Skuld LLC has sold a Lightning Metal machine to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Skuld´s Additive Manufacturing Evaporative Casting (AMEC) technique is potentially a super low-cost method for making metal parts at scale. Using scrap materials, bound filament, and inexpensive desktop machines, Skuld lets you cast with aluminum, brass, bronze, and copper on their Lightning Metal LM 16 machine.

Meanwhile, with additional equipment, you can also cast iron, steel, stainless, and nickel superalloys. By using lost foam casting, the company offers a strong alternative to traditional approaches. Their process could be significantly cheaper and faster than sand casting, and it may also reduce post-processing time and cost.

Compared to traditional casting, AMEC could shorten lead times from months to just days. Now, of course, this won’t work for every part. Components with fine detail or complex internal structures may be better suited for other processes. But imagine being a mining company or part of the military and needing to make metal 3D printed parts in an austere environment. This process is much cheaper to set up and operate than LPBF, and more effective at producing small technical parts than DED systems. Skuld has serious potential for producing high-volume parts.

In this case, this marks the first commercial sale of their Lightning Metal machine. The unit will be used for alloy research, workforce development, casting research, and training purposes.

Skuld CEO Sarah Jordan said,

Skuld CEO Sarah Jordan. Image courtesy of Skuld.

“This milestone represents more than a sale—it’s a signal that advanced casting is entering a new era. The University of Tennessee is a national leader in manufacturing innovation, and we’re proud to support their mission with a system that bridges research and real-world application.”

In addition, Adam J. Penna, Skuld´s Director of Sales and Marketing, added,

“This is exactly the kind of partnership we envisioned when we launched the Lightning Metal platform. It’s a platform that empowers innovation in evaporative casting utilizing 3D printing for improved features like edges and surfaces while also reducing the need for tooling cost—whether you’re solving supply chain challenges or training the next generation of engineers.”

The University of Tennessee is also a strong strategic partner for Skuld. In recent years, the university has gained significant capabilities, infrastructure, and experience in additive manufacturing. The university has close ties with the military, particularly with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory.

While the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has been a major funding body in additive manufacturing in recent years, DEVCOM has been quietly expanding its additive footprint. The low-cost, mobile, and distributed nature of Skuld’s platform appears to be especially well-suited to the Army’s needs.

The Army may often need to move a lot, operate in challenging environments, and may require rugged, easy-to-deploy equipment for manufacturing and repair. The parts it needs are also more voluminous and cheaper, and they must be available across a broader geographic footprint than the Air Force. In contrast, the Air Force might only need a technically excellent part with a lot of detail and accuracy available at one base in the country, an ideal match for LPBF.

But the Army might need one part in location X, ten in location Y, and stockpiles at 15 other different sites. Those needs can vary widely, as they may not require any parts in any of those locations for six months, then suddenly demand could spike in multiple locations within just a week. For them, deploying multiple Lightning Metal setups that can be moved as needed would be much more attractive. Given the university´s deep association with the Army specifically, this is an excellent choice and should help them grow within the defense community.