CADmore Establishes First Cold Metal Fusion Facility in U.S. – 3DPrint.com

Design and engineering firm CADmore will establish a CADmore Metal application center in South Carolina dedicated to the novel cold metal fusion (CMF) technology developed by Headmade Materials. Located in Columbia, the center will be surrounded by manufacturers such as FN Herstal, Michelin, Spirax, Schneider Electric, and Honeywell. The region also hosts large military bases and major installations like the Fleet Readiness Center East, offering a strong potential client base for Headmade Materials’ technology, which will be showcased and deployed there.

CMF presents an innovative approach to metal printing. Using existing—and in some cases, outdated—polymer LPBF systems, the green part is first printed, then depowdered, debound, and sintered. The key to this process lies in the material, which contains both the metal and the binder required for the final part. Unused material can be recycled, and the low capital expenditure (CapEx) makes CMF a cost-effective solution for producing parts at scale.

While CMF is not suitable for every application and has its own challenges, it remains a highly competitive technology. It does not need to be reserved for high-end applications like aerospace or medical implants. Instead, it could be particularly advantageous for manufacturing automotive components, as well as parts for bicycles and scooters.

CADmore will not only distribute the technology but, more importantly, serve as an integrator. The lack of real integrators in additive manufacturing has long been a challenge, forcing companies to independently find, select, and industrialize technologies. This process is time-consuming, leads to numerous dead ends in the exploration of additive, and requires significant investment. As a result, the number of companies willing to adopt 3D printing remains limited.

With more firms like CADmore taking on the heavy lifting and developing true expertise in industrialization, the industry could grow much faster.

The company announced the partnership on LinkedIn, noting that “green parts are strong enough to ship worldwide while soft enough for easy green part milling before sintering.” This is a significant advantage, as many binder jetting workflows produce green parts that collapse even when handled carefully.

The ability to ship green parts means that service providers—such as Endeavor, which previously partnered with CADmore—could send parts to foundries and similar facilities, while existing MIM companies could continue their operations without the need to adopt 3D printing directly. If CADmore can successfully integrate MIM, casting and foundry players, and distributed 3D printing capacity, they could effectively create a UPS-style solution—an innovative and cost-effective way for multiple players to collaborate.

¨Our first customer (large defense company) was at the finish line to purchase multiple DMLS machines and redirected their budget to building out what will be the largest installation of this technology in the world and one of the largest metal 3d printing operations in the US. They will save millions of dollars and months of time,” stated CEO of CADmore and CADmore Metal John Carrington.

That is truly exciting and exactly the kind of breakthrough Headmade and CADmore are aiming for. The capital expenditure on metal powder bed fusion is enormous, making it viable only for highly committed, large firms. Idle machines can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per year before even factoring in potential breakdowns. Additionally, the costs of powder, handling, and post-processing are substantial.

For certain parts—especially those with complex internal structures and intricate external patterns, such as implants—LPBF justifies these challenges by delivering unmatched part properties. However, if those specific advantages aren’t necessary, a more efficient and cost-effective alternative may be the better path forward.

John Carrington claims that “the mechanical properties of our titanium parts are better than billet at a fraction of the time and cost of machining.”

Typically, suppressors are made from titanium or Inconel. If a team at FN Herstal or a company like Palmetto State Armory, Ruger, or Bear Creek Armory were to adopt Cold Metal Fusion with CADmore, it would be a major breakthrough. All are significant players in the U.S. arms market, heavily reliant on CNC and other precision manufacturing technologies. Given the rapid growth of the suppressor market, they are likely exploring ways to improve cost and efficiency. If CADmore has found a way to manufacture suppressors more affordably than LPBF while maintaining equivalent performance, this could be a game-changer.

Palmetto and FN already produce suppressors, with FN being the most well-known. The Belgian arms giant manufactures most of its pistols, SCAR rifles, and heavy machine guns in Columbia, South Carolina. FN has a storied history, having developed some of the most widely used and long-serving firearms in the world, including the M2 machine gun and the Browning Hi-Power. However, in recent years, the company has faced setbacks. The SCAR contract with U.S. Special Operations Forces and the Army did not go as hoped, and SIG Sauer secured a massive pistol contract. More significantly, SIG also won the XM7 light machine gun contract, replacing FN’s SAW—an area where FN has traditionally been dominant.

Meanwhile, Barrett secured a major sniper rifle contract, and in a surprising move, Colt won a contract to upgrade M4s rather than replace them. FN did land a U.S. Army machine gun contract in 2021 and a significant M4 contract in 2020, but opportunities have been leaner of late, as reflected in several of its recent press releases, which focus on rebate offers.

CADmore could have a substantial impact by helping FN integrate additive manufacturing, but regardless of which company moves forward, CADmore is doing groundbreaking work.