3D Ceramic Printing

The world of 3D Ceramic Printing has come a long way since the 1980s when it was considered suitable only for the production of functional or aesthetic prototypes, and a more appropriate term for it at the time was “rapid prototyping”. Today, the the precision, repeatability, and material range of 3D printing have increased to the point that some 3D printing processes are considered viable as an industrial-production technology, whereby the term “additive manufacturing” can be used synonymously with 3D printing.

Applications of 3D ceramic printing

In this article we are going to look at 3D printing—or additive manufacturing if you will—using ceramic materials for the following applications:

1) Production of ceramic foundry cores;

2) Optimization of optical instrumentation.

Types of ceramics used in 3D printing

Before we get too far into the weeds with the two applications highlighted above, let’s briefly have a look at the types of ceramics used in 3D printing. Generally speaking, the qualities of ceramic materials are: high strength, high dimensional stability (low coefficient of thermal expansion), low density, high resistance to abrasion and corrosion, and exceptional chemical stability. There is a variety of ceramic materials used in 3D printing, which are categorized into:

  • Oxide ceramics: alumina, zirconia, silicore, alumina-toughened zirconia, cordierite, 8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia, silice SiO2, hydroxyapatite/TCP, and tricalcium phosphate;
  • Non-oxide ceramics: silicon nitride and aluminum nitride.

3D Ceram Sinto, a leader in the world of 3D ceramic printing, offers a full range of ready-to-use ceramic pastes for use with their CERAMAKER printers. Naturally, they advise their customers on the critical issue of the ceramic paste best suited to the application at hand, but can also create ceramic paste formulations according to specifications provided by their customers.

3D Ceramic Printing

3D Ceram ceramic paste

 

3D printing of ceramic foundry cores

3D printing of ceramic foundry cores

 

Foundry cores are integral to the production of turbine blades for aviation, aero-derivative and land-based gas turbines. Up to now manufacturing cores has been a time- and labour intensive process. Today, in an effort to lower fuel consumption, improve turbine efficiency and decrease engine emissions, core designs are becoming increasingly complex. Making a complex, porous ceramic foundry core using conventional manufacturing processes involves making the core in several pieces and then assembling them manually. The likelihood of a problem occurring in this process is considerable, resulting in wasted time and materials—and excessively high costs.

Some of the constraints applied to core production:

  • Dimensional accuracy +/- 0.1 mm
  • Structural strength
  • Surface roughness
  • Material porosity

Additive manufacturing brings a new dimension to conventional industrial processes, allowing all of these elements to be controlled. In addition to saving time and materials and increasing productivity in the production of ceramic foundry cores, the technology delivers the following benefits:

  • Design flexibility
  • Possibility of more core complexity
  • Quick creation of new designs
  • Better responsiveness and productivity
  • Increased profitability
  • Maintenance of core strength

3D printing of optical instruments

3D printing of optical instruments

 

3D printing is one of the key technologies for devising innovative solutions contributing to the optimization of optical instruments, such as a plane mirror for a front-end laser engine (galvo-mirror for high-energy laser application). 3D printing can greatly enhance the design and manufacturing of the optical substrate of such an instrument.

3D printing

Two types of mirror

 

The use of additive manufacturing for the production of optical instruments has the following benefits:

  • Parts are lighter because they feature more complex designs that incorporate holes and semi-closed structures
  • Lead time is reduced as there is no need to manufacture and then lighten by machining a first draft
  • Less ceramic is used, which reduces costs
  • New, more complex and disruptive designs are possible
  • New functions such as internal channels, electrical tracks and feedthroughs can be incorporated.

optical instruments

As a result of new additive manufacturing technology, optical substrates and mirrors can now be more compact, thus allowing for additional functions while still keeping volume and mass low.

Industrial 3D ceramic printers

We’ve touched on the ceramic pastes used in 3D ceramic printing and must do likewise with 3D ceramic printers. The number of ceramic 3D printers on the market has increased steadily in recent years and many industrial solutions are now available. Indeed, more manufacturers are offering professional solutions, capable of designing high-quality parts with increasing speed.

3DCeram Sinto is undoubtedly one of the historical players in ceramic additive manufacturing and has developed a professional range based on a stereolithography process. 3D Ceram Sinto’s CERAMAKER 3D printer family has the widest range and most

practical printing platforms of any company in the market, ranging from the C100 (100 x 100 x 150 mm) to the C3600 (300 x 300 x 100 mm). Taking shrinkage into account, you can produce parts with dimensions up to Ø500 mm  with the CERAMAKER C3600.

Industrial 3D ceramic printers

 

Industrial Applications of AFM: Beyond the flat world – Using AFM for metrology on complex sample shapes

Nanosurf Webinar Advanced AFM tools

Advanced AFM tools

Industrial Applications of AFM

Who is this webinar for: Bio and life science researchers

About:

AFM has long been a critical metrology tool for measuring nanometer resolution topographic roughness and nanostructure. However commercially available AFMs limited the sample size and shape to either small sample, or wafer/waferlike geometries. In other words, flat samples. If your samples didn’t fit into those size/shape constraints, your options were to either destroy your part or measure discrete regions which may or may not be applicable to your needs. Today, however, Nanosurf takes AFM out of the flat sample world and into 3 dimensions. With the option of multiple scanner designs and knowledge to build 3, 4, 5 or more axis staging, working with real parts is now a reality. This brings AFM into metrology for complex optics, machined parts, gratings and more. Come learn how AFM can improve your metrology without destroying your parts..

Nanosurf Webinar Advanced AFM tools

Guest Speaker:

Drew J. Griffin

Drew J. Griffin

Director of Sales – America

Drew has been working in the AFM and nanomechanical instrumentation space for the last 14 years. Prior to joining Nanosurf, he worked as a Sales Manager and Applications Scientist for AFM manufacturers Bruker and Oxford Instruments (Asylum Research). Prior to this he was the North America Customer Service and Applications Manager for CSM Instruments nanoindentation (now Anton Paar). His work has spanned the breadth of applications; from life science, to biomaterials, to semiconductor, to manufacturing and beyond.

Webinar:
Thursday May 20 2021, 11:00-12:00 EST

Click here to Register

Nanosurf Webinar : Advanced AFM tools for Life Science Applications

Nanosurf Webinar Advanced AFM tools

Advanced AFM tools

Advanced AFM tools for Life Science Applications

Who is this webinar for: Bio and life science researchers

About:

This webinar will discuss how advances in AFM technology are opening new research avenues in the study of biophysics, cell mechanobiology, virology, and more.

Nanosurf Webinar Advanced AFM tools

Guest Speaker:

Drew J. Griffin

Drew J. Griffin

Director of Sales – America

Drew has been working in the AFM and nanomechanical instrumentation space for the last 14 years. Prior to joining Nanosurf, he worked as a Sales Manager and Applications Scientist for AFM manufacturers Bruker and Oxford Instruments (Asylum Research). Prior to this he was the North America Customer Service and Applications Manager for CSM Instruments nanoindentation (now Anton Paar). His work has spanned the breadth of applications; from life science, to biomaterials, to semiconductor, to manufacturing and beyond.

Webinar:
Thursday May 6 2021, 11:00-12:00 EST

Click here to Register

Oxford Instruments Magnetic Resonance Webinar: Introduction to Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy

Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy

Due to its popularity, we are re-running one of the webinars we held last year, “Introduction to Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy” on Wednesday 28 April at 08:00 BST and 16:00 BST. This time, the webinar will include new applications in the field of battery research.

Benchtop NMR is a versatile and powerful tool for analytical chemistry. This webinar will cover the basic concepts of NMR and what is easily achievable with the X-Pulse broadband benchtop NMR system. Following the success of last year’s webinar, this webinar will also include new applications in the field of battery research.

By attending this webinar you will learn:

  • What benchtop NMR is
  • What types of data can be collected
  • How this data can be used to understand your chemistry
  • How X-Pulse allows you to analyse a wide range of nuclei

Date: Wednesday 28 April

Time: 08:00 BST (09:00 CET) and 16:00 BST (17:00 CET, 11:00 EDT)

Presenters:

James Sagar

James Sagar,

Strategic Product Manager at Oxford Instruments.

James has been Strategic Product Manager (benchtop NMR) at Oxford Instruments since January 2019. James joined Oxford Instruments in 2015 after performing post-doctoral research at University College London.

Robin

Robin Blagg,

Applications Scientist at Oxford Instruments.

Robin has been Applications Scientist at Oxford Instruments since October 2020, where he’s working on developing applications for the X-Pulse broadband benchtop NMR spectrometer. Robin obtained his PhD in organometallic chemistry at the University of Bristol, and also undertook post-doctoral research at the Universities of Sussex, Manchester, and East Anglia.

Marcel Lachenmann

Marcel Lachenmann,

Senior Applications Specialist at Oxford Instruments.

Marcel has been working on benchtop NMR applications at Oxford Instruments since 2013 and has many years of NMR experience. Marcel’s graduate studies at Harvard University focused on peptide structure and dynamics by NMR.

Oxford Instruments Magnetic Resonance Webinar: Oil and Fat Analysis for Improved Yield and Quality throughout the Food Chain

Webinar Oil and Fat Analysis

During this webinar, hosted by Oils & Fats International, we will discuss how both time domain NMR (TD-NMR) and benchtop NMR spectroscopy are used to measure oils and fats throughout the food chain; from harvest through to manufacturing of ingredients and the food products themselves. For example, fat content is an important parameter for quality assurance and control of snacks, confectionery and food ingredients. Other TD-NMR measurables include the melting profile of edible oils/fats and droplet size in food emulsions such as dairy and non-dairy spreads.

Benchtop NMR spectroscopy can quantify the proportion of saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids in a variety of foods. Furthermore, spectra can be used to distinguish and authenticate different vegetable oils and meats as well as test for robusta in Arabica coffee.

Please note: if you are unable to join us, the session will be recorded and communicated with registered guests only. Please register to receive this communication.

Date: Tuesday 20 April

Time: 08:00 GMT | 09:00 CET | 12:30 IST | 18:00 AEDT

Dr Kevin Nott Dr Kevin Nott

Product Manager and Applications Specialist at Oxford Instruments

Kevin has been an applications specialist and then product manager at Oxford Instruments since May 2005. Kevin was previously at the University of Cambridge where he researched into non-medical applications of Time Domain NMR and MRI.

 

Webinar Oil and Fat Analysis

Joint webinar on Dental Implant 3D Printing & Surface Characterization

SRC Sensofar Dental webinar LinkedIN image

How to Harness the Advantages of 3D Printing of Ceramics for Dental Applications

3D printing of ceramics enables a design freedom that is not achievable using tradition methods in the dental industry.

We will discuss how we can achieve with our Ceramics 3D printers tight tolerances while maintaining high strength and hardness that are
comparable to tradition manufacturing technologies.

Case studies will highlight some of the success stories that we have achieved for dental applications.

Best Tips for Dental Implants Surface Characterization

Our experts will bring you all they have learned from the multiple surface measurements they have taken on samples from the dental implant field.

Key Topics:

  • How to evaluate the roughness of a dental implant?
  • Other topographic evaluations (different surface color, reflectivity, shape, coatings, texture…
  • What to find in a 3D topography that you cannot find in a 2D topography?
  • The most suitable techniques for Dental implants Research and Quality Control

Webinar: Tuesday April 27, 2021, 11:00-12:00 EST

 

Guest Speakers:
Peter Durcan
VP of Sales for North America
Peter Durcan with over 3 years in additive ceramics, a bachelor of commerce degree holder with an MBA from the Open University, United Kingdom. Peter, an Irish national who has been running the North American market with 3D Ceram for the past 2 years.
Joint webinar on Dental Implant Pic
Natalia Bermejo
Product SpecialistNatalia joined Sensofar shortly after finishing her bachelor’s degree in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) in 2018. Since then, she has been
providing technical and application’s support for the Sales Team, as well as training and installing systems for prospective clients and customers. In 2020, Natalia moved to Silicon Valley, providing support to high-tech companies, as well as being the bridge between Sensofar and California’s distributor of the Sensofar brand. Currently, Natalia has returned to Barcelona HQ, and she’s has taken on an additional role supporting the Marketing Team, participating in content generation for the Sensofar channel.
Natalia Bermejo

New Supplier Announcement

Cordouan

SRC is pleased to announce that we have concluded an agreement with Cordouan Technologies to be exclusive distributor in Canada of their VASCO KIN™ particle analyzer— a role we take on with great enthusiasm.

VASCO KIN™ 

The VASCO KIN™ is a Nanoparticle Size Analyzer. A new generation of time-resolved instruments for accurate kinetic analyses combined with an in situ and contactless remote optical head. It allows for real-time monitoring of nanoparticle synthesis, agglomeration or the stability of suspensions using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). With a single and continuous measurement, VASCO KIN™ gives access to all characterization data of a reaction (size distribution, scattered intensity, correlogramms, etc.).

 

VASCO KIN

Key features and benefits

  • Frequency stabilized laser and artefact-free Avalanche Photodiode (APD) detector
    → High measurement accuracy
    → Very low sample scattering
  • Embedded dedicated PC, including software correlation and complete and dedicated software NanoKin®
    → User-friendly interface
    → Photon-counts storage for time-resolved analysis and post-analysis
    → Full reports, including kinetic analysis
  • Enhanced mathematical models
    → Better reliability of results
    → 2D colormap of size distribution over time

Main specifications

  • Measurement principle: Optical fiber Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS)
  •  Measurement configuration: in situ / contactless remote probe
  • Particle size range: 0.5 nm  to 10 µm*
  • Concentration range: up to 40% wt*
  • Measurement time: from 2s up to 12 hours
  • Time resolution: down to 200 ms
  • Small footprint, no moving parts, and easy-to-integrate in harsh environments

About Cordouan Technologies

Cordouan Technologies is a French company specializing in advanced solutions for characterization (size, charge, etc.) of nanoparticles and nanomaterials. They develop, industrialize, manufacture and sell innovative instruments dedicated to academic research and industrial applications (process monitoring, quality control and R&D).

Cordouan Technologies’ unique product portfolio stems from patented and innovative technologies transferred from prestigious institutes, including Institut Français du Pétrole (IFPEN), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Institut Charles Sadron (ICS).

 

Nanosurf webinars and live demonstrations

Nanosurf webinars

Nanosurf regularly holds webinars on topics of interest to our industry as well as live demonstrations of Nanosurf AFMs. All these events are free of charge and open to everyone. We hope to be able to provide you with an interesting learning opportunity during these times of restricted possibilities.

Introduction to the DriveAFM

On March 25, we are holding a webinar for everyone who is interested in learning more about the DriveAFM. Dr. Christian Bippes, the product manager for the DriveAFM, will be holding an in-depth presentation, and will be available for an extensive Q&A session.

During the presentation Christian will show several example measurements he has made in the past weeks, and explain how he was able to achieve these results using the DriveAFM, also touching on the technology enabling this astounding image quality.

March 25, 2021 | 09:00 CET (Zurich)

Register Now

March 25, 2021 | 18:00 CET (Zurich)

Register Now

HOPG topography recorded in static mode on 100 µm scanner

HOPG topography recorded in static mode on 100 µm scanner

 

3D topography of a grating structure with 390 nm deep trenches and an aspect ratio of ~2.2

3D topography of a grating structure with 390 nm deep trenches and an aspect ratio of of – 2.2

High-resolution topography image of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) adsorbed to mica in buffer solution

High-resolution topography image of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) adsorbed to mica in buffer solution

MFM images of a Shakti lattice

MFM images of a Shakti lattice

 

 

Conductive AFM on ITO

Conductive AFM on ITO

 

 

Cell-cell adhesion force studied with Flex-FPM

Cell-cell adhesion force studied with Flex-FPM

Cell-cell adhesion force studied with Flex-FPM

Nanosurf webinars 1.JPGNanosurf webinars

 

December 2020 Edition

New Technology

Introducing the DriveAFM high-performance atomic force microscope system

The DriveAFM, Nanosurf‘s new flagship instrument, utilizes the latest technology to deliver stable, high-performance performance. It was designed to fulfill the needs of top-notch research, today and in the future.

Sphere Fluidics lab image

New Product Line – Sphere Fluidics

SRC is pleased to announce its new product line from Sphere Fluidics—novel single cell analysis systems for the rapid screening and characterisation of single cells. Sphere’s patented picodroplet technology is designed to increase the chances of finding that rare molecule or cell that can lead to a life-changing medicine.

[Webinar Series]

Recordings are available online

at our resource centre – check them out!

  • Rokit for free webinar regarding cellular physiology of cancer cells in 3D
  • Sensofar Applications: Archeology & Paleontology Webinar
  • The Analytical Power of Correlative Raman Imaging: New Developments, Tools and Applications
  • Application of Atomic Force Microscopy in Virology Research by Asylum Research
  • Apium 3D Printing Application Webinar

SRC Clearance sale (1).jpg

SRC Partners with Sphere Fluidics

SRC is pleased to announce that we have signed an agreement with Sphere Fluidics, an established UK life sciences tools company, giving SRC the exclusive right to sell Sphere Fluidics products in Canada. Spun out from the University of Cambridge, Sphere Fluidics has won over 50 international business and innovation awards—and now has exclusive agreements with 11 distributors across the world.

Sphere’s impressive array of patented products – biochips and specialist chemicals –currently assist hundreds of customers globally with their research. Sphere has a range of novel single cell encapsulation instruments and consumables that perform high-throughput singe cell (and molecule) analysis. 

Cyto-Mine®

Sphere’s main platform, Cyto-Mine®, is the next generation single cell analysis system for antibody discovery and cell line development. Current processes for finding novel antibody targets or developing stable cell lines are time consuming and inefficient. Cyto-Mine® allows you to accelerate, automate and simplify your antibody discovery and cell line development workflows.

Within several hours, it can automatically screen tens of millions of single cells in miniaturised aqueous picoliter compartments called picodroplets. The picodroplets are assayed for single cells that secrete valuable proteins (e.g. antibodies) and imaged (for monoclonality assurance) during subsequent dispensing of “hits”. Cyto-Mine® is enabling, increases throughput and reduces costs and time for biopharmaceutical discovery and development. 

 Sphere Fluidics 1

Sphere Fluidics

Picodroplet Single Cell Assay and Isolation System 

Sphere Fluidics research instruments are designed to assist you in finding highly valuable and rare biological variants among vast cell populations. By increasing speed and reducing cost, their picodroplet technology can help you save resources while boosting your chances of success.

Sphere Fluidics currently has two research instruments that enable you to generate, sort, and retrieve picodroplets for a range of applications. These are the Picodroplet Single Cell Encapsulation System and the Picodroplet Single Cell Assay and Isolation System. Both are compatible with their range of microfluidic specialist chemicals and biochips, as well as other standard and custom biochips from other sources.

ESI-Mine™

ESI-Mine™ is a label-free platform for high-throughput, miniaturised electrospray injection mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). It can test up to 200,000 biomolecular samples (e.g. peptides, enzymes, antibodies, metabolites and small molecules) per day in miniaturized volumes of 500-700pL (picodroplets) facilitating more efficient screening and analysis in bioproduction or synthetic biology processes.

Applying this novel approach, researchers can create a large library of picodroplets containing microorganisms producing proteins or small molecules of interest for analysis. One major drawback of using MS in analysis is that samples are usually destroyed and cannot be retrieved. To overcome this total sample destruction by ESI-MS, Sphere has developed a unique microfluidics workflow where picodroplets are split into two replicate streams with identical clones, one stream is analyzed by ESI‐MS, and the second stream is subsequently ‘held’ and only those ‘hit’ daughter picodroplets sorted based on the result of the MS analysis.

Sphere Fluidics

Cyto-Cellect™ Human IgGκ Detection Kit

Sphere Fluidics’ Cyto-Cellect™ Human IgGκ Detection Kit, in combination with the Cyto-Mine® Single Cell Analysis System, offers a sensitive and robust assay ideal for streamlining cell isolation and titer determination. When picodroplets are formed during the Cyto-Mine® workflow, the Human IgGκ Detection probes are co-encapsulated with the cells to enable the detection of secreted IgG. The Cyto-Cellect™ Human IgGκ Detection Kit is a simple FRET assay that detects the presence of IgG with kappa light chain within picodroplets immediately after secretion from encapsulated cells. 

Sphere Fluidics customers

Sphere has an impressive list of customers in North America and around the globe who use their products and have published data at conferences or in scientific papers on their instruments. These include Janssen (US), GSK (UK and Spain), Merck (Germany), UCB (Belgium), Manchester University (UK) and Texas A&M (US).

Contact

Click here to contact SRC to learn more about Sphere Fluidics and their products.

 

Using contact angle measurements to study and QC surface treatments and coatings with Biolin Scientific

Biolin Scientific Webinar

Surface wettability and adhesion are vital phenomena in a variety of industries ranging from coatings industry to pharmaceutical and biomaterial industry. A simple and efficient contact angle measurement is often used for characterizing the water repellency and other properties such as how successful a surface treatment has been. In this webinar, we will go through the background and significance of different contact angles: where do they originate from, why are they important and how they can be measured in practice. We will give examples of situations where different kind of contact angle measurements are effective in characterizing the water repellency of a surface.

Upcoming Biolin Scientific Webinar

 

Join Spectra Research & Rokit for free webinar regarding cellular physiology of cancer cells in 3D

The cancer world isn’t flat: why cancer researchers adopt 3-D bioprinting

webinar regarding cellular physiology

The growing push for 3-D tissue models is limited by challenges in automated handling, processing and scalability of the technology to various types of materials and high-throughput applications. To meet these challenges, ROKIT Healthcare has developed all-in-one bioprinting platforms and human-cell derived ECM bioinks that allow researchers to biologically mimic the formation of complex, heterogeneous 3-D structures and to scale the technology to high-throughput applications. This webinar will focus on the platform’s usage in cancer biology. It will discuss evidence for 3-D bioprinting capturing altered proliferation and cell morphology profiles, revealing more realistic drug responses, and mimicking vascularized tumor microenvironments – to suggest why bioprinting of cancer cells is a scientifically rigorous method to generate physiologically relevant cancer models for preclinical screening and testing, as well as for new therapy research. You will learn about:
– Key advantages of 3D bioprinting over other techniques
– Five alterations in cellular physiology of cancer cells in 3D vs. 2D
– Evaluation of how 3D bioprinted tissues have altered proliferation and cell morphology
– Evaluation of how 3D bioprinted tissues reveal more realistic drug responses
– Evaluation of how 3D bioprinted tissues mimic complex tumor-immune microenvironments
– Built-in cell incubator, diverse material use, and high-throughput capabilities of ROKIT Healthcare’s all-in-one bioprinting platform Dr. INVIVO 4D6

photo of Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Professor & Research Director

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a Professor & Research Director and holds Carter Kissell Endowed Chair in Urologic Oncology in the Department of Urology at Case Western Reserve University and The Urology Institute at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center. Dr. Gupta’s research focuses on understanding the risk factors and mechanisms of prostatic and bladder diseases, develop appropriate biomarkers for early detection and prognosis, identify novel targets to monitor the efficacy of various synthetic and natural agents and develop them as chemo preventatives/therapeutics Dr. Gupta has authored some 150 publications, including book chapters, research articles and reviews, and has spoken at several occasions in cancer prevention symposium, seminars and meetings. He has been serving in various study sections at National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Department of Defense (DOD), and other councils around the globe.

Madhuri Dey

Madhuri Dey

Ph.D Candidate @Ibrahim Ozbolat Lab – Penn State University
Talk Title: 3D BIOPRINTING OF THE CANCER MICROENVIRONMENT
Da-Yae Lee

Da-Yae Lee

Senior Bio-Consultant @ROKIT Healthcare
Talk Title: ALL-IN-ONE BIOFABRICATION IS THE KEY TO UNRAVELING CANCER COMPLEXITIES