Bosch develops challenging ceramic micro-reactor in additive manufacturing

Bosch is world-renowned for its quality and precision in the field of advanced ceramics for the automotive sector. Bosch Advanced Ceramics, the ceramics division of grow platform GmbH, now enables the use of these advanced ceramics in new markets and offers functional ceramics for the household, industrial, electrical, engineering and medical sectors. The combination of innovative production capabilities and Bosch's proprietary materials makes it possible to develop unique and precise ceramic products for a wide variety of markets. The demand for ceramic products is continuously increasing: the requirement is higher complexity combined with precision and economy. At this interface, Bosch Advanced Ceramics sets the new benchmark with innovative production technologies. Ceramic injection molding in combination with inmoldlabeling for functional layers and 3D printing enables the production of complex structures while taking into accountthe highest precision and almost unlimited possibilities in design for use in a wide range of applications - from batch size 1 to large series. Depending on the application, three different materials are available. Zirconium oxide, high-purity aluminum oxide and ZTA are the basic materials for ceramic injection molding or 3D printing. Of course, we are also happy to use other technologies and materials accessible to us to meet your challenge. Here we can draw on existing expertise from the spark plug and lambda sensor sectors.

 

„Spiral-Mixer:
Seamless spiral mixer manufacturing in one piece.
This mixer cannot be manufactured by ceramic injection molding or pressing.
Only additive manufacturing is able tocreate such geometries.
This component is mainly used in the chemicalindustry.

It is used to control the flow of corrosive liquids and gases.

The turbine rotor has the following dimensions:
- Height: 25 mm
- Diameter: 10 mm
- Wall thickness: 0,3 mm

Advantages and application areas of the turbine rotor:
- very good shaft - hub connection
- Extremely good stress distribution
- uniform expansionas well as compression
- High temperature ranges
- speeds in very high range possible
- There is no need to balance it, because it is made in one piece

 

„Sugar-Cube/ Ring with channels:

Ceramic 3D printing enables finest internal channels and structures!
In process technology for example an optimized flow behavior is crucial for a high yield.

Through this production process we can produce complex structures to guide the fluid wherever it needs to go. No matter how intricate the path.
in additionadvanced ceramics provide an ideal thermal management even at high temperatures and combined with cooling fluids entire assembly groups can be realized in a single 3D printed component.

Dimensions:

Ring with channels:
Outer diameter: 12.45 mm
Height: 8,2 mm
Internal channels: 0,7 mm

 

Sugar cube:
Openings: 0.4 mm
Edge length: 11,5 mm x 8,3 mm

 

„Heat-Exchanger:

If you want to work with high corrosive combustion air or liquidsyou can use this kind of ceramic heat exchangers.
Maybe you have also looked intoCeramic materials. But due to the design limitations of conventionally produced Ceramics many heat exchanger designs were not possible.

3dprintingof Ceramics has proven to be a gamechangerin the design of ceramic components.

Especially for Heat exchangers with very thin channels we can provide a solution that is tailored exactly to your use case!
With our additive manufacturing technologywe are able tocreate internal channels as thin as 1 mm to ensure that you can reach exactly the spot, where you need to remove the heat.
Since we don’t have to machine those channelsit doesn't matter if those channels are straight, bend or a maze.

Dimensions::
Outer diameter -> 20 mm
Component height -> 25 mm
channel diameter -> 1.4 mm

 

„Functional coatings

„Durable coatings to extend functionality

Coatings on technical ceramics can have different objectives: Either the existing properties are improved, for example by applying friction-reducing layers, or entirely new properties are added. For example, ceramics – actually an insulating material – can be made conductive at certain points by applying metallic layers. These layers are permanently bonded to the ceramic base material by sintering. The ceramic can thus be used for completely new applications.

„Wide range of coating materials and technologies

Depending on the materials used, the coating can be sintered together with the component at high temperatures (co-firing); or the coating is applied to the already sintered component. Then sintering must be carried out again at lower temperatures (post-firing). Co-firing achieves better layer adhesion, but cannot be used with all materials. Bosch Ceramics has already realised many coatings, for example with gold, silver, platinum, chrome but also hard materials such as DLC. The wide range of coating technologies ensures an extensive choice of materials here.

Our processes for functional coatings

„In-mold labelling

With In-mold labeling, a film with printed coatings is placed in an injection molding tool and then encapsulated with ceramic material. The film is removed in the subsequent processes, while the functional coating is permanently bonded to the ceramic.

„Tampography

With this process, coatings can be applied using a flexible silicone die to non-planar ceramic components, such as curved surfaces.

„Screen printing

With screen printing, metallic pastes can be applied with great precision to flat components. For electronics, this means producing multi-layer circuits with ceramic carrier plates (LTCC technology).

„CVD

With chemical vapor deposition, highly complex parts can be refined with precise layers on a three-dimensional level. Advanced Ceramics works sustainably using unique processing techniques to avoid the formation of harmful hexavalent chromium.

„PVD

The technically demanding process of physical vapor deposition achieves excellent layer adhesion, producing thin, compact coatings in a wide variety of materials.