Ultrafast Printing and Sintering: Breaking Manufacturing Speed Barrier

ABSTRACT High speed and automation are key aspects of Industry 4.0. With the advent of Ultrafast High Temperature Sintering (UHS), the concept of ultrafast, energy‐efficient fabrication is becoming a reality. However, this fast sintering approach is limited by the long prior stages of production, including printing, drying, and debinding. In this work, a significant breakthrough has been achieved to enable ultrafast printing under specific rheological conditions using Direct Ink Writing (DIW), while drastically reducing both drying and debinding times. A low‐organic content suspension was developed, enabling the ultrafast extrusion of self‐supported, thin‐walled complex parts with nozzle sizes down to 0.4 mm. With this formulation, drying and debinding times were significantly reduced, from several days to just 20 and 30 min, respectively. The sintering process, based on UHS, was successfully adapted through Pressureless Spark Plasma Sintering (P‐SPS), allowing the densification of large and complex parts. A comprehensive multiphysics simulation tool for large‐scale UHS was developed, capable of capturing the complex thermal irradiation environment and its impact on final microstructures. Finally, the concept of a continuous ultrafast manufacturing line is introduced and demonstrated, showcasing the potential for producing complex ceramic parts within just a few hours.