Lucideon Talks Advancing Metal and Ceramic AM

Materials are, and always will be, the core of additive manufacturing. But being able to pick the right one for the right application, and making it with the right process, is a constant challenge for many looking to adopt the technology. And this is doubly the case when it comes to ceramic and metal AM. This is where companies like Lucideon come in. With robust R&D departments and extensive experience in material development as well as the technologies, they are at the forefront of increasing the usability of AM for different applications in a variety of sectors. We sat down with two Lucideon experts, one specializing in metals and the other in ceramics, to learn more.

3DN: Could you introduce yourself and Lucideon?

Robert Crookes: I am head of advanced materials at Lucideon in the UK-based branch. We carry out developmental work of engineering ceramics and their manufacturing processes with applications in sectors including aerospace, defense and nuclear power. This means we develop material formulations, of course, but also the additive manufacturing processes themselves, taking them from the lab stage through to scale.

A finished part made with ceramic additive manufacturing

Lucideon is a materials development and validation company. We are materials engineers and scientists, and our goal is to help other companies to develop materials and processes and address challenges in industry. We cover a wide range of industries, although the company goes back to the British Ceramics Research Association (BCRA) which rebranded to CERAM in 1970/1980. In December 2006, the company acquired the US-based M&P Lab. Early in 2014, CERAM and M+P Labs were collectively rebranded as Lucideon under a single company name.