Addman Engineering expands its refractory metals expertise with the acquisition of Castheon
Addman Engineering, headquartered in Bonita Springs, Florida, USA, has acquired Castheon Inc., a provider of Additive Manufacturing technologies for mission-critical space applications, based in Thousand Oaks, California, USA.
“This investment affirms Addman’s strategic proposition in space,” commented Joe Calmese, Addman CEO. “We believe that the technologies created by Dr Gao will revolutionise the Additive Manufacturing industry and transform thinking around component development for the end markets that Castheon serves. Dr Gao’s accomplishments represent the cutting-edge of Additive Manufacturing, especially in refractory metals applications and solutions for the space industry.”
Founded by Dr Youping Gao in 2016, Castheon is a developer of AM processes that aim to expand the use of traditionally difficult to manufacture refractory metals. Castheon partners with spacecraft companies to design, develop, and additively manufacture complex components with quick turnaround times.
Dr Gao stated, “Castheon has made major breakthroughs in technology to print refractory metals, including demonstrated success in difficult applications such as reaction control system (RCS) thrusters for spacecraft customers. Castheon’s technology and know-how, combined with Addman’s scale and resources, will supercharge the next chapter of Castheon’s growth. Addman brings a national manufacturing and engineering footprint with over 300 employees, dozens of Additive Manufacturing machines and key quality certifications, and over 100 traditional subtractive machines to Castheon’s customer base.”
Kevin Wilken, Partner at American Industrial Partners (AIP), the parent company of Addman, added, “The ability to efficiently produce certain refractory metals via Additive Manufacturing is a breakthrough for customers who depend on high temperature structural components. Castheon’s offerings, which include solutions to print niobium and other refractory metals, have the potential to transform the way additive serves advanced industries. AIP is fully committed to support the continued growth of the combined company. We welcome Dr Gao to the Addman team and look forward to delivering innovative solutions that enable our customers’ success.”
