HRL Laboratories
Develops nano-functionalized high-strength metal alloys and ceramics for additive manufacturing, enabling crack-free 3D printing of Al 7075 and Al 6061.
- CEO / Founder
- Roberto (Rob) Vasquez
- Team Size
- 501-1000
- Stage
- Acquired
- Latest Round
- Acquired
- Key Investors
- IBM (pending acquisition, close by end Q3 2026); Boeing and General Motors (current JV owners; will continue partnership with IBM post-close)
Technology & Products
Key Products
7A77 Aluminum Alloy Powder; CERAM PRO 365; Nano-functionalized metal powders; Lithography-based preceramic polymers
Technological Advantage
First to register an AM-specific alloy with the Aluminum Association; achieves 99%+ density in high-strength aluminum; micro-printed vias down to 9 µm pitch.
Patent position
HRL Laboratories filed 8 patent families in 2022-2024, down from 19 in 2019-2021, a 58% fall versus a 29% decline in tracked AM filings across the same patent offices, with materials focus slipping from 100% to 88% of its portfolio. AMPulse analysis
- Filing momentum
- 8 families filed 2022–2024, 19 in 2019–2021 (-58%); all tracked AM filings in the same offices -29%
- Focus, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024
- Materials 100% → 88%
- Filed in
- US 60%EP 23%WO 12%CN 5%
65 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Enables the 3D printing of previously 'unprintable' high-strength aluminum alloys (7075, 6061) with zero cracking, reducing weight and lead times for critical aerospace and automotive parts.
How They Differentiate
Pioneered the use of functionalized powders to enable crack-free printing of high-strength aluminum alloys like 7075, which were previously incompatible with AM.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Aerospace, defense, and automotive manufacturers requiring high-performance structural components.
Industry Verticals
Aerospace/Defense; Automotive; Energy; Hypersonics; Data Centers
Competitors
Proto Research, Swift Engineering, Magnitude 3, LAM Research, Ball Systems, EPS, Experior Laboratories, Mercury Systems, Davidson Technologies, The Aerospace Corporation, Information Systems Laboratories, Physical Sciences, Creare, Lynntech, EAG Laboratories, Euclid Techlabs, CVD Equipment, StratEdge.
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
50 patent applications filed; first AM alloy registered (7A77.50/7A77.60L); 98% fill rate in ceramic-metal vias.
Major Milestones
1948: Hughes Research Laboratories established; 1997: Formed as LLC; 2014: Developed functionalization technology; 2017: Nature paper on crack-free high-strength Al printing; 2019: 7A77 commercial launch and first sale to NASA; 2022: 19th AM patent granted; 2023: Formula One authorization for 7A77; 2024: Roberto Vasquez succeeds Parney Albright as CEO; 2025-11: MACOM exclusive license to manufacture HRL 40nm GaN-on-SiC; 2026-02/04: 376-employee workforce reduction after government program cut; 2026-07-23: IBM signs definitive agreement to acquire HRL (close by end Q3 2026)
Notable Customers
Raytheon, DARPA, Naval Research Laboratory
AM patents
AM-relevant patents linked to this company.
- Patents
- 81
- Granted
- 43
- Families
- 65
Leading domains: process (81), material (65), equipment (16)
Filings by year: 2025: 1 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 10
- Permanent magnets with tailored texture and magnetic orientation11862369 · US
- Method of making hypersonic leading-edge heat pipe with porous wick11840332 · US
- Aluminum alloy components from additive manufacturing11286543 · US
- Method of manufacturing a three-dimensional lattice architecture09809002 · US
- ALUMINUM ALLOYS WITH GRAIN REFINERS, AND METHODS FOR MAKING AND USING THE SAME20190032175 · US