Metal Improvement

What Metal Improvement does

Metal Improvement operates as Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies (CWST), the metal surface treatment division of publicly traded Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW). Founded in 1950 as Metal Improvement Company and consolidated under the 'One Curtiss-Wright' initiative in 2019, the business provides controlled metal surface treatments to aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, medical, chemical, space, and general engineering customers. Its core technology portfolio spans cold-work processes — shot peening, laser peening, cavitation peening, and peen forming — alongside C.A.S.E. Isotropic Superfinishing, additive manufacturing post-processing, and an engineered coatings range that includes Parylene, conformal, dry film lubricants, EMI/RFI shielding, thermal spray, laser and PTA cladding, and plasma electrolytic oxidation (Keronite) coatings. Materials testing and analytical services are delivered through the IMR Test Labs subsidiary.

The business runs a global, enterprise-direct go-to-market model: 60+ facilities across 16 countries, augmented by on-site field teams and a Mobile Laser Peening Facility for large stationary parts. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with bespoke B2B industrial services. Distribution is multilingual (13 languages) and supported by trade show participation, technical literature, and case-study content targeting qualified aerospace and defense buyers.

The portfolio is built on a roll-up of specialist brands retained post-acquisition, including Metal Improvement Company, E/M Coating Services, Everlube, FW Gartner Thermal Spraying, Para Tech Coating, IMR Test Labs, Bolt's Metallizing, Ytstruktur Arboga AB, and Keronite Group Limited. Revenue is not separately disclosed because the unit is a non-standalone division of Curtiss-Wright Corporation, headquartered in Newbury, UK, with the parent incorporated in Delaware, USA. Recent strategic signals — America Makes partnership for additive manufacturing, PFAS compliance at Everlube, and the Mobile Laser Peening Facility — indicate incremental capability and regulatory positioning rather than transformative expansion.

Name

Metal Improvement

Legal name

Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies (a division of Curtiss-Wright Corporation)

Website

https://cwst.co.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Metal Improvement operates as Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies, providing shot peening, laser peening, cavitation peening, superfinishing, and engineered coatings for aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, medical, and industrial customers across 60+ facilities in 16 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Surface Treatment Services

NAICS

Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (33281)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Protective Coatings (Steel/Concrete/Equipment) (IMAIAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electroplating & Metal Finishing (Anodizing/Galvanizing/Passivation) (IMAIAKAE), Industrial & Commercial Painting/Coatings/Surface Treatment (IMAIAAAK)

Keywords

• Metal surface treatment
• Shot peening services
• Laser peening services
• Engineered coatings services
• Materials testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Surface Treatment Services: Provides metal surface treatments including shot peening, laser peening, cavitation peening, and peen forming services to aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, and general engineering industries

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Metal Improvement, operating as Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies (CWST), provides specialized metal surface treatment services including controlled shot peening, laser peening, cavitation peening, peen forming, and C.A.S.E. isotropic superfinishing, along with engineered coatings (parylene, conformal, dry film lubricants, thermal spray, PEO) and materials testing. Services are delivered through a global network of 60+ facilities in 16 countries to improve fatigue life, stress resistance, and component durability for aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, medical, and general engineering customers.

Product overview

Metal Improvement, operating as Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies (CWST), offers a comprehensive portfolio of metal surface treatment and improvement services. The core offerings include shot peening, laser peening, and cavitation peening for fatigue life enhancement and compressive stress induction. These primary peening services are complemented by peen forming capabilities for both shot and laser processes. The portfolio includes C.A.S.E. (Computer-Aided Surface Enhancement) isotropic superfinishing and additive manufacturing post-processing services. The Engineered Coatings division provides Parylene Coatings, Conformal Coatings (Acrylic & Urethane), Dry Film Lubricants, EMI/RFI Shielding, Thermal Spray Coatings (including Laser Cladding and PTA Cladding), and Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) Coatings through the Keronite brand. Materials Testing and Analytical Services are delivered through IMR Test Labs. The company has grown through acquisitions of established brands including Metal Improvement Company (the original brand), E/M Coating Services, Everlube, FW Gartner Thermal Spraying, Para Tech Coating, Bolt's Metallizing, and Keronite Group Limited, all integrated under the One Curtiss-Wright initiative. With over 70+ years of experience and 65+ facilities in 16 countries, the company serves aerospace, chemical, automotive, energy, medical, and general engineering industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shot Peening A cold working process in which small spherical media called shot bombard the surface of a part to induce compressive residual stresses and improve fatigue life; serves aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrial customers.
• Laser Peening Advanced surface treatment using laser-generated shock waves to induce deep compressive residual stresses; available at US and UK facilities with Mobile Laser Peening capability for on-site application to large stationary parts.
• Cavitation Peening Ultrasonic cavitation peening technology that uses controlled cavitation bubbles to induce compressive stresses for surface enhancement of metal components.
• Shot Peen Forming Shot peen forming service that uses controlled peening processes to shape and form metal components with precision.
• Laser Peen Forming Laser peen forming service that uses laser peening technology to shape metal components with precise control.
• C.A.S.E. Isotropic Superfinishing Computer-Aided Surface Enhancement isotropic superfinishing that achieves precise surface finishes and reduces friction on metal components.
• Additive Manufacturing Post Processing Surface treatment and finishing services for additively manufactured components to meet aerospace and industrial specifications.
• Parylene Coatings Thin-film parylene conformal coatings providing barrier protection for electronic components and precision parts.
• Conformal Coatings - Acrylic and Urethane Acrylic and urethane conformal coatings providing environmental and moisture protection for electronic assemblies.
• Dry Film Lubricants Solid film lubricant coatings providing long-lasting lubrication and wear resistance for metal components.
• EMI/RFI Shielding Coatings Electromagnetic and radio frequency interference shielding coatings for electronic enclosures and components.
• Thermal Spray Coatings Thermal spray coating services including HVOF, plasma, and wire arc processes for wear and corrosion resistance on industrial components.
• Laser Cladding Laser cladding process for applying wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant cladding to component surfaces.
• PTA Cladding and Hardfacing Plasma transfer arc cladding and hardfacing services for industrial component repair and surface enhancement.
• Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) Coatings PEO (Keronite) coatings for aluminum and magnesium alloys providing hard, ceramic oxide surface layers.
• Component Coating and Repair Services Comprehensive coating and repair services for industrial components including metal repair and overhaul.
• Materials Testing and Analytical Services Independent laboratory testing services through IMR Test Labs for raw material selection and validation during design phases.

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• America MakescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurtiss-Wright has joined America Makes to advance additive manufacturing innovation. This partnership focuses on advancing additive manufacturing technology development and applications in surface treatment processes.
• Metal Improvement CompanycoreOthersOne of the acquired companies trusted in controlled metal surface treatments, now part of Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies
• Component Coating and Repair ServicescoreOthersAcquired company providing component coating and repair services
• Bolt's MetallizingcoreOthersAcquired company specializing in metallizing services
• E/M Coating ServicescoreOthersSubsidiary providing electronic materials coating services
• EverlubecoreOthersSubsidiary providing Everlube coatings; achieved PFAS compliance in October 2024
• FW Gartner Thermal SprayingcoreOthersSubsidiary specializing in thermal spraying services
• Para Tech CoatingcoreOthersSubsidiary providing parylene coating services
• IMR Test LabscoreOthersSubsidiary providing independent materials testing and analytical laboratory services
• Ytstruktur Arboga ABcoreOthersAcquired company, part of the global surface treatment network
• Keronite Group LimitedcoreOthersSubsidiary specializing in plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) coating technology

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Praxair Surface Technologies (Linde): Operates within Linde's industrial gases business, supplying thermal spray coatings and related surface solutions to aerospace and industrial OEMs — overlapping capability in thermal spray, laser cladding and high-temperature coatings.
• Howmet Aerospace: Large aerospace supplier with significant in-house surface-treatment and coatings operations for engine and structural components; both competes with and supplies into CWST-adjacent workflows.
• Voestalpine AG (Metal Forming / surface treatment units): European integrated steel and metal-processing group offering surface-treated and coated steel products to automotive and industrial customers; broader in scope but overlaps CWST's engineered-coatings and protective-finish capabilities.
• Oerlikon Balzers: Division of Oerlikon providing PVD and PACVD thin-film coatings and surface treatments across automotive, aerospace and tooling — broader portfolio and different technology focus but serving overlapping engineered-coatings demand.

Direct peers

• Chromalloy: Aerospace component MRO and engineered coatings specialist serving gas turbine engine OEMs; competes head-to-head with CWST in protective coatings and repair services for flight-critical parts.
• APS Materials Inc: Specialist in thermal spray, plasma spray and engineered ceramic coatings serving aerospace, medical and industrial markets; a direct niche competitor to CWST's thermal spray and PEO coating lines.
• Wallwork Heat Treatment: UK-based heat treatment and surface treatment provider with multiple UK sites serving aerospace, defense and motorsport — directly overlaps CWST's Newbury-anchored UK peening and coatings offering.
• Bodycote plc: Global market leader in heat treatment and metal finishing services with a comparable network of accredited facilities serving aerospace, automotive, and industrial customers. Closest publicly-traded comparable to CWST's peening and engineered-coatings franchise.
• Nitrex Metal Inc: Provider of nitriding, nitrocarburizing and heat treatment services with global facility footprint, supplying aerospace, automotive and industrial customers with comparable controlled surface-treatment processes.
• Paulo Products Company: US heat treating and metal finishing specialist with thermal processing, brazing and shot peening capabilities to aerospace and industrial OEMs; highly comparable service mix and customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metal-improvement-company-uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries10 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 Metal Improvement