For decades, the production of small, precise metal components at scale has been largely defined by Metal Injection Molding (MIM), known for its speed, consistency, and cost efficiency. Replicating these characteristics with additive manufacturing has remained a challenge, particularly in applications requiring high precision and repeatability.
Gerald Mitteramskogler and his team at Incus are addressing this with Lithography-based Metal Manufacturing (LMM). The sinter-based process is designed to combine additive manufacturing’s design flexibility with the precision and production economics traditionally associated with MIM, and is already finding traction in industries from orthodontics to smart electronics.
We spoke with the Incus team about how the technology works, where it is being applied today, and what scaling metal AM for industrial production involves.
3DN: You have more than a decade of experience in additive manufacturing. What gap in metal manufacturing led you to found Incus?
Over more than a decade in additive manufacturing, a clear gap emerged between the output quality of existing metal AM systems and the expectations of industrial manufacturers. The industry has made many promises, but often without the substance required to support true industrial scaling rather than one-time machine sales.
There is a clear need for reliable, efficient production of small, highly precise, and complex metal components. Many applications require excellent surface quality, tight tolerances, and repeatable production at scale—areas where existing technologies have struggled to deliver consistently.
This led to the vision of a process that combines precision, surface quality, material efficiency, and scalable production. That vision became Lithography-based Metal Manufacturing, and ultimately the foundation of Incus, to address these unmet industrial needs.
3DN: For readers unfamiliar with the process, how does Lithography-based Metal Manufacturing work, and how does it differ from other metal AM technologies?
Lithography-based Metal Manufacturing (LMM) is an additive manufacturing process in which metal parts are built layer by layer using a light-curable feedstock composed of metal powder and a polymer binder. A digital light source selectively cures each layer to form a “green part,” which is then debound and sintered to achieve its final density and mechanical properties.
LMM enables high dimensional accuracy, fine feature resolution, and excellent surface quality, bringing it close to the output quality of Metal Injection Molding (MIM) and lost-wax casting.
As a sinter-based process, it produces a stress-free microstructure comparable to conventional powder metallurgy, which can result in strong fatigue performance relative to processes like LPBF. It also offers higher green strength and easier handling of printed parts than Binder Jetting.
Overall, LMM is particularly well suited for the reliable, scalable production of small, complex metal components.
3DN: What makes LMM the right process, and which applications benefit most from it?
Currently, our largest customer base is in patient-specific orthodontics, where LMM combines high precision with reliable, scalable production while maintaining production economics close to Metal Injection Molding (MIM).
We also see strong adoption in jewelry manufacturing. For precious metals, LMM enables near-zero material waste, as unused feedstock can be recovered and reused.
Another key area is miniaturized components and smart electronics. We are working with major OEMs in the United States that value the design freedom, tight tolerances, and surface quality LMM enables. In many cases, these geometries cannot be produced using conventional manufacturing methods.
3DN: Many additive technologies perform well for prototypes or small series but encounter challenges as volumes grow. What changes technically and organizationally when a company moves toward true serial production with metal AM?
We see customers at very different stages. Some use LMM for prototyping and early development, while others are already producing millions of parts per year.
In the early stages, flexibility and fast iteration are critical. Engineers need to move quickly from design to physical parts and optimize efficiently.
In high-volume manufacturing, the focus shifts to process stability, system integration, and production monitoring. Customers value seamless integration of software, process parameters, and production data into their manufacturing and quality systems.
With newer machine generations, we have focused on stable printing conditions, controlled environments, and in-process monitoring, all of which are essential for reliable large-scale production.
3DN: Mass production with additive manufacturing is often considered contradictory. How does LMM enable high-volume production, and what role does the Pro25 system play in making that possible?
For mass manufacturing, quality and cost efficiency are essential. Metal Injection Molding remains the benchmark in terms of speed, quality, and cost, and will continue to play a major role.
However, with systems like the Pro25, we can approach these benchmarks while adding the flexibility of additive manufacturing. The Pro25 is designed as an industrial production platform with a large build volume, a highly precise exposure system, and efficient material handling.
This enables optimized part nesting, high throughput, and stable production conditions, all of which are critical for scaling to higher volumes.
3DN: When engineers understand they are designing for production rather than demonstration, how does part design evolve? What types of geometries particularly benefit from LMM?
For sinter-based AM technologies, the sintering step must always be considered during part design. While LMM offers significant freedom when printing the green part, this does not mean the later production steps can be ignored. Especially during sintering, certain design considerations remain critical.
Fortunately, many of these guidelines are already well established from Metal Injection Molding. These include ensuring a stable base on the ceramic setter, avoiding large unsupported overhangs, and adding sintering supports where necessary to prevent deformation caused by gravity.
What is sometimes overlooked is that MIM manufacturers also rely on post-processing steps such as coining or pressing to achieve consistent key dimensions. In many ways, sinter-based AM follows a very similar production logic.
At Incus, we often describe LMM as replacing the MIM mold with a digital process, while keeping the rest of the production chain—debinding, sintering, and finishing—largely the same.
3DN: With RAPID + TCT bringing together much of the additive manufacturing industry each year, what conversations do you expect to dominate around metal AM and scalable production in the coming years? Where does LMM fit into that future?
The coming years will likely be defined by further consolidation and increased competition, particularly from lower-cost overseas systems entering the market.
For technology providers like us, this means delivering solutions that are truly ready for industrial scaling. Companies with clear differentiation and a strong application focus will be best positioned to succeed.
We are optimistic about the role of LMM in this future. While still early, the applications we see today demonstrate that the technology can play a meaningful role in the next phase of additive manufacturing.
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*All Photo Credits: Incus