Sinterit, the Polish company that helped bring SLS 3D printing to the desktop, is winding down its manufacturing operations. In a LinkedIn statement, the Kraków-based manufacturer confirmed that it filed a petition for bankruptcy in July, and that the court appointed a temporary court supervisor on October 28.
This can be surprising to those who saw the recent BIANCO2 in May this year, the company’s CO₂ laser SLS printer with first deliveries expected from Q4 2026. Not to mention that in July, while it was filing for bankruptcy, it also announced an agreement with DyeMansion to sell post-processing systems to its customers.
“We are currently winding down our manufacturing operations. In coordination with the court, we are exploring options to continue our service, consulting and sales activities, with the aim of protecting the interests of Sinterit’s creditors and customers to the greatest extent possible,” the company writes.
It may not be a full shutdown yet, but the warning signs were there
Since Formlabs debuted its Fuse 1 in January 2021, Sinterit had been strugglinh to remain a leader in its league. When it launched Suzy in April 2025 at EUR 17,590, the company’s Sales Director Maks Wikar described the mid- and large-size SLS market as “overcrowded, with slim profit margins.”
While Suzy’s launch could legitimately be seen as a response to Formlabs’ Fuse 1 and a strategy to maintain its leading position in the industry, the orders that followed were not enough to guarantee that positioning. As a matter of fact, the biggest order reported (more than 30 3D printers) came from FIT AG, the company’s largest shareholder.
Can the SLS printer market still grow?
With Sinterit winding down operations, I am now questioning the SLS 3D printer market: Remember, Swiss pioneer Sintratec shut down in May 2024 after selling more than a thousand systems. This year, EOS retired its FORMIGA.
In the meantime, existing OEMs are still entering the SLS field: Raise3D’s partnership with AMT aims to deliver end-to-end SLS post-processing in Europe shows.
Taking that into consideration, I am tempted to believe that there is less room for standalone machines. With the current demand for SLS parts, the market may reward more ecosystems: materials, post-processing, software and service.
Sinterit’s scenario underscores how hard it is to sustain a hardware business in a consolidating market. We will keep following the proceedings.
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