6K Additive expansion to deliver five-fold increase in powder
6K Additive, a division of 6K, based in North Andover, Massachusetts, USA, broke ground on its 45-acre global headquarters and manufacturing campus expansion in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, USA, on March 30, 2026. The project is supported by a $23.4 million Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III grant and the successful completion of the company’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Australian Securities Exchange last December, which raised AU$48 million (US$31.4 million).
The expansion is expected to enable a five-fold increase in production capacity, scaling from 200 metric tons to a targeted 1,000 metric tons annually. The project will also reportedly introduce new commercial capabilities, including tripling the footprint of its existing powder production building for nickel, titanium and stainless-steel metals, adding dedicated facilities for refractory metals and ingot melting, with the company stating that this will support a fully domestic supply chain for materials critical to US national security.
“The combination of federal support through the DPA Title III grant and the capital from our successful IPO allows us to fast-track our vision of a secure, sustainable, and domestic supply of critical metals,” said Frank Roberts, CEO of 6K Additive. “We aren’t just adding floor space and buildings; we’re constructing a world-class industrial campus to anchor a secure supply chain across the defence, aerospace, and energy industries.”
Securing the domestic supply chain
The expansion directly addresses the critical need for high-performance materials in extreme environments. 6K Additive will leverage its proprietary metal powder and alloy compacts production capabilities to produce spherical powders and alloy additions essential for:
- Hypersonics and defence: High-temperature materials like tungsten, rhenium, and C-103 for missile systems and flight surfaces.
- Nuclear and energy: Specialised alloys for advanced reactors and fusion energy.
- Aerospace: High-strength nickel and titanium components for next-generation propulsion.
Strategic funding and regional impact
The DPA Title III grant, awarded through the Department of Defense’s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, covers 50% of the expansion costs. When paired with the IPO proceeds, 6K Additive is fully capitalised to complete the renovation, acquire advanced equipment, and hire over seventeen new skilled employees in engineering and technical operations and support the local economic base with thirty-seven construction jobs.
The project includes the construction of four new buildings: an alloy warehouse, a dedicated melt building for ingot production, and a pre- and post-processing facility funded through the grant and IPO proceeds with a dedicated state-of-the-art refractory facility being constructed in 2027. Initial production at the expanded Burgettstown site is expected by the end of 2026.
