Fort Wayne Metals

Name

Fort Wayne Metals

Legal name

Fort Wayne Metals Research Products, LLC

Website

http://fwmetals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Wire and Specialty Alloy Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Fabricated Wire Product Manufacturing (332618), Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing (33261)

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Alloy Steel (Stainless, Tool Steel, Electrical Steel, High-Strength/HSLA) (IMAKABAJ)

Keywords

• Precision wire products
• Nitinol materials
• Medical device components
• Specialty alloys manufacturing
• Shape memory alloys

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Precision Wire Products: Custom precision wire-based products including round wire, flat wire, shaped wire, bar, and specialty constructions sold to medical device and industrial manufacturers
2. Specialty Materials: Sale of specialty alloys including Nitinol, stainless steel, titanium, high-performance alloys, and refractory metals in various product forms
3. Custom Manufacturing Services: Conversion services, R&D collaboration, melt services, coating, laser ablation, and mechanical assembly services for customer-provided materials or custom requirements
4. Kanban Program: Consignment-style inventory management program providing steady release of product over 12-month period with reduced pricing based on order volume

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fort Wayne Metals manufactures precision wire-based products from specialty alloys including Nitinol, stainless steel, titanium, high-performance alloys, and refractory metals. The company produces round wire, flat wire, shaped wire, bar, strands and cables, HHS tube, and DFT composite wire for medical device OEMs and industrial manufacturers, with integrated melt-to-finish capabilities.

Product overview

Fort Wayne Metals is a precision wire-based products manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of materials (stainless steel, titanium, Nitinol, high-performance alloys, refractory metals) and products spanning round wire, flat wire, shaped wire, bar, HHS® tube, DFT® wire, strands and cables, and mechanical assemblies. Their portfolio includes branded variants like DPS® Nitinol wire, USN® wire, Silk® Nitinol wire, Linear Elastic Nitinol, 4TiTUDE® bar, DBS® wire, and Shape-set Nitinol for specialized applications. Services include integrated melt modalities (PAM/VAR for Nitinol), research and development, ISO 17025 accredited lab services, the VELOCITY℠ rapid prototyping program, Kanban inventory management, PPAP testing packages, and technical literature resources. The company serves medical markets (cardiac, endoscopy, neurostimulation, orthopaedic, vascular) and non-medical markets (aerospace, automotive, industrial).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VELOCITY℠: Rapid prototyping and limited volume production program offering shorter lead times and wide selection of wire products.
• Chamfr
• Altus™
• 35N LT®
• DFT®
• NDR®
• SLT®
• HHS®
• 4TiTUDE®

Products and services

• Round Wire Round wire with circular cross-section manufactured in diameters from 0.0127mm to 13.97 mm, available in stainless steel, Nitinol, titanium, and high-performance alloys for medical device and industrial applications.
• Flat Wire Wire with rectangular cross-section produced via drawing or rolling processes, used in catheters, stents, and orthodontic devices.
• Shaped Wire Wire with specialty-shaped cross-sections including D-wire, crescent, pie, elliptical, triangle, grooved, and Turkshead wire in various alloys for medical and industrial applications.
• Bar Centerless ground and polished bar products with diameter from 0.559 mm to 12.7 mm and length from 304 mm to 3708 mm, available in stainless steel, high-performance alloys, titanium, and Nitinol.
• HHS® Tube (Hollow Torque Strand) Highly engineered hollow torque strand with multifilar coil construction providing torque transmission, pushability, flexibility, and control for catheter and delivery system applications.
• DFT® Wire (Dissimilar Metal Wire) Composite wire construction integrating two dissimilar materials with sheath and core design for combined properties like strength, conductivity, and radiopacity.
• Strands and Cables Multi-filament wire constructions ranging from microcables of 0.04 mm to cables of 4.8 mm diameter, designed for torque, flexibility, and fatigue life in medical devices.
• Mechanical Assembly Custom crimps, fittings, end terminations, and specialized parts for strands, cables, and HHS tube products.
• DPS® Nitinol Wire High stiffness Nitinol wire for applications requiring 1.5% to 8% strain, providing greater resistance to bending than standard Nitinol in guidewire applications.
• USN® Wire Increased column stiffness Nitinol wire for strains below 1.5%, exhibiting greater resistance to initial bend than standard straight annealed Nitinol for guidewires.
• Silk® Nitinol Wire Ultra-smooth, oxide-free Nitinol wire with surface roughness of 0.0762 µm RMS or less, designed to reduce friction in braiding operations.
• Shape-Set Nitinol Nitinol wire formed to specific geometries after undergoing strain, utilizing shape memory properties for collapsible stents, retrieval baskets, and surgical clips.
• Linear Elastic Nitinol Nitinol with linear stress-strain response offering high stiffness, greater pushability, and 1:1 torque transmission for guidewire applications with up to 4% strain recovery.
• 4TiTUDE® Bar Titanium bar meeting ASTM F67 Grade 4 standard with strength equivalent to alloyed titanium, providing good osseointegration and biocompatibility for dental implants.
• DBS® Wire (Dual Braid Strand) Stranded wire construction with outer wire of one alloy around a core of different material (platinum or silver) providing strength, conductivity, and solderability.
• Actuator Wire Shape memory Nitinol wire that contracts when heated to perform work, used in aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics for compact actuation solutions.
• Melt Modalities (PAM/VAR Nitinol Melting Services) Precision Nitinol melting services using Plasma Arc Melting (PAM) and Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR), offering Gen I (standard F2063) and Gen II (Altus Nitinol) grades.
• Research and Development Services Custom alloy development, optimization of existing materials, DFT wire customization, and new cross-sectional shapes including absorbable magnesium alloys, high strength superelastic Nitinol, and nickel-free titanium.
• Lab Services ISO 17025 accredited materials testing including chemical, corrosion, mechanical, metallurgical, and thermal analysis for Nitinol and other alloys.
• VELOCITY℠ Program Rapid prototyping and limited volume production program delivering material in half the standard lead time.
• Kanban Inventory Program Steady product flow program over a 12-month period with releases shipping within 48 hours after contact, reducing lead times and product costs.
• Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) Two PPAP packages (Basic and Comprehensive) providing testing documentation including Certificate of Conformance, mechanical testing, FAI, and process validation reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nitinol product size range from 0.0127 mm to 51 mm covering diverse application needs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• NASAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026NASA partnered with Fort Wayne Metals, delivering LESTR 1 (Lunar Environment Structural Test Rig) to the company's Indiana facility to test shape memory alloys for next-generation rover tires capable of withstanding rocky terrain of the Moon and Mars. NASA researchers at Glenn Research Center developed the testing technology.
• VascotubecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRIME project partner - strategic initiative uniting five trusted experts across the Nitinol supply chain. Vascotube is part of the consortium focused on setting the foundation for consistent quality, reliable availability, and high-performance Nitinol.
• EuroflexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRIME project partner - strategic initiative uniting five trusted experts across the Nitinol supply chain. Euroflex is part of the consortium focused on setting the foundation for consistent quality, reliable availability, and high-performance Nitinol.
• AdmedescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRIME project partner - strategic initiative uniting five trusted experts across the Nitinol supply chain. Admedes is part of the consortium focused on setting the foundation for consistent quality, reliable availability, and high-performance Nitinol.
• MekocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRIME project partner - strategic initiative uniting five trusted experts across the Nitinol supply chain. Meko is part of the consortium focused on setting the foundation for consistent quality, reliable availability, and high-performance Nitinol.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• ATI (Allegheny Technologies): Diversified specialty metals manufacturer producing titanium, nickel-based alloys, and specialty steel products for aerospace, medical, and industrial markets. ATI competes in raw and semi-finished specialty alloy supply that overlaps with FWM's high-performance alloy and titanium offerings.
• Materion Corporation: Specialty materials company producing precious and non-ferrous metals, beryllium, and advanced alloys for medical, aerospace, and industrial markets. Materion offers broader specialty materials portfolio with medical-grade wire and strip products that overlap with FWM's high-performance alloy and precious metal core offerings.
• Carpenter Technology Corporation: Large specialty alloy producer including stainless steel, titanium, and cobalt-chrome alloys used in medical and aerospace applications. Carpenter is a broad incumbent supplying raw and semi-finished specialty alloys that overlap with FWM's stainless and titanium product lines.
• Haynes International: Producer of high-performance nickel and cobalt-based alloys used in aerospace, chemical processing, and industrial applications. Haynes competes in the specialty high-performance alloy segment that overlaps with FWM's high-performance alloy materials line serving non-medical industrial markets.
• Johnson Matthey Medical Components: Large specialty chemicals and advanced materials company with medical components division producing precious metal and Nitinol-based components for medical devices. Johnson Matthey offers broader portfolio and greater scale than FWM but competes in overlapping Nitinol component categories.

Direct peers

• Vascotube GmbH: PRIME consortium partner and direct competitor producing Nitinol tubes and components for medical devices. Vascotube specializes in small-diameter Nitinol tubing used in similar neurovascular and peripheral vascular applications as FWM's products.
• Confluent Medical Technologies: Direct competitor in precision Nitinol components and wire-based products for medical devices. Confluent Medical (formerly Nitinol Devices & Components and Interface Catheter Solutions) provides Nitinol tubing, sheet, and components serving similar cardiovascular, neurovascular, and structural heart OEMs.
• Euroflex GmbH: PRIME consortium partner producing precision Nitinol wire, strip, and tubing for medical and industrial applications. Euroflex is a European specialty wire competitor with overlapping customer base in minimally invasive device OEMs.
• Admedes: PRIME consortium partner and direct peer in Nitinol component manufacturing for medical devices, particularly laser-cut stents, braiding, and shape-set components. Both companies compete for Nitinol component supply into the same OEM customers.
• Memry Corporation (SAES Smart Materials): Direct peer producing Nitinol components, tubing, and wire for medical and industrial applications. Memry is owned by SAES Group and competes directly in Nitinol shape-memory component manufacturing for minimally invasive devices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWMuJ-HH1QiqPQl3TbP0zxg
• Facebookfacebook.com/fortwaynemetals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/296979
• Xx.com/fwmetals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Fort Wayne Metals