New furnace for sintering metal and ceramic 3D printed parts for €25k has just hit the market
The Atomic Layers: S6E13 (00160)
Atomic Layer of the Day:
If you’re a regular participant in discussions about AM on LinkedIn, chances are you’ve come across posts or comments by Guillaume de Calan, the CEO of the French company NanoE. NanoE is a leading supplier of raw materials for the ceramic industry and the owner of Zetamix, a brand specializing in filaments for 3D printing ceramic and metal parts.
Today, Guillaume shared an exciting new product from his company that I found intriguing enough to warrant more than just a quick mention in "News & Gossip." The product in question is a new furnace for sintering 3D prints (and more)—the Zetasinter 4L. According to Guillaume, it could serve as a significant “counterbalance” to solutions offered by American competitors (including some that are currently struggling).
NanoE first introduced the Zetasinter 4L at Formnext 2024. The furnace, developed in collaboration with the French company Cerinnov Group, is designed for medium-scale production of 3D-printed metal and ceramic parts. It complements NanoE's existing lineup of metal and ceramic filaments, 3D printers, and sintering furnaces.
The new furnace boasts a sintering volume of 4 liters (140 mm in diameter and 250 mm in length), which is four times larger than the previous Zetasinter model, making it suitable for small production batches.
The Zetasinter 4L features digital controls, an easy loading system, and a competitive price point of €25,000. The first deliveries are scheduled for Q1 2025.
The furnace is designed with FFF users in mind, particularly those working with metal filaments, enabling them to print larger parts or produce small to medium batches. It also has potential applications in other sintering-based 3D printing technologies.
Why is this interesting?
For me, it’s because ceramic filaments first caught my attention between 2019 and 2020 when Spectrum Filaments introduced their ceramic filament line. I had the chance to test a few of them (like porcelain!), but my efforts were stymied by the lack of access to a suitable furnace for sintering the finished 3D prints.
Most furnaces available in, for example, dental labs or artisanal studios didn’t exceed 1,000°C. Ceramic filaments (at least those from Spectrum) required higher temperatures.
At the time, I spoke with one of the top specialists in high-temperature furnaces in my country, who explained the significant price jumps for furnaces capable of handling temperatures above 1,000°C and why this was the case. I also learned that there were only a handful of such furnaces in Poland, and it wasn’t clear if any were available for service use.
This “cooled” my enthusiasm for both ceramic 3D printing and furnaces. That’s why the introduction of the Zetasinter 4L at €25,000 is so compelling. The prices I heard in 2020 were significantly higher...
So, if you’re working with bound metal extrusion technology, it might be worth reaching out to NanoE (or Zetamix) and asking about your options.
Atomic Layer from the Past:
01-13-2009: ASTM F42 Committee on Additive Manufacturing was established.
News & Gossip:
GoEngineer, a leading provider of engineering design solutions, has officially announced the acquisition of CAD MicroSolutions, a prominent Canadian reseller of SOLIDWORKS, 3D printing technologies, and engineering services.
Xometry has appointed Sanjeev Singh Sahni as President of the company. He was the former Vice President of B2B E-Commerce and Head of B2B and B2C Sales at Wayfair.
And Michelle Sidwell returns to Velo3D as Chief Revenue Officer. Which is a bit surprising, given the fact that Velo3D was in dire financial situation when she left less than six months, when serving as Chief Commercial Officer. Apparently these positions are different from each other. But what do I know...
thanks for the write up and good information