Tees Valley Mayor invests £4.6m into Teesside powder metals facility

Liberty has begun the construction of a powder metals development facility in Teesside.

Liberty is part of the GFG Alliance of industrial companies with an office in London. The new site is set to expand the group’s reach in specialist metals and into the emerging market for 3D printing materials.

Representatives of Liberty Powder Metals, Atomising Systems Ltd (ASL) and Stockton-based K-Home International joined Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, to celebrate the milestone at the Materials Processing Institute research campus where the facility will be situated.

An initial £10m is being invested to set up the Liberty Powder Metals business including a vacuum induction inert gas atomiser at its core.

Commercial and business development manager for Liberty Powder Metals, Tom Sellers, said: “We are excited about the progress to date and I am looking forward to bringing our products to market and developing our customer base along with the strength of the Liberty brand.”

The facility is designed to achieve the highest-quality stainless steel and superalloy powders, helping Liberty enhance its status in a global market estimated to be worth £8bn a year.

Alongside the atomiser, there are plans to install a range of sieving, blending, packaging and analytical equipment.

The atomiser will allow Liberty to develop a new generation of powdered steels that can overcome the traditional barriers to 3D printing.

Atomising Systems Ltd (ASL) - alongside partners Consarc Engineering - has designed the equipment while K-Home International, a globally experienced engineering specialist, is managing the installation at the Materials Processing Institute.

Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, added: “The start of construction of Liberty Powder Metals new Teesside facility is a significant milestone in a project that will put our region at the forefront of a revolutionary new industry.

“We invested £4.6m in this project because we could see just how important the high-grade metal powders Liberty will produce will be. By investing in new technologies, we’re staying ahead of the curve and creating the jobs for future industries.”

Commissioning will take place from December with the aim of producing powders for sale from March 2020.

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