Fabri: reinventing casting with AI and 3D printing
Fabri’s foundry north of Boston looks more like a lab – no roaring furnace, no haze of smoke, just 3D printers quietly humming in a clean, compact space.
The company automates a centuries-old manufacturing technique called investment casting, where wax molds are dipped in ceramic to form shells that are later filled with molten metal, then broken away to reveal the finished part. It’s how the industry produces many critical components, but it’s also slow and labor intensive, with many traditional foundries now facing yearslong backlogs.
By replacing handmade molds with automated tools and 3D printed versions, Fabri cuts production times from months to days.
“In the industry today, we’re seeing lead times between one and three years,” said Steven Davis, Fabri’s founder and CEO. “We’ve shipped parts in as fast as one week.”
Fabri accelerates development further by using AI-driven software to automate the most time-consuming steps. They can simulate hundreds of design options in parallel, move the best one into production the same day, and use predictive models to avoid the rework that’s common in conventional foundries.
This digital approach also gives Fabri unusual flexibility. While many foundries specialize in specific parts or require large orders, Fabri can make a single urgent replacement part – which could be especially valuable in quickly repairing a grounded aircraft – or switch between producing entirely different products with ease.
“The foundry that’s making turbine blades one day might be making missile fins the next day,” Davis said.
Fabri formed in 2025 and is already working with RTX’s three businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon – on castings for several products. The company plans to expand capacity by building a new foundry every year.