Lithoz and Glassomer launch innovation partnership, presenting “LithaGlass powered by Glassomer”, a 3D-printable quartz glass for high-performance applications

Thursday, 27 July 2023

Lithoz and Glassomer launch innovation partnership, presenting “LithaGlass powered by Glassomer”, a 3D-printable quartz glass for high-performance applications

  • Lithoz GmbH, world leader in ceramic 3D printing, and Germany-based Glassomer have established an innovation partnership to market their new3D-printable quartz glass material
  • Lithoz have successfully refined Glassomer’s high-performance fused silica glass for LCM technology, ticking off all desired properties for industrial use
  • “LithaGlass powered by Glassomer” combines the desirable properties and stability of ceramics with the application uses of quartz glass

3rd April 2023: Vienna, Austria. After intensive research together with Germany-based glass manufacturer Glassomer, Lithoz has announced the launch of the new “LithaGlass powered by Glassomer” material. Glassomer classified Lithoz’s powerful Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing technology as the only process capable of refining and 3D printing their material at such a high level of precision and complexity, making this composite slurry with a base of quartz glass a ground-breaking achievement for each partner.

This latest achievement adds another powerful innovation to Lithoz’s portfolio of slurries following several new successful material releases and two new technology launches over the past year. The design freedom of 3D printing combines with the desirable properties of high-performance fused silica glass – such as mechanical stability and high thermal and chemical resistance, as well as low thermal expansion and a resulting high thermal shock resistance. With LithaGlass being closer to a ceramic than standard glasses like soda lime glass, it also has the desirable material properties of fused silica glass including a low thermal expansion and high thermal shock resistance.

As a real breakthrough for several fields, both companies are looking forward to driving innovation forward in ceramics, glass and 3D printing. Dr. Johannes Homa, Lithoz CEO, was eager to share this latest release with these industries: ‘Glassomer’s choice of Lithoz’s LCM process as their key technology to achieve this innovation once again proves the sheer potential and flexibility of our system. The new LithaGlass material brings our company one step closer to our vision – finding solutions to every challenge of today with a 3D-printed ceramic answer.’ Dr. Frederik Kotz-Helmer, CSO of Glassomer explains: “Our transparent high-purity glass solutions offer enormous potential for many applications, especially for high-stability optical and technical parts. With Lithoz we have a powerful partner to make our glasses available for high precision 3D-printing – which will significantly advance science and technology.”

Lithoz is the world and technology leader for high-performance ceramic materials and 3D printers. Founded in 2011, Lithoz is committed to breaking the boundaries of ceramic production and supporting customers in expanding the manufacturing opportunities for the ceramic industry. The company has an export share of almost 100%, almost 150 employees and 4 different sites worldwide. Since 2016, Lithoz has also been ISO 9001-2015 certified.

Lithoz Contact: Alice Elt +43 660 1563231 / aelt@lithoz.com

Glassomer is a young company based in Freiburg im Breisgau that manufactures technical and optical components from high-purity glass. The products include, for example, lenses, lens arrays and microfluidic chips. Thanks to the revolutionary and globally unique Glassomer technology, the components can be shaped at room temperature, for example by means of 3D printing or injection molding. In this way, almost any glass component can be created with high precision and low energy consumption. Glassomer offers glass small series and prototypes as well as industrial high-throughput production.

Glassomer Contact: Patrick Risch +4976 1458 73010 503 / Patrick.Risch@glassomer.com

 

At Rapid + TCT show, Lithoz and SiNAPTIC sign major strategic deal with the purchase of 7 CeraFab S65 printers for OEM contract manufacturing and medical device production

  • At the forthcoming Rapid + TCT Show, Lithoz and Colorado-based med startup SiNAPTIC will sign a major strategic partnership agreement to accelerate the growth in the North American market
  • SiNAPTIC purchases 7 Lithoz CeraFab S65 printers to produce medical-grade and industrial components, becoming the leading contract manufacturer of technical ceramics on the North American continent
  • Co-branding agreement for products developed by SiNAPTIC will be identified by “powered by Lithoz” label and included in the partnership deal

19th April 2023: Vienna, Austria / Chicago, USA. Lithoz, global market and innovation leader in ceramic 3D printing, and SiNAPTIC, Colorado-based additive manufacturing and medical device startup focused on 3D-printed solutions made with technical ceramics, will sign a major strategic partnership agreement including sales and marketing activities at the forthcoming Rapid + TCT show. The deal also includes the purchase of 7 Lithoz CeraFab S65 Medical printers for SiNAPTIC’s new research center in Lafayette, Colorado.

The formalized agreement is yet another example how Lithoz supports their partners by building proactive partnerships and efficiently leveraging their key technology, all the way from designing and developing first prototypes to successful establishment as industrial scale contract manufacturers.

Besides the development of their medical device products and R&D activities, SiNAPTIC will with immediate effect offer their expertise for OEM contract manufacturing on the rapidly accelerating North American market, responding to the numerous inquiries of OEMs from various industries. They will also distribute Lithoz printers, materials and software across North America. A new “SiNAPTIC powered by Lithoz” ingredient branding will be prominently placed by SiNAPTIC on their products.

The agreement between Lithoz and SiNAPTIC will ultimately bring new additive manufacturing solutions to a wider audience in the US, Canada, and Mexico. With many more businesses now being able to take advantage of the ground-breaking capabilities offered by technical ceramics, it will give innovators and businesses a completely new way to bring many types of new products to market faster and with significantly less risk.

SiNAPTIC is comprised of two business divisions – SiNAPTIC Technologies and SiNAPTIC Surgical, each with a different focus. SiNAPTIC Technologies provides R&D and prototyping all the way to scaled OEM manufacturing, whereas SiNAPTIC Surgical is currently undergoing FDA approval to become a fully integrated original medical device producer.

Lithoz’s Dr. Johannes Homa, PhD and SiNAPTIC’s Bryan Scheer, MD will be officially signing the agreement at this year’s Rapid + TCT Chicago, one of the world’s premier additive manufacturing trade shows, commemorating their first joint appearance as strategic partners. At the Lithoz booth #5341, SiNAPTIC will show one of their CeraFab S65 Medical 3D printers live at the event, which also marks the first ever live appearance of an S65 Medical printer at a tradeshow, alongside displaying examples of its own intricate 3D printed parts.

SiNAPTIC’s CEO Bryan Scheer, MD underlines the great mutual benefit of this strategic partnership: “By partnering with Lithoz, the experienced global leader in ceramic 3D printing, SiNAPTIC will gain access to a comprehensive range of technical ceramics, technologies, and unparalleled expertise. This partnership will allow SiNAPTIC to focus on optimizing efficiency in manufacturing and scaling production for our customers.”

For Lithoz CEO Dr. Johannes Homa, this deal will have a fruitful stimulus on both companies’ growth plans: “With SiNAPTIC we have found the right partner for the rapidly growing volume of inquiries on the North American market at exactly the right time! With the strong passion and huge momentum they bring on their mission to disrupt the medical device market with unique 3D-printed technical ceramics, we quickly came to the conclusion that they are also the right company to be a leading contract manufacturer for the many different inquiries, from prototyping to serial production, we have received from OEMs of various verticals during the last months.”

About Lithoz

Lithoz is the world and technology leader for high-performance ceramic materials and 3D printers. Founded in 2011, Lithoz is committed to breaking the boundaries of ceramic production and supporting customers in expanding the manufacturing opportunities for the ceramic industry. The company has an export share of almost 100%, almost 150 employees and 4 different sites worldwide. Since 2016, Lithoz has also been ISO 9001-2015 certified.

Lithoz Contact: Alice Elt +43 660 1563231 / aelt@lithoz.com

About SiNAPTIC

Based in Lafayette, Colorado (US), SiNAPTIC is a technical ceramics additive manufacturing and medical device startup that was founded in 2022. SiNAPTIC is dedicated to the development and manufacturing of advanced ceramic materials, with a focus on leveraging the dynamic properties of technical ceramics to transform lives and industries. Founded with the vision to research, develop and produce highly refined 3D-printed ceramic products for medical as well as industrial application across multiple verticals, SiNAPTIC will provide additive contract manufacturing from rapid prototyping to commercial-scale manufacturing. This will offer innovators and businesses a completely new way to bring many types of new products to market faster and with significantly less risk. For additional information, please visit www.sinaptictech.com.

SiNAPTIC Contact: Lisa Marie Del Re, LisaMarie@sinaptictech.com

The Solar Thermal Redoxchemical Production of Hydrogen Using Cerium Oxide 3D-printed Receiver Modules

  • As a ‘receiver module’, the cerium oxide assembly is heated up to 1,400 – 1,500 degrees Celsius (approx. 2500 – 2700 Fahrenheit). The ideal shape lattice design (to be defined between WZR and DLR) will ensure that heat penetrates as deeply as possible into the complex part’s structure, making the process as efficient as possible.
  • Within that desired temperature window, cerium oxide releases a fraction of oxygen to the atmosphere. The resulting sesquioxide is still stable in its original phase (meaning no phase change affecting the macro-structure) but it has a higher redox chemical energy level which can now be exploited.
  • Therefore, the activated cerium sesquioxide receiver module is moved down inside the tower powerplant and cooled down. Once it reaches a certain temperature, water vapor is introduced.
  • In contact with the hot surface, the vapor splits into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2), thermodynamically driven by the diffusion of oxygen into the material bulk to refill the “empty oxygen sites”. H2 remains and enriches the sweeps flux.
  • After this relaxation, the receiver component can re-enter the reduction process by heating it up again – the cycle restarts from the beginning. The aim is to achieve a specimen stability of several thousand redox cycles.
  • The resulting ‘green’ hydrogen has therefore been exclusively generated by a redoxchemical process only made possible by solar energy and a 3D-printed ceramic key component.

Lithoz Contact for detailed information: Alice Elt +43 660 1563231 / aelt@lithoz.com

WZR Contact: Dr. Dieter Nikolay +49 2226 1698-10 / d.nikolay@wzr.cc