Continuum Powders launches Custom Foundry Runtime service
New offering targets the gap between small-batch development programs and traditional atomization business models for specialty alloy and precious metals processing
Continuum Powders, a Houston-based materials supplier specializing in plasma-gas atomization of high-value metal powders for advanced manufacturing, has introduced Custom Foundry Runtime (CFR), a new service giving manufacturers, researchers, and materials developers flexible access to its atomization platform for specialty alloy development, small-batch production, and high-value material processing.
The service addresses what the company described as a structural gap in the market: organizations working with specialized alloys, proprietary chemistries, and precious metals have faced limited options through conventional foundry and atomization providers, largely due to minimum volume thresholds, production economics, and the sensitivity of the materials involved.
CFR is structured to enable processing runs as small as 40–50 kilograms, with the platform capable of handling up to 400 troy ounces of precious metal per day.
Precious metals and PGMs emerge as a key driver
A significant factor shaping the development of CFR was increasing demand from programs working with precious metals and platinum group metal (PGM) alloys — materials that present particular challenges within conventional production infrastructure. As part of the launch, Continuum confirmed the completion of its first CFR project of 2026, which involved atomization work for a precious metal-based alloy.
“Custom Foundry Runtime represents an important evolution for Continuum Powders,” said Jon Cozens, Chief Executive Officer at Continuum Powders. “We’re seeing growing demand for flexible alloy development and secure processing capabilities, particularly for customers working with highly specialized or precious materials. CFR gives companies access to advanced atomization infrastructure without forcing them into traditional large-scale production models that don’t fit their needs.”
Scope and supported applications
Beyond precious metals, CFR is designed to serve alloy development and qualification programs across aerospace, medical, energy, and defense sectors where new chemistries must be validated at development scale before any commercial volumes are committed.
The service supports rapid research and development cycles, pilot-scale initiatives, and qualification programs, with a path to scale from development quantities into production.
Continuum stated that CFR is backed by its metallurgical process controls and secure material handling protocols built for high-value and sensitive feedstocks.
While Continuum continues supplying production-scale titanium and nickel powders to the broader advanced manufacturing market, the company stated that CFR formalizes a longer-standing capability in specialty alloy development into a structured customer-facing offering.
