One of the markets that should be a reliable source of growth well into the future for the additive manufacturing (AM) industry is semiconductor capital equipment (semicap).When Additive Manufacturing Research (AMR) published a report on the 3D printing market for semicap in early 2024, the consultancy forecast that it could be a nearly 10x growth opportunity over the next decade.Multiple different processes, mostly metal-based, were covered in that report, mostly powder bed fusion (PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED).
Cold spray AM (CSAM) can now be added to the list: Australian original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Titomic has announced that the company has received its first low-rate initial production (LRIP) order for semicap components.According to Titomic, the company expects to deliver the first components to the undisclosed customer by the end of Q1 of next year.The company expects to increase its activity to full-scale production “throughout 2026,” which will take place at Titomic’s advanced manufacturing facility in the Netherlands.
The news follows Titomic’s announcement from last week that a thrust chamber for solid rocket motors, which the company produced in partnership with Northrop Grumman, had achieved a successful hot-fire test.As with the semicap components, production of the thrust chamber represents entry into a new market for Titomic.In a press release about Titomic’s LRIP order from a semicap company for delivery by end of Q1 2026, the company’s CEO and Managing Director, Jim Simpson, said, “This order is an important milestone for Titomic as we advance our position within the semiconductor sector.
The successful validation of our TKF process underscores the capability and reliability of our technology, particularly in industries where precision and performance are essential.We are proud to support our customer through the LRIP phase and look forward to scaling into full production in 2026.This achievement reflects continued momentum and demonstrates the growing commercial momentum behind our technology, and reinforces Titomic’s strategy of servicing high-value, technologically-demanding markets.” Image courtesy of ASML As I alluded to above, AM for the semicap market is currently dominated by PBF and, to a lesser extent, DED, with Norsk Titanium producing carrier trays for what is often referred to as the most important tech company in the world, ASML.
The only company that makes Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems, ASML, is among a handful of linchpins on which the global semiconductor market relies on to function.The bottlenecks that result from ASML’s de facto monopoly are often bad for the global economy, but the same state-of-affairs is what makes the semicap market good for the AM industry.Along these lines, semicap is one of the industries that most closely resembles defense: both industries are unusually sensitive to geopolitical conditions and unexpected long lead times.
While there’s no evidence of who Titomic’s customer happens to be, it may be worth mentioning that ASML is headquartered in the Netherlands, where Titomic will be producing the components.ASML is known for exercising tight geographic control over its supply chain.In any case, regardless of the customer, the addition of CSAM to the AM process portfolio serving semicap OEMs should only further AM’s growth trajectory in that market.
As always, when it comes to CSAM, what’s good for Titomic could very well be good for SPEE3D, as well (and vice versa).I know from speaking to SPEE3D’s CEO, Byron Kennedy, that semicap is a market the company is interested in.I’ll be watching closely to see if Titomic gives an update at some point on who their customer is and what component they’re making, which should shed much more light on the nature of the semicap opportunity for CSAM.
Featured image courtesy of Titomic
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