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Metal Technology

ServiceAlbany, OR, USAFounded 1971· One of 1986 Service companies tracked by AMPulse

Provides custom manufacturing of components from reactive and refractory metals using additive manufacturing, deep-draw forming, forging, and CNC machining for aerospace/defense applications.

CEO / Founder
Gary Cosmer
Team Size
51-200
Stage
Acquired
Total Funding
$90M
Latest Round
Acquired
Key Investors
Karman Space & Defense

Technology & Products

Key Products

Specializes in fabricating and forming alloys including Niobium, Tantalum, Zirconium, Vanadium, Titanium, and Molybdenum. Offers proprietary deep-draw forming, forging, and CNC machining methodologies. Serves the Aerospace, Defense, High-Energy Physics, Medical, Semiconductor, Thin Film, Glass, Chemical Process and Scientific Industries.

Technological Advantage

Verified expertise in 3D printing difficult alloys like C-103 (Niobium-based) for high-temperature applications, with over 40 years of experience in reactive/refractory metals

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Reduces lead times and costs for complex metal parts in strategic missile programs by combining additive manufacturing with traditional forming techniques, enabling rapid prototyping and production of difficult alloys.

How They Differentiate

Specializes in refractory metal additive manufacturing combined with traditional forming techniques, unlike general metal AM service bureaus

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Aerospace and defense contractors requiring high-temperature, corrosion-resistant metal components

Industry Verticals

Aerospace; Defense

Competitors

PCX Aerosystems, Aeromet, Fiber Materials

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Over 40 years of experience with proprietary technologies; Achieved production readiness on a new state-of-the-art forging line at Albany, OR facility on February 28, 2017; Won 2016 Innovation Award from Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition for additive manufacturing of refractory metal components for U.S. Navy missile propulsion systems; Received related Navy contract on or before January 8, 2017

Major Milestones

Founded in 1971; Added additive manufacturing capabilities in 2014; Acquired by Karman Space & Defense in 2025 for $90M

Notable Customers

Strategic missile programs (unspecified)

https://www.mtialbany.com

Why this company matters

MTI – Metal Technology occupies a narrow but critical niche in metal additive manufacturing: producing components from reactive and refractory metals such as Niobium, Tantalum, Zirconium, Vanadium, and Molybdenum. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Albany, Oregon, the company added LPBF capabilities in 2014, layering 3D printing onto a foundation of deep-draw forming, forging, and CNC machining. This multi-step process allows MTI to serve programs that demand both the geometric complexity of AM and the mechanical properties of wrought or forged material.

The company's core technology is laser powder bed fusion for difficult alloys like C-103, a niobium-based superalloy used in high-temperature aerospace and defense applications. MTI does not position itself as a general-purpose service bureau; instead, it targets customers who need corrosion-resistant, heat-tolerant parts for strategic missile propulsion systems, high-energy physics equipment, and semiconductor manufacturing. A 2016 Innovation Award from the Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition recognized its work on additive manufacturing of refractory metal components for U.S. Navy missile propulsion systems, and a related Navy contract followed in early 2017.

MTI's competitive moat rests on decades of metallurgical experience with reactive metals — a domain where powder handling, sintering, and post-processing are far more demanding than with standard titanium or stainless steel. The company also operates a state-of-the-art forging line, giving it a hybrid capability that few pure-play AM service providers can match. In 2025, MTI was acquired by Karman Space & Defense for $90 million, a move that likely provides capital for scaling production while keeping the focus on defense primes. The main risk is that the addressable market for refractory metal AM remains small and tied to a handful of long-cycle government programs, limiting growth unless adjacent industries such as chemical processing or medical implants adopt these materials more broadly.