Lockheed Martin Files Patent For Crystal 3D Printer

Posted on : Mar 27, 2019

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland and employing approximately 98,000 people worldwide, Lockheed Martin is a merger between Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta in the year 1995. This American global aerospace, defense, security and advanced technologies company has filed a patent for a new of its kind 3D printer. The patent filed on 4th day of April’16 by inventor David G. Findley describes a new way of 3D printing with would use a pre-ceramic polymer and nano particle filler to create synthetic diamond (crystal) of pretty much any shape one can imagine.

The patented method includes depositing alternating layers of a ceramic powder and a pre-ceramic polymer dissolved in a solvent. Each layer of the pre-ceramic polymer is deposited in a shape corresponding to a cross section of an object. The alternating layers of the ceramic powder and the pre-ceramic polymer are deposited until the layers of the pre-ceramic polymer form the shape of the object. The method includes heating the deposited ceramic powder and pre-ceramic polymer to at least a decomposition temperature of the pre-ceramic polymer. The decomposition temperature of the pre-ceramic polymer is less than a sintering temperature of the ceramic powder. The method further includes removing excess ceramic powder that the pre-ceramic polymer was not deposited onto.

The printer will most likely be having the primary function of making drill bits, sharp objects and maybe even light weight armour but this could be great news for the players in Jewellery industry; with almost no restrictions on customisation, jewellers can let their imaginations run high.