SMS-group
Develops integrated metal AM production systems and powder atomization plants for industrial-scale serial production, enabling turnkey manufacturing from raw metal to finished parts.
- CEO / Founder
- Jochen Burg
- Team Size
- 10000+
- Stage
- Established
- Total Funding
- Undisclosed
- Key Investors
- Weiss Family (SMS Holding GmbH)
Technology & Products
Key Products
Rolling mills; Continuous casting plants; CSP thin slab casting-rolling; Metal powder atomization systems; Integrated AM production complexes
Technological Advantage
Claimed: Turnkey integration of powder production and 3D printing. Verified: 150-year track record in metallurgical plant engineering and successful deployment of world-first CSP plants. Defensible: Deep domain expertise in vacuum induction melting and argon atomization processes.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Reduces total cost of ownership for metal AM parts by integrating powder production and 3D printing into a single turnkey plant, ensuring high material reproducibility and industrial-scale throughput.
How They Differentiate
Offers a unique 'closed-loop' industrial ecosystem that integrates proprietary vacuum induction melting (VIM) atomization plants with AM production, allowing customers to convert internal scrap into high-purity powder. Unlike competitors like Sandvik or Carpenter who primarily sell powder or parts, SMS group designs and builds the entire turnkey factory infrastructure for serial AM production.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Steel and nonferrous metals producers requiring industrial-scale additive manufacturing solutions.
Industry Verticals
Metallurgy; Steel; Aluminum; Aerospace; Automotive
Competitors
Sandvik; Carpenter Additive; GKN Additive
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Sales approximately EUR 3 billion (~$3.2B USD) as of 2017; 13,500 employees group-wide.
Major Milestones
1871: Founding by Carl Eberhard Weiss; 1904: First rolling mill exported to China; 1989: Commissioned world's first CSP plant at Nucor; 1999: Formation of SMS Demag AG; 2017: Partnership with Additive Industries to develop integrated AM systems; 2023: 150th anniversary celebration
Notable Customers
Nucor; Alcoa; Rheinische Stahlwerke; Mannesmann; Buderus; Krupp; Thyssen; Hanyang Iron & Steel Works