Says Dr Phil Carroll, who established the firm in 2007: “In the last decade LPW has seen rapid growth. We value our ability to think ahead. The company has developed a comprehensive range of products and services, including the development of new alloys, and of PowderLife, an innovative suite of hardware and software systems that control risk in critical manufacturing processes for industries including aerospace, automotive, biomedical and energy.”
LPW currently has 74 employees world-wide, has created 54 new positions over the last two years, and an apprenticeship program. Later this year it will move to a £20 million purpose-built ‘factory of the future’ in Widnes, and expects to recruit to up to 120 new team members by mid-2019.
“The last ten years have seen additive manufacturing growing from a technology sector producing mainly prototype modelling, to a production industry engineering challenging and intricate components for serial production in major industrial verticals,” adds Carroll.
“Manufacturers are better informed about the importance of feedstock in the process and recognise the benefits of a consistent, high-quality metal powder supply. With analysts forecasting the global metal 3D printing market to grow to over $2 billion by the year 2020 at double digit CAGR, we’re looking forward to the next ten years.”
