Last week was a crazy week for most companies that participated in Emo Hannover. It was also a crazy week for Alumina Systems that held the biggest event on its agenda: the Innovation Day.
With a 30-year experience in the industry, Alumina Systems specializes in the manufacturing of semiconductor packages for high-performance electronics. The company’s key technology combines vacuum-tight brazing of alumina ceramics with metals including ultrapure copper or various Ni-Fe alloys up to stainless steel.
With the recent integration of additive manufacturing as part of its production methods, the company has reached new heights in the industry. Indeed, it has been awarded “the TOP 100 seal for its above-average innovative strength”. An annual price that acknowledges innovative Germany-based companies in the SME sector and which happens to be the cherish on the cake given the fact that the company has inaugurated its 3D Printing center last week.
A close look at Alumina Systems’ 3D Printing activities
Alumina Systems GmbH fabricates dense ceramic parts from prototypes to serial while leveraging a 3D printing system that processes 99,99 % of Alumina and Zirkonia. According to the company, these parts are quite complex and could not have been produced using conventional manufacturing techniques like pressing, injection molding or extrusion.
“In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Dresden, we will have developed the so-called saline battery (sodium nickel chloride) from bench scale to industrial manufacturing standard in the next 3 years. As a stationary energy store, it will be just as efficient as the lithium-ion battery. Their production will be significantly cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Because only ceramic, common salt and nickel are used for lithium and cobalt for lithium-ion batteries”, explained Dr. Wampers. “In addition, the new 3D printing center will have one of the world’s largest 3D printers to produce prefabricated components of up to 500 x 500 mm in area and up to 250 mm in height from ceramic.”
This innovation day was also the occasion to discuss Alumina’s latest developments: an innovative battery storage system based on nickel chloride and a patented process for 3D ceramic printing.
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