CLINTON, PA, USA, Aug 24, 2026 – Metal Powder Works Limited (ASX: MPW), a specialty materials company producing high-quality metal powders for additive manufacturing and advanced industrial applications, announced it is accelerating its capacity expansion program — moving its ~800 metric tonne (MT) installed annual capacity target forward from calendar year 2028 to the first half of 2027. The decision follows the successful commercial-scale validation of the MPW powder and growing order activity across MPW’s target markets.
For customers, the acceleration means faster access to a supply model built for reliability. Conventional atomization processes can have several single points of failure across production. If a unit goes down, so does the customer’s supply. MPW’s approach is fundamentally different: production is spread across a growing fleet of smaller, identical NextGen units. If one machine needs maintenance, volume shifts seamlessly to the others, allowing MPW to keep shipping on schedule. Quality control is inherent to the production process, MPWs process is built around batch-to-batch consistency. Atomizers can’t know how the powder turned out until the powder is already made. Bringing the full NextGen fleet online a year early gives customers production assurance, right as sourcing pressure across the metal powder supply chain is intensifying.
“We are at an inflection point where our NextGen machine is ready to scale, we’re bringing on experience at the leadership level, and we have a re-tooled sales team poised to take advantage of the supply chain constraints plaguing press & sinter markets. I want the press and sinter market to know we’re here, we’re serious, and we want them to make money.” — John Barnes, Founder & Managing Director, Metal Powder Works
The acceleration follows MPW’s first production order in the Press-and-Sinter (P&S) market, the largest segment of the North American metal powder market by volume. It also follows sustained commercial-scale performance from NextGen unit #1, which has demonstrated 100 tonnes-per-year production at above 95% saleable yield. Domestic copper powder supply chains are facing real constraints, as manufacturers reassess sourcing amid ongoing tariff and trade disruptions. MPW’s decision to scale up is a direct result of customer demand and interest in MPW powders.
MPW produces its powder from bar stock at its Neighborhood 91 facility in Pittsburgh, using its patented, non-thermal DirectPowder™ process, giving customers a domestically produced, fully traceable alternative without the infrastructure complexity of legacy atomization. Each NextGen unit is low-cost and quick to replicate, allowing MPW to keep adding capacity in step with demand as more customers move through qualification across its target markets.
About Metal Powder Works
Metal Powder Works Limited’s (ASX:MPW) manufacturing base is in Pittsburgh, USA and specialises in the production of high-quality metal powders for additive manufacturing and other advanced applications. MPW has developed a patented, non-thermal powder production process known as DirectPowder™. The MPW process represents the first true innovation in powder manufacturing in over 50 years. This innovative method converts premium bar stock into quality powder for a variety of materials and applications, significantly improving yield and affordability. MPW currently has 25+ powders in production, including high-strength aluminum, copper, and copper-nickel alloys, and specialty alloys, including CP-Ti and Zircaloy. In 2024, Metal Powder Works was named as Material Company of the Year by the 3D Printing Industry Awards. For more information, visit https://www.metalpowderworks.com.
