DDM Systems Launches Digital Foundry Platform to Cut Investment Casting Lead Times by 10x
Hardware
Originally reported by newsfilecorp.com
DDM Systems, an Atlanta-based advanced manufacturer, has commercially launched its Digital Foundry platform, a vertically integrated ceramic 3D printing system designed to eliminate tooling from investment casting. The platform combines three proprietary technologies: LAMP (Large Area Maskless Photopolymerization), which uses 4.1 million individually addressable UV beams to 3D print ceramic shells at 15-micron resolution across a 24-inch cubic build volume, producing 36,000 cubic centimeters of fired ceramic molds per day; DirectPour, which delivers ready-to-pour shells with integrated cores to foundry partners; and SLE (Scanning Laser Epitaxy), which enables direct additive manufacturing of single-crystal and directionally solidified superalloy structures. Dr. Suman Das, Founder, President, and CEO, stated the platform is ITAR-registered, holds 26+ patents, and is already delivering castings for the U.S. Air Force, gas turbine manufacturers, and aerospace OEMs, with first castings in as few as 10 days versus 52 to 80 weeks via conventional methods.
This launch directly addresses what DDM calls "America's casting crisis" - the U.S. has lost 67% of its foundries since 2000, with aerospace investment casting lead times now exceeding 18 months. The platform sits at the intersection of metal AM and traditional foundry infrastructure, following the aerospace qualification grind pattern where AM augments rather than replaces established processes. Unlike most metal AM players focused on direct metal PBF-LB or binder jetting, DDM targets the tooling bottleneck in investment casting, a segment where the U.S. defense and energy sectors face structural supply constraints. The platform is compatible with 300+ alloys including nickel superalloys like IN 718 and single-crystal alloys like CMSX-4, and meets ASTM standards. The company is an active America Makes IMPACT 2.0 awardee, validating the technology at Tinker Air Force Base.
Practically, DDM must now scale production capacity and build trusted foundry partnerships to convert federal validation into sustained program revenue. The platform's value proposition is strongest in defense and gas turbine programs where tooling cost and lead time are binding constraints, not general-purpose casting. Buyers should evaluate whether the LAMP ceramic shell quality and repeatability meet their specific alloy and geometric requirements before replacing established foundry relationships.
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