Additive manufacturing (AM) of ceramics is a promising technology that has already demonstrated the ability to speed the prototyping of parts, enable the production of complex geometries, reduce the waste of materials, and save money on tooling costs. Despite this potential, ceramic AM is at a much earlier stage than the technology’s application to the manufacturing of polymer and metal products.

The slower development and scale-up of ceramic AM is due to several aspects of the ceramic manufacturing process, including the need for specialized raw materials; the complex sintering process; and the unique properties of ceramics, such as brittleness. These characteristics may also have slowed the creation of international standards for ceramic AM, whose development could encourage the wider use of the technology.