What Castings Technology International does

Castings Technology International (CTI) is the UK's only commercial titanium castings company and a manufacturer of high-precision steel investment castings, serving mission-critical applications in aerospace, defence, space, marine, and industrial gas turbine sectors. The company produces titanium castings using proprietary near net shape technology with vacuum induction melting (VIM) and vacuum arc remelting (VAR) at capacities of 30–1,200kg, components ranging from 0.1kg to 400kg, and envelope sizes up to 2.8m³. Steel castings up to 2,000kg are produced using pattenless technology for marine, chemical, petrochemical, oil & gas, nuclear, and industrial pump end-uses. Pattern creation is increasingly driven by stereolithography (SLA) and sand printing, integrated with traditional investment casting to enable rapid design iteration and complex geometries. CTI is one of a small handful of global titanium foundries of this scale, with an installed base that includes Europe's largest titanium melting facility at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham and a new 196,000 sq ft purpose-built Sheffield facility (Shepcote Lane) under development for late 2026 move-in, housing one of the world's largest VAR furnaces and a large vacuum heat treatment furnace.

CTI operates a vertically integrated project-based business model. Custom titanium and steel castings are produced under negotiated B2B contracts with named aerospace and defence primes including GE Aviation, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, and Babcock, all under formal vendor approval and Nadcap-recognised quality regimes (AS9100, Nadcap welding/heat treatment/NDT, UKAS ISO/IEC 17025). The vertically integrated offering includes non-destructive testing (X-ray, ultrasonic, magnetic particle, dye-penetrant), metallurgical laboratory services, proof and finish machining, and HIP. A secondary revenue stream is the SCRATA Surface Comparator product line, sold directly to casting producers and specifiers for £1,321–£2,960 per set, providing a modest but globally distributed complement to the industrial casting business. CTI traces its heritage to the British Cast Iron Research Association (BCIRA, 1923) and British Steel Casting Research Association (BSCRA, 1953), which merged to form CTI in 1996. The company was transferred to University of Sheffield ownership in 2013 with £25m of ATI grant funding, lost £7m under university stewardship, and was returned to private ownership via a January 2021 management buy-out led by Richard Cook and Kevin Parkin, who have since returned the business to profitability, secured £15m of growth capital from Zachary Asset Holdings in 2025, and are commissioning a new world-class Sheffield foundry.

Name

Castings Technology International

Legal name

Castings Technology International Ltd.

Website

https://castingstechnology.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Castings Technology International is the UK's only commercial titanium castings company, producing mission-critical titanium and steel investment castings for aerospace, defence, and industrial gas turbine OEMs, with vertically integrated NDT, testing, and machining services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision investment castings

NAICS

Steel Investment Foundries (331512), Other Nonferrous Metal Foundries (except Die-Casting) (331529), Foundries (3315)

SIC

Nonferrous Foundries (Castings) (3360), Iron & Steel Foundries (3320)

akta.pro primary industry

Steel Casting (Continuous Casting, Ingots, Semi-Finished Slabs/Billets/Blooms) (IMAKABAD)

Keywords

• Titanium investment castings
• Steel investment castings
• Aerospace cast components
• Non-destructive testing services
• Metallurgical testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

South Otterington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Titanium Castings Manufacturing: Production of mission-critical titanium investment castings for aerospace, defence, space, and industrial gas turbine applications. Components include intermediate compressor casings, stators, bearing housings, hubs, casings, valves, manifolds, mounts, and housings. Revenue generated through custom project-based contracts with aerospace primes.
2. Steel Castings Manufacturing: High-precision steel castings for marine, chemical, petrochemical, oil & gas, nuclear, water/sewage, and industrial pump sectors. Production of components including propellers, pumps, valves, rudders, bearing carriers, bleed valves, and compressor impellers.
3. SCRATA Surface Comparators: Sale of surface roughness comparator plates for casting producers and procurement teams. Products include ASTM A802 sets, precision casting comparator sets, and upgrade sets.
4. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Services: Accredited NDT services including X-ray radiography, ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle inspection, and dye-penetrant inspection for aerospace-quality castings.
5. Metallurgical Testing and Inspection Services: Accredited laboratory services including optical emission spectrometry, chemical analysis, hardness testing, microscopic examination, and mechanical testing. UKAS accredited testing laboratory.
6. Machining Services: Proof and finish machining capabilities including turning, milling, grinding, splining, keying, drilling, reaming, tapping, broaching, and EDM for vertically integrated supply chain solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Castings Technology International manufactures high-integrity titanium and steel investment castings for mission-critical applications, from one-offs through batch production. Its offering also includes testing, inspection, heat treatment, hot isostatic pressing, machining, and SCRATA surface-comparator products for aerospace, defence, space, energy, marine, and industrial customers.

Product overview

Castings Technology International is the UK's only commercial titanium castings company and a leading manufacturer of high-precision steel castings. The company operates as a single unified offering combining core casting manufacturing with integrated add-on services including non-destructive testing (NDT), metallurgical laboratory services, SLA pattern manufacture, and proof/finish machining. The portfolio centers on Titanium Castings and Steel Castings as core products, supplemented by SCRATA Surface Comparators and comprehensive testing, inspection, and machining services. All capabilities are designed for mission-critical applications in aerospace, defence, space, marine, and industrial gas turbine sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SCRATA Surface Comparators: Surface quality assessment comparators developed by Castings Technology for casting producers and procurement teams to specify and assess surface roughness.

Products and services

• Titanium Castings Investment cast titanium components for mission-critical aerospace, defence, space, and industrial applications, offered as one-offs or batch production. The company describes the capability as the UK's only commercial titanium castings facility, with melting capability of 30 kg to 1,200 kg, component weights from 0.1 kg to 400 kg, and grades 1-5 plus customer-specific specifications.
• Steel Castings High-precision steel castings for marine, chemical, petrochemical, energy, and industrial applications where strength and corrosion resistance are required. The service supports one-offs and small batches using patternless technology, with melting capacity up to 2,000 kg and components from 1 kg to 500 kg.
• SCRATA Surface Comparators Durable comparator plates that provide specimen reference points for assessing the surface roughness and texture quality of castings. They are sold directly to casting producers, procurement teams, and inspectors and support requirements including ASTM A802 and MSS SP-55-2001.
• Non-Destructive Testing Services Accredited non-destructive testing for castings, including X-ray radiography, ultrasonic testing, magnetic-particle inspection, and dye-penetrant inspection. The service is qualified to aerospace standards and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 and Nadcap, with operators qualified to ASNT, PCN, or NAS 410 requirements.
• Proof and Finish Machining Services Proof and finish machining that supplies components ready for assembly as part of a vertically integrated casting supply-chain service. Capabilities include turning, milling, grinding, splining, keying, drilling, reaming, tapping, broaching, and EDM.
• Metallurgical Laboratory Services UKAS-accredited metallurgical and chemical testing services, including optical emission spectrometry, chemical analysis, combustion and gas-fusion analysis, hardness testing, microscopic examination, and radiography. The laboratory is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.

Quantifiable outcome

• Titanium castings provide 45% weight saving compared to steel at similar strength levels
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AMRC Training CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Training Centre for apprenticeship recruitment and development. Apprenticeship vacancies are advertised through this partner.
• UTC SheffieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UTC Sheffield for apprenticeship and training provision, supporting entry-level talent pipeline for the manufacturing workforce.
• The Company of Cutlers in HallamshireminorOthers400-year-old Sheffield trade guild (incorporated by act of Parliament in 1624) representing South Yorkshire's manufacturing industry. Multiple Castings Technology employees have been inducted as Freemen and Associate Freemen, including Managing Director Richard Cook, Executive Chairman Kevin Parkin, and Marketing Consultant Claire Taylor Foster.
• The Worshipful Company of FoundersminorOthersA livery company established in 1365 for those within the UK foundry sector. Tom Westley and Pam Murrell visited Castings Technology facilities for a knowledge exchange and factory tour.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Precision Castparts Corp (PCC): Berkshire Hathaway-owned subsidiary and the world's largest investment casting company, producing titanium, steel, and superalloy castings for aerospace, power, and defence. Directly comparable as a global titanium casting incumbent with vastly greater scale and broader alloy capability.
• VSMPO-AVISMA: Russian world's-largest titanium producer, dominant in titanium supply for Boeing and historically Airbus. While primarily an upstream titanium mill, it competes downstream in certain castings and is the strategic supplier that CTI's reshoring narrative is positioned against.
• Carpenter Technology Corporation: US specialty alloy producer with significant presence in titanium, stainless steel, and superalloy products for aerospace and defence. Comparable as a vertically integrated specialty alloys and components manufacturer serving the same end markets.
• ITP Aero: Spanish (Rolls-Royce-owned) aero engine component manufacturer including low-pressure turbines and castings. Relevant as an aerospace prime-adjacent peer that integrates castings into engine modules and could be a strategic acquirer of CTI.

Direct peers

• Howmet Aerospace: Major US aerospace supplier producing investment castings, forged components, and titanium/aluminum parts for jet engines and airframes. Direct competitor in titanium investment castings for aerospace primes including the same customer base as CTI.
• Doncasters Group: UK-headquartered precision castings group serving aerospace, defence, and industrial gas turbines with nickel, cobalt, and titanium alloy castings. CTI's Finance Director Caroline Sharp is a former Doncasters employee, underscoring the close market overlap.
• Aubert & Duval: French subsidiary of Eramet, producing aerospace-grade titanium and superalloy castings, forgings, and billets for major European primes including Airbus and Safran. Closest continental European competitor with overlapping titanium casting capability.
• Bodycote: UK-listed world leader in heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services for aerospace and defence. Directly comparable through CTI's in-house NDT, metallurgical testing, and heat treatment service lines that Bodycote also offers.
• Leistritz Advanced Technologies: German precision foundry producing investment castings in titanium, superalloys, and steel for aerospace and medical applications. Closest mid-sized European competitor to CTI in titanium investment castings for mission-critical components.
• Investacast: UK investment casting foundry producing stainless steel, titanium, and superalloy castings for medical, aerospace, and industrial applications. Comparable smaller-scale UK peer with overlapping customer segments and technical capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/castings-technology-international

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Castings Technology International