MECAFI

What MECAFI does

MECAFI (Groupe MECAFI) is a French precision mechanical machining company founded in 1993 and headquartered in Châtellerault, France. The company manufactures high-tolerance mechanical parts and sub-assemblies for flight-critical aeronautical and defense applications, processing advanced materials including stainless steel, titanium, Inconel, and lithium. In December 2018, MECAFI was integrated into Nexteam Group as part of that group's consolidation strategy, becoming a dedicated machining operation within the parent company's vertically integrated aerospace manufacturing platform that spans foundry, machining, sheet-metal fabrication, special processes (surface treatment), assembly, and engineering services. Today, MECAFI operates as part of Nexteam Group's French aerospace machining network under the operational oversight of Deputy Director General Nicolas Boyer, alongside sister sites including Launaguet, Escout (MP SUD), Olemps (Sofop), Mérignac, Narcastet, Labège, and Ussel.

MECAFI's product offering centers on precision-machined components and assemblies built to OEM specification, supplemented by contributions to Nexteam's proprietary NEXTSHAFT composite power transmission technology. The composite transmission shaft achieves 25-30% weight reduction versus aluminum equivalents while maintaining structural integrity and vibration performance for helicopter and tilt-rotor applications developed under the H2020 Clean Sky 2 STEADIEST project and the CORAC/DGAC-backed RECOMPOSE project. The company also participates in Nexteam's digital twin and AI-assisted ultrasonic testing capability for quality control on composite components, and supports EN9100-certified surface treatment operations across the group.

MECAFI generates revenue primarily through Tier 1 hardware supply contracts with major European aerospace primes (Airbus, Safran, Dassault Aviation, Thales, Rolls-Royce, Liebherr, ArianeGroup, Hutchinson, Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Roxel, Héroux-Devtek, Leonardo Helicopters), all accessed via direct B2B enterprise sales with no intermediary distribution. Pricing is quotation-based on each customer's part specification and program requirements. Revenue streams include long-cycle series production, MRO and aftermarket services, AOG (Aircraft on Ground) emergency response, integrated engineering and co-engineering services, and material processing for external clients. The relationship-driven go-to-market, anchored in proximity to the French aerospace industrial basin, reflects the high-touch commercial model typical of qualified Tier 1 suppliers.

Name

MECAFI

Legal name

Groupe MECAFI

Website

https://nexteam-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

MECAFI is a French precision machining company integrated into Nexteam Group in 2018, operating from Châtellerault to manufacture high-tolerance aerospace and defense components for European primes including Airbus, Safran, and Dassault Aviation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Component Manufacturing

NAICS

Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)

SIC

Aircraft & Parts (3720), Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts (3724), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro primary industry

Structural Assemblies & Integration (Airframe Subassemblies) (IMABAEAD)

Keywords

• Precision machining
• Aerospace components
• Defense manufacturing
• Mechanical assemblies
• MRO services

Headquarters

HQ city

Châtellerault

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Aerospace Component Manufacturing: Design, manufacturing and support of mechanical assemblies, precision machined parts, foundry castings, and sheet-metal components for aeronautical and defense applications. Revenue from long-term OEM programs and aftermarket MRO services.
2. Engineering Services: Integrated engineering bureaus providing co-engineering, product development, and industrialization services from concept to production.
3. MRO and Aftermarket: Maintenance, repair and overhaul services for structure components on behalf of airlines and aircraft manufacturers. AOG/Speedshop emergency services for urgent production needs.
4. Material Processing: Transformation and storage of aerospace-specific raw materials (stainless steel, titanium, Inconel, lithium) for internal production and external clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MECAFI provides precision mechanical machining for the aerospace and defense industry, producing high-tolerance flight-critical components, mechanical assemblies, and prototype-to-series parts. Operations are based in Châtellerault, France, and are integrated into Nexteam Group, contributing machining capacity alongside the group's foundry, sheet-metal, surface treatment, and MRO capabilities for aeronautical OEMs.

Product overview

No specific product and services information available for MECAFI in the provided source data. The sources primarily contain information about Nexteam Group's aerospace manufacturing operations (machining, foundry, sheet-metal, engineering, assembly, and special processes). A reference to MECAFI (Groupe Mecafi) appears in the context of Nexteam Group's acquisition/integration of the company, but no detailed product portfolio for MECAFI standalone offerings is documented in the available sources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Precision Machining High-tolerance CNC machining of aerospace-grade materials (stainless steel, titanium, Inconel, aluminum) into flight-critical mechanical parts and assemblies, supplied as Tier 1/Tier 2 components to aeronautical OEMs and defense contractors.
• Foundry / Castings Foundry and casting operations (Arudy and Toulouse foundries) producing aerospace cast components for OEMs; available to MECAFI customers as part of the integrated Nexteam Group offering.
• Sheet-Metal & Welding Mécano-soudure / sheet-metal fabrication of structural aerospace components, including ducts, casings, and secondary structures, supporting prototype and series production programs.
• Special Processes / Surface Treatment EN9100-certified aerospace surface treatment and special processes integrated with manufacturing, providing high reactivity for client surface-finish requirements on flight-critical parts.
• AOG / Speedshop Emergency Aircraft-on-Ground (AOG) production services providing rapid-turnaround manufacture and delivery of urgent structural components and replacement parts to airlines and aircraft manufacturers.
• MRO and Aftermarket Services Maintenance, repair and overhaul of structural components on behalf of airlines and aircraft manufacturers, including component re-certification and serialized aftermarket support.
• Engineering and Co-Engineering Services Integrated engineering bureaus providing co-engineering, product development and industrialization support from concept through series production for aerospace OEM customers.
• Composite Power Transmission Shafts (NEXTSHAFT) Proprietary composite transmission shaft technology delivering ~25-30% weight reduction versus aluminum alternatives, developed under the H2020 Clean Sky2 STEADIEST project and CORAC/DGAC-backed RECOMPOSE project, targeting helicopter and tilt-rotor power transmission applications.
• Material Processing and Storage Transformation, processing and storage of aerospace-specific raw materials (stainless steel, titanium, Inconel, lithium) for internal production and external aerospace customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% weight reduction in composite power transmission drive lines
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CT Ingénierie (Conseil & Technique)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021Engineering partner in RECOMPOSE and STEADIEST projects. CT Ingénierie develops production processes and Structural Health Monitoring systems for composite power transmission components. Lead engineering group in technological innovation throughout product lifecycle.
• AMVALORcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021Research partnership promoting activities of Arts et Métiers. Carries out vibration studies and experiments on dynamic assemblies, as well as impact studies on the digital twin for RECOMPOSE project.
• Arts et Métiers (National School of Arts and Crafts)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021Academic partner providing vibratory studies and research expertise. Partner in both STEADIEST and RECOMPOSE projects. Science & technology Grande Ecole with 250+ years tradition in technical innovation and industrial engagement.
• LISPEN (Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Systèmes Physiques et Numériques)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021Physical and numerical systems laboratory bringing together teacher-researchers for multiphysics and virtual dynamic systems research. Involved in vibration studies and digital twin development.
• CORAC (Conseil pour la Recherche Aéronautique Civile)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021French civil aviation research council that encouraged and selected the RECOMPOSE project in line with its helicopter roadmap. Funding and strategic support partner.
• DGAC (Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021French civil aviation authority that selected and co-funded the RECOMPOSE project. Project funded by DGAC and European Union NextGeneration EU.
• Clean Sky 2 (European Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021EU research and innovation program under H2020 that funded STEADIEST project (Grant Agreement n°831948). Initiative to advance aeronautical technology in Europe.
• Ventana GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Merged with Nexteam Group in February 2022 to create leading industrial player serving aerospace, space and defence sectors. Ventana brings additional foundry, mechanics and sheet-metal capabilities and 11 production sites.
• Leonardo HelicopterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2019Industrial partner that raised the original issue leading to STEADIEST project development. Provided case study and support for tilt-rotor helicopter power transmission development.
• GIMAS (Groupement des Industries Marocaines Aéronautiques et Spatiales)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2018Nexteam Group member of Moroccan aerospace and space industries association, supporting regional presence and business development in North Africa.
• Aerospace ValleyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2018Global competitiveness cluster dedicated to aerospace, space and drone sectors. Nexteam Group member supporting regional aerospace ecosystem development.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Latecoere: French Tier 1 supplier of aerostructures, mechanical sub-assemblies and wiring to Airbus. Overlaps with MECAFI on structural assemblies, co-engineering, and proximity-based sales into Toulouse airframe programs.
• LISI Aerospace: Part of LISI Group, a French-listed Tier 1 supplier of aerospace fasteners, structural components and machined parts to the same OEM base. Comparable scope, certifications, and French manufacturing footprint.
• Mecachrome: Specialty precision machining group producing complex components for aerospace, defense and energy applications, with French and North American operations. Closely comparable in technology stack (5-axis machining, special alloys) and customer overlap.
• Aubert & Duval: French specialty alloys and forged/component manufacturer for aerospace and defense. Comparable as a French upstream supplier of high-performance aerospace materials and parts to the same OEM base.
• Sonaca: Belgian Tier 1 supplier of aerostructures (wings, fuselage panels, assembly) for civil and military programs. Same structural-assembly value proposition and similar customer profile, though based in Belgium rather than France.
• Figeac Aéro: French aerospace Tier 1/Tier 2 subcontractor specializing in precision machining, sheet-metal and surface treatments for Airbus, Safran and Dassault. Directly comparable to MECAFI on customer set, geography, and machining-led value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Spirit AeroSystems: Large aerostructures Tier 1 supplying fuselage, wing and propulsion structures to Airbus and Boeing. Provides a public-market benchmark for structural-assembly scale at the upper end of MECAFI's addressable scope.
• Howmet Aerospace: US-listed aerospace components supplier focused on engine structures, fastening systems and forged components. Comparable on engine-part machining (relevant to Safran/Rolls-Royce/Pratt work) but at a much larger scale and product breadth.
• GKN Aerospace: A Melrose Industries business supplying aerostructures, engine components and transparencies globally. Overlaps with MECAFI on engine and structural composite work at much larger scale across more platforms.
• Safran: French propulsion and equipment prime that is both a major customer and adjacent player in machined aerospace components. Serves as a benchmark for the French aerospace supply chain in which MECAFI operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mecafi_nexteam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 MECAFI