What Big Metal Additive does

Big Metal Additive (BMA) is a Denver, Colorado-based metal additive manufacturing company founded in 2016 that operates hybrid metal 3D printing systems combining wire-arc directed energy deposition (DED) with integrated CNC machining in a single setup. The company's signature capability is a 6 ft. × 12 ft. work envelope, which BMA identifies as the largest available in its category, enabling near-net-shape production of large structural metal components that would otherwise require multi-piece welded assemblies or large forgings. BMA holds ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D quality certifications and is positioned to serve aerospace, space exploration, automotive, construction equipment, and energy end markets.

The company's commercial model is project-based contract manufacturing. Services span functional prototypes, casting and forging replacements, and welded assembly replacements, with custom project pricing and multi-year contract structures rather than standardized catalog offerings. BMA was selected for a NASA Tipping Point partnership in 2025, marking entry into space-grade qualification work. The company is privately held, operates with 11 to 50 employees, and is led by President and Founder Slade Gardner. Public information on revenue, funding, customer count beyond NASA, or contracted backlog is not available.

Name

Big Metal Additive

Legal name

Big Metal Additive

Website

https://bigmetaladditive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Metal Additive is a Denver-based metal additive manufacturer that combines wire-arc DED 3D printing with CNC machining to produce large structural metal components for aerospace, space, automotive, construction equipment, and energy customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Additive Manufacturing Services

NAICS

Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3329)

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal 3D Printing Service Bureaus (SLM/DMLS, EBM, Binder Jetting) (IMAAADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Additive Manufacturing for Metals (Metal 3D Printers & Post-Processing) (IMAHADAG), Metal 3D Printers (LPBF/SLM/DMLS, Binder Jetting, DED/LENS/WAAM) (IMAAAAAB)

Keywords

• Metal additive manufacturing
• Large format 3D printing
• Wire arc DED
• Hybrid manufacturing services
• Aerospace metal parts

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Large Metal Part Manufacturing Services: Custom manufacturing services for large metal parts using hybrid additive manufacturing. Services include functional prototypes, design demonstrations, casting replacements, forging replacements, welded assembly replacements, and CNC machined assembly replacements. Revenue is generated through project-based manufacturing contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Big Metal Additive (BMA) operates a metal hybrid additive manufacturing platform that combines wire-arc Directed Energy Deposition (DED) with CNC machining on a single platform. The company produces large, complex metal parts for aerospace, space, defense, and industrial customers using a 6 ft. by 12 ft. work envelope, with every deposition layer machined to ensure dimensional integrity and consistent quality.

Product overview

Big Metal Additive (BMA) operates as a metal hybrid additive manufacturing platform combining wire-arc DED (Directed Energy Deposition) with CNC machining on a single platform. The company offers the industry's largest work envelope at 6 ft. by 12 ft., enabling production of large structural metal components. Their product portfolio centers on the core Metal Hybrid Additive Manufacturing Platform, complemented by service offerings including Functional Prototypes, Design Demonstrations, Casting Replacements, Forging Replacements, Welded Assembly Replacements, and CNC Machined Assembly Replacements. Engineering Workflow Services (topology optimization, generative engineering design, process simulation, DfAM) support the entire production workflow, with every deposition layer machined for dimensional control to ensure consistent quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metal Hybrid Additive Manufacturing Platform Large-scale metal additive manufacturing platform combining wire-arc DED deposition and CNC machining on a single platform with a 6 ft. by 12 ft. work envelope, enabling production of complex metal parts with dimensional integrity for enterprise customers.
• Functional Prototypes Metal additive manufacturing service for producing functional prototypes that can be tested and validated before full production, serving aerospace, space, and industrial customers.
• Design Demonstrations Full-scale demonstration articles to showcase design capabilities and validate design concepts for complex metal parts, helping customers explore additive manufacturing feasibility.
• Casting Replacements Metal additive manufacturing alternative to traditional casting, offering improved lead times and design flexibility for replacement parts, especially obsolete or hard-to-source components.
• Forging Replacements Metal additive manufacturing service replacing conventional forging processes for strong, dense metal components, reducing lead times and tooling costs.
• Welded Assembly Replacements Monolithic additive manufacturing replacing multi-part welded assemblies, reducing part count and improving structural integrity for large metal components.
• CNC Machined Assembly Replacements Additive manufacturing service replacing CNC-machined multi-part assemblies with single-piece or simplified component designs, reducing assembly complexity and improving reliability.
• Engineering Workflow Services Comprehensive engineering services including topology optimization, generative engineering design, process simulation, and Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) to support customers from concept through production.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50%+ reduction in lead times on rocket engine components
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025BMA is working with NASA under the Tipping Point program, qualifying wire-arc DED technology to NASA standards. This partnership enables BMA to provide large-format additive manufacturing services for NASA's aerospace and space applications, including rocket engine components.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Sciaky: Sciaky is the closest direct competitor, offering large-format wire-arc and electron beam additive manufacturing systems and services for aerospace and defense structural components, directly overlapping BMA's wire-arc DED offering.
• MX3D: MX3D uses robotic wire-arc additive manufacturing to produce large-scale metal parts, sharing BMA's core technology (wire-arc DED) and target use cases in large structural metal components.
• DM3D Technology: DM3D operates a DED-based metal additive manufacturing service bureau serving aerospace, defense, and industrial customers, directly comparable to BMA's service bureau model and DED technology focus.
• Norsk Titanium: Norsk Titanium produces large structural titanium parts for aerospace using plasma arc-directed energy deposition (a close technology cousin of wire-arc DED) and serves Boeing-tier customers, making it a direct competitor for large aerospace AM parts.
• Burloak Technologies: Burloak is a metal additive manufacturing service bureau with strong aerospace and defense customer penetration, competing with BMA for design-to-production metal AM contracts in similar verticals.
• Velo3D: Velo3D provides metal AM systems and services targeting aerospace and space customers with large, complex parts, overlapping with BMA in customer segment and target applications, though using powder-bed fusion rather than DED.

Broad incumbents

• AddUp: AddUp (a joint venture of Michelin and Fives) is an established metal AM service bureau offering powder bed fusion solutions for aerospace, automotive, and industrial customers, providing broader-based competition for BMA's target applications.
• Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions: Lincoln Electric, a major welding and metalworking conglomerate, offers wire-arc additive manufacturing solutions and services, giving it scale advantages and channel access as a much larger incumbent in the same technology family as BMA.

Emerging players

• MELD Manufacturing: MELD uses a solid-state additive manufacturing process for large metal parts, an emerging alternative to wire-arc DED with overlapping use cases in aerospace and defense structural components.
• Thermwood: Thermwood develops large-format additive manufacturing systems (LSAM) primarily for composites but with metal AM extensions, representing an emerging competitor in the large-format metal AM equipment and services space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-metal-additive
• Instagraminstagram.com/big_metal_additive

Compliance2 records

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 Big Metal Additive