Dekema vs Nabertherm: Picking a Sintering Furnace

Dekema vs Nabertherm is a comparison of two respected German furnace makers, and both build sintering furnaces that will serve a dental lab well. So this is not about which brand is better in the abstract. It is about which furnace fits your materials, your throughput, and how you like to work. Dekema leans toward dental-specialized speed and refined workflow, while Nabertherm offers strong value and a wide temperature range. This guide breaks down the real deciding factors, both brands are stocked at Articon, so you can choose on merit.

Dekema vs Nabertherm at a Glance

• Dekema AUSTROMAT furnaces: dental-specialized, fast cycles with AUTO DRY, homogeneous and clean sintering, refined touch-panel control, compact footprint.
• Nabertherm furnaces: excellent value and a wide temperature range, from a cost-effective silicon-carbide model to a high-temperature molybdenum-disilicide model with protective-gas capability for translucent zirconia.

Both are quality German-engineered, freely programmable, and open to every zirconia brand’s profile. The differences are in speed, temperature ceiling, capacity, and workflow polish.

First, What a Sintering Furnace Does

A quick reminder, because it frames the whole comparison. Zirconia is milled in a soft, oversized pre-sintered state, and the furnace heats it to full density, shrinking it precisely to final dimensions and developing its strength, translucency, and shade. This is different from a firing or glazing furnace, which runs much cooler for porcelain work. If you mill zirconia, you need a dedicated sintering furnace, and the heating element inside it, silicon carbide (SiC) or molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), sets its temperature ceiling and character.

Nabertherm in Brief

Nabertherm’s strength is range and value. The Nabertherm LHTCT 01/16 uses silicon-carbide heating rods to reach up to 1500 degrees Celsius, with a spacious chamber, quick heat-up, and free programmability at an attractive price. It is a dependable, cost-effective choice for standard CAD/CAM zirconia.

Stepping up, the Nabertherm LHT 03/17D uses molybdenum-disilicide elements to reach much higher temperatures, around 1700 degrees Celsius, and adds a protective-gas connection. That combination suits highly translucent zirconia and more demanding sintering profiles, where hitting and holding a precise high temperature matters. Together the two models let a lab match the furnace to its materials and budget.

Dekema in Brief

Dekema’s AUSTROMAT line is dental-specialized and built around speed, consistency, and a polished user experience. The Dekema AUSTROMAT 664 uses two silicon-carbide elements to reach up to 1530 degrees Celsius, sinters roughly 40 units per cycle in a compact footprint, and features an AUTO DRY function and short cycle times for fast turnaround, with homogeneous heating and a clean atmosphere that protects shade.

The larger Dekema AUSTROMAT 674 adds a third heating element for even, homogeneous sintering across bigger loads, handles copings up to 100 mm, and brings a 7.5-inch touch panel, QR-code program loading, and a built-in Dekema material database. Its clean firing chamber is designed not to discolor copings. This is the choice for a lab that values fast, consistent, low-hassle sintering with a refined workflow.

Head to Head: The Deciding Factors

Heating element and temperature ceiling. Nabertherm offers the widest range: SiC on the LHTCT for value up to 1500 C, and MoSi2 on the LHT for high-temperature and translucent zirconia up to around 1700 C. Dekema’s AUSTROMAT models use SiC up to 1530 C, which covers the vast majority of zirconia. If your priority is very high-temperature or highly translucent materials with protective gas, the Nabertherm MoSi2 model has the edge.

Speed. Dekema is built for it, with short cycles and AUTO DRY that support fast, even same-day turnaround. If speed is a top priority, that dental-focused design shows.

Capacity. Both scale, but match the chamber to real caseloads. Dekema quotes around 40 units per cycle and copings up to 100 mm on the 674, and full-arch and long-span work reduces parts per cycle on any furnace.

Workflow and control. Dekema leans into a refined experience: touch panel, QR program loading, and a material database. Nabertherm furnaces are freely programmable and straightforward. If a polished, low-friction interface matters to your team, Dekema stands out.

Value. Nabertherm’s LHTCT is the cost-effective entry point, which makes it attractive for a lab that wants dependable sintering without a premium spend, while the Dekema line reflects its dental-specialized speed and features.

Which Should You Choose?

• You want the lowest-cost dependable furnace for standard zirconia: the Nabertherm LHTCT 01/16.
• You run highly translucent zirconia or demanding high-temperature profiles: the Nabertherm LHT 03/17D with its MoSi2 elements and protective gas.
• Speed and same-day turnaround are your priority: a Dekema AUSTROMAT for its short cycles and AUTO DRY.
• You value a refined, low-hassle workflow and clean, homogeneous sintering: a Dekema AUSTROMAT, stepping to the 674 for larger loads and copings up to 100 mm.

Because Articon stocks both brands, you can match the furnace to your materials and throughput rather than to whatever a single supplier happens to sell.

FAQ

Is Dekema or Nabertherm better? Neither is universally better. Both are quality German furnaces. Dekema leans toward dental-specialized speed and refined workflow, Nabertherm toward value and a wide temperature range. The right one depends on your materials, speed needs, and budget.

What temperature do I need for zirconia? Most zirconia sinters in the 1450 to 1530 C range, which all these furnaces cover. Highly translucent zirconia and some profiles benefit from the higher ceiling of a molybdenum-disilicide furnace like the Nabertherm LHT.

What is the difference between SiC and MoSi2 elements? Silicon carbide is robust and cost-effective, comfortably handling most zirconia. Molybdenum disilicide reaches higher temperatures and suits translucent zirconia and demanding profiles. Element type sets the furnace’s ceiling and character.

Can these furnaces do speed sintering? Dekema’s AUSTROMAT line is designed for fast cycles, which supports same-day workflows. Conventional cycles remain the benchmark for maximum properties on multi-unit work.

Do I need a separate furnace for glazing? Yes. Sintering runs far hotter than porcelain firing and glazing. Use a dedicated sintering furnace for zirconia and a separate firing furnace for porcelain work.

Bottom Line

Dekema vs Nabertherm comes down to priorities, not brand loyalty. Choose Nabertherm for value and the widest temperature range, including a high-temperature MoSi2 option for translucent zirconia. Choose Dekema for dental-specialized speed, homogeneous clean sintering, and a refined workflow. Match the furnace to your materials and throughput and either brand will serve your lab well.

🛒 Compare sintering furnaces from both brands at Articon Ovens & Furnaces, and pair them with the right zirconia discs for your cases.