Caracol AM, the Italian developer of large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) options, has formally opened its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas. The brand new 6,000 sq. ft. web site will operate as a hub for assembling, testing, and delivering the corporate’s robotic AM platforms to the North American market. It additionally features a manufacturing and purposes middle to help buyer initiatives in aerospace, automotive, building, and design.
Austin: a strategic U.S. hub
Caracol’s determination to base its U.S. headquarters in Austin, Texas displays each the size of its American enterprise and town’s industrial positioning. The U.S. already generates round 40% of Caracol’s international income, making it the corporate’s largest market.
In response to buyers, the positioning choice adopted a structured evaluate course of wherein Caracol in contrast a number of U.S. areas earlier than in the end concluding that Austin provided the perfect match. “That they had ready a 20-page presentation about the place to go within the U.S., and Austin on the finish was the ultimate determination, the fitting place to be,” mentioned Matteo Cascinari, Basic Companion at Primo House.
The power could have a capability to assemble as much as 100 robotic LFAM programs per 12 months and an purposes middle supporting aerospace, automotive, building, and design initiatives. That determine displays potential output quite than present manufacturing, Caracol’s worldwide put in base solely just lately handed 100 programs, however underscores the corporate’s intent to scale quickly in North America.
Traders additionally highlighted Caracol’s function in aerospace and area purposes. Primo House, which specializes within the sector, described the corporate as an “enabler for the business.” That positioning dovetails with Austin’s proximity to Texas’s aerospace and protection provide chains, the place established primes and rising area corporations are increasing operations.
From design roots to industrial impression
Based in 2015 close to Milan, Caracol began within the design world earlier than shifting into industrial tooling and manufacturing. CEO and Co-Founder Francesco De Stefano, along with CMO Violetta Nespolo, outlined the corporate’s trajectory.
In aerospace and automotive, Caracol’s LFAM instruments have minimize lead occasions by as much as 80% in comparison with conventional strategies whereas decreasing waste. Many shopper relationships start with trial initiatives at Caracol’s services and evolve into full manufacturing.
“In 5 years, we’ve doubled the enterprise yearly,” mentioned De Stefano, noting Caracol now has greater than 100 programs put in in 30 international locations, with a group nearing 100 staff. He added that the corporate’s worth proposition extends past {hardware}. “The job isn’t performed after we set up a machine; it’s performed when our companions are scaling efficiently with the purposes they bought the system for.”
Caracol’s portfolio now spans polymer composites and steel wire-arc additive manufacturing. The twin-platform technique, coupled with a powerful service mannequin, underpins its method.
Buyer Functions: From building to aerospace and marine
Caracol’s LFAM know-how is more and more being utilized in industries the place scale, value, and lead time are decisive.
Aerospace has been some of the strategic progress areas. Caracol’s LFAM instruments have already minimize lead occasions for aerospace jigs and tooling by as much as 80% in comparison with conventional strategies. On the Austin facility, aerospace purposes have been highlighted with a drone nostril mildew and huge trim-and-drill jigs, underscoring the potential for certified composite tooling. Cross Business Dynamics additionally pointed to aerospace as a goal sector for future initiatives, constructing on its present portfolio in robotics and automotive.
In automotive, adoption is advancing by way of each OEM suppliers and finish customers. Eligio Re Fraschini, a third-generation composites producer and Ferrari provider, makes use of Caracol know-how to provide medium- and large-scale molds that meet demanding efficiency and time-to-market necessities. Automotive tooling examples on show included a rear tail gentle panel and a entrance grille part, showcasing how LFAM can deal with large-format composite parts.
Marine purposes are additionally rising as a powerful use case. At Austin, Caracol displayed a steel propeller prototype produced on the Vipra platform and a four-meter yacht air consumption grille developed with Ferretti Group, manufactured as a single piece with solely round 10% waste in comparison with standard assemblies. Caracol has additionally collaborated with V2 Group to provide a 3D printed catamaran hull, additional extending LFAM’s function in large-scale marine manufacturing.
In building, Carl Andersen of HITT Contracting described how robotics and LFAM are being examined for prefabrication and large-scale parts in knowledge facilities. Caracol additionally displayed advanced column formworks that reveal how LFAM can simplify and speed up architectural concrete tooling.
Design and shopper merchandise stay an necessary entry level for the know-how. Diego Balmaceda, Founding father of UKMA, adopted Caracol’s programs in 2024 to provide biomaterial-based furnishings such because the ONO chair, scaling by way of a community of microfactories. Spencer Loveless, CEO of Merit3D, outlined how the corporate is focusing on manufacturing runs of 10,000–1 million components for patrons like Walmart and House Depot, aiming to 3D print complete shopper merchandise equivalent to vacuum programs with out counting on injection molding. Nathan Ducote of Large Make added that LFAM is already enabling sooner, lower-cost builds for themed leisure environments, drawing on expertise at Common Studios and Disney’s Pandora – The World of Avatar.
Investor views and future plans
Stefano Peroncini, Founding and Managing Companion at Eureka! Enterprise, mentioned the fund invested in Caracol as a part of its deep-tech technique in materials science. “We handle greater than €100 million and have invested over €7 million in Caracol, one in every of our largest tickets,” he mentioned, pointing to the corporate’s IP portfolio with greater than 110 patents and a group “uniquely balanced between technical experience and enterprise acumen.”
Matteo Cascinari, Founder and Basic Companion at Primo House, emphasised the power of the founding group. “Enterprise capital is a folks enterprise,” he mentioned. “What satisfied us from the start was the group, Francesco, Violetta, Jacopo, and Giovanni. Only a few corporations really ship what they set out of their enterprise plans. Caracol is a kind of uncommon circumstances.”
Each buyers famous Caracol’s constant year-over-year progress and positioned the corporate as a bridge between superior supplies, robotics, and additive manufacturing. Whereas AM has seen hype cycles, they continue to be bullish on its long-term relevance. As Peroncini put it: “Society will at all times have to manufacture. The successful method is integrating conventional and superior strategies with robotics and AI, and Caracol is on the forefront of that shift.”
Inside the power: A glance into the Heron AM Platform.
The Austin web site showcased Caracol’s dual-platform method, with the Heron composite system and Vipra steel platform on show.
For almost a decade, Caracol has superior composite programs by way of Heron, a modular LFAM cell that adapts to shop-floor necessities. Extruder choices help totally different purposes: high-throughput items for big industrial components equivalent to aerospace tooling, mid-range programs that steadiness element and productiveness, high-resolution extruders for high-quality options in furnishings and design, and rail-mounted setups for construct volumes past 4 meters.
Six-axis industrial robotic kinematics allow advanced geometries, managed by way of a centralized management unit. Drying and feeding programs management pellet temperature and humidity, and three print mattress codecs can be found.
Robotic arms on the Austin facility included KUKA and FANUC. “Our primary associate is KUKA Robotics. They’ve been glorious collaborators, and their programs are our normal. We will adapt to different suppliers if purchasers require it, however KUKA arms are the best for us to combine,” mentioned Mattia Roma, Content material Specialist at Caracol.
Roma added: “Caracol delivers turnkey know-how, extruder, dryer, software program. If a shopper insists on a distinct robotic, we customise. Our cells also can change between additive and subtractive instruments: you’ll be able to 3D print with the extruder, then mill with a CNC head on the identical robotic. It’s hybrid integration in a single setup.”
Eidos, Caracol’s in-house software program, configures every machine. Plastic and steel workflows differ however share a typical base. The group can be growing AI instruments for predictive analytics, starting with polymers as metals proceed to mature.
Introducing Vipra AM
Caracol’s steel platform is newer, formally launched in 2024 after three to 4 years of R&D. “Steel AM is newer for us. We started experimenting three years in the past, together with initiatives with the European House Company. Our Vipra wire-arc platform at all times requires some post-processing attributable to weld-based layering, nevertheless it’s extra sustainable than conventional machining and permits natural geometries which can be tough or unattainable conventionally,” mentioned Roma.
The Vipra AM platform is available in two configurations. Vipra XP (Excessive Productiveness) employs WAAM with Chilly Steel Switch (CMT), depositing as much as 5 kg/h relying on geometry and cooling. Vipra XQ (Excessive High quality) makes use of Plasma Arc Deposition (PAD), producing finer decision and smoother surfaces at decrease deposition charges.
Federica Tiso, Steel R&D Senior Specialist, defined that monitoring programs embody a welding digital camera, thermal cameras, and profilometers to measure bead form. “Every bead builds on the final till the complete geometry is full,” she mentioned.
CMT helps chrome steel, delicate metal, nickel alloys (e.g. Inconel 625), aluminum, and copper alloys. Titanium is feasible by way of plasma-based deposition with strict fuel shielding to forestall oxidation.
Toolpaths and parameters are generated in Eidos, which incorporates simulation. Most components are produced to a near-net form for subsequent machining. Validation consists of sectioning pilot components to test fusion high quality and mechanical properties, with CT tomography utilized in choose circumstances.
Vipra AM cells characteristic enclosures for security and environmental management, with sensors monitoring layer geometry, thermal habits, and shielding-gas stream. Configurations supply as much as 9 axes by way of an industrial anthropomorphic arm and coordinated positioner.
On sustainability and supplies
Sustainability has been a precedence since inception. Caracol just lately earned ISO 14001 certification, changing into the primary LFAM firm in Europe to realize the usual. Its know-how reduces vitality consumption in comparison with conventional manufacturing and helps round materials use: thermoplastics will be recycled and re-pelletized, whereas scrap steel from wire-arc builds will be returned to manufacturing.
The corporate’s materials portfolio reinforces this method. Heron processes recycled and bio-based pellets alongside engineering thermoplastics equivalent to ABS, PETG, PP, and PA, with glass- or carbon-fiber reinforcement for demanding purposes. Vipra helps stainless steels, delicate steels, aluminum alloys, nickel-based alloys equivalent to Inconel 625, and copper alloys, giving prospects a variety of choices for each efficiency and lifecycle impression. Despite the fact that U.S. laws are much less strict than Europe’s, Caracol has dedicated to making use of the identical environmental requirements at its Austin facility.
Wish to assist form the way forward for AM? Be part of the Professional Committee for our 2025 3DPI Awards, launching later this summer season.
To remain updated with the most recent 3D printing information, don’t neglect to subscribe to the 3D Printing Business e-newsletter or comply with us on Twitter, or like our web page on Fb.
Whilst you’re right here, why not subscribe to our YouTube channel? That includes dialogue, debriefs, video shorts, and webinar replays.
Featured picture exhibits Caracol Austin facility. Picture by 3D Printing Business.
