What Additive Engineering Solutions does

Additive Engineering Solutions (AES) is an Akron, Ohio-based large format additive manufacturing (LFAM) service provider founded in 2015 by former Caterpillar engineer Austin Schmidt and Andrew Bader after witnessing 3D printing demonstrations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The company operates the world's largest LFAM polymer 3D printing capacity, with five LFAM printers in-house and ownership of four of the 15 BAAM machines ever produced globally, enabling single printed parts up to 20 feet in length, 8 feet wide, and 100+ inches in Z-height at extrusion rates of 5 to over 100 pounds of polymer per hour and weights up to 1,500 pounds per part within a typical one-day cycle. AES pairs LFAM with in-house five-axis CNC machining (Zimmermann FZ32, Thermwood Model 70, HAAS VF-4SS) and a materials development lab using Instron, weathering, and IZOD/impact testers, with documented experience processing over 100 thermoplastic materials rated up to 400°F autoclave conditions.

The company's product portfolio centers on Tooling & Molds (layup molds, process tooling, stretch form dies, assembly fixtures, precast formwork), Large Scale Mockups & Prototyping, End-Use Thermoplastic Composite Parts, and Custom Dunnage. It sells on a project-based, quote-driven model through direct enterprise field sales, with primary end markets in aerospace and defense (Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Northrop Grumman, General Atomics, Anduril, Qarbon, CAE, and the U.S. Department of Defense) and secondary exposure to general aviation, space, marine, construction, energy, and transportation.

AES's commercial posture is reinforced by AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR registration, and NIST 800-171 compliance, strategic partnerships with Airtech Advanced Materials Group, Caracol (Heron AM robotic platform, 2024), CEAD Group (Flexbot robotic printer, 2023), and ongoing ORNL collaboration. The company is bootstrapped and privately held, completed a January 2026 acquisition of Momentous Mold & Machine to add precision tooling capability, and broke ground on new factory space in Akron in 2025 to support continued scaling.

Name

Additive Engineering Solutions

Legal name

Additive Engineering Solutions LLC

Website

https://additiveeng.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Additive Engineering Solutions operates the world's largest LFAM polymer 3D printing capacity from Akron, Ohio, producing tooling, molds, large-scale mockups, and end-use thermoplastic composite parts for aerospace, defense, and industrial customers with integrated CNC machining.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Large Format Additive Manufacturing

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Electronics & Industrial Component 3D Printing Services (enclosures, fixtures, functional parts) (IMAAADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Prototype Jigs, Fixtures & Assembly Aids (Additive) (IMAAAFAE), Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment (Production AM Parts) (IMAAAEAC), Process & Application Development (DfAM, Parameter Development) (IMAAAJAF)

Keywords

• Large format 3D printing
• Additive manufacturing services
• Thermoplastic composite tooling
• CNC machining services
• Aerospace tooling manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. LFAM Manufacturing Services: Large Format Additive Manufacturing services producing custom tooling, molds, formwork, mockups, prototypes, and end-use thermoplastic composite parts. Revenue generated from project-based manufacturing services with pricing based on material, size, complexity, and turnaround time requirements.
2. CNC Machining Services: CNC machining of 3D printed parts and traditional materials including metals, foams, and tooling boards for finishing, trimming, and precision machining
3. Materials Development & Testing Services: Material processing and testing services for customers and material companies, including in-house testing using Instron/Universal Tester, weathering machines, and IZOD/Impact testers. Daily rates available with engineer and LFAM printer.
4. Design & Engineering Services: In-house engineering and design team providing tooling design, design for additive manufacturing, and project support from initial concept through production

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Additive Engineering Solutions (AES) operates the world's largest capacity of Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM) polymer 3D printers, producing custom tooling, molds, formwork, large-scale mockups, prototypes, and end-use thermoplastic composite parts up to 20 feet in length. The company provides turnkey LFAM services complemented by in-house CNC machining post-processing, materials development and testing, and design/engineering services for aerospace, defense, space, marine, construction, energy, and transportation customers.

Product overview

Additive Engineering Solutions (AES) is a world leader in Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM) offering an integrated portfolio of products and services. The core offering centers on LFAM 3D printing services using thermoplastic composites, complemented by CNC machining post-processing. The product portfolio includes Tooling & Molds (with sub-products: Layup Molds for Composites, Process Tooling for Composites, Stretch Form Dies, Assembly Fixtures, and Precast Formwork), Large Scale Mockups & Prototyping, End Use Products, and Custom Dunnage Solutions. These are supported by services including Design & Engineering, Materials Development, and CNC Machining. AES operates the world's largest capacity of LFAM polymer 3D printers with five machines in-house, serving aerospace, defense, space, marine, construction, energy, and transportation markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tooling & Molds

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 50% faster manufacturing compared to conventional tooling methods
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CaracolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Partnership for aerospace and defense additive manufacturing where AES installs Caracol's Heron AM LFAM robotic platform. AES gains compatibility with ABB, KUKA, and FANUC robotic arms and access to U.S. defense projects through turnkey hardware/software solutions. Collaboration aims to optimize material use, cost, and production time while advancing large-format 3D printing in demanding aerospace applications. AES contributes AS9100 certification, NIST cybersecurity compliance, and A&D industry expertise.
• CEAD GroupcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Collaborative partnership with CEAD Group (Netherlands) established in late 2023, with AES acquiring the CEAD Flexbot Robotic 3D Printer. This partnership expands AES's robotic additive manufacturing capabilities and provides access to CEAD's advanced robotic manufacturing technology.
• Airtech Advanced Materials GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership where Airtech provides extensive additive manufacturing support while AES commits to exclusive use of Airtech products. Partnership aims to further materials development, market strategies, and design practices for large format additive manufacturing applications.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration with ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility for software improvements and technical support. AES evolved from research conducted at ORNL's facility when it could not fulfill commercial orders, and the company continues this partnership for continued technology development.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Caracol: Caracol is an Italian-American robotic LFAM platform provider (Heron AM) that is both an AES technology partner and a competing service bureau in Europe and the US. Overlap in aerospace/defense LFAM tooling makes it a direct peer.
• Thermwood: Thermwood manufactures the LSAM (Large Scale Additive Manufacturing) system and supplies a Thermwood Model 70 CNC router used by AES. Thermwood also provides large-format additive manufacturing services for aerospace and defense, competing head-to-head with AES.
• Cincinnati Inc. Cincinnati Inc. co-developed the BAAM (Big Area Additive Manufacturing) machine with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is the original equipment manufacturer of the four BAAM printers AES owns. It is the closest hardware-side peer to AES in large-format thermoplastic extrusion.
• Ingersoll Machine Tools: Ingersoll developed the MasterPrint large-format additive manufacturing platform and provides large-scale 3D printing services, including for aerospace tooling. It is one of the few direct competitors to AES in the LFAM service bureau space.

Broad incumbents

• Stratasys: Established industrial 3D printing OEM with broad polymer and large-format offerings. While not a direct LFAM-thermoset-composite specialist, it overlaps with AES in aerospace tooling and additive service bureau offerings.
• 3D Systems: Major industrial 3D printing platform company with aerospace-qualified production services. Overlaps with AES in defense and aerospace tooling/production applications through Figure 4 and other systems.
• Protolabs: On-demand digital manufacturing services provider with extensive 3D printing and CNC machining capabilities. Competes with AES for outsourced custom industrial parts and prototyping work.

Others

• Hexcel: Advanced composites supplier to the same aerospace primes (Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed) that AES serves. Hexcel is a downstream buyer of tooling and an adjacent participant in the same composite manufacturing value chain.

Emerging players

• Voxeljet: Industrial-scale 3D printing service bureau and equipment maker focused on sand and polymer binder jetting for large parts. Comparable business model and aerospace/defense customer base make it an adjacent peer.
• CEAD Group: Dutch robotic LFAM platform manufacturer (Flexbot) and service bureau, partnering with AES while also serving European aerospace and marine customers. Comparable technology focus and customer overlap make it a peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/additiveeng
• Facebookfacebook.com/additiveeng
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/additive-engineering-solutions

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Additive Engineering Solutions