A Burgettstown, Pa.-based company announced Monday that it will expand production and its facility to keep up with customer demand.
The company, 6K Additive, a producer of sustainable engineered materials for additive manufacturing and lithium-ion batteries, said it would increase production at its Burgettstown facility with four new UniMelt microwave plasma systems as well as the construction of a 15,000 square foot material feedstock preparation building. Officials with the company estimated it could add as many as 35 new employees.
“Global unrest has shed a major spotlight on our nation’s supply chain vulnerability for critical materials,” said 6K Additive’s president Frank Roberts. “This, in combination with our consistent product quality, sustainability benefits, and the fact that we are a domestic supplier, have contributed to increased commercial activity with key strategic customers. This expansion will help us meet customer demands in the coming years and ensure efficiencies in current and future operations.”
The company said demand for its products had grown over the past year and that the expansion would help them meet customer demand for their nickel, titanium, and refractory powders for the next 12 to 36 months.
“The ability to meet the demands of our customers in both quality and delivery is paramount for our organization,” Eric Martin, chief operating officer for 6K Additive said. “The addition of a feedstock preparation facility and the added UniMelt production capacity will help to create a consistent operational flow to meet this demand. However, I am equally excited to be able to bring on more talent to the organization with as many as 35 additional employees planned. It’s great for our organization as well as the tri-state area.”
Additionally, adding the feedstock preparation facility to its 45-acre campus would allow the company to have vertical integration of feedstock sizing for nickel and titanium at the same location, which would streamline operations, speed delivery, and give the company more quality control over its products. The plant currently produces a full range of powders, including nickel 718 & 625, titanium-64, stainless steel, and copper. Additionally, the company runs two dedicated UniMelt production systems in the company’s headquarters in North Andover, Mass., producing tungsten, rhenium, and niobium-based alloys for hypersonic, defense, and rocket applications.