Cuming Microwave

What Cuming Microwave does

Cuming Microwave, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Avon, Massachusetts, is the manufacturer and supplier of low-loss dielectrics, conductive materials, and standard and custom electromagnetic (EM) absorbers, operating as a product brand under PPG Aerospace, which is a division of PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE: PPG), the publicly traded Fortune 500 coatings and specialty materials conglomerate. The portfolio spans two proprietary brands: C-RAM (radar absorbing materials, including flexible foam absorbers RGDS, FLX, LF, and MT; broadband pyramidal absorbers SFC; high-power honeycomb pyramidal absorbers SFC-HC; broadband honeycomb absorbers HC; iron/epoxy casting resin KR; and sprayable absorbers) and C-STOCK (low-loss dielectric materials, including C-STOCK AK plastic stock with adjusted dielectric constant and C-STOCK RH low dielectric constant structural foam). Cuming Microwave serves a 48-SKU catalog across nine product categories, addressing RF absorption, microwave absorption, EMI mitigation, radar cross-section reduction, anechoic chamber construction, and electromagnetic testing use cases primarily for aerospace and defense customers, with secondary demand from EMC testing laboratories.

Cuming Microwave's business model is built on quote-based, project-specific sales of engineered specialty materials rather than standardized commodity pricing; pricing is not publicly disclosed and bespoke configurations (e.g., radar absorbing structures, custom anechoic chamber builds) drive project economics. Go-to-market runs through PPG Aerospace's global direct sales force, a dedicated aerospace product catalog on ppg.com, and the dedicated e-commerce storefront ppgaerospacestore.com, where buyers can purchase standard items or submit "Additional Product" inquiries for non-catalog specifications. Distribution is global, leveraging PPG's worldwide aerospace footprint to reach OEM, Tier 1, government/defense, and EMC laboratory customers. Customer segmentation is vertical-focused, with aerospace and defense as the primary segment (stealth, EMI shielding, structural RF absorption) and electromagnetic testing laboratories as a secondary segment. The company is classified in PPG's product taxonomy as an acquired brand within the Aerospace business unit, with no separate corporate entity, subsidiaries, or independent funding structure.

Commercially, Cuming Microwave's revenue and growth are not disclosed at the brand level, instead rolling up into PPG Industries' consolidated reporting. There is no public management team data beyond founder William R. Cuming (named as founder) and a purchasing manager (Michael Goossens), consistent with a lean 51-100 employee operations absorbed into a larger corporate parent. There are no disclosed partnerships, awards, patents, regulatory actions, or mergers and acquisitions specific to the brand in the supplied data; competitive positioning rests on domain specialization (a deep catalog of qualified RF/microwave absorber SKUs), brand reputation across decades of aerospace and EMC test deployment, and the distribution leverage provided by PPG Aerospace.

Name

Cuming Microwave

Legal name

PPG Industries, Inc.

Website

https://cumingmicrowave.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cuming Microwave, founded in 1986 and based in Avon, MA, is a product brand under PPG Aerospace that manufactures RF and microwave absorption materials - including radar absorbing structures, anechoic chamber products, and low-loss dielectrics - serving aerospace, defense, and EMC testing customers worldwide through a 48-SKU catalog.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RF and Microwave Absorber Materials

NAICS

Capacitor, Resistor, Coil, Transformer, and Other Inductor Manufacturing (334416)

SIC

Electronic Components, Nec (3679)

akta.pro primary industry

EMI/RFI Suppression Components (Ferrite Beads/Cores/Filters) (HDAHANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dielectrics & Insulation Materials (Low-k/High-k/Spin-on/Hardmasks) (HDAHAGAJ), Passive Components (Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Ferrites) (IMAGAJAA)

Keywords

• RF absorber materials
• Microwave absorption products
• Low loss dielectrics
• Radar absorbing materials
• Anechoic chamber materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Avon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Cuming Microwave manufactures and supplies low-loss dielectric materials, conductive materials, and standard and custom electromagnetic (EM) absorbers. The portfolio consists of two main product lines: C-RAM radar absorbing materials (flexible, pyramidal, honeycomb, elastomeric, castable, and sprayable absorbers) and C-STOCK dielectric and structural materials (plastic stock with adjusted dielectric constants and low-loss structural foam). These products are designed for RF/microwave absorption, radar cross-section reduction, EMI mitigation, and anechoic chamber construction.

Product overview

Cuming Microwave is a product portfolio under PPG Aerospace consisting of specialized RF and microwave absorption materials. The portfolio includes two main product lines: C-RAM (radar absorbing materials) and C-STOCK (dielectric and structural materials). C-RAM products encompass flexible foam absorbers (RGDS, FLX, LF, MT), pyramidal RF absorbers (SFC), honeycomb absorbers (SFC-HC, HC), casting resins (KR), and sprayable absorbers. C-STOCK products include plastic stock with adjusted dielectric constants (AK) and low-loss structural foams (RH). These materials serve anechoic chamber construction, radar cross-section reduction, and electromagnetic interference mitigation across aerospace, defense, and telecommunications applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• C-RAM: Brand name for microwave and RF absorber products including flexible absorbers (C-RAM RGDS, C-RAM FLX, C-RAM LF), carbon-filled foams (C-RAM MT), pyramidal absorbers (C-RAM SFC, C-RAM SFC-HC), and honeycomb absorbers (C-RAM HC).
• C-STOCK

Products and services

• C-RAM RGDS Flexible Microwave Absorber Flexible microwave absorber product designed for RF absorption applications in aerospace and defense environments.
• C-RAM FLX Thin, Flexible, Microwave Absorber Thin, flexible microwave absorber designed for applications requiring lightweight RF absorption.
• C-RAM LF Flexible Foam Sheet Broadband Microwave Absorber Flexible foam sheet broadband microwave absorber for wide-frequency RF absorption.
• C-RAM MT Lossy, Carbon Filled, Flexible Foam Sheet Stock Lossy, carbon-filled flexible foam sheet stock used for microwave absorption.
• C-RAM SFC High Performance Broadband Pyramidal RF Absorber High-performance broadband pyramidal RF absorber designed for anechoic chamber applications.
• C-RAM SFC-HC High Power Honeycomb Pyramidal Absorber High-power honeycomb pyramidal absorber for applications requiring superior power handling.
• C-RAM HC Broadband Honeycomb Microwave Absorber Broadband honeycomb microwave absorber combining structural properties with RF absorption.
• C-RAM KR Iron/Epoxy Casting Resin Iron/epoxy casting resin used in radar absorbing structure applications.
• C-STOCK AK Plastic Stock With Adjusted Dielectric Constant Plastic stock with adjusted dielectric constant for RF and microwave applications.
• C-STOCK RH Low Dielectric Constant, Low Loss Structural Foam Low dielectric constant, low loss structural foam for aerospace and microwave applications.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• ETS-Lindgren: A leading manufacturer of anechoic chamber materials, RF absorbers, and EMC test equipment. Directly competes with Cuming's C-RAM line in chamber and EMI shielding materials for defense, aerospace, and commercial test labs.
• TDK RF Solutions: Through its RF Solutions business, TDK manufactures RF/microwave absorbers, ferrite-based EMI suppression components, and dielectric materials. Directly competes with Cuming across absorber and dielectric product lines.
• ARC Technologies (Hexcel): Specialty manufacturer of radar absorbing materials and magnetic radar-absorbing structures serving aerospace and defense. Now part of Hexcel, ARC is a direct competitor in flexible and structural RAM products.
• Parker Hannifin (Chomerics): Through its Chomerics division, Parker manufactures EMI shielding materials, conductive elastomers, and absorbers for aerospace and defense. Directly competes with Cuming in EMI/RFI suppression solutions.
• Laird Performance Materials (DuPont): Designs and manufactures EMI shielding, absorbing materials, and thermal management solutions for electronics, aerospace, and defense. A direct competitor to Cuming's absorber portfolio in commercial and defense markets.

Broad incumbents

• Rohde & Schwarz: Major test and measurement incumbent that also supplies turnkey anechoic chambers and EMC test facilities. Overlaps with Cuming in chamber construction and EM testing environments, though primarily as a systems integrator.
• 3M: Diversified materials conglomerate with EMI shielding tapes, absorbers, and conductive materials. Serves overlapping aerospace and electronics customers but does not specialize in EM absorber structures like Cuming.
• Murata Manufacturing: Global leader in passive electronic components including EMI filters, ferrite beads, and noise suppression components. Operates adjacently to Cuming's EMI suppression function through component-level rather than material-level offerings.

Emerging players

• Henkel: Offers conductive coatings, EMI shielding adhesives, and absorber materials under its Loctite and electronics portfolios. Provides partial overlap with Cuming's sprayable and castable absorber lines for aerospace electronics.
• Panasonic Industry: Manufactures EMI suppression components, noise filters, and RF materials for automotive, telecom, and industrial markets. Comparable as a player in the broader EMI/RFI mitigation ecosystem where Cuming also competes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cumingmicrowav
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2976031

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 Cuming Microwave