6K Additive Awarded Monies from U.S. Defense Logistics Agency

6K Additive, Inc. has been awarded a Phase II contract totaling US$1.95 million over an 18‑month term that is subject to standard U.S. government contract terms, including performance milestones and termination rights (award). The Award aims to lessen the U.S. military's dependence on foreign sources for critical strategic metals. The initiative, titled "Recovering Strategic Value," focuses on converting domestic scrap from select U.S. military depots including Nickel, Titanium, Tungsten, and Niobium, into metal powders for additive manufacturing and defense readiness.

"The U.S. Government has made it clear that to advance our defense readiness we cannot rely on geopolitically sensitive regions for the materials essential to our most advanced weapon systems," says Frank Roberts, CEO of 6K Additive. "By upcycling domestic scrap from DoD stockpiles and maintenance centers, we are creating a circular, secure, and sustainable supply chain for the US defense sector. This Award enables us and the DoD to further identify end-of-life parts and scrap to convert back into high-value powder ultimately leading to strategic components for the military."

From Scrap to Frontline

The goal of the Award is to maximize use for end-of-life components, high value metal alloys by leveraging the baseline processes developed in previous 6K Additive DLA awards. Specifically, the Scope of Work (SOW) for Phase III is expected to focus on materials from DLA Disposition Services, the Navy and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and aligning processes to maximize value for the DoD. The scope of work for the Award includes:

• Identify and collect material from DLA Depots, to primarily use DoD scrap as a source for domestic critical metals.
• Proof of concept for robotic system for the automation of scrap identification and subsequent sorting.
• Convert Nickel, Titanium, Tungsten, and C103 (Niobium alloy) end of life parts into high-value powder.
• Conduct cold spray trials to investigate the mechanical properties of upcycled Nickel and Titanium powder for use as a repair technology

Partnership with the US DoD

6K Additive will collaborate with the DLA and other agencies within the US DoD to obtain high-value scrap from these centers and depots.

Specific operations will take place at major aviation depots, which generate upwards of 60,000 pounds of mixed scrap metal weekly. Upcycled powders will be returned to the military for rigorous testing against virgin metal standards to ensure performance in critical defense applications.

Project Timeline and Impact

The Award has an 18-month timeline, and the program aims to prove the concept of an automated sorting prototype and deliver certified batches of tungsten, titanium, and niobium powders. 

About 6K Additive

6K Additive, Inc. (ASX: 6KA) is a US-based manufacturer and tsupplier of premium metal powders for additive manufacturing and alloy additions for the aluminum melt industry, all made from sustainable sources. The company is headquartered in Burgettstown, PA.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.