Copper powder order marks MPW’s entry into US Press-and-Sinter market
Metal Powder Works (ASX: MPW) has received an initial scale-up production purchase order for pure copper powder from Advantage Metal Powders, Inc. The order represents MPW’s first production order in the Press-and-Sinter (P&S) market, a development the company frames as validation of its DirectPowder™ technology.
The powder will be used in Advantage’s add-mix application. Notably, the company states the value of the purchase order is immaterial to MPW. The significance lies in strategic market entry rather than a financial windfall, marking a disciplined first step into an established industrial market characterised by recurring demand.
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What the Advantage order delivers
The order follows successful testing and confirmation of the suitability of MPW’s copper powder, with qualification executed to industry-wide specifications. Preserving this benchmark matters, as the company states it opens the path to broad industry adoption. MPW is also providing a second pure copper grade with a different chemistry for evaluation.
Fulfilment of this order will form the basis for both parties to evaluate a longer-term supply arrangement. Advantage is described as an established powder blender with substantial annual demand for the relevant copper powder grades.
The company was clear on the caveats. Any future sales will depend on MPW satisfactorily delivering this first order and on available production capacity. Opportunities to assess long-term supply are expected from 1H CY27 onwards.
John Barnes, Founder and Managing Director
“This production order validates MPW’s powder. While this initial production order is modest compared to Advantage’s annual demand, it speaks volumes. This order gives MPW a disciplined entry into the Press & Sinter market through an established supply chain member. Our immediate priority is to execute the initial order. There is a clear pathway to expand add-mix and then advance into infiltrate and Tier 1 alloy opportunities.”
Understanding Press-and-Sinter and why copper matters
Press-and-Sinter is a foundational process within the US automotive industry. It employs powder metallurgy techniques to enable the high-volume, cost-efficient mass production of metal components such as gears, bearings, and bushings.
The process itself is straightforward. Metal powder is pressed into shape, then sintered (heated to bond the particles together) to form the finished part.
Copper plays a central role. It is blended into iron-based powders, used in bronze bearings, and used as an infiltrate in sintered steel parts.
For investors, the appeal is the nature of the demand. P&S is an established market with immediate, recurring demand. MPW’s chosen entry point is add-mix copper, which the company describes as a “proven one-for-one replacement,” allowing for faster market adaptation and direct alloy adoption.
The North American copper powder opportunity
The market data helps frame the addressable opportunity MPW is stepping into. The figures below outline the scale of copper powder demand within North American powder metallurgy and the broader global market.
| Metric | Figure | Year/Period |
|---|---|---|
| North American copper / copper-based powder for powder metallurgy | ~8,600 tonnes | 2024 |
| P&S share of North American metal powder volume | More than 89% | 2024 |
| Global Copper Powder Market | USD 1.61 billion | 2026 |
| Projected market | USD 2.67 billion | 2035 |
| Forecast CAGR | 5.76% | 2026–2035 |
With P&S representing over 89% of regional metal powder volume, copper stands as one of the most widely used powder additions in the sector. The company positions itself to win share in a market it describes as facing constrained domestic supply. The Advantage order builds on MPW’s recently announced Powder Partner Program, which evaluates copper-alloy powders for press-and-sinter applications.
The Advantage order is MPW’s second publicly announced engagement in the P&S segment, following the Jet Metals copper partnership signed earlier in June 2026, which targeted 40-60 tonnes per annum of add-mix supply pending alloy qualification.
What comes next for MPW
The immediate priority is to execute the initial order. Beyond that, management has outlined a phased roadmap for building its position in the P&S market:
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Expand add-mix copper supply
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Advance into infiltrate applications
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Progress toward Tier 1 alloy opportunities
Successful execution is expected to support a clearer basis for incremental capacity investment as repeat demand develops. Assessment of long-term supply arrangements is expected from 1H CY27 onwards.
MPW’s NextGen DirectPowder capacity milestone, validated at 120 tpa total facility output with greater than 95% saleable yield, provides the production foundation that makes incremental P&S supply commitments achievable without proportional capital outlay.
The order reinforces MPW’s positioning around its patented DirectPowder™ process, a non-thermal method that converts premium bar stock into specification-grade powder without melting. To date, the company reports it has produced more than 30 specification-grade metals and alloys across aluminium, copper, titanium and specialty material families.
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