3D printing solutions company Stratasys Ltd. has recently funded LPW Technology, a UK-based manufacturer, and supplier of metal powders.

Using these funds LPW technology will further develop its metal powder business and will concentrate on its 3D printing powder lifecycle management solution known as PowderLife. The company also aims to manufacture 3D printing metal powder and only last year it made an investment of £20 million into additive manufacturing metal materials. It was the largest single investment in the metal 3D printing sector into the UK market.

The PowderLife smart powder management system enables LPW clients to monitor and manage their metal powder batches over the course of their lifecycle. The system offers a complete material history, and even keeps track of the production process of the metal powders to make sure they remain compliant with the client requirements.

Giuseppe Facchini, CEO of Switzerland-based Precicast, a company that is engaged in the production of investment castings, said that their company was availing the Powderlife solution to have full control and traceability over their materials and have a quality-driven approach to additive manufacturing.

As per LPW, when the Powderlife solution will be integrated with a client’s facility, it will be used to monitor the production of the metal powders for additive manufacturing. The system also allows for reprocessing of metal powders by sending them back to LPW, aiding in curtailing of material waste.
After the success of Powderlife, LPW Technology is all set to invest £20 million into its business over the next two years. LPW founder and CEO Phil Carroll said that this funding will be channelized towards the establishment of new facilities in both the UK and the US, further developing LPW’s PowderLife. Carroll further said that this investment by Stratasys demonstrates the confidence of global leaders in LPW’s solutions for metal additive manufacturing powders.