ERG Aerospace

What ERG Aerospace does

ERG Aerospace is a privately held, vertically integrated manufacturer of Duocel® open-cell metal foam, founded in 1967 and headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, with 51–100 employees. The company's patented solid ligament foam technology — offered in aluminum (6101-T6), copper, carbon (RVC), and ceramic (SiC) variants with configurable PPI (5, 10, 20, 40) and relative density (4–12%) — is differentiated from competing hollow or sintered ligament foams by its fully reticulated pore structure, which enables superior fluid flow, heat transfer, and energy absorption. Duocel® foam serves as the foundation for a diversified product portfolio spanning heat exchangers (over 1,000 delivered), waterless two-phase cold plates for AI data center cooling, bird strike protection for helicopter and eVTOL blades, flame arrestors, energy absorbers, EMI shielding, biomedical and cryogenic components, acoustic devices, and OEM-quality replacement diffuser discs for semiconductor processing equipment.

The company monetizes through multiple revenue streams: standardized foam samples and LAM diffuser discs sold via the duocelfoam.com e-commerce storefront to US customers; custom-engineered parts, brazed assemblies, and heat exchanger systems delivered through direct enterprise sales with quote-based, multi-year contract pricing; and international orders fulfilled via authorized distributors outside the United States. Go-to-market is predominantly enterprise field sales supported by an in-house engineering team offering CFD modeling and prototype consultations. The customer base spans aerospace and defense primes, semiconductor equipment OEMs (LAM Research, Applied Materials, Branson), AI data center operators, leading research universities, and specialty industrial buyers.

ERG holds AS9100 Rev D aerospace quality certification and SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) status, qualifying it for aerospace prime contracting and government set-aside procurement. The company's enduring 60-year track record, proprietary foam IP, and certification footprint suggest a niche specialty manufacturer with limited direct competition in solid ligament metal foam — though overall addressable market size remains modest (global aluminum foam market projected at USD 51M in 2025). The absence of disclosed funding rounds, headcount trend data, or revenue figures represents a material information gap for growth assessment.

Name

ERG Aerospace

Legal name

ERG Aerospace

Website

https://ergaerospace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ERG Aerospace manufactures patented Duocel® solid ligament open-cell metal foam (aluminum, copper, carbon, ceramic) serving aerospace, defense, semiconductor equipment OEMs, AI data center cooling, and industrial customers with standardized materials and custom-engineered heat exchangers and assemblies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advanced Materials / Metal Foam Manufacturing

NAICS

Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing (32615)

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086)

akta.pro primary industry

Foam Protective Packaging (EPS/EPE/EPP, PU, Molded Foam) (IMALAFAA)

Keywords

• Metal foam manufacturing
• Open-cell foam materials
• Aerospace components
• Thermal management solutions
• Energy absorption systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Foam Material Sales: Sale of Duocel® metal foam materials (aluminum, copper, carbon RVC, ceramic SiC) in standard blocks and custom machined shapes. Samples sold online at duocelfoam.com for US customers. Custom orders and larger requirements fulfilled directly.
2. Engineered Heat Exchanger Assemblies: Design, development, and delivery of complete heat exchanger systems including liquid cold plates, two-phase cold plates, phase change heat exchangers, and custom assemblies. Over 1000+ liquid heat exchangers and high performance heat sinks delivered. Assemblies are custom-designed, prototyped, and manufactured as turnkey products.
3. LAM Diffuser Discs and Semiconductor Components: OEM quality replacement diffuser discs for semiconductor processing machines (LAM Research, Branson, Applied Materials). Standard discs sold at duocelfoam.com; custom diffuser discs available upon special request.
4. Custom Engineering and Prototype Services: In-house engineering consultations and prototype development for customer-specific applications. The company's vertically integrated R&D capabilities support turning ideas into production parts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ERG Aerospace manufactures Duocel® patented solid ligament open-cell metal foam in aluminum, copper, carbon (RVC), and ceramic (SiC) alloys. The company engineers and sells foam materials and finished components for aerospace, defense, semiconductor, AI data center thermal management, and industrial applications including heat exchangers, cold plates, bird strike protection, flame arrestors, and diffuser discs. Standard products are available online with credit card purchases, while custom-engineered assemblies are sold through direct enterprise consultation.

Product overview

ERG Aerospace manufactures Duocel® metal foam, a patented open-cell solid ligament foam technology offered since 1967. The core product line includes Duocel® foam variants in aluminum (6101-T6), copper, carbon (RVC), and ceramic (SiC) materials. These materials serve as the foundation for a diverse portfolio of specialized products and applications including waterless two-phase cold plates for AI data centers, bird strike protection systems for eVTOL/helicopters, flame arrestors, energy absorbers, heat exchangers (over 1000+ delivered), acoustic devices, biomedical applications, EMI shielding, and semiconductor processing components like LAM diffuser discs. The products are optimized for specific applications through customization of pore size (5-40 PPI), relative density (4-12%), and material selection, with standard block sizes up to 16in x 16in x 4in and larger assemblies created through brazing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Duocel®: Proprietary open-cell metal foam product line offered since 1967, made from aluminum, copper, and carbon (RVC) alloys.

Products and services

• Duocel® Metal Foam ERG's flagship open-cell metal foam product with patented solid ligament technology, available in aluminum, copper, carbon (RVC), and ceramic (SiC) alloys with PPI options of 5, 10, 20, and 40. The foam provides high strength-to-weight ratio, energy absorption, and superior heat transfer capabilities for aerospace, defense, semiconductor, and industrial applications.
• Duocel® Aluminum Foam Aluminum 6101-T6 alloy open-cell metal foam offering high strength-to-weight ratio and thermal conductivity, used in bird strike protection, heat exchangers, energy absorbers, and structural components.
• Duocel® Copper Foam Copper-based open-cell metal foam with high thermal conductivity for heat transfer and thermal management applications where copper properties are advantageous.
• Carbon (RVC) Foam Ultra-lightweight, high-conductivity carbon foam for specialized applications requiring carbon material properties including electrodes and energy storage uses.
• Ceramic (SiC) Foam Silicon carbide ceramic foam for high-temperature applications and specialized uses including lightweight mirrors and optical components for space applications.
• Duocel® Foam Heat Exchangers High-performance heat exchangers utilizing Duocel® foam's high surface area and thermal conductivity, including natural/forced convection heat sinks, liquid cold plates, liquid-to-air/liquid radiators, two-phase cold plates, and Phase Change Material (PCM) heat exchangers. ERG has delivered over 1,000+ liquid heat exchangers.
• Waterless Two-Phase Cold Plates Direct-to-chip cooling solution for performance data center applications including AI workloads, utilizing waterless two-phase heat transfer technology with Duocel® foam.
• Bird Strike Protection Systems Metal foam solutions for bird strike mitigation on helicopter/eVTOL blades and turbine fan blades, providing energy absorption and impact protection.
• Hold Down Release Mechanisms Bolt catchers and latch release mechanisms with minimal to no recoil, utilizing Duocel® foam for controlled energy absorption.
• Silicon Carbide Mirrors Lightweight silicon carbide mirrors for space applications utilizing Duocel® ceramic foam technology.
• Duocel® Foam Air/Oil Separators Foam-based air/oil separators for aircraft applications using Duocel® open-cell foam technology.
• Duocel® Flame Arrestors Metal foam flame arrestors that prevent flame from permeating through the foam structure, used in industrial and aerospace applications.
• Duocel® Energy Absorbers Impact absorption devices using Duocel® foam's controlled energy dissipation capabilities, compressible up to 6X with constant stress absorption and no rebound.
• LAM Diffuser Discs OEM quality replacement discs for LAM auto etch machines and semiconductor processing equipment, manufactured using Duocel® foam. Used in CVD and etching research machines from LAM Research, Applied Materials, Branson, and others.
• Duocel® Foam Baffles Fluid baffles utilizing Duocel® foam's open-cell structure for controlled fluid flow and pressure buffering.
• Duocel® Foam Breather Plugs Breather plugs designed to restrict liquid flow, provide surge protection, and equalize pressure changes, particularly useful in guided munitions and military applications.
• Duocel® Foam CO2 Scrubbers Open-cell foam-based CO2 scrubbers for removing carbon dioxide in various applications.
• Duocel® Foam High Temperature Filters High temperature filtration systems using Duocel® metal foam capable of withstanding extreme temperatures.
• Duocel® Acoustic Metal Foam Devices Acoustic foam microphones and devices providing superior sound clarity, wind noise reduction (80-90%), electrical shielding, and enhanced frequency response (20 Hz - 20 kHz) for recording, broadcast, and field research applications.
• Duocel® Foam Electrodes Metal carbon foam electrodes for battery and energy storage applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• High surface area to volume ratios unattainable with any other material for heat transfer applications
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LAM ResearchcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerERG manufactures OEM quality replacement diffuser discs for LAM Research auto etch machines. ERG cross-references original LAM part numbers and supplies standardized replacement discs as well as custom diffuser discs upon request.
• Applied MaterialscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerERG is a listed OEM supplier of replacement diffuser discs for Applied Materials semiconductor processing machines, providing standardized and custom foam discs.
• BransoncoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerERG supplies OEM quality replacement foam diffuser discs for semiconductor processing equipment manufactured by Branson, including standardized and custom part options.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Havel Metal Foam: Havel Metal Foam (part of the MMC group) is a Czech producer of aluminum foam products for automotive, aerospace, and architectural applications. It serves as a European regional peer to ERG with comparable aluminum foam offerings.
• Recemat BV: Recemat is a Dutch producer of metal foam (primarily aluminum and copper open-cell foam) for catalysis, heat exchange, and structural applications. It is a European regional peer with comparable open-cell foam products overlapping with ERG's Duocel® offering.
• Aluinvent Zrt. Aluinvent is a Hungarian manufacturer of closed-cell aluminum foam products for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. While it focuses on closed-cell rather than ERG's open-cell structure, both companies serve overlapping aerospace lightweighting and impact-energy-management end markets.

Broad incumbents

• American Elements: American Elements is a US specialty materials manufacturer and distributor offering advanced metals, alloys, and engineered materials including foam forms of various metals. As a broad incumbent in specialty materials, it overlaps with ERG's aluminum, copper, and carbon foam product lines but across a much wider portfolio.
• Goodfellow Corporation: Goodfellow is a UK-headquartered supplier of specialty metals, alloys, polymers, and advanced materials including metal foam forms for research and industrial customers. It serves as a broad incumbent material supplier overlapping with several of ERG's material offerings but without ERG's depth in custom foam engineering.

Direct peers

• Ultramet: Ultramet is a US advanced materials manufacturer specializing in refractory metals, ceramics, and open-cell foam structures (including reticulated carbon and ceramic foams) for aerospace, defense, and energy applications. It directly competes with ERG in high-temperature ceramic and carbon foam applications.
• Porvair Filtration Group: Porvair is a UK-headquartered specialist in filtration and porous media products serving aerospace, defense, energy, and industrial markets. It overlaps with ERG in high-temperature metal foam filters, diffusers, and engineered porous structures for industrial process applications.
• Mott Corporation: Mott Corporation is a US manufacturer of porous metal products, including sintered and engineered porous metal media for filtration, flow control, and sparging. It overlaps with ERG in porous metal structures used for industrial filtration, diffusers, and fluid flow applications.
• Cymat Technologies: Cymat Technologies is a Canadian manufacturer of aluminum foam (SmartMetal® and Stabilized Aluminum Foam) used in automotive, architectural, and industrial applications. It is the most direct competitor to ERG's Duocel® aluminum foam offering and is named alongside ERG as a key global aluminum foam contributor.
• Beihai Composite Materials Co., Ltd. Beihai Composite Materials is a Chinese producer of composite and foam materials including aluminum foam products for industrial and construction applications. It is identified as the third key contributor to the global aluminum foam market alongside ERG and Cymat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCC6QJiL1W2H0Uhh6hFvtKBg/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erg-aerospace

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 ERG Aerospace