Carpenter Technology Corporation, premium specialty alloy producer, has acquired the leading metal powder and powder lifecycle management solutions company LPW Technology Ltd, reports have confirmed. Valued at nearly $81 million, industry experts say the deal could propel Carpenter to the forefront of the additive manufacturing (AM) powders industry.
LPW Technology has gained global recognition as a provider of powder management solutions and metal AM powders. It has grown substantially in recent years owing to investments from companies like Stratasys, partnerships for developing alloys and the opening of a new £20 million powder production facility this past June.
The company has around 80 employees with operations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as well, and has annual capacity of 600 tons for producing AM powders. Carpenter would be able to leverage LPW’s metal powder lifecycle management solution by combining with its own proficiency in producing metal powders used in AM.
Records show that Carpenter has been significantly expanding its additive portfolio, with investments in electron beam and PBF services firm CalRAM and titanium powder producer Puris. The company had also recently revealed that an Emerging Technology Center would be constructed in Athens, Alabama.
Sources familiar to the matter said Carpenter will now gain access to LPW’s lifecycle management solutions that offer a deep understanding into the behavior of metal powders before, during and after they are processed, via powder-bed fusion AM. The powder management technology allows the monitoring and tracing of metal powders by manufacturers, for asserting quality control and ensuring reliability throughout the production process.
LPW founder Phil Carroll stated that the company’s enabling technology and innovative platforms would be further solidifying Carpenter’s position as an end-to-end, next generation Additive Manufacturing solutions provider. LPW will aid Carpenter to continuously grow and reach a leadership position in AM, he added.