With the new “CeraFab System S65” by Lithoz, expanding the limits of additive manufacturing and rendering processes even quicker and more efficiently is now within reach.

Today, 3D-printed high-performance ceramics open new opportunities for physicians which just a few years ago were confined to the realm of science fiction. For instance, implants with a macroporous structure allowing for the ingrowth of endogenous bone tissue and so-called scaffolds, which the body then independently breaks down after a certain time and replaces them with native tissue.

Lithoz, an Austrian company, is now taking this to the next level with a completely new concept of intelligent 3D Technology with the “CeraFab System S65” which will soon be manufacturing innovative ceramic parts for fields like medical technology, mechanical and electrical engineering, or aerospace, just to name a few. In addition to a central unit for manufacturing, the new device features a control module with redesigned software. Another new component is a database in which all materials, work steps and process Parameters are stored.

The device’s higher mechanical precision, in which WILD played a pivotal role, yields improved printing results. “The requirements set were very high,demanding a 10 μm evenness and parallelism of the fixing points in a frame 1.8 m high and a footprint of 0.6 m2. At the same time, we managed to shorten the assembly time by 20 hours and reduce material costs by 20 percent,” explains WILD Project manager Markus Woschitz.

Moreover, the new product generation of the “Cera-Fab System” comes in a futuristic design. The results of a specially commissioned market Survey on, for instance, the current most popular design language had a determining impact on the ergonomics, usability and shape of the new device.

As a systems partner for Lithoz, WILD coordinated the interdisciplinary cooperation of specialists from the WIN network throughout the entire development process, including procurement. WILD recently manufactured the first prototypes of the new “CeraFab System S65” and the exhibition model, which was displayed at Formnext for the first time and immediately attracted a huge amount of attention. This new 3D Printer generation is expected to hit the market in the second half of 2019.