Lucas-Milhaupt

What Lucas-Milhaupt does

Lucas-Milhaupt is a global manufacturer of brazing and metal joining consumables, founded in 1942 and headquartered in Cudahy, Wisconsin. The company develops and produces silver-based, copper-based, aluminum, and nickel-based filler metals, fluxes, pastes, and custom-engineered preforms (rings, washers, edgewound components) for OEM customers across seven primary verticals: aerospace, automotive, HVAC/R, electrical/EV, medical, microelectronics, and oil and gas. Its technology base is anchored by the Sil-Fos silver-copper-phosphorus alloy patented in 1931, which enables flux-free copper-to-copper brazing, and the Handy One flux-cored product family, which combines flux and alloy into a single wire for improved consistency and reduced waste. Lucas-Milhaupt is privately held under Steel Partners (acquired 2018) and operates four manufacturing facilities in the United States, France, and China, supported by a global authorized distributor network and direct applications-engineering support.

The company's revenue model is built on one-time consumable product sales (filler metals, fluxes, pastes, preforms), supplemented by professional services revenue from its Braze School training program, brazing audits, and metal-joining consulting. GTM motion combines direct sales-led engagement (applications and process engineers co-developing custom alloys with OEM customers) with channel-partner distribution. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed for products; Braze School training is published at $2,300 per registrant ($2,100 for multi-attendee companies). The company's competitive position rests on a vertically integrated casting-to-fabrication manufacturing footprint, more than 500 custom alloys, and a deep certification stack (AS9100D aerospace, IATF 16949 automotive, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ITAR/DFAR), with the Ribérac facility holding a Rolls Royce Supplier Excellence Certificate. The 2024 opening of a 125,000 sq. ft. world headquarters and Center of Excellence reflects continued capital investment under Steel Partners ownership and supports the company's stated focus on prototyping, R&D, and complex custom-solution delivery.

Name

Lucas-Milhaupt

Legal name

Lucas Milhaupt LLC

Website

https://lucasmilhaupt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lucas-Milhaupt is a global manufacturer of brazing filler metals, fluxes, pastes, and custom preforms serving OEMs in aerospace, automotive, HVAC/R, electrical/EV, medical, microelectronics, and oil and gas from facilities in the US, France, and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brazing and Metal Joining Materials

NAICS

Cutting Tool and Machine Tool Accessory Manufacturing (333515), Machine Shops (33271)

SIC

Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540), Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aluminum Fabrication & Finishing (Machining, Anodizing, Coating) (IMAKACAI)

Keywords

• Brazing alloys manufacturing
• Metal joining solutions
• Filler metals production
• Brazing preforms fabrication
• Flux cored products

Headquarters

HQ city

Cudahy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brazing Products: Sale of brazing filler metals, fluxes, pastes, and metal joining components. Products include silver brazing alloys, copper-phosphorus alloys, aluminum filler metals, nickel-based alloys, and various flux products.
2. Custom Preforms: Custom-manufactured brazing preforms including rings, washers, and specialty shapes fabricated to customer specifications.
3. Consulting & Technical Services: Metal joining consultation services, brazing audits, and technical support for process optimization and troubleshooting.
4. Braze School Training: Hands-on brazing training courses held at headquarters. Three-day courses covering fundamentals, filler metal selection, joint design, and practical applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lucas-Milhaupt manufactures and sells brazing filler metals, fluxes, pastes, and custom preformed joining components made from silver-based, copper-phosphorus, aluminum, nickel, gold, palladium, and bronze alloys. The company develops custom brazing alloys and preforms engineered to specific customer applications and supplies them through a global distributor network combined with direct engineering-led sales to industrial OEMs in aerospace, automotive, HVAC/R, electrical, medical, microelectronics, and oil and gas.

Product overview

Lucas Milhaupt is a global manufacturer of brazing and metal joining solutions offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The core product family includes Sil-Fos® (silver-copper-phosphorus alloys patented in 1931 for flux-free copper brazing in HVAC/R), Handy One® flux-cored products (combining flux and alloy in one step), and Premabraze® high-purity vacuum tube grade alloys. Supporting products include Handy Flux® and Hi-Temp® flux products, Stop-Off materials (460, 470) for controlling alloy flow, various filler metals (silver-based, copper-phosphorus, aluminum, bronze) in wire, strip, preform, powder, and paste forms, and pre-packaged distribution products. Services include brazing audits, consulting services, technical support, and the Brazing Academy providing training and educational resources. The company operates a Center of Excellence (125,000 sq. ft. R&D facility) for innovation, prototyping, and testing operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sil-Fos: The original silver brazing alloy patented in 1931, combining silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and phosphorous (P) for flux-free brazing of copper to copper in HVAC/R and plumbing industries.
• Handy & Harman
• Center of Excellence

Products and services

• Sil-Fos Silver brazing alloy family combining silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and phosphorous (P) for flux-free copper-to-copper brazing in HVAC/R and plumbing applications. Originally patented in 1931 and trusted in the industry for nearly 90 years.
• Handy One Flux-cored brazing products that combine flux inside a braze alloy wire, consolidating two steps (flux application and alloy application) into one. Available in multiple filler metal options including Braze 560, Braze 505, and Braze 380 for torch and induction brazing.
• Premabraze
• Nocolok flux
• Handy Flux
• Stop-Off (460, 470)
• Hi-Temp Alloys (548, 675)
• CDA 680/681 Bronze Brazing Alloys
• Brazing Audits
• Consulting Services
• Brazing Academy / Braze School
• Sil-Fos 15 Rings Pre-formed Sil-Fos rings designed for brazing copper tubular components in HVAC/R installation applications. Uses calculated alloy volume for standard size copper tube from 1/4 inch to 1-1/8 inch, providing consistent and repeatable joint quality while controlling alloy usage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Flux reduction of 51% with flux-cored Handy One products compared to manual flux application
• +4 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Harris Products Group: Brazing, soldering, and welding consumables brand owned by Lincoln Electric. Direct competitor to Lucas-Milhaupt across silver brazing alloys, fluxes, and HVAC/R distribution products with overlapping customer base in plumbing, HVAC, and industrial fabrication.
• Wall Colmonoy: Specialty alloys producer including nickel-based and silver brazing filler metals, with strong presence in aerospace, mining, and wear-resistant applications. Direct competitor in high-temperature and Hi-Temp brazing alloy segments.
• Prince & Izant Company: Manufacturer of precious metal brazing alloys, custom preforms, and joining materials. Direct competitor in silver and gold brazing alloys with comparable custom preform capabilities for aerospace and industrial OEMs.
• Indium Corporation: Specialty producer of solders, brazing alloys, and thermal management materials for electronics, semiconductor, and industrial markets. Direct competitor in microelectronics and high-purity brazing alloy categories overlapping with Premabraze.
• Aimtek Inc: Specialty manufacturer of brazing alloys, powders, and metal joining consumables serving aerospace, automotive, and industrial markets. Closely comparable product portfolio and customer overlap with Lucas-Milhaupt's filler metals business.

Broad incumbents

• Tanaka Precious Metals: Japanese precious metals refiner and manufacturer of precious metal brazing alloys, including silver and gold filler metals for electronics and industrial joining. Comparable in silver/gold brazing products but broader precious metals portfolio and primarily Asia/Japan-focused.
• Wieland Group: Global copper and copper alloy products manufacturer, including copper-based brazing alloys and strips for HVAC/R and industrial applications. Direct competitor in copper-phosphorus brazing alloys but operates as a much broader copper products incumbent.
• ESAB Corporation: Global leader in welding and cutting consumables and equipment. Larger, broader incumbent with overlapping filler metal and brazing product lines, but competes as part of a much wider welding portfolio rather than specializing in brazing.
• Böhler Welding (voestalpine): Major welding consumables manufacturer under voestalpine producing stick electrodes, solid wires, and flux-cored products. Overlaps with Lucas-Milhaupt in industrial metal joining consumables but operates as a broader welding-focused incumbent.
• Materion Corporation: Specialty metals and alloys producer with precious metal and beryllium-based materials, including brazing alloys for aerospace and electronics. Broader specialty materials incumbent with significant overlap in high-purity and precious metal brazing products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lucasmilhaupt
• Facebookfacebook.com/lucasmilhaupt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lucas-milhaupt

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Lucas-Milhaupt