#3Dstartup: Metallum3D offers microwave sintering for metal AM

In recent years, the metal additive manufacturing segment has experienced a strong growth, explained in great part by the arrival of players who wanted to make it more accessible to users. These players have offered technologies close to MIM or Binder Jetting, i.e. indirect metal 3D printing processes. The latter is based on the use of metallic powders and a binder, which is then eliminated during the debinding stage. The part must then be sintered in a suitable furnace to weld the metal particles together, giving the part its desired properties. These two post-processing steps are crucial and quite technical. For example, sintering requires temperature control: the part must heat up sufficiently to ensure that the powder particles are fully welded without causing deformation. Metallum3D has addressed these constraints and developed a microwave sintering system, a process that offers a number of benefits for these metal AM processes. We met with its founder and CEO, Nelson Zambrana, to find out more!

3DN: Can you present yourself and your relationship with AM?

I am an engineer with a passion for business. Over the past 25 years I’ve worked in the electronics, pharmaceutical and medical device industries having implemented multiple manufacturing processes including additive manufacturing, CNC machining, injection molding, laser machining and others. Since founding Metallum3D in 2016, I’ve concentrated my efforts in the development of microwave sintering technologies for sinter based metal additive manufacturing.

Metallum3D develops microwave sintering technologies for sinter based metal additive manufacturing

3DN: Why and how was Metallum3D founded?

Metallum3D was founded with a focus in the development of microwave sintering technologies for sinter based metal additive manufacturing. Sintering processes play a major role in metal additive manufacturing and over the last 40 years the performance of conventional sintering processes has not significantly improved. Current conventional sintering processes for sinter based metal additive manufacturing have slow heating rates (~ 5 deg. C/min), long sintering times (> 24 hrs.), high energy consumption and high equipment costs. Microwave sintering has the potential to greatly improve the performance and economics of the sintering process including fast heating rates (5x to 10x faster), short sintering times (up to 80% reduction when compared to conventional sintering), lower energy consumption and lower equipment costs.