www.3ders.org

Sep 2, 2014

Austria-based high-performance ceramic 3D printer manufacturer Lithoz, a spin-off of the Technical University of Vienna, has announced that EOS' founder and 3D printing angel investor has invested in the company.

Dr. Hans J. Langer, in his role as founder and CEO, has made the high-tech company EOS the industry leader in the field of laser sintering. As a business angel he also supports the creation and development of start-up companies in this area.

Dr. Johannes Homa, CEO and founder of Lithoz, announced the news with some pride, "In the past three years Lithoz has managed to establish a new an innovative production method in the field of high-performance ceramics. Through our partnership with Dr. Langer our work finds special recognition and our future growth opportunities will increase significantly."

Lithoz's patented Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing (LCM) process makes it possible to 3D print ceramics with high accuracy, fine detail and high density and strength. The LCM-process is based on the selective curing of a photosensitive resin which contains homogeneously dispersed ceramic particles. The Photopolymers act as binder between the ceramic particles and make the precise shaping and high densities of the green body.

The centerpiece of the process is a specifically designed imaging system that enables the transfer of the layer information by means of the latest LED-technology. This imaging technique along with special projection optics allows the production of small structures and very fine details.

The Lithoz's first 3D printer, CeraFab 7500, is a complete system for the production of dense and precise high-performance ceramic parts. It is a flexible and durable plug & play network-printer which works completely independent from any other device. The layer thickness varies between 25 microns and 100 microns depending on the components. CeraFab 7500 can print a two-centimeter object in approx. 800 layers with 25 microns layer thickness. The printing speed for such a 25 micron layer thickness structure is three millimeters per hour, depending on the component, the whole process takes about four to eight hours.

Dr. Johannes Patzer, CTO and founder of Lithoz says, "Because of their outstanding properties, high-perfomrance ceramics are used wherever other materials fail. This applies, for example, to commponents that are used in corrosive environments or components that are exposed to extreme tribological environments and high temperatures."

High-performance ceramics are not only used in the automotive or the aerospace industry, but they are more and more frequently used in medical technology. Lithoz has developed a bone like material called LithaBone, that similar to the mineral phase of human bone, including its osteoconductive properties and can be used in implants.

Dr. Hans J. Langer is convinced, "With Lithoz we have found a competent partner who will complement our product range ideally in the future. While EOS is the world leader in the field of laser sintering of metals and plastics, the technology of Lithoz will open up a variety of new technical applications in the field of high-performance ceramics. In my opinion there is great potential for high-performance ceramics in aerospace and medical applications."

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Company

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