Metal Powder Works Signs Powder Partner Agreement with CenterLine to Develop Automotive Tooling Solutions Using Cold Spray Technology
Highlights:
MPW signs Powder Partner agreement with CenterLine (Windsor) Limited, a global leader in cold spray technology and advanced automation
Collaboration driven by automotive customer demand to evaluate cold spray technology using Kirksite, a zinc-aluminum alloy widely used in automotive, aerospace, and defence tooling
Partnership combines MPW’s DirectPowder™ engineered metal powder capabilities with CenterLine’s Supersonic Spray Technologies (SST) platform
Kirksite represents a new alloy for MPW’s growing powder portfolio, with an addressable market of USD 100-300 million in the automotive industry alone.
Builds on recent cold spray validation milestones, where MPW’s DirectPowder™ process surpasses legacy atomisation
Provides a significant entry point into the global automotive industry, opening new market opportunities beyond aerospace and defence
Initial development and validation work to commence immediately
Metal Powder Works Limited (ASX: MPW) (“the Company” or “MPW”), a specialty materials company, is pleased to announce it has signed a Powder Partner agreement with CenterLine (Windsor) Limited (“CenterLine”), based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, to collaboratively develop advanced metal powder materials for cold spray applications.
The collaboration is being driven by an automotive customer seeking to evaluate cold spray technology using Kirksite, a zinc-aluminum alloy. Kirksite is a long-standing staple in the automotive, aerospace, and defence industries, valued for its role as a practical “bridge” between digital design and final, mass-produced steel tooling.
Strategic Significance
The CenterLine partnership is strategically significant for MPW on multiple fronts:
New alloy, expanding MPW’s powder portfolio: Kirksite (zinc-aluminum) represents a new alloy addition to MPW’s growing Direct Powder™ portfolio, which now spans 25+ materials including high-strength aluminum, copper, copper nickel alloys, CP-Ti, and Zircaloy. The development of Kirksite powder for cold spray applications addresses an estimated addressable market of USD 100-300 million in the automotive industry alone. As the automotive, aerospace, and defence industries increasingly adopt cold spray for tooling repair and rapid prototyping, MPW is well-positioned to supply the engineered powder feedstock required for these applications.
Kirksite competes wherever tooling users need: low capital cost, fast lead time, good dimensional accuracy, and moderate tool life for limited production runs, especially in automotive sheet‑metal try out, aerospace forming tools, plastics molding inserts, and composite lay‑up molds
Builds on proven cold spray powder performance: MPW’s DirectPowder™ material has been independently validated as achieving better results than with legacy atomised powders. Cold spray is a fast, affordable process for tooling restoration, repair, and modification. The Center Line partnership extends this proven capability into a new alloy system (Kirksite) and anew end-market (automotive tooling), demonstrating the breadth and versatility of MPW’s DirectPowder™ platform.
Entry into the automotive industry: The CenterLine partnership provides MPW with a significant entry point into the global automotive industry. While MPW has established strong credentials in aerospace, defence, and energy applications, the automotive sector represents a substantial new addressable market for the Company’s engineered metal powders. CenterLine’s established relationships with major automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers, combined with its global footprint across nine manufacturing sites in seven countries, provides MPW with an accelerated pathway to commercialisation in this sector. The partnership is driven by direct automotive customer demand, underscoring the market pull for cold spray tooling repair solutions that extend tool life, reduce downtime, and lower costs for manufacturers.
Upon successful completion of the development and validation work, MPW and CenterLine intend to negotiate a commercial offtake agreement establishing minimum annual volumes, pricing structures, and lead times for ongoing powder supply.
“This collaboration is about meeting customers where speed, flexibility, and cost matter most,” stated MPW CEO John Barnes. “By combining our powder development capabilities with CenterLine’s cold spray technology, we’re opening the door to faster repairs and more agile tooling strategies—without waiting weeks for a recast tool.”
“Cold spray is uniquely suited for tooling repair because it allows us to restore material properties without introducing the heat-related distortion or metallurgical changes associated with traditional weld repair,” said a spokesperson for CenterLine. “Partnering with MPW enables us to pair advanced powder engineering with our Supersonic Spray Technologies platform, delivering a high-performance Kirksite repair solution tailored specifically to the speed and cost pressures of today’s automotive programs.”