i.Materialise Introduces Ceramics

By on August 15th, 2012 in Service

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3D print service i.Materialise has announced the availability of ceramics as a print material. They aren’t the first to introduce commercial ceramics print capability, but it’s an excellent capability improvement for them. 
 
Ceramics offers a few key advantages over other materials: 
 
  • Heat resistant up to 600C (1112F)
  • Ultra-smooth finish with no visible build ridges
  • Shiny surface
  • Food safe
 
That’s correct – with ceramics you can safely 3D print items for your kitchen cupboard, such as cups, dishes, etc.  
 
The ceramics option is offered in several possible colors: 
 
  • Glossy white
  • Glossy Black
  • Lemon Yellow
  • Pistachio Green
  • Sky blue
  • Ocean Turquoise
  • True blue
  • Peach Orange
 
i.Materialise charges not by volume as is typically done, but instead by surface area. Must have something to do with the glazing process. Pricing is dependent on color, with Glossy White being the least expensive at USD$0.18 per sq cm of surface area and the most expensive being the non-black colors at USD$0.20 per sq cm.  
 

 

By Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!