Wall Colmonoy Ltd (UK) Invests £2M in Advanced Casting Capabilities to Support Aerospace and Defense Sectors

Wall Colmonoy Limited (UK) has announced a £2 million investment in advanced Vacuum Precision Investment Casting (VPIC) capabilities at its Pontardawe facility, aiming to enhance its support for the UK’s aerospace and defence sectors.

The initiative, dubbed Project EVaCC, introduces state-of-the-art VPIC equipment designed to deliver next-generation aerospace components. The investment reinforces Wall Colmonoy’s commitment to advanced casting technologies and strengthens the UK’s sovereign manufacturing capabilities and supply chain resilience.

“This investment represents a major milestone for Wall Colmonoy Limited,” said Dr. Chris Weirman, Technical Director. “It enables us to meet the evolving needs of critical industry sectors and supports the advancement of UK aerospace and defence technologies.”

In collaboration with Rolls-Royce Bristol, Wall Colmonoy will retrofit and integrate the new technology using a combined century of metallurgical expertise. This partnership aims to overcome key engineering challenges and drive innovation in casting for engine-grade aerospace components.

“We are committed to the future of UK manufacturing and building a resilient supply chain,” added Michael Shreeve, Business Unit Manager – Precision Components. “Leveraging our core strength in producing specialist alloys, we bring a unique value proposition to our customers.”

Once operational, the facility will produce high-performance components using nickel-based superalloys, commonly used in aerospace engines. The project will also introduce microstructural refinement technology, enhancing mechanical properties and enabling more flexible, lightweight designs such as thinner aerofoil sections.

Project EVaCC has received funding from the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP), which is sponsored by the UK Ministry of Defence’s Directorate of Industrial Strategy and Exports (DISE). DTEP is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) to support the development of cutting-edge defence technologies by UK businesses.

With commissioning underway, full-scale operations are expected to begin in the coming months.