Ceramic 3D Printing Service
Product Detail
ACS Material offers project-based ceramic 3D printing (technical-ceramic additive manufacturing) through two complementary routes: high-precision ceramic DLP (vat photopolymerization) with a nominal XY pixel pitch down to 25 µm, and large-format ceramic binder jetting with build volumes up to 1800 × 1000 × 700 mm. From dense alumina, zirconia, and silicon-nitride components to bioceramic research scaffolds and meter-scale silicon-carbide hardware, every job is engineered and quoted to your specific project — contact us with your design for materials, feasibility, lead time, and pricing.
Values are supplier-reported typicals shown for orientation. The exact build size, achievable accuracy, density, materials, and finish are confirmed for each part — contact us for a quote.
Technical ceramics cannot simply be melted and fused the way metals are — their melting points are extreme and the materials are brittle. Ceramic additive manufacturing therefore works in stages: the part is first shaped in a “green” state, then debound and densified through a material-specific route such as sintering or infiltration; where the part sinters, it shrinks predictably, and that shrinkage is compensated in the green design. In ceramic DLP, a 405 nm light engine cures a ceramic-loaded slurry layer by layer, producing the fine features and smooth surfaces that precision components need. In ceramic binder jetting, a printhead binds ceramic powder layer by layer across a large bed — the route to genuinely big ceramic hardware.
Two routes — precision ceramic DLP and large-format binder jetting
This is where ACS Material stands apart: many ceramic AM systems emphasize either fine detail or build size. We offer both routes through one engineering-led service, and help you pick the one your part actually needs.
| Property | Ceramic DLP | Binder jetting |
|---|---|---|
| Build volume | Up to 192 × 108 × 300 mm | Up to 1800 × 1000 × 700 mm |
| Nominal resolution | 25–50 µm pixel pitch | 254–300 dpi printhead |
| Layer thickness | 25–100 µm | 0.2–0.5 mm |
| Final density (typical) | Up to ~99%, material-dependent | ~95% |
| Typical materials | Alumina, zirconia, Si₃N₄, silica, TCP, HA | SiC, alumina, zirconia |
| Best for | Fine features, dense precision parts | Large components, SiC hardware |
Meter-scale silicon-carbide printing in particular is less commonly available at service scale — if a ceramic part is too large for conventional routes, it is often exactly what our binder-jetting capability is built for.
Ceramic 3D printing materials
We print the technical-ceramic families that research and industry most often specify — selected per project for hardness, strength, thermal behavior, and chemistry:
- Alumina (Al₂O₃). The general-purpose technical ceramic — hard, electrically insulating, chemically stable; supplier-reported purity up to 99.99%.
- Zirconia (ZrO₂). The toughest of the common technical ceramics — supplier-reported flexural strength up to ~930 MPa for hard-wearing structural and precision parts.
- Silicon nitride (Si₃N₄). Outstanding thermal-shock resistance and strength at temperature for demanding thermo-mechanical duty.
- Silicon carbide (SiC). High thermal conductivity, low expansion, extreme hardness — printable at large formats by binder jetting for semiconductor and thermal hardware.
- Silica-based ceramics. Low density and low reactivity — investment-casting cores and lightweight components.
- Bioceramics (TCP, hydroxyapatite). Calcium-phosphate scaffolds with controlled porosity for bone-regeneration research — supplied for research and development use.
| Material | Relative density | Purity | Densityg/cm³ | Raµm | Flexural strengthMPa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alumina (high-purity) | 99.4% | 99.99% | 3.99 | 0.4 | 430 |
| Alumina (standard grades) | 98.4–99.2% | 99.8–99.9% | 3.98–3.99 | 0.6–0.9 | 400 |
| Zirconia | 99.2–99.4% | — | 6.08–6.09 | 0.6–0.8 | 900–930 |
| Silicon nitride | 99.8% | — | 3.23 | 0.7 | — |
| Silica-based | 72% | — | 2.44 | 2.9 | — |
| TCP (tricalcium phosphate) | 98% | 95% | 3.07 | — | — |
| Hydroxyapatite | 92–98% | 95% | 3.16 | — | — |
| SiC (binder jetting) | ~95% | — | — | — | — |
Values are supplier-reported typicals; material formulation, densification route, geometry, and post-processing affect results, and these figures are not design allowables — specifications are confirmed before quotation. Ranges may span multiple supplier formulations and should not be read as a single material specification. Additional compositions, glasses, and custom slurries can be discussed per project — tell us what your part requires.
Not sure which ceramic fits your part? Pick your top requirement below to see the material — and the process route — that typically fit best.
Applications
Technical ceramics are often selected where metals and polymers fall short — extreme temperature, wear, corrosion, and electrical isolation. Typical target applications for our ceramic 3D printing service — each subject to material and geometry review — include:
- Semiconductor & optics. Wafer-handling components, lens barrels, and precision fixtures in alumina and silicon carbide.
- Chemical & energy. Multi-channel membranes, micro-reactors, catalyst supports, and heat-exchange structures with geometries that can be difficult or uneconomical to produce by extrusion.
- Medical & dental research. Bioceramic scaffolds in TCP and hydroxyapatite with controlled porosity — for research and development use.
- Aerospace & high temperature. Nozzles and hot-section components where refractory performance is the point.
- Electronics & thermal management. Electrically insulating heat sinks, insulators, and substrates.
- Research & custom structures. TPMS and lattice studies, custom test articles, and experimental slurry development.
How it works
Our ceramic 3D printing service is consultative and project-based — you work with us directly, so the process route, material, densification method, and finishing plan are matched to your application:
- 1. Send your design. Email or call us with your CAD file (STEP/STL) and requirements — material, quantity, critical dimensions, and application.
- 2. Review & quote. We assess feasibility, select the route (DLP or binder jetting) and material, and design the green part to account for the dimensional change expected during densification.
- 3. Printing. Your parts are built in ceramic-loaded slurry (DLP) or ceramic powder (binder jetting).
- 4. Debinding & densification. Controlled post-processing removes the binder and densifies the ceramic through sintering, infiltration, or another material-specific route.
- 5. Finishing. Grinding, lapping, or machining of critical faces as required.
- 6. Inspection & delivery. Parts are quality-checked and shipped to you.
New to the technology landscape? Start with our overview, 3D Printing: Everything You Need to Know.
Why choose ACS Material
- Dual-route capability. Precision ceramic DLP and large-format binder jetting through one engineering-led service — the route is chosen for the part, not the other way around.
- Meter-scale silicon carbide. Binder-jetting build volumes up to 1800 mm bring genuinely large SiC and oxide-ceramic hardware within reach.
- Materials & characterization expertise. As an established advanced-materials supplier, ACS Material understands ceramics from powder or slurry to densified part; our analytical testing services can characterize parts when projects require it.
- Bioceramics for research. TCP and hydroxyapatite scaffolds with controlled architecture for bone-regeneration research.
- Consultative, engineering-led service. Every project is reviewed and quoted individually, with design support rather than a one-size-fits-all portal.
Need metal or flexible parts as well? ACS Material also offers a large-format metal 3D printing service and an elastomer 3D printing service.
Request a quote
Get a quote for your ceramic 3D printing project
Send us your design (STEP/STL) and requirements — we’ll return material and route options, feasibility, lead time, and pricing.
Call +1 (866) 227-0656 · Email contact@acsmaterial.com
FAQs
1. What ceramics can you 3D print?
Alumina, zirconia, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silica-based ceramics, and the bioceramics TCP and hydroxyapatite. Additional compositions and custom slurries may be possible depending on the project — if you have a specific ceramic in mind, contact us to confirm.
2. How large a ceramic part can you print?
Binder jetting reaches build volumes up to 1800 × 1000 × 700 mm — meter-scale ceramic hardware in SiC, alumina, or zirconia — while ceramic DLP covers precision components up to 192 × 108 × 300 mm. The exact build size for your part is confirmed with your quote.
3. Why do ceramic 3D-printed parts shrink?
The printed “green” part contains binder that is removed before the ceramic is densified, and sintering routes shrink predictably during firing — we compensate for that shrinkage in the green design (infiltration-based routes, used for some materials, shrink far less) and confirm final dimensions for your critical features at quotation.
4. How dense and strong are the parts?
Supplier-reported typical values run up to ~99% relative density for DLP-printed oxide ceramics — with flexural strengths around 400–430 MPa for alumina and 900–930 MPa for zirconia — and ~95% density for binder-jetted parts. Actual values depend on material, geometry, densification route, and post-processing, and are confirmed per project.
5. Can bioceramic parts be used in medical devices?
Our TCP and hydroxyapatite scaffolds are supplied for research and development use. We make no medical-device or regulatory claims for printed parts — for regulated applications, contact us to discuss your requirements and the appropriate path.
6. What is the lead time and minimum order?
Both depend on the part — its size, material, route, and quantity — plus the debinding, densification, finishing, and inspection steps required. Send us your design and we’ll provide a lead time and pricing with your quote.
7. What accuracy can I expect on ceramic parts?
Accuracy depends on geometry, material, and the densification route. Pixel pitch and layer thickness are not the same as dimensional tolerance. Sintering routes generally involve predictable shrinkage, while infiltration-based routes can shrink far less. Likewise, binder-jetting dpi is a printhead specification, not a dimensional tolerance. Critical faces can be ground or lapped to tighter tolerances after densification; we confirm what is achievable for your dimensions at quotation. For background on how precision is defined in 3D printing, see our guide to accuracy, tolerance, and their tradeoffs.
Capabilities, materials, and the values shown above are representative of the ceramic DLP (vat photopolymerization) and ceramic binder-jetting processes; material property values are supplier-reported typicals and are not design allowables. The exact build size, accuracy, density, mechanical properties, materials, and finish achievable for any given part are confirmed at the time of quotation and depend on part geometry, material, debinding and densification cycles, and post-processing. Sample images are representative. The ceramic material selector is a schematic orientation tool, not a substitute for engineering material selection. Bioceramic parts are supplied for research and development use; no medical-device claims are made. ACS Material LLC makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding suitability for any particular purpose. Contact us for a quote specific to your project.