RICHMOND, VA, USA, May 6, 2026 – TriMech has added Cold Metal Fusion (CMF) to its extensive lineup of Advanced Manufacturing Services to provide a faster, lower-cost alternative to clients who need strong and precise high-performance metal parts.
When essential mechanical properties demand the most advanced metals, traditional machining and casting methods – and even common metal 3D printing options – are expensive and slow. Cold Metal Fusion combines the design freedom of 3D printing with the trusted reliability of traditional metal manufacturing, opening the door to new possibilities, particularly for clients in sectors such as medical devices, energy, automotive, aerospace, and defense.
Dan Straka leads the Advanced Manufacturing Services (AMS) team at TriMech, known for being a technology and business partner to designers, engineers, and manufacturers. He explained that TriMech added CMF services to meet a critical and growing need.
“All across TriMech, any decision about adding a new solution or service is client driven. Our clients understand the potential of metal additive manufacturing, but few have the equipment or expertise in house. At the same time, metal fabrication costs are increasing, and turnaround time is slow, stalling innovation and impeding time-to-market. By providing CMF services, we solve these problems.”
Straka’s AMS team is making workhorse metal parts in days, not months. And cost per part is low – up to two-thirds less than the cost of metal 3D printing using DMLS (direct metal laser sintering).
Cold Metal Fusion explained
CMF is a sinter‑based metal part 3D printing process that integrates SLS polymer printing (selective laser sintering, a powder-based technology) with proven de-binding and sintering workflows. SLS printing generates a “green part” (shaped but not yet hardened). The part is then de-powdered, cleaned, and lightly finished.
In a solvent bath, the binder is dissolved, preparing the part for sintering. A high-temperature furnace fuses the metal particles, producing a dense metal part. Skilled machinists and artisans on the AMS team can perform further processes to perfect the final part.
CMF works with a wide range of powder metallurgy materials, including stainless steel and nickel-based alloys. TriMech launched its CMF service with one material offering – titanium (Ti-64). More materials will be added in the coming months.
Design freedom
Without needing to consider molds or tooling, engineers are free to create complex geometries. Internal channels, lattice structures, and integrated assemblies are all possible, allowing designers to fully optimize parts for weight, strength, or air or fluid flow.
The consistent, repeatable CMF process scales easily from single parts to large-scale production. High-performance metal parts can be sized between one inch and nine inches and typical runs accommodate between 10 and 1,000 pieces.
Straka said CMF is ideal for functional prototypes, short production runs, and bridge manufacturing. He provided a couple of project examples.
“We can make 30 eight-inch heat-resistant engine housings or we can make 300 two-inch, lightweight mounting brackets for a drone. In all cases, the result is impressive strength-to-weight ratio at a better price and greater scale than other fabrication methods.”
High throughput that maximizes productivity allows for short turnaround time. A DMLS metal 3D printer can print 10 small parts overnight, whereas the CMF process can generate 500 or more.
“Time just feels a bit tighter these days,” Straka said. “Engineers and manufacturers feel the burden of information overload, more review meetings, complex design requirements, and economic volatility. We respect that and do everything possible to help them move quickly.”
Endless applications
Straka said his team can’t wait to see the industrial applications clients come up with once they understand the CMF option.
“CMF is ideal for legacy parts, manifolds, components for pumps and compressors, engine parts, gears, parts for high-end racing bikes – the possibilities are endless. We’re looking forward to uncovering more client projects that fit CMF. When people hold a monolithic titanium part in their hands and understand that this is different than what they’ve seen before, they are just as excited as we are.”
Keeping manufacturing at home
As part of the TriMech Group ecosystem of solutions and services, and with the wealth of experience on the AMS team, it’s easy to have a full-spectrum view of the marketplace. Straka said that devoting resources to providing CMF services, including adding 4,000 square feet of shop space and dedicated 5-axis machining, is a strategic decision built on thoughtful consideration of how to “lift all boats.”
“If we think about the big picture, CMF is the perfect pathway to producing parts here in North America. Clients are looking for ways to cost-effectively reshore production activities; metal manufacturing without tooling provides a significant competitive advantage.”
To explore how additive manufacturing compares to traditional production methods, watch Injection Molding vs. 3D Printing, an on‑demand webinar led by Manufacturing Manager, Tyler Shamas.
About TriMech Group
TriMech Group is a collection of established brands operating in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and Europe’s Nordic regions. Its global team includes hundreds of engineers who excel in areas including design, collaboration, simulation, analysis, process and workflow optimization, product data management, lifecycle management, manufacturing, and production floor solutions.
As a leading technology and business solutions partner for designers, engineers, and manufacturers, TriMech Group works with top software and hardware partners, including Dassault Systèmes, SOLIDWORKS, Stratasys, Artec, and Zeiss, and its experts provide design and engineering software, advanced manufacturing solutions, and associated training, consulting, implementation, and staffing services for clients across a variety of industries.
TriMech Group has more than 50 locations serving more than 30,000 clients with over 750 employees. It is part of the portfolio of Sentinel Capital Partners, a U.S. private equity firm. For more information, visit trimechgroup.com.
