Plansee
Develops and manufactures high-precision components from refractory metals using powder metallurgy and lithography-based metal additive manufacturing.
- CEO / Founder
- Karlheinz Wex
- Team Size
- 10000+
- Stage
- Active
- Latest Round
- Bootstrapped
- Key Investors
- Schwarzkopf family
Technology & Products
Key Products
3D-printed Molybdenum components; 3D-printed Tungsten components; LMM (Lithography-based Metal Manufacturing) services; Refractory metal powders for AM; Hot zones for industrial furnaces
Technological Advantage
Proprietary powder metallurgy expertise combined with advanced LMM technology allows for 99.7%+ density in tungsten parts, significantly exceeding industry standards for refractory metal additive manufacturing.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Enables the production of complex, high-resolution refractory metal parts (Molybdenum, Tungsten) that are impossible to machine, reducing material waste by up to 90% and cutting lead times for specialized components from months to weeks.
How They Differentiate
Unlike competitors who only provide powder or printing services, Plansee owns the entire supply chain and specializes exclusively in refractory metals, offering higher resolution via LMM than standard LPBF processes.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Aerospace OEMs, medical device manufacturers, semiconductor equipment producers, and high-temperature furnace operators.
Industry Verticals
Aerospace; Medical; Electronics; Semiconductor; Energy; Automotive
Competitors
H.C. Starck Solutions; Elmet; Tekna; 6K Additive
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Achieved sales of €2.02 billion in fiscal year 2021/22, representing a 56% year-over-year increase.
Major Milestones
Founded in 1921 by Paul Schwarzkopf; Acquisition of Global Tungsten & Powders in 2008; 100th Anniversary celebrated in 2021; Acquisition of Hammer Evo35 LMM system from Incus in 2024
Notable Customers
Siemens Healthineers; ASML; Boeing; NASA