Application Development
Our approach is to apply our developed knowledge and experience in additive manufacturing to specific application challenges. This includes a wide array of printing techniques and materials. Our specific expertise in binder jetting technologies provides our commercial partners with the capability to create, enhance or optimize its scaled processes for component production.
Application Focus: Optimized Optics Through Additively Manufactured Silicon Carbide
Additively manufactured silicon carbide (AM SiC) is the ideal substrate for high-quality optics for space, military and commercial applications
Key benefits of AM SiC over conventional optic materials:
Superior Thermal Stability
High thermal conductivity and low CTE
High Strength-To-Weight Ratio
High thermal conductivity and low CTE
Design Freedom
Create complex shapes without machining
Typical Material Properties
| Density | Flexural Strength | CTE | Thermal Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7-2.9 g/cc | 200-300 MPa | 2.3-2.4 ppm/°C | 100-150 W/m-K (RT) |
Our Process
1 - You provide us with your 3D design file in a common file format (.obj, .stl)
2 - We print your substrate leveraging our specific binder jet AM process for AM SiC
3 - We infiltrate your substrate to produce a fully dense Si-SiC part
4 - Your substrate is ground and polished to produce a final optic
Application Development Examples
3D Printed Silicon Carbide For HEL Directed Energy
Lightweight Silicon Carbide Mirrors via Binder Jet Additive Manufacturing
Additive Manufacturing of High-Precision, High-Numerical Aperture Silicon Carbide Optics
Low-Cost, Free-Form Optics Using Silicon Carbide Additive Manufacturing
Request a Quote
Send your part file today and one of our applications engineers will get back to you within 24 hours.
Typical lead times are approximately four weeks; expedited orders can be ready in as little as one week.
