CNPC Powder announces AiMS centre for AI-driven materials innovation
CNPC Powder, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, has announced its new Additive Intelligence & Materials Science Center (AiMS). The 2,500 m2 facility is located in the heart of Shanghai, China, and has been designed to operate as a multidisciplinary innovation ecosystem for industry partners, serving as a hub for integrating materials science, process automation, and artificial intelligence within a single framework.
“The goal is simple but ambitious: to evolve from a traditional material supplier into a Material–Process–AI solution partner,” explained Nathaniel Preston, Sales Manager at CNPC Powder. “Our clients not only look for quality materials that meet standards but increasingly require a partner to redefine what’s possible in production performance and reliability.”
The AiMS centre has been organised around five critical and interconnected departments:
- Advanced Materials Development & AI R&D Center: focused on new high-performance alloys and machine-learning-based formulation optimisation.
- Technology Innovation & Automation Center: dedicated to process refinement and automated line transformation.
- Application Development & AI Validation Center: responsible for AM parameter development, small-batch prototyping, and AI model validation.
- Global Sales & Technical Support Center: managing client collaboration and international project delivery.
- International Logistics & Supply Chain Center: ensuring agile distribution with 3–5 day global delivery to major hubs in Europe and North America.
Article: Inside Nikon’s metal AM strategy
Part 2: Scaling industrial production in Long Beach
| Read now |
The initiative is reported to sit within CNPC Powder’s incorporation of artificial intelligence into material design and manufacturing control. The development and deployment of tailored AI models will be used to predict material performance, streamline powder consistency, and accelerate iteration cycles in customer applications.
Chief Operation Officer Kathy Liu stated, “By embedding AI into every step of material development, we can predict optimal parameters before they are even tested. This shortens the path from concept to production and ensures our customers always receive consistent, validated results.”
Paul Shen, CEO of CNPC Powder, commented, “Our vision is to create a world-class hub that not only develops materials but empowers customers to innovate faster. Shanghai will be our launch point for global-scale cooperation and AI-driven manufacturing excellence.”
