6K Additive, a division of 6K Inc. and a global leader in the sustainable production of materials for additive manufacturing and metal alloys, announced the acquisition of Global Metal Powders (GMP) for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition adds proprietary manufacturing and recycling capabilities used in material preparation prior to the UniMelt® spheroidizing process. The acquisition, combined with the recently announced doubling of manufacturing capacity, cements 6K Additive’s position as the global leader in sustainable titanium and refractory metal powder production.
6K Additive will use GMP’s proprietary technology to create customised powders from a wide range of revert streams, including titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and tungsten (W). GMP’s manufacturing facility is located in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and 6K
Titanium and Refractory Metal Powder Production
6K Additive is the world’s first producer of AM powder derived from sustainable sources, and it offers a comprehensive range of premium powder, including nickel, titanium, copper, stainless steel, aluminium alloys, and refractory metals such as tungsten, niobium, and rhenium. The UniMelt proprietary system is the world’s only microwave production-scale plasma system, featuring a highly uniform and precise plasma zone, zero contamination, and high throughput production capabilities.
“As the market for sustainably produced powder continues to grow, 6K Additive is the only one equipped to meet the manufacturing volumes demanded by customers for sustainably produced powder, specifically titanium and refractory metals.”
– Frank Roberts, President of 6K Additive
Roberts added, “Adding the operational horsepower that GMP brings to our organization allows us to not only keep pace with the high demand we are seeing for our powders but also further close the recycling loop, which leads to a lower overall part cost for our customers. We welcome the team at GMP to our organization, and we are excited to add their technology and expertise to help advance our leadership position.”
Henry Brougham, Founder and Principal of GMP, added, “We are excited to be part of the 6K Additive team and look forward to helping expand their market-leading organization with our proprietary technology. Combining both organizations’ years of experience and knowledge, we will propel the company’s processing and feedstock preparation to new heights. When you add our expertise in the refractory market, we are confident GMP will enhance 6K Additive’s leadership position within this rapidly growing market.”
Last year, the company released the findings of an LCA study conducted by Foresight Management comparing the environmental impact of 6K’s UniMelt microwave plasma technology to current metal powder atomization technologies. The results showed that its nickel-based alloys used 90% less energy and produced 75% less carbon than titanium alloys.
