Fluent Metal Is Our 2024 Startup of the Year
The American company Fluent Metal specializes in a metal additive manufacturing process that involves using ultra-thin metal wire, comparable to the width of a human hair, to deposit metal droplets precisely. The technology is compatible with many materials, including copper, silver, stainless steel, and even tungsten. Amazingly, it enables the production of fully or nearly finished parts with minimal need for post-processing.
The Fluent Metal process has a number of benefits
Peter Schmitt, the founder and CEO of Fluent Metal, explained that one of the technology’s key advantages is its ease of operation—offering quick setup, seamless material switching and low overall costs. Remarkably, the technology can use standard wire, meaning it is safe to handle, broadly available and can be used efficiently without waste. Unlike traditional metal 3D printing, which often demands costly safety measures, Fluent Metal’s technique can be carried out efficiently in a standard manufacturing environment. This scalability opens the door to a wide range of applications. Fluent Metal is currently focusing on industrial sectors such as defense, aerospace, and mobility, as well as consumer goods like jewelry.
If you caught our coverage of Formnext 2024, you might remember that metal was everywhere, indicating a steady growth of metals in additive manufacturing. Fluent Metal is poised to contribute to that narrative, and we look forward to seeing how the technology impacts the industry.
Congratulations to all the startups that made it to our challenge, and thank you for participating! We would also like to recognize our runner-ups, our first being another metal additive manufacturing startup, AMFREE. The French company is dedicated to producing turnkey, pre-qualified XXL metal 3D printing hybrid solutions, and it earned 410 votes. With 227 votes, our second runner-up is Phase3D, a Chicago-based startup that offers solutions to improve the quality of 3D printed parts with its computer vision system Fringe.
What do you think of our Startup of the Year 2024? Did you vote for Fluent Metal? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.
