Centrol
Develops and manufactures industrial-grade binder jetting 3D printers, specifically the SENTROL SB400, for producing high-temperature sand molds and ceramic cores used in metal casting and foundry applications, enabling rapid, large-scale production of complex tooling.
- CEO / Founder
- Mike Shimonov
- Team Size
- 11-50
- Stage
- Growth Stage
- Total Funding
- $2.5M
- Latest Round
- Seed
- Key Investors
- Korea Development Bank (KDB); Korea Technology Finance Corporation (KOTEC); Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (KODIT); Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED)
Technology & Products
Key Products
SENTROL SB400 industrial binder jetting 3D printer; Specialized inorganic binders and foundry sand materials
Technological Advantage
The company's core advantage is a binder jetting system specifically engineered for inorganic powders like foundry sand and ceramics, capable of withstanding extreme temperatures crucial for metal casting molds. This is enabled by a proprietary binder chemistry developed with Asahi Glass. The process bypasses lasers, potentially lowering system cost and complexity for tooling applications versus metal PBF. The defensibility likely stems from trade secrets in binder formulation and process parameters tailored for this specific industrial niche, though the hardware architecture may be replicable by other binder jetting players.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Reduces lead time for complex sand molds and cores from weeks to hours, enabling rapid iteration and on-demand production for metal casting, while eliminating the cost and complexity of laser-based metal AM systems for tooling applications.
How They Differentiate
The SENTROL SB400 is specifically positioned for high-temperature ceramic and foundry sand applications (exceeding 1800°C), whereas competitors like ExOne's S-Max systems are broadly used for sand casting molds but may not emphasize the same extreme temperature binder chemistry. Centrol's collaboration with Asahi Glass on inorganic binders is a focused materials partnership distinct from the more general polymer binders used in standard sand binder jetting.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Foundries, metal casting facilities, and heavy industrial manufacturers requiring high-volume, high-temperature sand molds and ceramic cores for investment casting and sand casting processes.
Industry Verticals
Industrial Manufacturing; Foundry & Metal Casting
Competitors
ExOne (Desktop Metal) sand binder jetting systems; Voxeljet sand and plastic binder jetting systems
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Installed 10+ SENTROL SB400 systems globally; 2023 revenue grew 300% year-over-year; 2024 sales target is 20+ systems.
Major Milestones
2019: Company founded; 2024/2025: Official release of the SENTROL SB400, South Korea's first industrial-grade binder jetting 3D printer
Notable Customers
Hyundai Motor Group; Kia; Doosan Enerbility; Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)