天美影院

• Through DTEP, Wall Colmonoy has established a strategic development partnership with Rolls-Royce, accelerating timelines for next-generation aerospace engine components
• The foundry will enable the recycling of legacy aerospace parts, transforming valuable 1st and 2nd generation aerospace alloys into components for modern applications
• Wall Colmonoy鈥檚 new foundry will also operate as an accessible resource for the wider defence and industrial manufacturing community

On the factory floor of Wall Colmonoy鈥檚 South Wales facility, engineers are making final preparations for what will soon become one of, if not the most advanced commercially available equiaxed vacuum casting furnaces in the UK. Behind this lies a transformative vision for UK defence as for the first time, the capability to cast high-performance components will be accessible to defence manufacturers across the sector.

Filling a Defence Manufacturing Gap

Founded in 1938, with its UK operations established in 1969, Wall Colmonoy has built its reputation on metallurgical innovation. The company, employing approximately 200 people in the UK, has been a backbone of the local Welsh economy for many decades.

Whilst the company has traditionally focused on commercial high-temperature and wear-resistant materials, its recent move into defence aerospace manufacturing marks a significant opportunity to strengthen its role in a critical and fast-evolving sector. The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) recognised this, supporting Wall Colmonoy through the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) in 2024.

鈥淒efence is going to be a core foundation of what we do moving forward,鈥� explains Dr. Chris Weirman, Director of Technology, Wall Colmonoy. 鈥淭here are numerous defence opportunities, and having DTEP funding through DASA has been instrumental in accelerating our capabilities.鈥�

Breaking New Ground with Vacuum Investment Casting

Wall Colmonoy has reached a major milestone in its DTEP project with the installation of an advanced vacuum casting furnace, set to transform the production of high-performance aircraft components and bolster UK defence capabilities.

At the heart of this innovation is a state-of-the-art vacuum casting furnace designed to operate in a high vacuum, oxygen-free environment. Unlike traditional foundries that melt metal in open air, Wall Colmonoy鈥檚 vacuum technology enables the creation and protection of aerospace-grade alloys under highly controlled conditions, ensuring superior material integrity, cleanliness and performance.

This new facility marks a significant shift in accessibility to advanced casting technology. Traditionally confined to large civil and defence aerospace corporations, Wall Colmonoy鈥檚 furnace will be commercially available to a wide range of UK defence and industrial manufacturers. This opens the door for faster, more efficient production of high-quality components without the delays often caused by competing priorities in commercial aviation foundries.

鈥淲e are building a furnace capable of casting parts up to 200 kilograms,鈥� states Weirman. 鈥淭his will likely be the largest and most advanced commercially available casting furnace in the UK鈥攑ossibly in Europe.鈥�

The new foundry is expected to play a pivotal role in strengthening the UK鈥檚 defence manufacturing infrastructure, accelerating innovation, and supporting national security objectives.

Digitalisation Driving Innovation

Wall Colmonoy brings additional innovation through their 鈥檇igital twin鈥� approach to casting technology. By creating detailed simulations of metal temperatures, pouring rates, and shell designs, the team can virtually test castings before any physical production.

鈥淲e can create a digital twin of the part and process it through the digital foundry,鈥� explains Weirman. 鈥淭his tells us that we鈥檙e on track for first time-right manufacturing when we cast the physical part.鈥�

This digital approach, strengthened by the DTEP funding, not only reduces waste and cost but significantly accelerates development timelines for critical defence components.

鈥淲all Colmonoy is always seeking opportunities to apply digital technologies and automation to what is a traditional manufacturing environment鈥� explains Michael Shreeve, Business Unit Manager, Wall Colmonoy. 鈥淐urating our own agile environment for development and growth in a diverse range of sectors. It is vital we continue to apply technologies every day to compete on a globalised scale.鈥�

Accelerating Innovation Through Partnership

Through DTEP, Wall Colmonoy has also formed a strategic partnership with Rolls-Royce and will dedicate approximately one-third of the foundry鈥檚 capacity to Rolls-Royce aerospace applications.

鈥淏y providing them priority access to our capabilities, we鈥檙e accelerating their development cycle for component design by a significant margin,鈥� Weirman notes.

鈥淥ur business is built on long-term strategic partnerships where customers choose Wall Colmonoy as supplier not because they have to, but rather want to鈥� says Shreeve. 鈥淭he development pipeline is growing fast with multiple major aerospace primes in addition to other high-integrity sectors such as Nuclear, Renewables and Medical. I believe this is due to our approach to customer relationships that links back to our core values as a business.鈥�

Innovative Recycling of Legacy Materials

Another key aspect of the project is reducing waste. Wall Colmonoy identified that numerous legacy aerospace components that are no longer suitable or required for flight, can be recycled for valuable aerospace-grade alloys.

鈥淭hese high-quality materials are difficult to source,鈥� explains Weirman. 鈥淏y recycling these legacy parts and reforming them into components for modern platforms, or reformulating into modern alloys, we鈥檙e not only addressing supply chain challenges but also delivering significant cost and sustainability benefits.鈥�

This aspect of the project resonates with broader defence objectives around resource efficiency and supply chain resilience.

DASA鈥檚 flexible approach to funding innovation has also proven important for the company. When the opportunity arose for Wall Colmonoy to purchase a system capable of casting components up to 200 kg 鈥� more than double their original DTEP project target 鈥� the company was able to adjust, thanks to DASA鈥檚 adaptive funding framework.
鈥淭he larger system required more extensive site modifications,鈥� notes Weirman. 鈥淲hile this extended our installation timeline from six to nine months, it significantly enhances our long-term capabilities.鈥�

Looking Forward

Wall Colmonoy has a strong vision of the future and strategic investments will continue to stay ahead of the competition.

鈥淭his project is just one of our advancements. Within the last 12 months we have also ramped up our Additive Manufacturing capabilities, producing a wide range of Additive Powders to serve the full supply chain, embracing the threats of modern manufacturing techniques rather than ignoring them,鈥� explains Shreeve. 鈥淒iversity and positive attitude towards change within our business is our core value proposition, offering turnkey solutions utilising a wide range of technologies and manufacturing processes.鈥�

The foundry is scheduled for completion in August 2025 and the first castings are planned for early September.

鈥淚t will be full steam ahead,鈥� Weirman emphasises. 鈥淭he development pipeline for the foundry is strong, and we anticipate it becoming one of the busiest parts of our plant.鈥�

Through DASA鈥檚 DTEP funding, Wall Colmonoy will strengthen the UK鈥檚 defence industrial base and ensure that when the next generation of defence platforms take to the skies, they鈥檒l be powered by parts developed at pace, in the UK.

Weirman concludes: 鈥淪ince being introduced to the potential of DASA funding via strong support from Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, Business Development Manager, Adil Pirmohamed, Wall Colmonoy has only had a positive experience through the full journey. We have continued the interaction and hope to have more defence supporting projects in the coming years. We are already working on a submission for Innovation in the Defence sector for completion in 2026.鈥�