Ceramic 3D printing 2021: guide and ceramic 3D printer selection
Table of contents
- What is ceramic 3D printing?
- The best ceramic 3D printers
- Industrial ceramic additive manufacturing systems
- Professional desktop ceramic 3D printers
- AIO 3D printers that 3D print ceramic material with paste extruders
- Special mentions
- Ceramic 3D printing process
- Applications for ceramic 3D printing
- Professional ceramic 3D printing services
What is ceramic 3D printing?
Today, ceramic 3D printers are mostly expensive industrial additive manufacturing systems. These systems vary in the 3D printing technologies they use to 3D print ceramic material: extrusion, binder jetting, photopolymerization and powder sintering.
However, 3D printing is only part of a longer manufacturing process. Ceramic 3D printers generate green parts, meaning that they must go through heavy post-processing steps in order to reach their final form. One of these steps, for instance, is firing the ceramic part or prototype in a high-temperature kiln.
Source: Kwambio
This guide includes a comprehensive selection of ceramic additive manufacturing solutions and clay 3D printers for professionals.
The best ceramic 3D printers
| 3D printer | Technology | Material type | Build volume | Country | Price* | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DCeram C3600 ULTIMATE | Stereolithography | Advanced ceramics | 600 x 600 x 300 mm | France | $300,000 | Quote |
| Admatec ADMAFLEX 130 | Stereolithography | Advanced ceramics | 96 x 54 x 120 mm | Netherlands | $150,000 | Quote |
| WASP DeltaWASP 2040 Clay | Extrusion | Clay | ⌀ 200 x 400 mm | Italy | $3,500 | Quote |
| DeltaBots 3D PotterBot 9 | Extrusion | Clay | 420 x 360 x 480 mm | United States | $4,850 | Quote |
| ExOne x1 160PRO | Jetting | Advanced ceramics | 800 x 500 x 400 mm | Germany | $150,000 | Quote |
| Lithoz CeraFab 7500 | Stereolithography | Advanced ceramics | 76 x 43 x 170 mm | Austria | $240,000 | Quote |
| Lynxter S600D | Extrusion | Advanced ceramics/Clay | ⌀ 390 × 600 mm | France | $30,000 | Quote |
| Pollen AM Pam Series MC | Extrusion | Advanced ceramics | ⌀ 300 x 300 mm | France | $80,000 | Quote |
| Prodways ProMaker V6000 | Stereolithography | Advanced ceramics | 120 x 500 x 150 mm | France | $300,000 | Quote |
| Rapidia Metal 3D printer | Extrusion | Advanced ceramics | 200 x 280 x 200 mm | Canada | $130,000 | Quote |
| StoneFlower 3.1 | Extrusion | Advanced ceramics/Clay | 480 x 480 x 500 mm | Germany | $4,000 | Quote |
| Tethon 3D Bison 1000 | Stereolithography | Advanced ceramics | 110 x 60 x 130 mm | United States | $17,000 | Quote |
| VormVrij LUTUM 5 | Extrusion | Advanced ceramics/Clay | 430 x 450 x 500 mm | Netherlands | $9,900 | Quote |
| XJet Carmel 700C | Jetting | Advanced ceramics | 500 x 140 x 200 mm | Israel | $250,000 | Quote |
Advanced ceramics, also called technical ceramics or engineering ceramics, may include: Zirconia, Alumina, Silica, Hydroxyapatite, Aluminum Nitride, Silicon Nitride, Tricalcium Phosphate ...
*Price: These price ranges are indicative and may vary over time and/or from one country to another. Please contact us for quotes.
Industrial ceramic additive manufacturing systems
3DCeram C3600 ULTIMATE
- Build volume: 600 x 600 x 300 mm
- Technology: Stereolithography
- Country: France
- Price: >$300,000
These materials are in the form of proprietary, photosensitive pastes that the ceramic 3D printer photopolymerizes layer after layer.
More information: 3DCeram C3600 ULTIMATE
Admatec ADMAFLEX 130
- Build volume: 96 x 54 x 120 mm
- Technology: Stereolithography
- Country: Netherlands
- Price: $150,000
Compatible materials include aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, silicon oxide, a combination of aluminum and zirconium, hydroxyapatite and silica based materials for investment casting.
More information: Admatec ADMAFLEX 130
ExOne x1 160PRO
- Build volume: 800 x 500 x 400 mm
- Technology: Jetting
- Country: Germany
- Price: $150,000
Destined for industrial production, this ceramic 3D printer offers an impressive throughput of up to 10,000 cm3/hour.
More information: ExOne x1 160PRO
Lithoz CeraFab 7500
- Build volume: 76 x 43 x 170 mm
- Technology: Stereolithography
- Country: Austria
- Price: $240,000
According to Lithoz, this ceramic additive manufacturing system is plug-and-play.
More information: Lithoz CeraFab 7500
Prodways ProMaker V6000
- Build volume: 120 x 500 x 150 mm
- Technology: Stereolithography
- Country: France
- Price: >$300,000
This Prodways ceramic printer is suitable for a range of applications, particularly bio-medical applications.
More information: Prodways ProMaker V6000
Rapidia Metal 3D printer
- Build volume: 200 x 280 x 200 mm
- Technology: Extrusion
- Country: Canada
- Price: $130,000
The water evaporates during the 3D printing process, so the part only needs to go through the furnace in order to completely solidify and attain its final form.
More information: Rapidia Metal 3D printer
XJet Carmel 700C
- Build volume: 500 x 140 x 200 mm
- Technology: Jetting
- Country: Israel
- Price: >$300,000
XJet’s technology produces parts of with an outstanding level of detail and accuracy.
More information: XJet Carmel 700C
Professional desktop ceramic 3D printers
DeltaBots 3D PotterBot 9
- Build volume: 330 x 330 x 394 mm
- Technology: Extrusion
- Country: United States
- Price: $14,850
The syringe-like extruder is able to contain a maximum of 2000 mL of material.
More information: DeltaBots 3D PotterBot 9
Pollen AM Pam Series MC
- Build volume: ⌀ 300 x 300 mm
- Technology: Extrusion
- Country: France
- Price: $80,000
It extrudes injection-molding pellets instead of ceramic 3D printing filament, which is a more affordable material format than powder or filament, for example.
More information: Pollen PAM Series MC
StoneFlower 3.1
- Build volume: 480 x 480 x 500 mm
- Technology: Extrusion
- Country: Germany
- Price: $4,000
Custom build sizes are available upon request as well as closed casings.
More information: StoneFlower 3.1
Tethon 3D Bison 1000
- Build volume: 110 x 60 x 130 mm
- Technology: Stereolithography
- Country: United States
- Price: $17,000
Proprietary resins include materials such as porcelain, earthenware, alumina, and others.
More information: Tethon 3D Bison 1000
WASP Delta WASP 2040 Clay
- Build volume: ⌀ 200 x 400 mm
- Technology: Extrusion
- Country: Italy
- Price: $3,500
A clay printing kit is also available for users that already own a 3D printer.
More information: WASP Delta WASP 2040 Clay
VormVrij LUTUM 5
- Build volume: 430 x 450 x 500 mm
- Technology: Extrusion
- Country: Netherlands
- Price: $9,900
Its 316 grade Stainless Steel extruder uses moisture-free 6Bar compressed air to push clay through its nozzle.
More information: VormVrij LUTUM 5
AIO 3D printers that 3D print ceramic material with paste extruders
Lynxter S600D
- Build volume: ⌀ 390 × 600 mm
- Technology: Extrusion
- Country: Lynxter S600D
- Price: $30,000
Its special paste-material print head enables it to 3D print ceramic materials as well.
More information: Lynxter S600D
ZMorph VX
- Build volume: 250 x 235 x 165 mm
- Technology: Extrusion
- Country: Poland
- Price: $2,799
Thanks to its interchangeable tool heads, the ZMorph VX enables users to rapidly switch between functionalities: CNC milling, laser engraving/cutting, 3D scanning, and paste extrusion for clay materials.
More information: ZMorph VX
Special mentions
Nanoe Zetamix
Nanoe produces several ceramic-infused filaments that can be printed by almost any desktop FFF 3D printer. These filaments are part of Nanoe’s Zetamix line and materials include Zirconia, black Zirconia, and Alumina, and even a metal-based filament (Stainless Steel).
After parts are printed, debinded, and sintered, they are 99% dense.
Voxeljet
Voxeljet is specialized in industrial AM systems for sand molds, though the majority of their printers are capable of printing ceramic materials.
The most compact Voxeljet system is the VX200, which already boasts very large dimensions: 1,700 x 900 x 1,500 mm. Pricing starts at around $150,000.
Kwambio
For those looking for Kwambio, the company is in a delicate financial position. Kwambio is an additive manufacturing company from the Ukraine with headquarters in New York. Their online ceramic 3D printing service enables users to choose from glossy, matte, opaque or unglazed finishes.
The Kwambio Ceramo Zero ceramic 3D printer never officially made it to market.
Ceramic 3D printing process
- Paste extrusion: a paste extruder deposits layers of ceramic onto a build plate.
- Powder sintering: the ceramic is in a powdered form and is sintered layer by layer.
- Binder jetting: the 3D printer deposits layers of binding agent upon layers of powder.
- Photopolymerization: a light source solidifies a mix of resin and ceramic powder layer after layer.
Most industrial ceramic 3D printers use either binder jetting or powder sintering technologies. Our 3D printing technologies guide explains these methods in more detail.
As mentioned earlier on, ceramic 3D printers create green parts. These green parts must go through different steps to reach their final form:
- Firing: in some cases, this step must be repeated more than once.
- Glazing (optional): professionals may choose to cover the object with glaze to give it a special color or finish, such as matte or glossy.
Applications for ceramic 3D printing
- high strength and dimensional stability
- low density
- chemical stability
- high electrical insulating capacity
- high resistance to abrasion and corrosion
Therefore, ceramic 3D printing suits a wide variety of applications. These applications include engineering in industries such as aerospace, automotive, chemical, electrical, environmental, medical and more.
Of course, artists can also benefit from ceramic 3D printing (clay printing) for pottery and sculptures.
Here, we are highlighting two industries where ceramic 3D printing seems to be gaining prominence:
Ceramic art, pottery, and sculptures
For hundreds of years, we have been using clay to create beautiful and/or functional objects. Dutch designer Olivier van Herpt, for example, uses his ceramic 3D printer to create impressive vases. Ceramic material is also used in the luxury industry for watches and jewelry.
Biomedical
There are a number of applications with 3D printing ceramics when it comes to the medical industry. For instance, patients can benefit from custom implants made of calcium phosphates, a material that is very close to human bone composition. Furthermore, it’s possible to control the implant’s porosity.
This means 3D printed bone substitutes will have a low chance of rejection from a body’s immune system. 3DCeram illustrates this in their medical case study.
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Professional ceramic 3D printing services
Users just have to send their 3D model to the service, choose the material, and wait until they receive the final product. Ceramic 3D printer manufacturers such as 3DCeram, Admatec, DDM Systems, Kwambio, Lithoz, Prodways, and Voxeljet provide this type of service.
A few 3D printing service bureaus offer ceramic printing options, too:
- Shapeways
- iMaterialise
- OsseoMatrix
- WZR CerPrint
More 3D printing resources
- Discover our selection of the best professional desktop SLS 3D printers.
- Try 3D scanning for free with these smartphone 3D scanner apps.
- We reference over 1,000 3D printers in our database to fuel our 3D printer comparison engine.
