BLT and Willray obtain IATF16949 automotive quality certification for metal powder production

BLT and Willray have both passed IATF16949:2016 automotive industry quality management system certification, covering the design and production of metal powders. At least three domestic Chinese AM powder makers, including Zhongti New Materials, now hold this automotive-sector certification. BLT separately holds AS9100 aerospace and ISO13485 medical certifications, giving it accredited quality systems across three regulated verticals: aerospace, medical, and now automotive.

Automotive quality-management certification is typically a prerequisite for supplying powder into serial vehicle production, not just prototyping, so this marks a formal qualification step rather than a new technical capability. It fits the broader shift where Chinese metal powder producers are moving past raw process demonstration toward the documentation and audit trail that automotive buyers require before placing recurring orders. Automotive AM adoption remains selective and tooling-heavy rather than broad serial-part production, so certification expands eligibility to bid into automotive supply chains without guaranteeing volume. The practical effect is that BLT and Willray can now be shortlisted for automotive powder RFQs that require IATF16949 as a gating criterion.