Lithoz, an Austrian ceramic 3D printing company, has reported a 40% year-over-year increase in ceramic material revenue at the end of the second quarter of 2026.
The company attributed the growth to rising production volumes among Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing (LCM) contract manufacturers and increased adoption in medical technology applications. Consequently, Lithoz has revised its revenue expectations upward for the remainder of 2026.
According to the company, customers are adding more CeraFab System printers to existing production fleets as order books and batch sizes increase. Lithoz also pointed to growing demand for customized materials and the expansion of ceramic 3D printing into regulated industries.
More than half of the global CeraFab System installed base is now operated by one-fifth of Lithoz customers. This indicates that a comparatively small group of users is running larger print farms for serial production.
Lithoz refers to its international network of industrial and academic customers as the “Ceramic 3D Factory.” The network includes contract manufacturers using multiple LCM systems across serial-production projects and regulated applications.
“We are not only continuously improving and revalidating our materials,” said Dr. Johannes Homa, CEO of Lithoz. “We’ve even developed a good number of customized materials for customers now persistently scaling their production to greater volumes.”
“Reaching ISO 13485 certification for our quality management in material production was a big milestone and proved to be a powerful door opener to many demanding industries; even the most tightly regulated industries that can profit off
our technology.” he said.
Demand grows beyond alumina and zirconia
Alumina and zirconia account for the largest share of Lithoz’s ceramic material revenue. However, aluminium nitride, calcium phosphates and silica-based ceramics recorded the fastest individual growth across the company’s portfolio of more than 20 materials.
Lithoz linked aluminium nitride demand to thermal-management applications. The material has a reported thermal conductivity of 211 W/m K and a coefficient of thermal expansion closely matched to silica.
The company identified potential applications in semiconductor manufacturing, propulsion systems and data-centre cooling, where thermal management is a key performance requirement.
Calcium phosphate demand has grown alongside interest in patient-specific, resorbable implants. Lithoz attributed this increase partly to improved access to published clinical evidence covering LCM 3D printed ceramic implants.
According to the company, this evidence has encouraged wider recognition of the technology among medical experts and contributed to commercial growth. However, Lithoz did not provide a breakdown of calcium phosphate revenue, production volumes or implant numbers.
Casting cores support industrial material sales
Silica-based ceramics used for casting cores have also recorded a sharp rise in demand.
Lithoz linked this growth to Safran Aircraft Engines’ recent adoption of LCM as a key technology for developing the next generation of single-crystal turbine blades for future aircraft engines.
Safran’s use of the process is presented as an important industrial reference for the material. Lithoz said the adoption had generated wider interest across the industry, although it did not quantify Safran’s contribution to material revenue or order volumes.
Across its portfolio, Lithoz said the latest figures reflect a shift toward larger production fleets and higher batch quantities. Contract manufacturers operating multiple CeraFab systems are a significant contributor to material consumption because expanding production creates recurring demand for ceramic feedstocks.
The results also underline the role of validated materials and quality-management systems in regulated sectors such as MedTech. In these applications, adoption depends on repeatable material production and supporting clinical evidence, as well as the printing process itself.
Lithoz did not disclose its absolute ceramic material revenue, the number of machines added to print farms or a revenue breakdown by material or application.
LCM capacity moves toward serial production
Lithoz’s material growth follows recent capacity expansion within its contract manufacturing network. Companies such as Steinbach AG are generating recurring demand for ceramic feedstock by expanding their LCM fleet.
Medical adoption has also been supported by developments in quality management and clinical validation. Lithoz achieved ISO 13485 certification in May 2025, establishing a framework for supporting customers developing medical devices.
A separate clinical follow-up involving 14 patients reported a success rate above 92% for patient-specific beta-TCP implants produced using a CeraFab system.
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Featured image shows Lithoz Ulnaric Wedge Implant. Photo via Lithoz.
