Czech Academy of Sciences installs Lithoz multi-material AM machine for smart medical and aerospace applications
The Institute of Physics of Materials of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IPM CAS), located in Brno, has acquired a CeraFab Multi 2M30 Additive Manufacturing machine from Lithoz GmbH, Vienna, Austria. Reported to be the first in the Czech Republic, Lithoz has completed the installation at the IPM CAS facilities, where the machine will support research within the MEBioSys project.
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The MEBioSys programme, co-funded by the EU and the Czech Republic’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS), focuses on developing hierarchical structures with sensory capabilities for use in biological and engineering applications such as bone implants.
These advanced three-dimensional structures, previously impossible to achieve with conventional methods, are intended to drive the development of innovative medical solutions, particularly in the field of bio-inspired sensor-integrated bone implants. The smart ceramic medical devices will integrate piezoelectric sensor elements into the bioceramic structure, enabling real-time, non-invasive monitoring of implants inside the body. This will allow doctors to assess the implant’s performance and detect potential issues in real-time, providing patients with patient-specific care.
A second research topic involves developing smart adaptive aircraft wings that optimise vibration behaviour. Ideally synchronised to the aircraft’s trajectory, electrical current is sent through conductive layers, influencing the wing’s stiffness to shift resonance to a point less critical for turbine lifespan.
“As a result of our previous work, we recognised the need for a multi-material 3D printing solution to produce the complex structures required for our research,” said Dr Zdeněk Chlup, Head of Brittle Fracture Group at IPM CAS. “The CeraFab Multi 2M30’s ability to print two materials in a single layer opens up a world of possibilities, especially in the integration of piezo-electric ceramics with metals and polymers. This technology will enable us to advance our research in ways we couldn’t before.”
The Lithoz CeraFab Multi Additive Manufacturing machine can combine different materials, such as ceramic with metal or two different ceramics with varying properties, in one single functional part – even within a single additively manufactured layer. In just one build run, entirely opposing material properties or varying porosities can be flexibly and functionally combined, including, for example, conductive and insulating properties, creating the next generation of multi-functional parts of previously unachievable detail and complexity.
The CeraFab Multi 2M30 will play a key role in advancing the MEBioSys project’s research and development efforts. Following the successful completion of initial test builds, the IPM team is reported to be eager to fully explore the potential of multi-material Additive Manufacturing in advancing both medical and aerospace engineering frontiers.
