AUSTIN, TX — Caracol, a company specializing in large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM), has opened a new 10,000-square-foot U.S. headquarters and production center in Austin, Texas. The facility consolidates assembly, R&D, application development and customer support operations, with the aim of providing faster system delivery, local technical support and co-development opportunities for customers in North America.
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The opening marks a significant expansion of Caracol’s presence in the U.S. market, following the establishment of its initial office in Austin in 2023. The company cites increasing demand for large-format AM solutions as a key factor in its decision to scale up its North American operations.
Francesco De Stefano, CEO of Caracol, said, “This new facility will allow us to accelerate innovation and deliver solutions tailored specifically for the North American market. When we opened our first Austin office, it was about establishing a presence. Now, it’s about building capability.”
Caracol was founded in Italy about 10 years ago with a focus on scaling additive manufacturing beyond small-part prototyping. The company began with composite polymer applications using its Heron AM platform and later expanded into metal AM with its Vipra AM system, which uses metal wire.
Since then, Caracol has grown into a multinational operation, with locations in Italy, the United Arab Emirates and, now, the U.S. The company reports having deployed over 100 machines across more than 30 organizations globally and nearly doubling its business annually over the past five years. The U.S. currently represents about 40% of Caracol’s global business.
The new Austin facility is designed to support both production and collaboration. It includes dedicated spaces for system assembly, testing and delivery, as well as an application development hub for joint projects with local manufacturers. The site has capacity to produce up to 100 Heron AM and Vipra AM systems per year.
In addition to system production, the facility is intended to serve as a local support center. It houses spare parts and a field service team to provide faster response times for customers throughout North America. The site has been built to align with ISO 9001, EN 9100 (aerospace) and ISO 14001 (environmental) standards, in line with Caracol’s European operations.
Caracol’s technology portfolio spans both polymer and metal large-format AM platforms. This dual focus allows it to work across a range of industries, including transportation, aerospace, energy, tooling and design. The company’s approach emphasizes identifying scalable applications first and then adapting its systems to meet specific industrial needs.
Live 3D printing operation inside Caracol’s facility.Devon Verbsky
The company also integrates software, IoT and data analytics to increase automation and process control. According to Caracol, this contributes to improved productivity and part quality over time.
“This isn’t just about additive, it’s about enabling a more sustainable, responsive and innovative manufacturing future,” said De Stefano. “And that future is being built now, together with our partners and customers, in places like Austin.”
Caracol plans to continue developing both its polymer and metal AM platforms and sees the integration of these technologies as key to unlocking broader adoption. The company also expects continued growth in application development, noting that dozens of new composite-based use cases are identified each year.
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