On January 4, ADDMAN Engineering announced the acquisition of Castheon Inc., a market leader in additive manufacturing technology for mission-critical space applications. Castheon is ADDMAN's third acquisition in the last ten months.
Castheon, founded in 2016 by Dr. Youping Gao, is a pioneer in the development of additive manufacturing technologies and a leading manufacturer of metal additives for demanding end industries. The company has extensive expertise in metal printing and has developed technologies that can significantly increase the usage of hitherto difficult-to-create refractory metals. In addition, Castheon collaborates with firms developing next-generation spacecraft to design, manufacture, and print complicated components with rapid turnaround times.
"This investment affirms ADDMAN's strategic proposition in space. We believe that the technologies created by Dr. Gao will revolutionize 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,"
-said Joe Calmese, ADDMAN CEO.
Dr. Gao added, "Castheon has made breakthroughs in technology to print refractory metals, including demonstrating 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, key quality certifications, and over 100 traditional subtractive machines to Castheon's customer base.
"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, can transform the way additives serve advanced industries. AIP is fully committed to supporting the continued growth of the combined company. “Mr. Wilken added, "We welcome Dr. Gao to the ADDMAN team and look forward to delivering innovative solutions that enable our customers' success."
-Kevin Wilken, Partner at AIP