Steel Powder Works (MPW), a producer of greater than 25 specialty metallic powders for additive manufacturing and superior industrial purposes, has signed a Powder Partnership Settlement with Austal USA, a subsidiary of Austal Restricted, Australia’s largest shipbuilder and a world protection prime. Austal USA is already an energetic purchaser of MPW powder, with the settlement formalizing its industrial relationship with the corporate and establishing a framework for expanded collaboration and provide.
Underneath the settlement, MPW and Austal USA will co-develop further metallic powder specs, curated for specialised use in Austal USA’s additive manufacturing purposes, together with applications on the US Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Heart of Excellence (AM CoE) in Danville, Virginia.
MPW will leverage its patented DirectPowder Course of to develop customized alloy powders tailor-made to Austal USA’s exacting specs. MPW will present samples for testing, refining powder traits as wanted to attain optimum efficiency, with the supplies of curiosity together with MPW’s CuNi alloys, which have met stringent US Navy specs. As a result of MPW employs a novel manufacturing know-how, introducing its powders into the Navy provide chain expands accessible powder sources, reduces the danger of single-source failures, and enhances price competitiveness.
Upon profitable completion of the event program, MPW and Austal intend to barter a industrial offtake settlement establishing minimal annual volumes, pricing constructions, and lead occasions for ongoing powder provide.
“We’re delighted to formalise our partnership with Austal USA, operator of the US Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Heart of Excellence and a crucial provider to the US Navy. This partnership positions MPW’s DirectPowder know-how inside a strategic naval provide chain initiative at a time when the US Division of Protection is making important investments in additive manufacturing capabilities. With each corporations manufacturing in america, we’re well-positioned to assist the home protection industrial base and look ahead to increasing our collaboration as Austal scales additive manufacturing throughout its naval applications,” stated John E. Barnes, CEO of Steel Powder Works.
“Austal USA is dedicated to advancing manufacturing applied sciences that strengthen our capabilities as a US defence prime contractor. By means of our operation of the US Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Heart of Excellence, we’re on the forefront of deploying additive manufacturing options throughout the maritime industrial base. Our partnership with Steel Powder Works gives entry to high-performance metallic powders particularly optimised for these purposes, and the DirectPowder Course of provides distinctive flexibility to tailor powder traits to the exacting necessities of naval manufacturing,” stated Dr. Scott Kasen, Director of Superior Applied sciences at Austal USA.
Austal USA operates the US AM CoE in Virginia – the US Navy’s flagship additive manufacturing facility supporting the development and sustainment of naval vessels.
The AM CoE is a Naval Sea Methods Command (NAVSEA) initiative established to deal with crucial provide chain challenges by growing additive manufacturing options for hard-to-source castings, forgings, and fittings. Main a consortium of business companions in collaboration with BlueForge Alliance, Austal USA is advancing the qualification and scaling of additively manufactured components throughout submarine and floor fleet applications.
The partnership with MPW positions DirectPowder know-how inside this strategic US Navy provide chain initiative, at a time of serious funding in additive manufacturing capabilities throughout the protection industrial base. With MPW’s manufacturing headquarters in Pittsburgh, the partnership strengthens home provide chain functionality for crucial defence manufacturing supplies and aligns with NAVSEA’s goals to develop additive manufacturing capability for naval shipbuilding and sustainment.
