High-resolution multiceramic additive manufacturing based on digital light processing

High-precision ceramic components with the integration of multiple materials and structures have excellent prospects in the applications of microelectronics, biomedical engineering, aerospace, etc. However, previous additive manufacturing technologies are challenging to use or can only achieve multiceramic distribution among different layers. In this paper, we proposed a novel multiceramic additive manufacturing technology based on digital light processing. Considering the high viscosity characteristic of ceramic slurry, a multiceramic additive manufacturing system was set up with the cyclic process of “coating - exposure - cleaning - drying”. By designing a typical multimaterial pattern, the exposure sequence of different materials in a single layer was studied. In addition, we focused on the interface quality in the printed parts, including the XY and ZX(Y) interfaces. The generation mechanism of the “staggered layers effect” at the XY interface was revealed. To improve the ZX(Y) interface precision, the relationship between the designed width and the actual cure width is demonstrated, which is determined by the UV light scattering in ceramic slurry and the “edge loss effect” at the ZX(Y) interface. Based on this relationship, we presented an error compensation method for ensuring interface precision together with interface bonding. The results show that high-precision and defect-free multiceramic components can be obtained by this technology. This novel multimaterial printing system also shows great potential for photocurable slurries loaded with other particles, such as metal particles.