Montreal-based PyroGenesis invented the Plasma Atomization process, which produces small, spherical metal 3D printing powders that can flow like water.
Last month, PyroGenesis completed the successful ramp-up of its first system, during which it received multiple sample orders and developed potentially game-changing new intellectual property (IP) that can produce, with little to no waste, extremely narrow particle size distributions at higher rates of production.
In addition, the company said after the ramp-up was completed that it had also signed six NDAs with distributors and 3D printer manufacturers, with separate other agreements planned with multinational aircraft engine manufacturers. The purpose behind its new NDA with Rolls-Royce is to “encompass the evaluation and discussion of business opportunities, including proposal or offer generation, submission and evaluation, for the provision of providing powders” to the company.
Rolls-Royce invested £1.3 billion on research and development in 2016 alone. The company operates across five main businesses – Civil Aerospace, Defense Aerospace, Marine, Nuclear, and Power Systems – and has customers in over 150 countries, so this could be a pretty big deal for PyroGenesis. But we should also be careful about getting ahead of ourselves.
P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis, said, “We are very happy to be in discussions with Rolls Royce and look forward, now that the NDA has been signed, to have more substantive discussions on the production of powder for Rolls Royce. I must caution readers however, not to draw any premature conclusions from this announcement. Though it does signal the interest in our product, and that the interest comes from a very discerning, demanding, and sophisticated party, we are still at the very preliminary stages and there is no guarantee that anything, of any commercial value, will materialize form these efforts.”
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[Source: PyroGenesis]