Headmade Materials qualifies Sinterit Lisa X for ColdMetalFusion process

Headmade Materials has qualified the Sinterit Lisa X selective laser sintering (SLS) printer for use with its ColdMetalFusion (CMF) metal feedstocks, a move aimed at lowering the entry barriers for metal additive manufacturing. The qualification confirms that Lisa X can produce CMF “green parts,” which are later converted into dense metal components through debinding and sintering.

Just recently, US-based AM service provider CADmore demonstrated this capability and partnered with Burton Precision to expand Cold Metal Fusion printing activities on Sinterit Lisa X. Now this process is becoming increasingly standardized.

Making metal parts with polymer systems

ColdMetalFusion, developed by Headmade Materials, is a sinter-based process that enables the production of metal components on polymer SLS machines rather than traditional metal 3D printers. The method separates printing and sintering into two stages. During printing, a thermoplastic binder is selectively melted inside a metal-powder feedstock to create a solid green part at low temperature, typically below 80 °C. After that, the part is debound and sintered in a furnace, where the metal powder fuses into a solid structure.

Because only the binder melts during printing, CMF can operate on polymer-based systems with minimal thermal load. The approach eliminates the need for support structures, enables efficient nesting of parts, and allows for reuse of unsintered powder.

Next development phase

By qualifying the Lisa X, Headmade Materials confirms that the printer’s process stability and control meet CMF’s requirements for green-part production. The qualification does not represent a finished product release but forms part of a broader development phase focused on validating CMF in industrial environments.

Sinterit and Headmade plan to collect additional data across various geometries and real-world use cases before finalizing the CMF printing profile for Lisa X. A beta program, expected to begin soon, will invite selected users to test CMF materials on the system and contribute feedback from production conditions.

Accessible metal additive manufacturing

Sinterit’s Lisa X is positioned as a strong platform for CMF development due to its open SLS architecture, support-free printing capability, and stable green-part handling. The workflow typically includes SLS printing, depowdering, optional machining, solvent debinding, and furnace sintering.

Headmade Materials currently offers qualified CMF feedstocks, including titanium (Ti6Al4V), Inconel 625, stainless steels 316L and 17-4PH, and tool steel M2. Material properties and design parameters are defined in official datasheets.

The collaboration aims to make metal additive manufacturing more accessible by allowing existing polymer SLS users to adopt CMF without investing in dedicated metal systems. The companies plan to refine the process through the beta phase, guided by customer applications and production feedback rather than controlled lab conditions.