There’s a version of circularity that looks good on paper and a version that actually works at industrial scale.
6K Additive’s recently announced long-term supply agreement with Siemens Energy could reflect what this industrial scale looks like.
Under the agreement, Siemens Energy supplies spent nickel alloy powder from its own AM facilities — material that would typically end up in lower-value recycling streams — directly to 6K Additive. That revert material is then processed through 6K’s proprietary UniMelt® microwave plasma system and converted into premium, AM-ready powder.
Nearly 20 tons of nickel superalloy powder from Siemens Energy have already been processed and supplied back into the AM market.
For those who’ve been watching 6K Additive’s trajectory on 3D ADEPT Media:
From the company’s rebranding (formerly known as Amastan) and the first production-scale microwave plasma system to its landmark life cycle assessments (showing a 91% energy reduction and 92% carbon emission reduction for nickel-based alloys versus conventional atomization) to partnerships with Incodema3D, Fraunhofer ILT, Agile Space Industries and qualification through TRUMPF’s TruPrint systems…
6K Additive has been making the case that sustainability in metal powder manufacturing is an operational reality.
The Siemens Energy deal is a reminder that technically, commercially, and systemically, there is still a long road ahead to achieve true circularity at an industrial scale.
Frank Roberts, CEO of 6K Additive, has his own wish list for what needs to change: better specification frameworks, meaningful consolidation in an oversaturated materials market (particularly among smaller players), and, perhaps most critically, standardization. This, in fact, would be the structural backbone that makes circular supply chains trustworthy enough to operate at scale.
The US-Europe contrast is also worth noting. While the US has historically lagged on sustainability-driven industrial policy, Roberts’ view, is that Europe’s broad cross-industry commitment to sustainability, regardless of political cycles, gives the continent a structural advantage when it comes to enabling these kinds of long-term circular partnerships.
In the video below, Roberts dives into what genuine circularity looks like when you move beyond the press release, and where the real friction points remain.
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