"Průmyslová keramika" is a well-known Central European company specializing in ceramic mixtures and custom refractory parts. In 2016, they transitioned from traditional production methods and began using Ultimaker 3D printers to manufacture mold accessories. This led to a fivefold increase in the speed of refractory mold cavity production, a reduction in production costs to 10% of the original, and perfect repeatability.
"Průmyslová keramika," which means "Industrial Ceramics" in its original language, was founded in 1991. With 75 employees, the company produces over 9,500 tons of ceramic mixtures and nearly 1,600 tons of structural parts annually, achieving an annual turnover of 220 million Czech crowns (US$9.8 million). Their key to success lies in rapidly fulfilling customer demands. However, each order for ceramic parts is unique, requiring unique mold designs. Therefore, they had to adopt additive manufacturing to meet a large number of customized needs, subsequently choosing Ultimaker 3D printers.
．Tailor-made Precision Industry
These molds typically use a stainless steel shell to shape the exterior, with a central mold core inserted to define the internal features and details of the part, such as grooves, holes, and curves. These accessories often have complex shapes and must be designed and manufactured according to precise customer specifications. In the past, these internal modules were made using manual woodworking or CNC metal inserts; a woodworking accessory could cost up to 20,000 Czech crowns (US$895) and take over 30 hours to carve, making it time-consuming and expensive.
(Pictured: Ceramic refractory part, finished product made using a steel mold shell and a 3D printed mold core.)
In 2013, they began to explore the use of 3D printing to accelerate mold production, but their first 3D printer encountered problems. Jakub Cvilinek, the company's managing director, stated: "We tried to overcome various situations with inconsistent print quality, with only about 30% of prints successful, and the rest was waste." Despite this experience, they still believed in 3D printing technology. "This technology was still indispensable for us, even though we chose an unsuitable 3D printer at the time."
．Mold Manufacturing Reborn: Ultimaker 3D Printers
It wasn't until 2016 that they found the Ultimaker 3 Extended 3D printer. Finally, the company found a stable and professional 3D printing device. Two years later, Jakub added a new Ultimaker S5 to their facility, which offered not only perfect print quality but also a simpler user interface and a larger build volume. As the team utilized 3D printing for mold cores and other mold accessories, the advantages of the technology emerged: accuracy, speed, and repeatable production—along with greater creative freedom in part design, and most importantly, much cheaper than previous processes.
(Pictured: Jakub Cvilinek, managing director of Průmyslová keramika, with the production assistant Ultimaker S5.)
For 3D printed mold cores, they only use PLA material because it is easy to use and has a lower melting and glass transition temperature. Since many core structures are embedded in the ceramic material until the firing process, the specially formulated PLA material can completely burn out of the mold when the firing temperature exceeds 900°C, resulting in high-quality hollow mold cavities. Currently, only two operators are responsible for supervising the 3D printers producing parts, while components are designed by the engineering department using Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD, allowing for quick and easy modifications.
(Further reading: The Secrets of 3D Printing to Lost-Wax Casting: PolyCast)
．Industrial Transformation, a Must
"The Ultimaker 3 Extended and S5 have saved us a lot of production time and costs, and allowed us to produce object shapes that were previously unattainable! With technological development, 3D printers will become indispensable production tools," said Jakub. 3D printing has become a significant asset in the company's manufacturing process. Compared to traditional craftsmanship, the required parts can be manufactured approximately five times faster and at one-tenth of the cost. For example, the material for a 3D printed mold core for an air and gas mixer in an industrial burner only cost 300 Czech crowns (US$13.43). This means that within just a few months, the savings they achieved surpassed the return on investment of their initial purchase of Ultimaker 3D printers.
(Pictured: 3Dprinted blade mold, with design freedom and easier demolding.)
In addition to reducing reliance on CNC milling, the company also saved production costs on back-and-forth modifications, benefiting from on-site manufacturing, rapid prototyping, and the ability to reproduce by simply reprinting the file when necessary.
．3D Printing for More Complex Shapes and Greater Design Freedom
For Průmyslová keramika, the integration of Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S5 has completely transformed their manufacturing process. They are now confident in their ability to meet and even exceed customer quality demands.
Jakub emphasized: "In the past, some particularly complex mold core shapes were either impossible to manufacture or too costly using traditional methods; but now, we can produce them ourselves using Ultimaker 3D printers."
(Further reading: Metal Parts Right Here! 3D Printing Casting Collection!)
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