Rob Higby is ready for the future.Leading up to Formnext 2024, the CEO of metal powders supplier Continuum Powders spoke with me about what the company has accomplished so far, and why that makes him so optimistic about where Continuum is headed going forward.The connecting thread between point A and point B there is the new global headquarters that Continuum Powders has just opened in Houston, Texas.Much more than a mere corporate office, the location is home to the site of what Continuum says is North America’s “largest sustainable metal powder production” facility.There are many reasons why picking the right location is such an important consideration for a business that revolves around recycling.
For a company that sells recycled metal powders, specifically, locating a facility in the US gives Continuum the immediate potential to maximize its direct affect on one of the epicenters of global advanced manufacturing, by adding to the nation’s overall domestic feedstock supply:“I think that the availability of metal powder has been enough of an issue that it has stifled the rate of development and adoption of advanced manufacturing applications,” Higby asserted.“The push to be able to get this much closer to customers, in a more customized manner, is going to increase the practicality for businesses shifting towards an advanced manufacturing strategy of producing on a part by part basis, versus waiting in line for castings and forgings.”Location, for a company like Continuum, is about being able to have access to the right customers, and the right partners.At the same time, of course, location isn’t the only angle that factors into how the company builds its relationships.
Especially in the context of a business model where sustainability is one of the primary selling points, there has to be strategic alignment between Continuum and its customer base:“If you just want a commodity metal, we’re probably not the company for you.That’s just a race to the bottom,” said Higby.“Those are powders that are typically procured overseas, and in most cases quality is less of a priority for those suppliers.
Where we can really stand out is when customers can not only see a cost benefit by making a commitment to a long-term effort to contribute to a circular economy, but where they’re also focused on making the case to their customers that the quality of the powder results in the best possible end-product.“Our dream customers are the ones who are going to bring in scrap from parts that have previously been printed or cast or forged and have now been retired, and would otherwise simply just go to waste.What we’re banking on is potential customers having that aha moment where they say, ‘I didn’t realize I could have my supply chain guy in Winston-Salem talk to my powder guy in Orlando.’ Once that happens, it becomes clear why it’s not just an ESG story — the circular economy is better for profit and loss, too.”That business case for sourcing powders domestically seems like it’s about to get much more compelling.Particularly since the US presidential election, but indeed, progressively over the last several years, critical metals have been at the forefront in global trade disputes.Both China and Russia are major sources of all the metals most crucial to advanced manufacturing, from the most widely-used to the rarest, and these have all been increasingly mobilized as bargaining chips by all sides in the geopolitical strategic competition over the future economy.
Not long after our interview, for instance, China announced bans on exports to the US of metals used in the semiconductor sector, in response to a similar announcement by the US regarding the sale of microchip technology to China.And, not long before our interview, US representatives at a G-7 meeting urged other members to ban imports of Russian palladium and titanium (the Russian company VSMPO-AVISMA is the world’s largest producer of titanium).It is rather unsurprising, then, that titanium is one of the materials that Higby has the most optimism outlook on:“Titanium is typically procured from Russia, China, and Ukraine, and obviously the ongoing developments in all three of those nations encourage the impetus behind the wave of reshoring that’s occurred throughout this decade,” Higby explained.“So, this couldn’t be a more optimal moment for boosting the capacity to recycle titanium in the US.“This isn’t just about what have been the largest markets, traditionally, for titanium, like aerospace/defense and space, although I think those markets are going to continue to be in hypergrowth mode.
It’s also about newer areas like consumer goods, like the Apple Watch and the iPhone.“So, from both ends, supply and demand, there’s a bit of a perfect storm happening with titanium, and it’s one that we’re really excited about.We have a very unique case that we can make to a shop owner who’s consuming, say, 12 tons of titanium a year, and otherwise wouldn’t be able to tell you when the next shipment of titanium is coming in, because it’s coming in from halfway around the world, from a geopolitical flashpoint.We’re able to provide an incomparably better customer experience, not to mention the quality and the price and all the sustainability benefits.”With all that said, it is notable that, in the week following the presidential election, Continuum saw a spike in interest from potential customers:“Whatever the reason, we’ve seen an abnormally high uptick in outreach from customers,” said Higby.
“Quote requests have been surging, with many of the inquirers mentioning that they’re considering switching vendors.So I think 2025 is going to be a better year for AM in the US than 2024 was, if only for the fact that there’s just a limited amount of manufacturing capacity and volume in the world, and supply chains are starting to catch up to that fact.“Now, there are businesses that are starting to see that they have to at least incorporate AM as part of their overall supply chain strategy, aside from the customers that are turning to AM primarily as a matter of preference.A conversion to a dual strategy of conventional manufacturing supplemented by AM is what I really expect to start to take hold in the near future.”And that’s precisely the area in which Continuum is poised to shine: converting a manufacturing operation’s conventionally manufactured waste directly into AM feedstock.Interestingly, despite the innumerable political angles associated with this area of industry, the overall business case for Continuum Powders illustrates why the circular economy is wholly beyond politics.
Whether you’re more inclined to see things from the sustainability angle, or the resilience angle, it is ultimately the same story.Images courtesy of Continuum PowdersSubscribe to Our Email NewsletterStay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
