ALFA PRECISION CASTING SA

Their core work

Alfa Precision Casting SA is a Spanish industrial manufacturer based in Eibar, Basque Country — a region with deep roots in precision metalworking. Their core business is investment casting: producing complex, tight-tolerance metal components by pouring molten metal into ceramic molds built from wax patterns, a process suited for parts where geometry and material integrity are non-negotiable. Their H2020 participation reveals two distinct technical directions: first, testing collaborative robot integration on their production floor, and second, advancing the investment casting of nickel superalloys for turbine components with specific weldability requirements. The latter, funded through Clean Sky 2, positions them squarely in aerospace-grade component supply chains.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (2014–2017), APC explored manufacturing automation — specifically how collaborative robots could work alongside human operators on the shop floor, suggesting a focus on modernizing production efficiency. By their second project (2017–2020), they pivoted back to their material and process core, tackling a hard metallurgical problem: casting nickel superalloys that can also be welded reliably, a requirement driven by aerospace turbine design. The shift from automation experimentation toward aerospace-grade material processing signals a strategic move up the value chain into high-specification, low-volume, high-margin components.

APC is moving toward high-performance aerospace component manufacturing, and future collaboration opportunities are most likely in turbine part supply chains, superalloy process R&D, or precision casting for demanding transport and energy applications.

How they like to work

APC has participated exclusively as a partner — never as coordinator — across both projects, which is consistent with an industrial company that contributes manufacturing capability and real-world validation rather than scientific leadership. Their two projects drew in 21 distinct partners across 6 countries, suggesting they participate in sizeable, multi-partner consortia where they serve as the industrial end-user or production specialist. This makes them a practical, grounded partner for R&D consortia that need a casting manufacturer willing to test and validate new processes on actual production equipment.

APC has built connections with 21 unique partners across 6 countries in just two projects, reflecting the large consortia typical of Clean Sky 2 and IA-scheme projects. Their network likely includes aerospace primes, research institutes, and other Tier 2 manufacturers.

What sets them apart

APC occupies a specific industrial niche — investment casting of high-performance metals — within the Basque Country's dense precision manufacturing ecosystem, giving them proximity to automotive and machine-tool supply chains alongside their aerospace work. What sets them apart is the combination of a traditional precision casting foundation with demonstrated willingness to engage in frontier R&D: working on nickel superalloy weldability under Clean Sky 2 is not something a generic foundry does. For consortium builders, they bring something scarce: an industrial partner that can both run the process and contribute to its scientific improvement.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HiperTURB
  Directly targets APC's core business — advancing investment casting of nickel superalloys with enhanced weldability for turbine components — and was funded under the prestigious Clean Sky 2 program, indicating aerospace-level technical requirements.
• FourByThree
  Largest single grant received (EUR 174,818) and shows APC's early interest in factory automation, providing useful context for understanding how they approach production modernization alongside their materials work.