Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing (LCM) which allows the production of high-performance ceramic parts with the same material properties as conventionally formed parts. The LCM technology was developed by Lithoz and is based on the principle of photopolymerization, meaning that the material changes its properties (in this case, is hardening) when exposed to light.

The printer can use:

• two industrial ceramics – alumina and zirconia – with very good mechanical properties as well as biocompatibility
• a special ceramic called tricalcium phosphate (TCP) which is bioresorbable, meaning it can be used for bone grafts supporting the bone ingrowth

Currently, ACMIT is waiting for the delivery of furnaces for debinding and sintering of the 3D-printed parts (until then ACMIT cooperates with Lithoz/FOTEC in this matter) and a Lithoz cleaning station for preparation of the 3D-printed components for thermal post-processing.

For more details about the 3D printer, please visit: http://www.lithoz.com/en

The 3D printer was purchased in the framework of the project “Additive Manufacturing for Medical Research (M3dRES)” and with support of the FFG “F&E-Infrastrukturförderung”. For more information please visit http://www.m3dres.org/ and https://www.ffg.at/.