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ITOCHU Ceratech

MaterialsSeto City, Aichi Prefecture, JapanFounded 1960· One of 1019 Materials companies tracked by AMPulse

Manufactures ceramic sand (Cerabeads®) specifically optimized for binder jetting 3D printing of sand molds and cores for metal casting applications.

CEO / Founder
Hisatsugu Yajima
Team Size
51-200
Stage
Active
Key Investors
ITOCHU Corporation (100% parent company)

Technology & Products

Key Products

Manufactures refractory raw materials, ceramic sand (Cerabeads®) for binder jetting 3D printing of sand molds and cores, and carbon-neutral related catalysts. Also offers Aeronite, a CO2 methanation catalyst.

Technological Advantage

Proprietary ceramic sand (Cerabeads®) that has been specifically optimized for use with ExOne's sand binder jetting 3D printers through a formal partnership and process optimization agreement.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Provides high-performance ceramic sand materials that enable precise, durable sand molds for metal casting via 3D printing, reducing traditional mold-making time and enabling complex geometries.

How They Differentiate

Focuses specifically on ceramic sand materials for binder jetting rather than complete printer systems; leverages traditional ceramics manufacturing expertise with modern AM optimization through formal partnerships.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Foundries, metal casting facilities, additive manufacturing service bureaus using sand binder jetting technology

Industry Verticals

Metal casting; Additive manufacturing; Steel manufacturing; Industrial manufacturing

Competitors

Höganäs (Digital Metal); voxeljet AG; ExOne (Desktop Metal)

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Annual revenue approximately ¥8.5 billion (fiscal year 2024)

Major Milestones

1960: Founded as NAIGAI REFRACTORY Co., Ltd.; 2000: Merged with ITOCHU CERAMICS Co., Ltd. and renamed to ITOCHU CERATECH CORPORATION; 2026: Commenced sales of cement and blast furnace slag

https://www.itc-cera.co.jp

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
6
Granted
2
Families
5

Leading domains: process (6), material (4)

Filings by year: 2022: 5 · 2018: 1

  1. Refractory aggregate for molding sand119855664 · CN
  2. 鋳物砂用耐火骨材07714511|1995714511 · JP
  3. REFRACTORY AGGREGATE FOR CASTING SAND20250206668 · US
  4. 回収砂の再生方法07142563|1995142563 · JP
  5. REFRACTORY AGGREGATE FOR CASTING SAND04585324 · EP