3D Printing Ceramics Software

Ceramics are the category of non-metallic inorganic compounds that exhibit high strength, brittleness, melting point, and thermal & electric insulation. These materials are broadly classified into two types: oxides and non-oxides. They come in the forms of powder, liquid (resin), and filament. Powdered and liquid ceramics are mainly used for industrial purposes, while filaments are used by hobbyists and artists. Best 3D printing ceramics software have a wide range of applications such as for thermal insulation in the aerospace industry; as body armor in the defense industry; bone and dental implants in the healthcare industry; in fuel cells and shock absorbers in the automobile industry; and others, including jewelry, pumps, and refractories.

Best 3D Printing Ceramics Software 2021

1. 3D CERAM (SINTO)
2. EXONE
3. TETHON 3D
4. ADMATEC
5. 3DRESYNS
6. TRUNNANO
7. 3D SYSTEMS
8. INTERNATIONAL SYALONS (NEWCASTLE)
9. CERAMTEC
10. World of Lilliputs

Market Overview

Ceramic is a hard, brittle, and heat-resistant material that is formed by heating a non-metallic mineral (clay, oxides, nitrides, or carbides) at high temperatures. With the advancement in 3D printing technologies, ceramics can be 3D printed using various methods such as Stereolithography (SL), Digital Light Processing (DLP), Two-Photon Polymerization (TPP), Inkjet printing (IJP), Direct Ink Writing (DIW), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Selective Laser Melting (SLM), and Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). These methods allow a wide range of application and printing capabilities varying in terms of thickness, printing speed, ceramic type, and product finish. This has enabled 3D printing ceramics to find applications in aerospace & defense, healthcare, automotive, electrical & consumer goods, construction, and other industries.

Aerospace & defense and healthcare are the major industries that have initiated the use of Best 3D printing ceramics software. These industries invest increasingly in R&D activities to discover new horizons in the field of 3D printing ceramics. Critical parts used in the aerospace & defense sector are designed and developed using 3D printing ceramics. These ceramics are used in the healthcare sector for dental implant applications.

The healthcare industry is increasingly adopting Best 3D printing ceramics software for the development of medical instruments and prosthetics. These instruments and prosthetics are designed and tested by carrying out variations in material composition and testing with new ceramic materials. The high cost of ceramics does not act as a constraint for both the aerospace & defense and healthcare industries. Best 3D printing ceramics software have also found applications in industries such as automotive, consumer goods & electronics and construction.

The 3D printing ceramics market is projected to grow from USD 106.6 million in 2019 to USD 384.2 million by 2025. The aerospace & defense segment accounted for a share of 29.8% in terms of value in the Best 3D printing ceramics software market in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 174.5 million by 2025 at a CAGR of 33.2%. The healthcare sector is projected to witness the second highest CAGR of 29%, growing from USD 21.8 million in 2019 to USD 82.1 million by 2025.

3D printing ceramics have been adopted by various industries such as healthcare, defense, and automotive for commercial applications or as a part of the manufacturing process. 3D printing ceramics are now gaining preference in part manufacturing of big assemblies such as engine components. This shift can be attributed to the lower cost of 3D printing ceramics in manufacturing complex parts with high precision of details.

The competitive leadership mapping showcased provides information for the best 3D Printing ceramics software. The vendors are evaluated on two different parameters: Product Offerings and Business Strategy.

This category of best 3D printing ceramics software includes 3D CERAM (SINTO), Tethon 3D, Exone, Admatech, and 3DResyns.

This category of 3D printing ceramics software includes 3D Systems, and Formlabs.

This category of Best 3D printing ceramics software includes ZRapid Tech, Kwambio, Johnson Matthey, World of Lilliputs, Trunnano, International Syalons, and CeramTec.

This category of 3D printing ceramics software includes STEINBACH AG, and AON INNI.

DRIVERS

Bio ceramics are increasingly being used for implants and dentures.

The healthcare industry is more likely to use 3D printing for producing custom bone implants thanks to the production of bioceramics such as hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate. Unlike their metal equivalents, these implants do not react with body cells. They are resorbable by the body and aid in the patient's natural bone reconstruction.

Similarly, zirconium is often used for dental implants because it has a similar appearance to natural teeth and the added benefit of customization. As a result, dental professionals are forming further collaborations with Best 3D printing ceramics software providers.

Growing use in aircraft brakes and engine components

Ceramics, due to their inherent properties of hardness and abrasion resistance even at higher temperatures with lower weight ratio, are finding applications in automotive brakes. Bugatti recently tested its first ceramic brakes for its Chiron model. This has stirred interest in other manufacturers such as Porsche, Volkswagen, and Ford that have started investing in 3D printed brakes. 3D printed ceramic components are finding applications in parts manufacturing of engines of rockets to automobiles. They are also finding applications in the manufacturing of catalytic converters.

Rising demand for product modification and prototyping

Many companies invest nearly 5%-10% of their revenues in R&D. 3D printing of prototypes reduces the cost involved in testing new structures, as well as design modifications of stress analysis and stability purposes. This is resulting in the growth of the 3D printing materials and ceramics markets. The growth is also backed by the rising demand from the aerospace industry in manufacturing custom parts for satellites, communication devices, and cabin components.

 

RESTRAINTS

Low acceptance rate in emerging economies

As the 3D printing technology is relatively new, mass acceptance has not yet happened across industries. North America and Europe have been the early adopters of the 3D printing technology and have developed it to the present state. In APAC, countries such as Japan, China, and India have invested in this technology. The MEA and Latin America are showing less acceptance, which is due to the lack of awareness and prominent 3D printing service providers in these regions.

A major market restraint is the lack of advancement of 3D printing ceramics compared to metal and composite materials.

Metal and composite materials outnumber ceramics in the automotive and manufacturing industries, so companies like 3D Systems, EnvisionTec, and Drost Technologies have focused their efforts on creating metal and composite 3D printing. This has hampered the development of the Best 3D printing ceramics software industry.

Economy of scale not achieved

To this date, most companies are using 3D printing for prototyping and custom parts manufacturing purposes. Due to this reason, the demand for ceramic materials is not increasing, and the cost of the product is remaining on the higher side. Most of the companies are selling the materials in retail in small packages ranging from 1-5 liters. This, in turn, increases transportation costs. Also, the demand for prototyping and custom manufacturing may be in the range of 100-150 kg, which is not big enough to reduce the manufacturing cost of ceramics.

 

OPPORTUNITIES

Increased investment in Best 3D printing ceramics software

As 3D printing technology is gaining acceptance in developed countries, new players are entering the market. This, in turn, has increased investments in the 3D printing ceramics industry and created an opportunity to develop new materials and machining capabilities for the industry players. In recent years, ceramic materials such as silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron nitride, and hydroxyapatite have been developed, and there are significant investments by major 3D printing ceramics market players in these materials.

Development of advanced printers compatible with ceramics and metals

With the development of 3D printing technology, firms such as 3D Ceram have developed printers that are capable of printing both metals and ceramics. This reduces the initial investment required for new clients that want to adopt 3D printing in their systems. This would also enable R&D teams to experiment with a wider range of materials and enable new applications for ceramics and metals.

 

CHALLENGES

Uncertain economy after COVID-19

The growth of the 3D printing ceramics market was negatively affected by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Major market players are from North America and Europe, which were among the worst-affected regions due to the virus outbreak. The companies witnessed revenue decline in the range of 7%-15% in 2020 compared to the previous year. The declining revenues discouraged new entrants in the 3D printing ceramics market and adopters of 3D printing ceramics in their work process.

 

3D Printing Ceramics Market, By Ceramic Type

3D printing is commonly termed additive manufacturing. In 3D printing, layer by layer, an object is printed using CAD files directly from the system. 3D printing technology had developed quite a lot during the last five years and even during 2020 when most manufacturing processes were affected by COVID-19. Ceramics are non-metallic compounds that are hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion resistant by nature. Ceramics are sintered to attain these properties.

OXIDES

Oxide-based 3D printing ceramics have a wide variety of applications in almost all industries. Oxide ceramics are naturally available and possess many desirable material properties, including hardness, chemical inertness, and thermal resistance. Initially, these were used for high-end applications, prototyping, and part manufacturing, but in recent years, due to their lower cost and better mechanical properties, oxide ceramics have attracted many customers from industries such as automotive, electronics, and consumer goods, and hobbyists.

In the aerospace industry, these ceramics are used due to their abrasion and thermal resistance while keeping the weight in check. In the healthcare industry, due to their inertness, oxide-based ceramics are finding applications in bone implants and dentures.

Silica has been predominantly used in ceramic printing for foundry cores and shells. It accounts for 58.4% (by value) of the global ceramics market. Alumina and zirconia have applications in aerospace & defense, healthcare, automotive, and other industries. With developments in printing technologies, these industries are now experimenting with 3D printing ceramics and adopting them in their processes. Industry players are assisting their clients in developing and adopting 3D printing. This is driving their CAGR above 35%. Tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite are mainly used for medical implants as bone substitutes and are gaining wider acceptance. Research universities are making partnerships with 3D printing service providers to help them develop and use new ceramics in their processes.

NON-OXIDES

Non-oxide-based ceramics are formed by using the carbides and nitrides of aluminum, zirconia, silicon, and others. These ceramics have exceptional temperature resistance (2400°C), high hardness, and corrosion & oxidation resistance even at higher temperatures. They are nearly exclusively used in technical applications due to their higher cost and superior mechanical properties. Non-oxide-based ceramics are mainly used as refractory materials, cutting tools, bearings, and others.

Silicon carbide is the widely used ceramic, with a market share of 69.5%. This is because of its wide industry acceptance and exceptional mechanical and electrical properties. It is used in semiconductors, automotive, defense (body armor), and other industries. Non-oxide ceramics are a bit costlier than oxide ceramics and hence have highly specified applications in industries.

Due to its high resistance to temperature wear and other mechanical properties, silicon nitride has its applications increasing in the aerospace, oil & gas, and power generation industries.

 

3D Printing Ceramics Market, By Form 

Since the evolution of 3D printing technology, new 3D printing materials have been developed. With technological advancements and growing adoption of 3D printing, the availability of 3D printing materials in different forms is increasing at a rapid pace. The available forms of 3D printing materials are filament, powder, and liquid. In 3D printing, the powdered form of ceramics is widely utilized in comparison to liquid and filament. This is due to the fact that ceramics are more compatible in powdered form, thereby increasing their applicability across varied end-use industries.

FILAMENT

In 3D printing, ceramics in the filament form are used in fusible deposition melting technology. Ceramics in the filament form serve to be more efficient in selective laser sintering (SLS) and stereolithography (SLA) techniques. Also, ceramics are not ductile, and drawing filament cables becomes quite difficult if ceramics are utilized in their pure form. Ceramics in the filament form are mainly preferred for prototyping applications in end-use industries such as consumer goods, jewelry, and automotive.

POWDER

The powder form of ceramics is expensive in comparison to other materials used in 3D printing. This is due to the fact that treatment processes in the case of the powder form are highly complex. Some of them include polishing and atomization, among other processes, which result in uniform grain sizes of ceramics. This further results in proper binding and high precision, along with enhanced structural properties of 3D printed parts.

LIQUID/SLURRY

3D printing with liquid materials has revolutionized the 3D printing industry. Liquid metals, hot glue, chocolate, SLA resins, ceramic pastes, and bio-ink are the liquid materials available in the market. Each material has a specific application; for example, bio-ink is used to create prototypes of bladders, blood vessels, and portions of kidneys for medical analysis.

Ceramics as liquids are available in the form of pastes, with fluid materials utilized for stereolithography (SLA) in the 3D printing technology. Liquid ceramics are used in applications that require lower strength in comparison to powders. In addition to this, liquid ceramics exhibit a high degree of uniformity in their particle structure. Ceramics in the liquid form are mainly utilized in consumer goods & electronics, and healthcare sectors.

 

3D Printing Ceramics Market, By Application

Prototyping is done when a new product is being developed, and its design performance is to be checked. This is usually done by making a prototype of the final product and testing it for the required conditions. Prototyping differs from production in terms of quantity produced and tools used. Prototyping usually involves high-precision manufacturing in low quantities with lesser automation using soft tools to get the required finish, precision, and quick turn-around time. Commercial/ manufacturing involves a higher level of automation, producing higher quantities using hard tools that provide long life for multiple product manufacturing.

Previously, 3D printing was used nearly exclusively for prototyping purposes, but in the past few years, this dynamic has changed; more and more industries have adopted 3D printing for part production i.e. a small component of a bigger assembly. This has opened new frontiers in the 3D printing landscape, with companies developing their printing capabilities in terms of speed, material utilization, and printing. Commercial manufacturing of Best 3D printing ceramics software is gaining traction. The US military recently made a contract to buy portable 3D printing factories built-in shipping containers.