From Installation to Certification: Inside Our Houston Site

Houston was selected for its proximity to key industries. Located within a major energy and manufacturing corridor, the site enables closer collaboration with customers who require high-integrity components delivered within strict timelines.

WAAM offers a practical route to reducing lead times and simplifying supply chains. By producing near-net shape parts and combining additive with machining and inspection, large metal components can, in some cases, be delivered significantly faster than traditional casting or forging routes.

The development of the Houston facility has moved quickly in response to demand.

Originally planned for 2027, the timeline was brought forward by a full year. The site was secured in October 2025, with hiring beginning shortly after. By early 2026, the first WAAM systems were being installed and by April multiple configurations were in place including fixed table, single-axis and two-axis systems. Fabrication capability and CNC machining will follow as the site continues to scale.

This pace has reflected a growing demand for WAAM in production environments, where delivery timelines are critical.

The installation phase has focused on making systems production-ready. Each system has been positioned within a wider manufacturing workflow with repeatability, inspection and future scale a priority.

Early test builds, including DNV qualification blocks, are already underway and progressing well. These are a critical part of validating process parameters, material performance and consistency.

Alongside this, inspection and finishing processes are being established, ensuring that components produced in Houston follow the same pathway from deposition through to final verification that we would expect at our Bristol facility.

A key priority has been aligning the Houston facility with recognised certification frameworks from day one.

Work is already underway towards DNV Approval of Manufacture for additive manufactured metallic materials using DED-Arc, alongside ISO 9001 and alignment with API Q1 and API 20S requirements. From the point of site acquisition, teams in both the UK and US have been working together to define and progress the pathway to certification.

This includes establishing robust quality systems including inventory management, traceability and monitoring processes. Safety, health, environment and quality considerations are embedded within daily operations, reflecting the standards expected in highly regulated industries.

Internal audits and preparation activities are ongoing, supported by knowledge transfer from the Bristol team. The goal is to ensure that all components produced in Houston will meet the same certification expectations as those produced in the UK.

The work on site has been led by engineers, operators and quality specialists responsible for bringing each system into production.

From installation and calibration through to process development, inspection and certification preparation, the team has been directly involved in establishing how the facility operates day to day.

Close collaboration between the UK and US teams has ensured consistency in how processes are implemented. At the same time, local hiring has focused on building a team with the expertise required to operate within demanding, compliance-driven sectors.

As production ramps up, the team will continue to grow, particularly within quality and inspection functions to support increasing workloads.