Solid freeform fabrication: novel manufacturing opportunities for electronic ceramics

Solid freeform fabrication (SFF) methods offer unique opportunities for manufacturing electronic ceramics, specifically piezoelectric ceramics and ceramic/polymer composites (for sensing and actuating applications) free of constraints imposed by complexity of design or architecture. This is a direct result of the fact that these methods allow component manufacture without the need for hard tools/molds or costly machining. There are a number of SFF methods that have been developed since the introduction of stereolithography in the mid 1980´s. Only recently have some of these methods been successfully applied to advanced ceramic materials. This paper gives a brief introduction of the major commercial SFF methods. In addition, examples are given which show how SFF methods have been recently used to manufacture PZT ceramic/polymer composites for actuators and sensors. The paper will offer an indication of the potential that SFF offers to manufacture advance electronic ceramic materials