Richard K. Holman

New Process and Materials Developments in 3-Dimensional Printing, 3DP ™

The Three-Dimensional Printing (3DP ™ ) process has been modified to incorporate colloidal science for the fabrication of fine ceramic parts. Complex shaped alumina and silicon nitride components have been formed directly from 3-dimensional CAD files using submicron powders. Parts were built using a sequential layering process of the ceramic slurry followed by ink jet printing of a binder system. A well dispersed slurry and optimized printing parameters are required to form a uniform powder bed with a high green density. Liquid-powder bed interactions affect the geometry and internal structure of the component. The redispersion of the unprinted powder bed is critical in order to retrieve the printed components. The slurry and powder bed chemistry are the major factors controlling powder bed redispersion. The process is generic and can be readily adapted for new materials systems. Our research is currently focused on the fabrication of dielectric RF filters. Preliminary results have demonstrated the ability to successfully fabricate cylindrical RF resonators.