Russian Engineers Develop New 3D-Printing Technology for Ceramic Composites Used in Microwave Electronics
Researchers at the Advanced Engineering School of Microwave Electronics at RTU MIREA are developing a method for printing ceramic composites on standard LCD photopolymer 3D printers. Instead of pure photopolymer resin, the process uses a suspension containing ceramic powder – barium titanate, a material widely used in electronics because of its electrical and physical properties.
A standard LCD photopolymer 3D printer that until recently was used to produce plastic models is now being adapted to manufacture highly complex radio-electronic components. Researchers at the Advanced Engineering School of Microwave Electronics at RTU MIREA are modifying the technology to work with barium titanate-based suspensions. This is more than a response to a global trend: it is an important step toward technological independence in microelectronics and the hardware underlying information systems.
The key advantage is that a component can be formed directly from a three-dimensional computer model, without making traditional molds or complex tooling. The approach is intended for prototyping and small-batch production of microwave hardware used in telecommunications, radar, satellite and measurement equipment.
At the Intersection of Physics and Chemistry
The main challenge in printing ceramics on standard equipment is gravity. Instead of pure photopolymer resin, the printer is filled with a suspension containing ceramic powder. The heavy ceramic particles settle and form agglomerates, making the printed part nonuniform. In an experiment using 10% filler, its concentration differed noticeably between the upper and lower parts of the sample.
The solution emerged at the intersection of chemistry and physics. The researchers proposed two ways to stabilize the suspension: pulsed ultrasonic dispersion and the addition of surfactants that prevent the particles from sticking together. This made it possible to increase the ceramic content of the suspension to 55%. At the same time, MIREA researchers are avoiding claims that a ready-to-use industrial technology is just around the corner. Major challenges remain, including preserving the part’s geometry after firing and ensuring adhesion to the printer bed. Poor adhesion requires additional adjustment of printing parameters and post-processing.
The End of Expensive Molds
Conventional production of functional ceramics requires expensive molds, making small production runs difficult to justify economically. The new technology could enable engineers to move from a digital 3D model to a physical prototype of an antenna or radar filter, satellite component or telecommunications device in just a few hours.
For Russia’s industry, this could accelerate R&D and reduce reliance on imports. Worldwide, researchers are already exploring printed capacitors and substrates, but the contribution of MIREA engineers lies in building their own production chain specifically for the needs of Russia’s microwave electronics sector. That work is aligned with the country’s Strategy for the Development of Additive Technologies through 2030.
Evolution, Not Revolution
Russia’s additive microwave-electronics sector has been gaining momentum over the past five years. In 2022, the Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences was already printing photopolymer frameworks followed by copper plating. Tomsk Polytechnic University worked on ferrite ceramics for high-frequency applications from 2022 to 2024, while in 2024 the Moscow Aviation Institute proposed 3D printing antennas for spacecraft.
MIREA has been systematically laying the groundwork. In 2024, its researchers consolidated global experience in multimaterial printing and lowered the sintering temperature of titanates to 950°C, opening the way to using less expensive metals instead of platinum. In 2025, the university launched a pilot facility for ceramic printed circuit boards, cutting prototype development time from weeks to 30 minutes.
The immediate goal is stable, reproducible electrical and physical characteristics. But the ambitions extend beyond internal R&D. Russia’s additive-manufacturing sector is already reaching international markets: in April 2026, Rosatom supplied a RusBeam 2800 industrial printer to India for use in the space industry.
Over time, the products offered for export could include integrated solutions spanning materials, software and post-processing parameters. Moving from individual experiments to standardized production processes will require stable filler concentrations and highly precise control of dielectric properties.
The Formula for Independence
RTU MIREA’s development is significant primarily as one element in building a domestic technology chain for digital manufacturing of radio-electronic components. Its practical advantage could emerge in applications where conventional ceramic manufacturing requires expensive tooling, while production volumes are small or the design needs to be changed repeatedly.
The technology’s main value is not simply the ability to “print ceramics,” since such methods already exist both in Russia and abroad. The more important challenge is learning how to produce functional components with predetermined electrical and physical characteristics that can be used directly in microwave devices. In the future, the technology could also be applied in other industries that require ceramics that are strong, heat-resistant and dimensionally precise.
