3D Printed Heat Exchanger Specialist Conflux Technology Expands into the UK

Melbourne’s Conflux Technology, a specialist in using additive manufacturing (AM) to produce heat exchangers, is opening a business hub in the UK. The new site, which will open sometime in Q2’25, will start out as a center for R&D, materials certification, and local customer support. Conflux ultimately aims to develop the location into a full production facility in order to keep pace with anticipated rising demand.

The significance of the expansion lies not just in Conflux’s ability to reach the UK market alone, but equally in terms of the proximity the company now has to all of Europe. Despite the fact that the UK facility represents Conflux’s initial physical presence in the European region, the company notes that the market historically accounts for over 35 percent of its business.

In addition to its business relationships with customers like multiple European Formula 1 teams, German space startup Rocket Factory Augsburg, and the EOS group company AMCM, Conflux also has longstanding partnerships with global brands like General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) that may benefit from the geographic expansion.

In October 2024, Conflux announced the closure of an AUD $11 million Series B round, funding that helped pave the way for the company’s new UK hub. With this round, Conflux has raised approximately AUD $19.5 million to date, supporting the development of its 3D printed heat exchanger technology and its expansion into the European market.

In a press release about Conflux Technology’s plans to open its first physical site in Europe, the company’s CEO and founder, Michael Fuller, said, “We are extremely proud to celebrate ten years of spearheading transformation in heat exchanger technology for superior performance with such a significant milestone. Europe is a key market for us — Conflux UK will not only shape the future of the motorsport and aerospace markets, but also establish supply chain resilience, so we’re excited and ready to expand our operations and work closer with some truly innovative companies.”

The UK makes perfect sense as the location for Conflux’s first European facility, given that the country has been ramping up its industrial policy on advanced manufacturing over the last couple of years, with the island nation attuning its focus to its centerpiece role in the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) partnership. After releasing its first advanced manufacturing strategy at the end of 2023, the UK government recently released its first Defence Advanced Manufacturing Strategy, which hinges on the objective of accelerating AM adoption.

Conflux can contribute to that mission on a variety of levels: not only by enhancing the UK AM ecosystem’s ability to deliver critical infrastructure, but even with regard to aiding in the production of AM hardware itself, as Conflux has been serially producing heat exchangers for AMCM machines for almost two years now. AMCM, meanwhile, announced a partnership with EOS and the University of Wolverhampton around a year ago to establish the UK Centre of Excellence for AM, with a specific focus on copper applications.

Finally, the UK’s location between continental Europe and North America enables Conflux to have much easier access to the US market without yet having to establish a US footprint. Assuming the company’s UK move is successful, though, it is only a matter of time before Conflux continues its westward expansion.

Images courtesy of Conflux Technologies.