Dauch Corporation has completed its acquisition of Dowlais Group plc, combining two global automotive manufacturers in a move that expands driveline, metal forming, and powder metallurgy operations worldwide. The transaction broadens manufacturing capabilities and strengthens support for internal combustion, hybrid, and electric vehicle platforms across global markets.
David C. Dauch Chairman and CEO Dauch Corporation Image Credit: Detroit Regional Chamber
Dauch Corporation finalized its previously announce acquisition of Dowlais Group plc, including subsidiaries GKN Automotive and GKN Powder Metallurgy. David C. Dauch, chairman and chief executive officer, said the closing marks an important step in bringing together complementary engineering and manufacturing capabilities under one organization.
The combined business will operate under the Dauch Corporation name and remain headquartered in Detroit. The board of directors will expand to include Simon Mackenzie Smith and Fiona MacAulay as independent directors, effective February 5, 2026.
The leadership structure includes Michael J. Lynch as president of driveline and Markus Bannert as president of metal forming, along with executives overseeing finance, strategy, human resources, communications, and legal functions. Business unit leadership includes Tolga Oal as president of axle systems; Mark Gabriel as president of sideshafts, propshafts, and ePowertrain; Jake Stiteler leading forging operations; and Jean-Marc Durbuis leading powder metallurgy operations.
Dauch Corporation supplies driveline and metal forming products to the global automotive industry and reports operations in 24 countries with more than 175 locations worldwide.
Press release is available in its original form here.
IperionX has received a prototype order for lightweight titanium components intended for U.S. Army heavy ground combat systems. The order directly supports U.S. Government priorities to reshore and secure critical materials supply chains, reduce reliance on foreign titanium sources, and expand domestic manufacturing capacity using recycled feedstock.
Anastasios (Taso) Arima CEO IperionX Source: IperionX
The prototype order from American Rheinmetall calls for approximately 700 components, with a potential to lead to a significantly larger agreement upon successful delivery of this initial scope of work. IperionX will manufacture the parts in the U.S. using 100 percent recycled titanium through its patented HAMR™ (Hydrogen Assisted Metallothermic Reduction) and HSPT™ (Hydrogen Sintering and Phase Transformation) technologies. These technologies enable the domestic production of high-performance titanium components at materially lower cost relative to conventional titanium production routes.
Replacing steel with titanium is expected to reduce component weight by roughly 40–45 percent, improving vehicle mobility and operational performance.
“This purchase order demonstrates the practical application of IperionX’s recycled titanium technologies on important U.S. ground combat platforms. As the only domestic producer of commercial primary titanium, IperionX is uniquely positioned to support domestic defense priorities with secure, low-carbon, and cost-competitive titanium products manufactured in the United States,” says Anastasios (Taso) Arima, CEO of IperionX.
Press release is available in its original form here.
IperionX continues to advance domestic titanium manufacturing and thermal processing capabilities in a recent commitment to reduce long lead times for critical pump components used for naval shipbuilding. This addresses supply chain constraints that have slowed ship construction and maintenance. By shortening production timelines, the initiative supports improved fleet readiness while reinforcing domestic manufacturing capacity for mission-critical naval systems.
The effort is being demonstrated through a project with Carver Pump Company, a U.S.-based manufacturer of mission-critical pumps for naval applications. Carver Pump has placed an initial purchase order with IperionX for prototype titanium components. Leveraging domestically produced titanium metal powder and integrated in-house manufacturing, the project will focus on producing and testing cost-competitive replacements for traditionally cast pump components.
Titanium components are essential in naval pump systems due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and ability to withstand extreme marine environments. However, traditionally cast titanium parts often face supply chain bottlenecks, with lead times exceeding 12 months, contributing to equipment and vessel downtime.
Anastasios (Taso) Arima CEO IperionX Source: IperionX
IperionX’s approach is designed to deliver step-change improvements in production efficiency. Each titanium component is expected to be produced in less than one week using the company’s low-cost domestically produced titanium metal powder and advanced manufacturing capabilities, significantly reducing reliance on conventional casting routes.
“Transitioning from lead times measured in years to timelines measured in days allows us to better support on-time naval shipbuilding and sustainment, directly enhancing fleet readiness,” said Anastasios (Taso) Arima, CEO of IperionX.
The purchase order covers the development of four prototype pump impellers, with manufacturing anticipated to be complete in May 2026. Successful completion of the prototyping and testing phase could lead to larger-scale production agreements supporting additional naval components.
Press release is available in its original form here.
IperionX Limited will receive $12.5 million from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to accelerate the scale-up of a resilient, low-cost, and fully-integrated U.S. mineral-to-metal titanium supply chain. The project will include scaling up to over 1,000 metric tons per year at the Virgnia Titanium Manufacturing Campus.
The $12.5 million will be applied to purchase orders for long-lead, major capital equipment required for the scale-up. Major incremental capacity categories include titanium deoxygenation, sintering and powder metallurgy consolidation systems; near-net-shape component manufacturing and ancillary infrastructure upgrades.
Anastasios (Taso) Arima CEO IperionX Source: IperionX
“This new U.S. Government obligation allows IperionX to move immediately to secure long-lead capital equipment and lock in manufacturing slots with key suppliers. It accelerates our imminent Virginia expansion beyond 1,000 tpa of high-performance titanium manufactured products, and advances a fully integrated, low-cost and traceable American titanium supply chain for defense and commercial customers. This commitment from the DoD is a strong endorsement of our technology, our team, and our mission to reshore a resilient titanium production supply chain in the United States,” said Anastasios (Taso) Arima, IperionXCEO.
In response to the strategic need for increased production capacity of domestic primary titanium metal and manufactured titanium metal components, the project scope under the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program has been revised to prioritize accelerated expansion of IperionX’s titanium metal and manufacturing production capacity at IperionX’s Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus.
This project is part of a previously announced $47.1 million award to strengthen the U.S. Defense Industrial Base by accelerating the scale-up of a resilient, low-cost, and fully-integrated U.S. mineral-to-metal titanium supply chain.
Press release is available in its original form here.
We’re celebrating getting to the “fringe” of the weekend with a Heat Treat Fringe Fridaycovering news about a metals company enhancing its processing line with an atomizer, increasing its capability to produce metal powders for the advanced manufacturing industries that it serves. Atomization, a process that forces molten metal into a controlled environment through a nozzle at high pressure, improves sustainability and efficiency in metals production for industries such as aerospace, medical and defense.
While not exactly heat treat, “Fringe Friday” deals with interesting developments in one of our key markets: aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, or general manufacturing.
A multinational metals company recently bolstered its processing line by adding an atomizer for the production of metal powders. The atomizer will be installed at one of the company’s U.S. production facilities and is capable of producing a wide variety of metal powders, optimized for both throughput and maintenance.
Retech, a division of SECO/WARWICK Group and a pioneer in advanced metallurgical equipment, has announced the procurement and the delivery and installation of the advanced manufacturing equipment to the metals manufacturer.
Earl Good Managing Director Retech
“We stuck with them,” said Earl Good, president and managing director at Retech. “We maintained the response times they needed, going above and beyond. This level of dedication was crucial in meeting their ambitious timeline, from RFQ to turnkey execution.”
The atomizer system is designed to be highly efficient, reducing operational costs and environmental impact. The system’s all-electric process ensures zero carbon emissions, aligning with sustainable production practices, and the inert gas recovery and recycling enhances resource efficiency and reduces waste. Maintenance features allow for rapid changeover between heats, minimizing downtime.
The press release is available in its original form here.
A major ship builder has acquired a vacuum furnace for the Additive Manufacturing Division at the company’s new Manufacturing Center of Excellence. The single chamber vacuum furnace will be used primarily for annealing powder metal 3D printed parts, with additional capabilities for on-demand tool hardening applications.
Piotr Zawistowski Managing Director SECO/VACUUM Source: SECO/VACUUM
The 3D printing shop and annealing furnace supplied by SECO/VACUUM will enable rapid fabrication of critical replacement parts faster than traditional manufacturing methods, allowing the manufacturer to get ships out of dock and back underway sooner. The Vector furnace is equipped with a 36 x 36 x 48 inch metal hot-zone, a high-vacuum diffusion pump, and a 6-Bar high-pressure argon and nitrogen gas quench.
“To get their 3D operation up and running quickly, we were able to pull off some clever production schedule juggling in order to accommodate their special request for an accelerated delivery schedule,” said Piotr Zawistowski, managing director of SECO/VACUUM.
This vacuum furnace provides a wide range of additional processes, including hardening, tempering, solution heat treating, brazing and sintering, and low-pressure carburizing. Vector produces clean, uniform, high-quality parts with repeatable accuracy and no oxidation.
The press release is available in its original form here.
NASA has selected Elementum 3D (a developer and supplier of metal additive manufacturing (AM) advanced materials, print parameters, and services) to be one of four companies that will produce and distribute GRX-810 material under a commercial co-exclusive license. This is a material that has undergone significant post-processing heat treat research.
The 3D printable high-temperature metal superalloy material has been noted as “breakthrough technology” and will be offered to original equipment manufacturers of airplanes and rockets as well as the entire supply chain.
NASA’s goal of the licensing agreement is to accelerate the adoption of GRX-810 to benefit U.S. technologies, industry, and space exploration. The 3D printer supplier notes that engineers are eager to print with a material capable of creating lighter and thinner engine parts, reducing fuel burn, lowering operating costs, increasing durability, and lowering the tolerance for failure for critical applications.
GRX-810 is an oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy that can endure higher temperatures and stress. Its strength is derived from the dispersion of tiny particles containing oxygen atoms. The breakthrough superalloy was specifically developed for the extreme temperatures and harsh conditions of aerospace applications, including liquid rocket engine injectors, combustors, turbines, and hot-section components, capable of enduring temperatures up to 1,100°C. Compared to other alloys, GRX-810 can endure higher temperatures and stress up to 2,500 times longer. It’s also 3.5 times better at flexing before breaking and twice as resistant to oxidation damage.
Jeremy Iten
Chief Technology Officer
Elementum 3D
Source: LinkedIn
Over the past nine years, Elementum 3D has gained extensive knowledge and experience in developing, commercializing, and distributing “impossible-to-print” dispersion-strengthened materials similar to GRX-810.
“We are excited to be working with Tim Smith and NASA to bring this exceptional new alloy to the commercial market,” said Jeremy Iten, chief technology officer at Elementum 3D.
NASA’s investment in developing GRX-810 demonstrates its dedication to advancing additive manufacturing. Elementum 3D and the other co-exclusive licensees now assume the responsibility of investing the time and resources to supply the industry with a stronger, more durable superalloy.
IperionX Limited and Vegas Fastener Manufacturing, LLC (Vegas Fastener) have agreed to partner to develop and manufacture titanium alloy fasteners and precision components with IperionX’s advanced titanium products.
The commercial focus of this partnership is on developing and manufacturing titanium alloy fasteners and precision components for the U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC), which is the United States Armed Forces’ research and development facility for advanced technology in ground systems. GSVC’s research and development includes robotics, autonomy, survivability, power, mobility, intelligent systems, maneuver support and sustainment.
Additionally, the partners will design, engineer and produce titanium fasteners for critical sectors such as the aerospace, naval, oil & gas, power generation, pulp & paper and chemical sectors. These sectors demand fasteners that provide not only high strength-to-weight ratios but also exceptional corrosion resistance for high-performance applications.
Vegas Fastener, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a global leader in the development and manufacturing of high-performance fasteners and custom machined components. Together with its allied company, PowerGen Components, Vegas Fastener serves a diverse array of customers in the defense, marine, power generation, oil & gas, nuclear, chemical, and water infrastructure sectors. Vegas Fastener develops and manufactures precision high-performance fasteners using specialized alloys to meet demanding quality specifications.
IperionX’s leading titanium technology portfolio includes high-performance near-net shape titanium products, semi-finished titanium products, spherical titanium powder for additive manufacturing and metal injection molding, and angular titanium powder for a wide range of advanced manufacturing applications. These innovative patented technologies allow for sustainability and process energy efficiencies over the traditional Kroll titanium production process.
Image above: High-performance fasteners manufactured by Vegas Fastener
This press release is available in its original form here.
A hot isostatic press will add a new capability to the research infrastructure already in place at the Sydney Manufacturing Hub (SMH), the advanced manufacturing research facility at the University of Sydney, Australia.
Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) has become a critically important technology for the densification of unconventional microstructures associated with additive manufacturing (AM) across a broad spectrum of industries. It has proven of particular value in developing high-performance materials and building advanced metallic structures for mission-critical applications, for example within the aerospace, hypersonics, defense, biomedicine, energy, mining & minerals, and oil & gas sectors.
According to Professor Simon Ringer, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure) at University of Sydney, the SMH (as a research facility) is focused on offering the broadest possible range of advanced manufacturing capabilities, aiming to support the entire AM workflow from design right through to final part conformity in one facility.
“This [Quintus Technologies] hot isostatic press delivers enormous uplift in our university’s contribution to the national advanced manufacturing capability,” states Prof. Ringer. “It aligns critically with our own initiatives such as at the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator and our Net Zero Initiative. Moreover, this is a nationally significant capability that will allow our researchers to partner with industry to blaze new trails in manufacturing-related R&D.”
The Quintus Hot Isostatic Press going to the Sydney Manufacturing Hub is equipped with URQ® and URC® technology. Source: Quintus Technologies
The SMH selected the press model QIH 15L M URQ® + URC®, equipped with several proprietary features that streamline the HIP process and produce finished 3D printed parts with maximized theoretical density, ductility, and fatigue resistance. Uniform Rapid Quenching® (URQ) delivers an impressive cooling rate of 103K/minute while minimizing thermal distortion and nonuniform grain growth. HPHT™ (High Pressure Heat Treatment) combines stress-relief annealing, HIP, high-temperature solution-annealing (SA), high pressure gas quenching (HPGQ), and subsequent aging or precipitation hardening (PH) in one integrated furnace cycle.
Quintus’s strong focus on materials science and materials processing research, exemplified by the URQ functionality, was of special interest to the Sydney hub, Prof. Ringer relates. He also cites the intrinsic safety of the vessel and yoke design, along with the rapid cycle time for processing AM parts, as major benefits for the facility, which is geared to enable concept-to-production demonstration capabilities.
“Our new HIP capability will address a significant gap in the AM community in the Australian region and further offer the potential for SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and start-up companies to access this critical process,” Prof. Ringer adds.
SMH’s broad user base extends from its own researchers to those from other local universities and research organizations to private industry and collaborations with international institutions.
Jan Söderström CEO Quintus Technologies
“As the industry leader in advanced hot isostatic pressing technology for over 70 years, we have noted exceptional interest in new manufacturing approaches that improve quality, lower cost, and reduce environmental impacts,” says Jan Söderström, CEO of Quintus Technologies. “We are excited to work with the talented researchers at the Sydney Manufacturing Hub to deepen their expertise and refine processes for pressure-supported heat treatment, laying the foundation to advance both productivity and sustainability for operations in Australia and its neighbors.”
The hot zone of the model QIH 15L M URC® measures 7.32 inches (186 mm) in diameter and 19.7 inches (500 mm) high. The press operates at a maximum pressure of 207 MPa (30,000 psi) and a maximum temperature of 2,552°F (1,400°C). It will be installed in the Hub’s purpose-built facility on the University of Sydney’s Darlington campus in January 2025.
This press release is available in its original form here.
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HAMR titanium furnace for Virginia facility (Source: IperionX)
IperionX announced their HAMR (Hydrogen Assisted Metallothermic Reduction) furnace has completed its final mechanical assembly and passed factory acceptance tests. The furnace will be delivered to the company’s Virginia Titanium Production Facility as a foundational asset to the low-cost titanium supply chain.
The HAMR furnace is a large-scale titanium furnace with IperionX-patented technologies. HAMR is a powder metallurgy process technology that allows for the production of titanium powders.
Installation is expected during 2024’s second quarter, with production of titanium beginning mid-2024. To ramp up low-cost titanium production, IperionX has received $2.4 million from the DoD as part of a $12.7 million grant fund.
To learn more about IperionX’s Viriginia Titanium Production Facility, visit this link.
This press release is available in its original form here.
