Advanced Manufacturing

A better material is only part of a better device. How we manufacture it can directly improve performance, reduce resource use and lower the energy needed for production. This is especially important for ceramics, whose processing often requires high temperatures. Conventional manufacturing can also restrict both device shapes and the combinations of materials that can be processed together.

At IREC, ATLAB investigates 3D printing of functional ceramics as a scalable route to devices with complex shapes, moving beyond the flat plates and tubes typically produced by conventional methods. By building parts layer by layer and then firing them, we create architectures designed to increase active area, improve mechanical strength and use materials more efficiently.

We also explore thin-film deposition and ultrafast sintering to make ceramic devices with a smaller manufacturing footprint. Thin films provide functional layers just nanometres to micrometres thick, reducing or, where possible, eliminating the need for critical raw materials through careful material and device design. Ultrafast sintering dramatically shortens high-temperature processing, offering a route to lower thermal budgets and helping limit unwanted reactions between materials.

These technologies support all our research lines, from ceramic fuel cells to full-oxide batteries and ion-driven computing. Our aim is to combine better device performance with more resource-efficient, energy-efficient and scalable ceramic manufacturing.