CerAMfacturing of a ceramic aerospike engine

High-performance ceramics are recognized as key enabling materials because of their very high thermal, chemical and mechanical resistance in combination with a lower density compared to most metals. These properties apparently predestine ceramics for many different applications, e.g. propulsion engines. Within the present work, the high potential of additive manufacturing in the field of ceramic materials (CerAMfacturing) could be demonstrated. It is possible to produce high-resolution ceramic aerospike engines using CerAM VPP. The manufactured components not only combine the typical ceramic properties, but also exhibit: - high geometric complexity, - very good surface properties, and - very good manufacturing accuracy. These developments will pave the way for a new generation of propulsion engines.