Case Study: HRL Laboratories advances polymer-derived ceramic 3D printing with Prodways CERAM PRO 365

HRL Laboratories advances polymer-derived ceramic 3D printing with Prodways' ProMaker L5000 for fully densified silicon-oxycarbide ceramics

HRL Laboratories, a world-renowned research center owned by General Motors and Boeing, sought to advance the development of polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) for next-generation aerospace, defense, and energy applications. Their challenge was to push the boundaries of additive manufacturing for these high-performance materials. To achieve this, HRL partnered with vendor Prodways Group and utilized their ProMaker L5000 digital light projection 3D printing system.

Prodways Group provided the high-resolution 3D printing technology that enabled HRL scientists to manufacture fully densified silicon-oxycarbide ceramics. The collaboration demonstrated that precise control over reinforcement size is key to producing tough, defect-free ceramic components. This research confirmed the feasibility of 3D printing high-performance ceramic matrix composites, providing fundamental insights for future aerospace- and defense-grade applications and bringing next-generation ceramic manufacturing closer to scalability.

HRL Laboratories