NEW TECHNOLOGIES | NEWS MEMS | ARTICLE The First Company in the
World for Printing Functional Ceramic Components
<< LEFT | Figure 1: Selection of printed ceramic components:
gears, filter elements and watch cases. >>
<< ABOVE | Figure 2: ADMATEC Europe B.V. headquarters. >>
C
eramic injection moulder Formatec Ceramics, a consultancy company Innotech Europe and Energy Research Centre Netherlands (ECN) have concluded their development
efforts and founded a new company, ADMATEC Europe BV. Since the spring of 2013 all parties have worked together to develop a ceramic printing process for functional ceramic components. Based on the rapid technical progress and the solid results up to now, founding a new company was the obvious next step.
ADMATEC Europe controls the complete printing process, called the ADMAFLEX technology, in-house. The recipes for the printing material are developed in-house and allow great control on the actual process. The process is similar for developments of the printing equipment — it is all developed within the group.
During the past months the process has been qualified. This resulted in two validated recipes, one for alumina oxide and another one for zirconia oxide. The technology roots are based on a photosensitive resin that is homogeneously mixed with ceramic powder. The material is activated by the means of a light source,
layer by layer. The parts obtain their final properties with the use of debinding and sintering.
In the near future ADMATEC will focus on realising a diversity of commercial orders. A wide range of customers have already found their way to this unique technology through Formatec Ceramics. Customers are based in the Brainport region around Eindhoven, but international customers are also placing development orders. New innovations will continue to be made and will most likely take place on cutting edge between greater product sizes while retaining precision. Secondly, the ADMAFLEX technology will be tested for printing metals.
Michiel de Bruijcker, Managing Director of ADMATEC, said: “The technical developments did have great pace over the past year. These results position ADMATEC in a unique spot in the rapid growing market of printing functional components. With a great amount of trust we looking towards the future, further enhancing the technology and further market developments.”
41 | commercial micro manufacturing international Vol 7 No.1
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52