The U.S. government and the Department of Defense (DoD) have undertaken a strategic pivot, shifting their focus from accelerating additive manufacturing (AM) integration in casting to scaling its widespread implementation. This change aims to revolutionize tooling, significantly shorten lead times, and enable the production of complex geometries. By fortifying domestic supply chains, this effort directly addresses the critical need to reduce reliance on foreign sources and strengthen global competitiveness.
At the forefront of this resurgence is Skuld, a manufacturing technology company advancing and commercializing metal casting and AM solutions. Using its proprietary AM evaporative casting (AMEC) technology, Skuld’s process creates complex, high-strength metal parts from vaporizing polymer or foam patterns, providing a cleaner, faster alternative to traditional foundry methods and enabling increased production volume.
“We’re striking a balance between traditional casting methods by using lost-foam casting,” said Sarah Jordan, CEO of Skuld. “It’s faster than lost-wax casting and more precise than sand casting, eliminating the need for machining.”
The company, located in Piqua, Ohio, has developed its signature Lightning Metal (LM16) micro-foundry system, designs for existing foundries, and a containerized Conex system. This system provides an affordable casting and printing setup that can be deployed locally. This allows universities, service bureaus, defense depots, and commercial partners the ability to quickly prototype, reverse-engineer, and produce replacement parts without supply-chain delays.