WaveTherm Expansion: What's New for 2026

WaveTherm is growing. Strong product performance and growing customer adoption have put us in a position to reinvest in our operations in a meaningful way. We recently acquired adjacent space, growing our engineering test lab and adding shop floor capacity. Here is what changed and what it means for the products we build.

New Space, New Equipment, New Capabilities

• Doubled swiss machining capacity on the shop floor for faster prototyping and higher production throughput
• Dedicated torque limiting assembly and test station for consistent builds and tighter QC on every unit
• Permanent thermal and cycle test setups for ongoing wedgelock performance validation

Doubled Swiss Machining Capacity

Doubling our swiss machining capacity is one of the most impactful changes in this expansion. For precision small-part manufacturing, the implications run deeper than just added volume.

Why Swiss Machining Matters for VPX Components

Swiss-style CNC machines are purpose-built for small-diameter, high-precision parts. Unlike conventional CNC machining, swiss turning guides the workpiece through a guide bushing directly adjacent to the cutting tool. This dramatically reduces deflection and vibration on long, slender parts, enabling tighter tolerances without repeated setups or fixturing.

Swiss machines can also produce complex geometries in a single pass, combining multiple operations without swapping tooling or re-fixturing the part. For prototype runs, that matters a lot. There is no hard tooling to order, no setup lead time, and no minimum quantity requirement. A new geometry goes straight to the machine.

For components like wedgelock hardware, fasteners, and other precision elements in VPX assemblies, this translates directly to dimensional consistency across production runs. The geometry has to be right every time because thermal contact resistance is sensitive to fit.

What Doubling Capacity Actually Changes

The most immediate effect is on prototyping speed. Where a new part concept previously took weeks to move from drawing to physical sample, we can now turn that around in days. Swiss machining requires no hard tooling for most small-part geometries, which means there is no setup lead time waiting on tooling fabrication. A new design goes directly to the machine.

This accelerates our R&D process significantly. We can iterate on a geometry, test it, adjust, and cut another sample within the same week. That kind of loop speed changes how we approach design validation.

It also reduces our reliance on outside vendors. More vertical integration means tighter control over tolerances, material traceability, and scheduling. We are not waiting on a supplier's queue when a customer needs a custom or low-volume part.

Swiss machining was also central to how we developed our torque limiting wedgelock. The precision required for the torque mechanism meant we needed tight tolerances on small, complex parts from the very first prototype. Having that capability in-house let us iterate quickly and get the design right before committing to production.

Dedicated Torque Limiting Assembly and Test Station

The new test lab includes a dedicated station for assembling and testing torque limiting wedgelocks. This is a meaningful upgrade in how we bring those products to finished state.

Torque limiting wedgelocks require a precise assembly process to function correctly. The dedicated station combines assembly and functional testing in sequence, which is what makes consistent production possible. Each unit is verified before it leaves the station, confirming that engagement and release values are exactly where they need to be for reliable field performance.

The added space was a direct enabler here. Having a permanent, dedicated station for this process is what allowed us to move the torque limiting wedgelock from development into production quantities.

This dedicated setup also gives us better data on each unit and a more repeatable assembly process overall. As demand for our torque limiting wedgelocks has grown, having a station built specifically around that product line was the right call.

Dedicated Thermal and Cycle Testing

The lab also houses dedicated setups for thermal and cycle testing of wedgelock assemblies. Thermal testing validates actual heat transfer performance, confirming that contact resistance and clamping force are working together the way the design intends. Cycle testing puts units through repeated engagement and release sequences to verify long-term durability.

Having these setups permanently configured, rather than assembled on demand, means we can run validation tests faster and more frequently during development. It also gives us a standing capability for incoming inspection and production sampling without interrupting other lab work.

For a deeper look at how we measure wedgelock thermal performance, see our article on how wedgelock thermal performance is measured. For the mechanics behind clamping force and how it drives both thermal and mechanical retention, see how SOLIDWEDGE™ clamping force is calculated.

What This Means for Customers

This expansion is a direct reflection of where the business is. Our products are performing well in the field and customers have responded to that. We are reinvesting that growth into the infrastructure needed to keep pace with demand and push our R&D forward.

In practical terms: faster prototyping means quicker responses to custom requirements. More vertical integration means better control over quality and lead times. Dedicated test capability means stronger validation behind every product we ship.

More capability in-house means better products, faster development, and more consistent delivery across our product lines.