Bosch Delivers Mass-Produced Precision 3D Printed Ceramic Components, Offering Ceramic Printing Services to China

PanDen 2024-10-13 23:25 Service

Panda3dp.com Guide: Bosch(博世)'s history of ceramic production began with automotive spark plugs. By 1939, Bosch had already commenced ceramic manufacturing, and today boasts a century-long history i ...

Panda3dp.com Guide: Bosch(博世)'s history of ceramic production began with automotive spark plugs. By 1939, Bosch had already commenced ceramic manufacturing, and today boasts a century-long history in this field. In 2016, Bosch Advanced Ceramics was established, aiming to utilize additive manufacturing technology to produce ceramic parts. Leveraging Bosch’s extensive experience in mass ceramic production, Bosch Advanced Ceramics has successfully delivered hundreds of thousands of precision ceramic components.

According to Panda3dp.com, Bosch Advanced Ceramics now offers high-precision industrial-grade ceramic 3D printing services in China. Clients provide 3D files or 2D drawings, and the Bosch Advanced Ceramics team delivers comprehensive consultation services, including material selection, design optimization, and post-processing. They tailor 3D printing technology and material processing solutions to meet the performance requirements of ceramic components.

Mass Production of 3D Printed Ceramics

Bosch has developed an industrialized mass production system and quality standards for advanced ceramics. After a decade of ceramic printing application development, Bosch continuously refines and upgrades its technological capabilities to meet diverse industry needs. Its rapid process parameter iteration accelerates product development and mass production, making Bosch a global leader in the industrialization of ceramic 3D printing technology.

Utilizing a photocurable ceramic 3D printing system, powder materials are mixed with photosensitive resin binders to form a ceramic slurry. Through specific wavelengths of light, the ceramic part is printed layer by layer, followed by debinding, high-temperature sintering, and quality control processes. The stability of mass-produced ceramic parts depends on the perfect integration of design, materials, printing parameters, and post-processing techniques. Bosch’s systematic research into nearly a thousand printing process parameters, combined with precise thermal control equipment and processes, ensures the exceptional yield and dimensional accuracy of its 3D printed ceramics.

Advantages Over Conventional Ceramic Manufacturing:

- Design freedom for complex geometries

- Precision in detail and controllable dimensional accuracy

- No need for molds; multiple designs can be printed simultaneously

- Rapid design iteration, accelerating time to market

- Stable mass production with reliable quality and performance

Currently, Bosch Advanced Ceramics’ 3D printing technology achieves an alumina surface roughness of Ra = 0.6 μm, Rz = 3.96, and zirconia surface roughness of Ra = 1 μm, Rz = 6.05. After sintering, theoretical density exceeds 99%, with a wall thickness of 0.12–4 mm, and post-sintering accuracy reaching nominal dimensions within ±0.5%.

Examples of Bosch 3D Printed Ceramics

1. Four-Channel Ceramic Insulation Sleeve with 1mm Inner Diameter

This ceramic insulation sleeve, featuring a complex internal structure, is used in medical equipment for housing sensors or as components requiring insulation. It can also be used for drug or fluid delivery. The 30mm-long, 4.6mm-diameter sleeve is made from 99.8% alumina ceramic, weighs 1.7 grams, and has an internal structure comprising four 1mm-diameter curved channels. Its surface roughness is Ra = 0.8 μm. A metal coating on both ends enhances surface smoothness for easier cleaning and adds conductive properties at specific locations.

2. Mass Production of Ceramic Sewing Needles

A high-precision, high-efficiency example of ceramic printing, Bosch can simultaneously print 444 needles with intricate designs. Made from 99.8% alumina ceramic, each needle weighs just 0.5 grams, measures 22.3mm in length, and has a wall thickness of 1mm with an eyelet width of 2mm. Precision is within ±0.05mm. These sewing needles, designed for positioning special fibers, handle hard fibers like glass or carbon fiber. The alumina material’s high wear resistance and thermal conductivity reduce wear on guiding parts, making it ideal for needle manufacturing. Additionally, the lightweight ceramic material allows for fast needle movement and high rigidity, reducing bending.

3. Large Thin-Walled Ceramic Wafer Chuck

This wafer chuck, with varying diameters designed for different wafer sizes, features complex internal gas channels created via one-piece molding, meeting requirements for airtightness, flatness, cleanliness, and durability. The product, made from 99.8% alumina, weighs 280 grams, and measures 250x200x3.5mm.

Designed for handling and processing 200mm wafers, this material offers corrosion resistance and electrical insulation. Flatness is maintained within 100 μm, and the integrated gas channels ensure airtightness in vacuum environments, providing a new approach to wafer chuck design.

4. Insulated, High-Strength Ceramic Surgical Clamp Head

This 3D-printed ceramic clamp head is primarily used in electrosurgical instruments, enabling gripping and coagulation functions during surgery. Made from zirconia ceramic, it weighs 0.57 grams and measures 19.5x4x2.5mm. The ceramic material's electrical insulation and flexural strength ensure safety during electrosurgical procedures. The high density (>6.1g/cm³), precision, and biocompatibility of Bosch Advanced Ceramics components ensure reliable performance.

In addition to alumina and zirconia, Bosch Advanced Ceramics also offers printing services for alumina-toughened zirconia, zirconia-toughened alumina, and other oxide ceramics.

Conclusion

As a century-old leader in traditional ceramics, Bosch is now capitalizing on 3D printed ceramics, a cutting-edge technology, to lead the way in innovation for the future of ceramic manufacturing.

Contact: Mr. Nie (Eric), Technical Sales Manager

Email: advanced.ceramics@bosch.com

Phone: +86-166 2846 0497