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GF Casting Solutions

ApplicationNovazzano, Ticino, SwitzerlandFounded 1970· One of 369 Application companies tracked by AMPulse

Swiss investment casting and additive manufacturing specialist (formerly Precicast SA, 1970), operating as the GF Casting Solutions division of Georg Fischer AG, providing Nadcap-certified metal AM, precision casting, and repair services for aerospace, space, energy, and motorsport.

CEO / Founder
Helmut Elben
Team Size
501-1000
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$336M (acquisition value by Georg Fischer AG)

Technology & Products

Key Products

Investment casting and additive manufacturing of high-temperature resistant components for aerospace, space, energy, and motorsport industries. Offers end-to-end solutions from ceramic core production to final machining.

Technological Advantage

Nadcap-certified additive manufacturing, repair welding, heat treatment, and NDT processes — enabling aerospace/defense qualifications; AMotion Center with 500×500×500mm build envelope for large complex AM parts in serial production; full in-house value chain from ceramic core to machined component eliminates supply chain risk; 50+ years site expertise in superalloy investment casting

Differentiation

Value Proposition

End-to-end investment casting and metal additive manufacturing under one roof — from ceramic core production to final machining — with Nadcap certification for AM, repair welding, heat treatment, and NDT, enabling aerospace/energy customers to source complex superalloy components and large-format AM parts (up to 500×500×500mm) from a single certified supplier.

How They Differentiate

Unique combination of investment casting heritage (50+ years Novazzano site) with metal AM capability under single Nadcap certification umbrella; large 500×500×500mm AM build volume for serial aerospace production; full in-house post-processing (HT, NDT, machining) eliminates supplier dependencies

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Aerospace OEMs and tier-1 suppliers; industrial gas turbine manufacturers; space industry manufacturers; motorsport teams; energy sector companies requiring certified complex metal components

Industry Verticals

Aerospace; Space; Energy (gas turbines); Motorsport; Defense

Competitors

ATI, Alcoa, Precision Castparts

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Site revenue ~CHF 120M (2017 at acquisition); 730 employees at acquisition across Switzerland and Romania sites; GF Casting Solutions division total: CHF 841M revenue (2023), 13 production sites

Major Milestones

1970: Founded as Precicast SA; ... 2018: Acquired by Georg Fischer AG; ... 2025: GF signs agreement to sell automotive business to Nemak; Feb 2026: Nemak acquisition of automotive business completed; May 2026: Carlos Vasto resigns as President, Helmut Elben appointed; Divestment of aerospace/IGT operations (Novazzano, Stabio, Arad) ongoing

Notable Customers

Aerospace and aero-engine OEMs (undisclosed); industrial gas turbine manufacturers; leading motorsport teams (undisclosed)

https://www.gfcs.com

Why this company matters

GF Casting Solutions Novazzano SA occupies a rare position in the metal additive manufacturing landscape: it offers both investment casting and metal AM within a single Nadcap-certified facility. Founded in 1970 as Precicast SA and acquired by Georg Fischer AG in 2018, the Novazzano site leverages more than five decades of superalloy casting expertise to serve aerospace, space, energy, and motorsport customers who require certified, high-temperature-resistant components.

The company's core technology is metal AM, with a particular focus on large-format parts up to 500×500×500 mm produced in its AMotion Center. Unlike many AM service bureaus, GF Casting Solutions Novazzano controls the entire value chain in-house — from ceramic core production through casting or printing to final machining, heat treatment, and non-destructive testing. This vertical integration, backed by Nadcap certifications for AM, repair welding, heat treatment, and NDT, reduces supply chain risk and simplifies qualification for aerospace primes and gas turbine manufacturers.

Target customers include aerospace OEMs and tier-1 suppliers, industrial gas turbine makers, space industry manufacturers, and motorsport teams. The company lists undisclosed aero-engine OEMs and leading motorsport teams among its clients. Its competitive differentiation rests on the combination of investment casting heritage with serial-production AM capability under a single certification umbrella, a proposition that competitors such as ATI, Alcoa, and Precision Castparts do not replicate in the same Swiss-based, Nadcap-integrated fashion.

A strategic moat derives from the difficulty of replicating the Novazzano site's accumulated process knowledge in superalloy investment casting and AM, combined with Georg Fischer AG's global network of 13 production sites and the parent company's corporate-level IP portfolio. The open question is how quickly the AMotion Center can scale serial production volumes to match the throughput of traditional casting, particularly as aerospace demand for complex, certified metal parts continues to grow.