Development of an Advanced Printing System for Metal/Ceramic Composite Materials

Additive manufacturing of ceramic/metal composites combines the material's advantages with the flexibility of 3D printing, allowing the customized production of complex structures while enhancing lightweight design outcomes. Currently, this technology is widely employed in sectors such as aerospace and automotive for processing and manufacturing high-performance components. In this study, we developed a material extrusion 3D printing system for metal-ceramic hybrid structures. The system facilitates low-heat printing, and the printed samples can be easily and safely debound using an alcohol-based process, greatly simplifying the process flow and improving the processing efficiency of high-performance composites. Furthermore, as part of this research, 3D printed composites of SUS316L/ZrO2 were developed to fabricate intricate structural workpieces.