Centrifugation-assisted cleaning – A novel approach in CerAM vat photopolymerization

CerAM vat photopolymerization (VPP) is one of the most advanced additive manufacturing processes for producing highly complex and high-resolution ceramic components. Current developments often focus on the feedstock, i.e. the ceramic suspension and new applications. However, the cleaning process of the “printed” green bodies is frequently overlooked. Typically, the green bodies are cleaned laboriously by hand to remove the non-crosslinked suspension that adheres to the component surface. Insufficient cleaning can lead to cross-linking during thermal post processing and sinters, which may result in blocked internal channels or significant geometric deviations in the components and their quantities. Depending on the component and quantity, the cleaning process can be very time-consuming and cost-intensive, limiting its suitability for mass production. Another drawback of manual cleaning is the high variability in the resulting component properties. As part of the "CleanReTurn" project, a novel approach to centrifugation-assisted cleaning is being investigated. Initial tests using the Design of Experiments (DoE) method have demonstrated that cleaning green bodies with increased centrifugal force leads to a significant reduction in cleaning time (to just a few seconds), a marked improvement in cleaning quality (increased resolution and accuracy), a significant reduction in geometric variability, and, for the first time, the recovery of the suspension.