Jump to:
Industry News
Attend the ITSA 2026 Annual Meeting and Symposium
The International Thermal Spray Association (ITSA) will hold its 2026 Annual Meeting and Symposium at the Hotel Republic in San Diego, Calif., November 9–11. Attendees can learn about the latest advancements in aerospace and thermal spray technologies; engage directly with thermal spray experts, researchers, and suppliers; and attend a guided tour of the GKN Aerospace facility in El Cajon. The meeting takes place during Fleet Week San Diego, an annual multi-day public event celebrating the U.S. Armed Forces, and will include a Fleet Week activity. A formal ITSA business meeting will also be held.
The hotel reservation deadline is October 19. Additional information is available at thermalspray.org.
Curtiss-Wright Executive Named ITSA Vice Chair
Peter Ruggiero, vice president and general manager of the North American thermal spray business for Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies, has been elected vice chair of the International Thermal Spray Association (ITSA). Ruggiero has more than four decades of experience in coating technologies spanning aerospace, industrial gas turbines, oil and gas, automotive, and emerging aviation sectors. He leads strategy, operations, innovation, and expansion across four manufacturing facilities and has overseen sustained business growth, the expansion of thermal spray capabilities into Europe, and support for major aerospace and defense programs. He is also the co-inventor of two patents related to advanced abradable coating technologies and has co-authored more than ten technical papers on materials science and coating performance.
Linde Advanced Materials Technologies Adds Kermetico Equipment and Parts Division
Linde Advanced Material Technologies Inc. (Linde AMT), headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., has acquired the equipment and parts division of Kermetico Inc., based in California. The acquisition expands Linde AMT’s thermal spray equipment portfolio to include Kermetico’s line of high-velocity air fuel (HVAF) coating systems, along with TAFA® and Genie® products.
According to the company, the addition of Kermetico’s HVAF technology strengthens its offerings for applications requiring wear and corrosion protection. Linde AMT said Kermetico customers will continue to receive support while gaining access to the company’s global technical and service network.
NCAME Partners with 6K Additive to Evaluate Cold Spray Repair
Researchers at Auburn University’s National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME), Auburn, Ala., in partnership with 6K Additive, a U.S.-based manufacturer of metal powders and alloy additions, are investigating how various cold spray feedstock materials perform under demanding conditions.
“This project is about understanding how cold spray materials behave when they’re used for repair and sustainment operations in demanding environments,” said Mikyle Paul, NCAME research engineer who leads this project. “We’re evaluating the mechanical performance and strength of a range of feedstock materials so we can generate data that supports future repair strategies for critical components across defense and industrial sectors.”
Research will be conducted using the center’s VRC Gen IV cold spray system. Results will help establish a deeper understanding of how cold spray materials can be effectively deployed for field repairs where reliability and structural integrity are critical.
“This project gives us an opportunity to generate the fundamental performance data needed to increase confidence in cold spray repair technologies,” said Scot Carpenter, NCAME laboratories manager. “By understanding the strengths and limitations of these materials, we can help accelerate their adoption for real-world repair applications where downtime, cost, and operational readiness are major considerations.” — Joe McAdory, Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
NSWC Crane Launches Advanced Repair Center
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane), Crane, Ind., has opened a facility to repair advanced metals and provide fleet readiness. The new Metal Additive Manufacturing (MADMAN) Repair Center uses advanced low-and high-pressure cold spray technology to extend the life of vital naval assets. NSWC Crane held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility June 23.
“The MADMAN Repair Center allows us to shift our focus from ‘replace’ to ‘repair’,” said Capt. Rex Boonyobhas, commanding officer at NSWC Crane. “This center is the first organic industrial base facility for nonstructural cold spray within the Navy, which enables us to perform crucial repairs in-house that were previously outsourced, develop new organic repairing solutions for components, and collaborate with leading academic and research partners to advance the science of additive manufacturing. This new capability enhances fleet readiness, drives innovation, and solidifies NSWC Crane’s role as a leader in material science and repair technology.”
Previously, when aerospace and maritime components were damaged, they were repaired using traditional fusion welding, which may cause the metal to crack and lose strength. Because cold spray is a solid-state process that does not rely on thermal melting, it eliminates heat damage, allowing the restored material to maintain its original structural integrity and strength.
“This is more than an advanced maintenance tool; it is a force multiplier for fleet readiness,” said Dr. Kyle Werner, deputy technical director at NSWC Crane. “Establishing this organic capability allows us to project sustainment directly to the point of need. Integrating full-spectrum cold spray at NSWC Crane fundamentally keeps our ships at sea, our submarines on patrol, and our aircraft in the sky.”
The MADMAN Repair Center uses both low and high pressure to provide a full spectrum of repair capabilities. The low-pressure systems are agile and portable, allowing NSWC Crane technical experts to project repair capabilities across the fleet. These capabilities can be deployed in expeditionary environments for onboard repairs on ships, bypassing the downtime required to tear a system apart. Meanwhile, the high-pressure systems restore structural integrity and provide depot-level restoration. — Sarah K. Oh, NSWC Crane corporate communications
Metal Powder Works Extends Multi-Year Westinghouse Partnership
Metal Powder Works (MPW), Pittsburgh, Pa., a specialty materials company producing metal powders for additive manufacturing and powder metallurgy applications, has entered the next phase of its product development project with Westinghouse Electric Co. (WEC), focusing on further product optimization.
During the next phase of collaboration, which is expected to take three months, MPW will continue to advance and scale its powder production capabilities for Westinghouse. The work is intended to improve end-product performance and advance the technology readiness level of components under development.
This project builds on MPW’s patented DirectPowder™ process, which converts metal bar stock directly into high-quality, consistent powder feedstock for additive manufacturing, cold spray, and powder metallurgy applications without melting or contamination.
University of Nottingham Opens Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing Facility
The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England, has launched what it says is the UK’s highest-pressure cold spray additive manufacturing facility.
Experts from the faculty of engineering, with support from a Japanese technical team at PlasmaGiken, designed and installed the high-pressure cold spray system, enabling higher particle impact speeds, stronger bonding between the deposited material and the substrate, and the processing of harder, more demanding materials.
This technology enables the repair and remanufacturing of high-value components in the aerospace, fusion energy, nuclear, and defense sectors, lowering costs and improving sustainability by reducing material waste compared to conventional manufacturing.
Housed in the Centre of Excellence in Coating and Surface Engineering (CE-CSE), the facility will be a national hub for collaboration with industry and research partners in advanced manufacturing and clean energy technologies.
Tanvir Hussain, professor of coatings and surface engineering at the University of Nottingham and project lead, said: “After three years of proposal development and industrial collaboration, we are proud to commission the UK’s highest-pressure cold-spray additive manufacturing facility. This is not simply a new piece of equipment added to the UK cold spray landscape, but it represents a national capability that will support advanced manufacturing research and industrial innovation for years to come for the UK for all engineers and technologists.”
CNPC Powder Expands U.S. Presence with New Additive Materials Plant in California
CNPC Powder, a powder materials manufacturer headquartered in Vancouver with production facilities in China, has begun construction of a new production and R&D facility in California.
The facility will provide U.S. customers with access to the company’s alloys and local technical support for applications across the aerospace, automotive, 3C, medical, energy, and industrial sectors. The company expects the expansion to reduce lead times, lower inventory costs, improve supply chain reliability, and shorten delivery times for many North American customers from several weeks to a few days.
Initial production is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027. The 2000 m2 (21,528 sq-ft) facility will feature up to six fully automated atomization production lines specializing in high-performance aluminum powders, titanium, nickel-based superalloys, stainless steel, and special alloys for industrial-scale additive manufacturing.
The California facility will use advanced atomization and powder-processing technologies to produce spherical, low-oxygen powders for additive manufacturing applications. It will also include a closed-loop recycling system designed to convert production scrap, used parts, and waste powder into recycled metal powders. Initial production will focus on aluminum, titanium, nickel-based superalloys, steel, and copper powders for additive manufacturing and other industrial applications.
Powders will be available for applications including laser powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, metal injection molding, thermal spraying, and hot isostatic pressing. The site will also support custom alloy development for applications requiring enhanced heat, corrosion, or wear resistance.
Ohio Invests in Manufacturing Growth and Workforce Development
A major federal manufacturing award and a recent visit by Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel to a thermal spray and metal-finishing company highlight ongoing efforts to strengthen the state’s manufacturing base and workforce pipeline.
Northeast Ohio has been selected as one of 12 National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines, making the region eligible for up to $160 million in federal funding over the next decade. The initiative, known as NEO-SMART (Northeast Ohio Strengthening Manufacturing for American Resilience through Technology), aims to accelerate manufacturing innovation through materials research, artificial intelligence, and workforce development.
Led by Case Western Reserve University, the coalition includes more than 70 partners from industry, academia, philanthropy, and government. Organizers plan to build on the region’s strengths in metals, polymers, chemicals, and coatings while supporting research, commercialization, and workforce-training programs. Participating companies include Sherwin-Williams, Lubrizol, Lincoln Electric, Cleveland-Cliffs, Bridgestone, and Goodyear Tire & Rubber.
Separately, Tressel visited Toledo-based Hale Performance Coatings as part of Ohio’s WorkOhio Job Connector Tour, which highlights employers and training providers that can help connect residents with career opportunities. Hale specializes in hard chrome plating, nickel plating, thermal spray coatings, and other surface-engineering technologies.
During the visit, Tressel toured the company’s thermal spray operations, where technicians applied a tungsten carbide coating to a hydraulic cylinder. He also learned about the company’s partnerships with local schools and career-technical programs designed to introduce students to careers in skilled trades and advanced manufacturing.
Together, the developments reflect Ohio’s continued emphasis on manufacturing innovation, coatings technologies, and workforce development as the state works to support growth across its industrial sectors.