Looking to expand their capabilities in ceramics additive manufacturing, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) finally partnered with 3DCeram Sinto Inc. and purchased a C900-Flex 3D printer. This was Oak Ridge’s first time purchasing equipment from 3DCeram Sinto.
The Knoxville, TN, facility wanted to leverage ceramics additive manufacturing for making oxides and nitrides for surrogate fuels and leading edges. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (MDF) is a part of the United States Department of Energy National Laboratories and Technology Centers, a system of facilities and laboratories overseen by the United States Department of Energy for the purpose of advancing science and technology to fulfill the DOE mission.
When asked why they went with 3DCeram Sinto, Corson Cramer, PhD of Oak Ridge, stated: “3DCeram had the most innovative technology with paste and laser from the top. We were excited about the accuracy and resolution the machine provided as well as the size. Before learning about the C900, we were having issues with the size of our parts. With the C900, we are able to work with larger accurate parts.”
Manufacturing on Demand
The C900 supports a range of over 15 materials, offering a configurable build platform that can vary from 100 mm x 100 mm up to 300 mm x 300 mm, with free link support technology to avoid costly post-processing. The system also offers open parameters for R&D activity.
In October 2020, 3DCeram Sinto USA was able to install the machine. Since running the C900-Flex, Oak Ridge National Laboratory reported many benefits, when compared to other machines or methods, such as the ease of paste material loading and build plate extraction, along with the high quality of the parts produced.
Oak Ridge has now set the goal of further expanding the facility with more equipment for a small lab-scale printer and a larger printer for even larger size parts. They are also looking to dedicate a 3D printer specifically to their fuels program.
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Author: Victor Anusci
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