WZR ceramic solutions GmbH installs CeraFab S65 System
Ceramics 3D printing company Lithoz GmbH has announced the delivery of one of its CeraFab S65 System machines to WZR ceramic solutions GmbH, as part of a green hydrogen project.
The German company, which specialises in material development for ceramic additive manufacturing, says the project, called Redox3D, aims to produce green hydrogen in solar tower powerplants through thermochemical processes that rely on solar energy and are entirely independent of fossil fuel sources.
While WZR has been working with ceramic 3D printing since 2004, the installation marks the first time the company will bring DLP technology in-house. WZR plans to use Lithoz’s flagship Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing (LCM) technology for the construction of cerium oxide components with highly complex lattice structures. In a press release, Lithoz describes ceramic 3D printing as a “key enabler” in “making zero emission societies a reality."
WZR will partner with the DLR (German Aerospace Center) to determine the ideal lattice structure for the optimum solar heat penetration into cerium oxide components. The effort has received public funding by the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Action (03EE5124A),
The project will take place across two phases over three years. The first will include testing and optimisation of different 3D printing techniques to precisely control and process the cerium oxide ceramic material. The second phase will focus on the design of optimal structures, supported by DLR, which will then applied to complete the project.
The design is expected to take the form of a complex filigree structure to enable the deepest possible penetration of solar energy into the cerium oxide component, crucial to achieving the highest efficiency in the energy generation process. Reproducibility of parts will also be a crucial factor, according got Lithoz.
“Using Lithoz’s powerful 3D printing technology and their proactive partnership approach, we are confident that we will achieve the levels of complexity and intricacy in filigree structures needed to achieve our goals in this project,” explained Dr. Dieter Nikolay, Managing Partner WZR. “Thanks to the speed and high-quality surface finish of this technique, we will once again be able to further drive innovation forward, this time with the production of green hydrogen.”
Dr. Johannes Homa, Lithoz CEO, added: “We consider hydrogen generated with renewable energy the number one solution to save our planet from further climate change. Lithoz is committed to supporting such projects using the industrial standard of LCM technology to make zero emission societies a reality.”
