50 Metal AM · DED-Arc (Wire Arc) companies in the additive manufacturing ecosystem tracked by AMPulse. Browse profiles, funding rounds, and technology details.
Updated
DED-Arc (Wire Arc) (DED-Arc) is Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) — metal wire is fed into an arc, creating large parts at high deposition rates with lower resolution but strong economics at scale. AMPulse tracks 50 companies using DED-Arc (Wire Arc) as a core technology, ranked below by total funding raised.
Typical materials: stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, nickel alloys, bronze. Common applications: ship propellers, large aerospace structures, construction steel, defense platforms.
DED-Arc, also known as Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), uses an electric arc — derived directly from gas-metal-arc welding (GMAW), gas-tungsten-arc welding (GTAW), or plasma-arc welding (PAW) — to melt metal wire feedstock onto a substrate. The process trades precision for deposition rate: WAAM achieves 1-10 kg/hour per torch, orders of magnitude faster than powder-bed processes, but with surface finish and dimensional accuracy that require subsequent machining. This makes WAAM economically compelling for large parts (1m+) where machining-from-billet would waste material, including ship propellers, oil and gas pressure vessels, large aerospace structural components, defense platforms, and architectural elements. Build envelopes are limited only by robot reach and gantry size — multi-meter parts are routine.
The market is dominated by integrators rather than turnkey OEMs. WAAM3D (UK, Cranfield University spinout) is the academic-industrial leader. Gefertec (Germany) offers integrated WAAM cells. MX3D (Netherlands) became globally famous with the 3D-printed steel pedestrian bridge in Amsterdam and now sells industrial WAAM systems. Lincoln Electric and ESAB (welding incumbents) sell adapted WAAM-capable industrial cells. Norsk Titanium specializes in titanium WAAM for aerospace, with an FAA-qualified production line. Australian shipyard-adjacent firms (AML3D, Titomic) target defense and marine applications. The robotic-arm versus gantry distinction defines two architectural camps; KUKA, ABB, Fanuc, and Yaskawa robots are the common platform.
WAAM is in a different competitive frame than other AM processes — it competes with subtractive machining and casting more than with other AM. The 2023-2024 inflection has been defense and shipbuilding adoption. Australia's AUKUS submarine program, US Navy frigate construction, and European defense rearmament have all created procurement programs explicitly favoring WAAM-produced large structural components for cost, lead-time, and supply-chain-resilience reasons. Norsk Titanium's FAA Part 23 qualification for titanium aerostructures was a 2024 industry milestone. Hybrid WAAM-plus-CNC machining cells (Mazak, DMG Mori) bring the process directly into job-shop environments.
WAAM's trajectory is most coupled to defense and shipbuilding spending cycles. The technology is mature enough for production but has weak general-industrial demand drivers in peacetime; that is changing. Material qualification — particularly for high-strength steels and titanium aerospace alloys — is the gating concern. The biggest open question is whether WAAM can scale beyond the integrator model into a turnkey OEM business; without that, the technology remains a high-engineering-content service rather than a productized category.
Aerospace company developing 3D-printed rockets, pivoting from fully 3D-printed Terran 1 to larger Terran R medium-to-heavy lift vehicle with hybrid manufacturing approach for 2026 launch.
Supplies industrial, medical, and specialty gases enabling additive manufacturing processes including wire feed and binder jetting; optimizes AM part quality and production efficiency through application competence centers.
Conducts foundational research and provides training in additive manufacturing, including multi-metal powder-bed fusion simulation to predict and prevent interfacial cracks, enabling reliable production of functionally graded components for aerospace, energy, and biomedical applications.
Develops hybrid 5-axis CNC machining centers with integrated laser metal deposition (ADD+PROCESS), enabling single-setup manufacturing combining additive and subtractive machining for complex aerospace and industrial parts.
Designs, builds, and repairs a wide range of innovative and standardized vessels, incorporating advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D metal printing (WAAM) to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and customization.
A production support center focused on advancing and commercializing Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for large-scale metal components in strategic industries like SMRs, aerospace, defense, and shipbuilding.
Supplies precision-drawn exotic nickel alloy wires optimized for Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), enabling high-integrity metal 3D printing for aerospace, nuclear, and medical sectors.
Develops and operates the Digital SEA (Secure Exchange for Additive) platform, a secure software ecosystem for managing and distributing AM data across the US Navy's maritime industrial base, enabling trusted digital supply chains for mission-critical parts.
A design-driven metal additive manufacturing company incubated by the Ningbo Institute of Materials, Chinese Academy of Sciences, specializing in DFAM, AI tools, and integrated solutions for lightweight structures in aerospace, aviation, low-altitude flight, and medical devices.
An ultra-large-scale metal additive manufacturing company specializing in synchronized multi-robotic Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for critical subsea and industrial infrastructure.
Develops wire-based additive manufacturing (WAM) processes for large-format light metal components (aluminum and titanium alloys), bridging research to industrial AM applications for aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors.
Produces high-performance superalloy powders and wires for aerospace, gas turbines, and medical additive manufacturing.
Vertically integrated manufacturer of tantalum and niobium powders (spherical, nanopowder, wire) for additive manufacturing, aerospace turbines, and electronics; one of the world's largest conflict-free tantalum suppliers with 70+ year heritage.
An advanced industrial metal 3D printing solution provider specializing in large-scale, certified structural components using patented Wire Additive Manufacturing (WAM®) technology.
A high-end manufacturer of metal wire-fed additive manufacturing (3D printing) equipment and digital process solutions.
A deep-tech mobility company that develops autonomous driving chassis and modular 'Moving Space' vehicles using AI-driven generative design and large-scale 3D printing.
Distributes and supports metal additive manufacturing systems (LPBF, DED, WAAM, Binder Jetting) and post-processing equipment across Sub-Saharan Africa, enabling local manufacturers to adopt advanced 3D printing for tooling, jigs, fixtures, and end-use parts.
Develops high-power fiber lasers with Power Adjustable Mode (PAM) technology, specifically optimized for metal additive manufacturing to improve melt pool stability and part density.
Specialized distributor of spherical metal powders and wires for additive manufacturing, serving LPBF/SLM, EBM, MBJ, and WAAM processes across Europe with 12 warehouses and 50+ years of powder metallurgy expertise.
Pioneer in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for certified large-scale metal parts
Next-generation wire alloys for large format metal 3D printing and robotic welding enabling stronger, lighter fabrication.
A deep-tech startup specializing in large-scale metal and high-performance ceramic (Silicon Carbide) 3D printing solutions for advanced industrial manufacturing.
Develops high-deposition rate metal wire-feed additive manufacturing systems for large-scale industrial and research applications.
Develops laser-based metal additive manufacturing systems for Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and Direct Energy Deposition (DED) applications, with production-ready platforms featuring AI-powered guidance and open process control for aerospace, automotive, energy, defense, and medical manufacturing.
MX3D provides a complete solution for large-scale metal 3D printing, centered around its proprietary Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) technology, which uses a robotic arm and a welding process to build metal objects layer by layer.
Provides additive manufacturing services using Laser-Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) and Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for complex, safety-critical metal components in aerospace and automotive industries.
Industrial metal fabrication company exploring additive manufacturing technologies
Provides large-scale metal hybrid additive manufacturing services combining wire-fed arc-based DED with 5-axis CNC machining for aerospace, defense, and industrial parts up to 12 ft x 12 ft.
Develops large-scale wire-based metal additive manufacturing (SAAM) for industrial steel components up to 3 meters in diameter.
Develops the world's largest hybrid multi-material additive and subtractive manufacturing system (20m x 8m x 6m build volume) for industrial large parts, integrating WAAM metal deposition, resin extrusion, arc spray, and milling.
Geofabrica develops advanced additive manufacturing (AM) systems specializing in large-scale, multi-material, and 'point-of-need' 3D printing for industrial and defense applications.
Spanish WAAM metal 3D printing machine and parts manufacturer.
WAAM3D develops wire arc additive manufacturing systems for large-scale metal parts production.
Leading German research university specializing in wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) and functional materials for industrial applications.
Provides metal additive manufacturing services using WAAM and DED technologies for large-scale, complex parts, reducing lead times up to 10x vs conventional methods.
Provides large-scale metal part repair, refurbishment, and production using wire & arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) to extend equipment lifetime and reduce downtime for industrial customers.
Develops AI-powered robotic additive manufacturing systems and software that utilize 3D vision for real-time process control in large-scale industrial printing.
Provides laser-based additive manufacturing and surface technology services including laser cladding, hardfacing, and 3D printing for industrial component repair and enhancement.
A high-tech manufacturer of digital welding and cutting equipment specializing in multi-waveform power sources for Metal Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) and robotic automation.
Operates neutral, pre-competitive consortia to develop pedigreed AM material property data and aerospace specifications.
Provides precision manufacturing solutions including prototyping, production machining, and engineered tooling for automotive applications.
A deep-tech manufacturing company specializing in large-scale robotic metal additive manufacturing (WAAM) and proprietary control software for mission-critical industries.
Produces advanced welding consumables and automated equipment for wear protection, with materials applicable to Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for industrial repair and maintenance
Provides a collaborative R&D platform offering access to advanced additive manufacturing, composites, and robotics equipment for prototyping and process development from TRL3 to TRL6.
Develops laser processing heads and systems for high-precision wire- and powder-based laser metal deposition (DED) in 3D printing and repair.
Provides metal additive manufacturing services using wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) for large-scale industrial components, primarily serving welding, cutting, and robotic automation sectors.
Developer of patented pentapod parallel kinematics CNC machines (stationary & mobile 5-axis) and SEAMHex industrial 3D printer (hexapod extrusion system), enabling hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing for aerospace, automotive, and industrial applications with 200x lower material cost than traditional filament-based printing.
Manufactures WintPrint-3D specialty metal wires for Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), enabling large-scale metal 3D printing of aerospace, defense, and industrial components at deposition rates up to 15 kg/hour.
Gefertec develops and sells integrated production machines based on Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for 3D printing large-volume metal parts.
Provides containerized hybrid manufacturing systems combining WAAM and CNC machining for on-site fabrication and repair in deployed military environments.
Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) — metal wire is fed into an arc, creating large parts at high deposition rates with lower resolution but strong economics at scale.
Based on funding data tracked by AMPulse as of 2026-05, the top DED-Arc (Wire Arc) companies include Relativity Space, Messer SE & Co. KGaA, Arizona State University, IBARMIA, and Damen Shipyards Group. Full list of 50 tracked companies available on this page.
DED-Arc (Wire Arc) commonly works with stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, nickel alloys, bronze.
Primary applications for DED-Arc (Wire Arc) include ship propellers, large aerospace structures, construction steel, defense platforms.