6 June 2025
Wall Colmonoy Limited (UK) is proud to announce a £2 million investment in advanced Vacuum Precision Investment Casting (VPIC) capabilities, reinforcing its commitment to innovation in casting technologies and support for the UK’s defence and aerospace sectors.
Launched under the project name EVaCC, this initiative will establish state-of-the-art VPIC capabilities at Wall Colmonoy’s Pontardawe facility. The project significantly enhances the company’s ability to produce next-generation aerospace components, while strengthening the UK’s sovereign manufacturing base and ensuring a secure, resilient supply chain, for potential customers such as the Ministry of Defence.
"This investment represents a major milestone for Wall Colmonoy Limited,” states Dr. Chris Weirman, Technical Director. “It will enable us to meet needs of critical industry sectors and contribute to the advancement of the UK’s defence and aerospace capabilities.”
“Wall Colmonoy are committed to the future of UK manufacturing and developing supply chain resilience to protect sovereign capabilities for a wide range of industrial applications on the global stage. Building upon our core competencies of producing specialist alloys, we have a unique value proposition to offer our customers,” explains Michael Shreeve, Business Unit Manager – Precision Components.
As part of the project, Wall Colmonoy Limited will collaborate with Rolls-Royce Bristol to retrofit and integrate this advanced technology, leveraging over 100 years of metallurgical knowledge as a partnership.
This joint initiative between Wall Colmonoy and Rolls-Royce will address key engineering challenges and push the boundaries of casting innovation, setting the stage for a long-term collaboration in the development of future-ready, engine-grade components.
Preparations for commissioning are already underway, with full operation expected in the coming months. Once live, Wall Colmonoy’s VPIC facility will manufacture complex components using nickel-based superalloys, critical to most aerospace engine programmes. A key secondary innovation will be the introduction of microstructural refinement technology, targeted to improve mechanical performance, allowing for more design flexibility with the goal of achieving thinner aerofoil sections and potential weight saving.
Project EVaCC has also been awarded funding from the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP)— sponsored by the Ministry of Defence’s Directorate of Industrial Strategy and Exports (DISE) and delivered through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and Innovate UK. DTEP supports UK industry in developing cutting-edge defence technologies.
Vacuum Precision Investment Caster being installed at Wall Colmonoy’s Pontardawe, Wales site.