What Tech Met does

Tech Met, Inc. is a Pennsylvania-based precision chemical milling services provider founded in 1988 and headquartered in Glassport, PA. The company selectively removes surface material from metal components using controlled chemical dissolution, with capabilities spanning material removal from .0001" to .120" on parts weighing up to 10,000 lbs and measuring up to 20 ft in length. Tech Met serves four primary verticals — aerospace, medical devices, military/defense, and industrial/commercial — with named customers including NASA, Boeing, General Electric, Rocketdyne, Bell Helicopter, Blue Origin, Wyman Gordon, and Bettis Atomic Labs. The company has operated as a 100% employee-owned business under an Employee Stock Ownership Plan since 2015.

Tech Met's core offering is built on a specialized wet-process infrastructure that includes 20 processing tanks divided into three alloy cells (ferrous, titanium, and specialty) across two facilities totaling over 120,000 sq ft. The company holds Nadcap AC7108 Chemical Processing supplier merit status (maintained since 2002), Nadcap AC7004 Aerospace Quality System accreditation, ISO 13485:2016 certification (medical devices), CMMC Level 2 compliance (DoD cybersecurity), and ITAR compliance. Its product portfolio extends beyond core chemical milling into additive manufacturing post-processing (including a dedicated aluminum AM cell launched in November 2020), patented surface texturing for medical implants, HIP can removal, passivation, and R&D engineering consulting.

The business operates on a project-based, quote-driven pricing model serving enterprise customers primarily in the eastern United States, with sales conducted directly via phone, email, and NDA processes. Marketing combines a corporate website, LinkedIn and Facebook presence, press releases, and active participation in industry trade shows including RAPID + TCT, AMUG, and MILAM. In 2023, Tech Met entered a strategic co-development partnership with Carnegie Mellon University under Pennsylvania's Manufacturing PA Innovation Program to advance electrochemical drilling capabilities, signaling continued R&D investment beyond legacy chemical milling processes.

Name

Tech Met

Legal name

Tech Met, Inc.

Website

https://techmetinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Tech Met is a 100% employee-owned precision chemical milling services provider founded in 1988, serving aerospace, medical, military, and industrial OEMs from two Pennsylvania facilities with Nadcap, ISO 13485, and CMMC Level 2 certifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Metal Processing Services

NAICS

Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Additive Manufacturing for Metals (Metal 3D Printers & Post-Processing) (IMAHADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Support Removal & Finishing Tools/Consumables (Cutters, Abrasives, Sandpaper, Deburring) (IMAAAIAK)

Keywords

• Chemical milling services
• Metal surface treatments
• Additive post-processing
• Aerospace metal processing
• Medical implant texturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Glassport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical Milling Services: Tech Met provides precision chemical milling services for fabricated components, including build-to-print and custom projects. Services are delivered on a project basis with pricing typically quoted per job. Revenue is generated through processing fees for chemical milling, surface enhancements, and related metal fabrication services. The company handles various material forms including raw forgings, fabricated sheet components, bar/tube stock, and flat sheet materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tech Met provides precision chemical milling services that selectively remove surface material from fabricated metal components via chemical dissolution. The company serves aerospace, medical, military, and commercial customers with build-to-print and custom chemical milling projects on high-temperature alloys, titanium, aluminum, and stainless steel. Supporting offerings include additive manufacturing post-processing for 3D printed metal parts, surface enhancements, passivation, HIP can removal, and patented medical implant surface texturing.

Product overview

Tech Met is a precision chemical milling service provider offering a unified portfolio of metal processing services. The core offering centers on Chemical Milling Services, which uses chemical dissolution to selectively remove material from metal components. Supporting this are Additive Manufacturing Post-Processing services for 3D printed metal parts, and Surface Enhancements including proprietary patented medical implant texturing. Additional services include HIP Can Removal, Passivation, and R&D Engineering Consulting. The company specializes in processing high-temperature alloys, titanium, aluminum, stainless steels, and other specialty metals for aerospace, medical, military, and industrial markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chemical Milling Services Precision chemical milling services using chemical dissolution to selectively remove material from metal components for weight reduction, dimensional sizing, and surface preparation. Capable of material removal from .0001 to .120 inches on parts up to 4 cu. ft., 10,000 lbs, and 20 ft lengths. Serves aerospace, medical, military, and industrial customers.
• Additive Manufacturing Post-Processing Chemical milling and surface treatment services for 3D printed metal parts, including removal of support structures, surface scale, powder entrapment, and surface roughness reduction. Specialized for aerospace and high-performance alloy applications.
• Surface Enhancements and Medical Implant Texturing Surface conditioning and texturing services including proprietary patented surface texturing for titanium and cobalt chrome medical implants providing exceptional osseointegration and bone fixation. Also includes EDM recast removal, alpha case removal, and oxidation layer purification.
• Passivation Services Surface treatment process returning stainless steel and other metals to original specifications by removing debris and oils, complying with QQ-P-35, ASTM 967, and ASTM A380 standards.
• HIP Can Removal Chemical removal of steel and stainless steel cans from Hot Isostatic Pressed (HIP) and extrusion consolidated components without affecting the underlying alloy.
• R&D Engineering Consulting Engineering support and consultation services for solving complex chemical milling challenges, prototyping, and short production runs with dedicated project management and Six Sigma project managers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Weight reduction of 75% or more in aerospace components while maintaining structural integrity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Carnegie Mellon UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University on electrochemical drilling of ultra-deep holes with magnetic tool-tip guidance and flexible tooling, part of Manufacturing PA Innovation Program. Tech Met serves as industry collaborator providing expertise in advanced metal processing.
• Miller PlasticsminorOthersTech Met relies on Miller Plastics to supply high temperature polypropylene tanks integral to production process. Endorsed in customer advocacy ad noting consistent quality and reliability.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fotofab: Fotofab specializes in chemical etching of thin-gauge metal parts for aerospace, medical, and defense customers, with comparable custom build-to-print services and aerospace certifications.
• Advanced Chemical Etching: Advanced Chemical Etching (ACE) offers photo chemical etching and precision metal etching services for aerospace, medical, and industrial customers, providing comparable materials processing and tight-tolerance work.
• PEKO Precision Products: PEKO Precision Products offers precision machining, fabrication, and assembly for aerospace, defense, and medical customers, overlapping with Tech Met's build-to-print custom components model.
• Tech-Etch: Tech-Etch provides photo chemical etching and precision metal components for medical, aerospace, and electronics, overlapping with Tech Met's medical implant surface texturing and chemical milling work.
• Multitek North America: Multitek North America provides chemical milling and photo-chemical etching services with similar precision tolerances and aerospace/industrial customer focus as Tech Met.
• Vacco Industries: Vacco Industries provides chemical etching/milling and precision metal components for aerospace, defense, and space applications. It is one of the most direct competitors to Tech Met in chemical milling of flight-critical parts.
• Hygia Inc. Hygia delivers chemical milling services to aerospace, defense, and industrial customers, closely matching Tech Met's core service offering, customer mix, and build-to-print project model.

Emerging players

• Proto Labs (Protolabs): Protolabs offers on-demand digital manufacturing services including CNC machining, sheet metal, and increasingly additive manufacturing post-processing. It represents an emerging, scaled alternative for customers needing fast-turn precision metal parts.
• Sintavia: Sintavia is an additive manufacturing service provider focused on aerospace, space, and defense 3D-printed metal parts. It is a relevant emerging peer for Tech Met's AM post-processing line of business.

Broad incumbents

• Howmet Aerospace: Howmet Aerospace is a large Tier-1 supplier of aerospace engine and structural components. While much broader than Tech Met, it overlaps on aerospace super-alloy and titanium component processing and represents both a customer and a potential competitive threat at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/techmetinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tech-met

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Tech Met