Metal services company United Performance Metals (UPM) has acquired Fabrisonic, a firm specializing in ultrasonic welding for 3D printing dissimilar materials and creating gradient parts up to six feet by six feet.Fabrisonic’s process enables embedding sensors inside parts and works with materials such as copper and bulk metal glasses.Because it is a solid-state process, it maintains excellent material properties.
Fabrisonic originated as a spin-off from the Edison Welding Institute (EWI).UPM, a subsidiary of O’Neal Industries, is a U.S.-based specialty metals firm.The company refurbishes LPBF build plates, sells wire feedstock, and supplies LPBF powder.
Additionally, UPM provides services such as deburring, heat treatment, and packaging.Its business model focuses on managing the entire metal value chain by taking over recurring, high-volume, non-core activities for metal manufacturers, executing them efficiently to generate cost savings for customers while ensuring profitability.For its part, O’Neal is a $3.6 billion revenue metals service center company based in Birmingham, Alabama.
With about 4,000 employees, O’Neal was listed by Forbes as the 171st largest private firm in the U.S.The company boasts 90 facilities across North America, Europe and Asia, focusing on supplying aluminum, alloy, hot-rolled, cold-finished, and stainless steel products to a range of customers, from job shops and OEMs to heavy industry and aerospace customers.Fabrisonic has pioneered the production of gradient parts and uniquely complex structures that are unmatched by other technologies.
While ultrasonic welding remains a niche within the broader additive manufacturing landscape, with limited commercial adoption and relatively low industry interest, it excels in specific applications.For cold plates, heat exchangers, advanced materials for space, and sensor-integrated housings, ultrasonic processes offer superior performance.Though niche, Fabrisonic’s technology holds significant potential for future value.
“I am proud of what our team has accomplished and am excited about the future, This acquisition opens up new opportunities for both Fabrisonic and our customers, and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together moving forward,” said Henry Cialone, Fabrisonic Chairman of the Board and CEO of Edison Welding Institute.“We are thrilled to welcome Fabrisonic to the United Performance Metals family.Their cutting-edge technology and expertise will significantly bolster our capabilities to create unique materials to support our innovative manufacturing customers,” contributed United Performance Metals CEO Peter Neuberger.
“This is a significant step forward for Fabrisonic.Joining the United Performance Metals family of companies will enable Fabrisonic to leverage greater resources and expanded capabilities.This will allow us to increase our market reach and continue to bring novel solutions to our customers.
Kudos to our incredible team of engineers, both past and present, for getting us to this point.We have a bright future ahead and are excited for this next step,” added Fabrisonic General Manager Jason Riley.Ultrasonic welding techniques eliminated the need for thermal interfaces and hardware in this aluminum heat exchanger Fabrisonic made for the Jet Proulsion Laboratory.
As a result, the heat exchanger weighs almost 30% less and performs 30% better than parts made through traditional methods.Image courtesy of Fabrisonic.By transitioning from peripheral manufacturing services to direct part production and machine sales using 3D printing, UPM is making a strategically astute move.
Expanding into LPBF part production or forming a reseller arrangement with a powder bed fusion firm could risk alienating partners or clients.However, Fabrisonic operates in a completely different space.Ultrasonic additive manufacturing offers a unique set of advantages.
As a solid-state process conducted at low temperatures, it avoids the extreme thermal conditions of other 3D printing technologies, resulting in distinct material properties and process benefits.The ability to integrate wiring and sensors directly into housings, as well as combine dissimilar materials like copper and aluminum within a single part, opens up novel engineering possibilities.Applications such as oscillating heat pipes—highly efficient, micro-channel-based heat exchangers often used in defense—could prove particularly valuable.
These components have the potential to enhance battery performance, RF systems, and avionics, where they may outperform existing alternatives.Defense applications, in general, present a broad range of opportunities for Fabrisonic’s technology.UPM’s acquisition positions the company to establish highly specialized, high-value business lines in the future, making this a smart and forward-thinking investment.
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