Tiangong International to launch titanium alloy powder in June, targeting metal AM market

Tiangong International (00826.HK), a global leader in tool and die steel, announced that its titanium alloy powder project in Jiangsu Province has reached a critical milestone. The company's first plasma atomization (PA) powder production system is nearing the final commissioning stage, with first commercial-grade titanium alloy powder output expected in June. The initial phase includes three PA production lines with an annual capacity of 300 tonnes. A second phase will add 15 next-generation PA units and one EIGA line, targeting a total capacity of 3,000 tonnes per year. The project is listed as a 2025 key provincial industrial initiative in Jiangsu.

This move places Tiangong directly into the metal AM powder supply chain, a segment that QYResearch estimates will grow from $355 million in 2024 to $799 million by 2031 at a 12.2% CAGR. The company is leveraging its existing position in titanium ingot melting and its 2024-installed electron beam cold hearth furnace (EB furnace) for scrap recycling, creating a vertically integrated loop from raw material to powder. This positions Tiangong as a domestic alternative to established Western powder suppliers such as AP&C (GE Additive), TLS Technik, and Praxair, particularly as Chinese OEMs and service bureaus seek localized supply chains amid trade uncertainties. The consumer electronics titanium pull-through, driven by Apple's confirmed use of AM in Watch Ultra 3 and iPhone Air, adds a high-volume demand vector that favors domestic powder sources with scale and cost discipline.

For the metal AM industry, Tiangong's entry is a supply-side signal that the Chinese localization arc is accelerating beyond machine hardware into materials. The company's ability to execute on the 3,000-tonne target will determine whether it becomes a credible production-grade supplier or remains a capacity announcement. Buyers should evaluate Tiangong's powder against ASTM F2924 and F3001 specifications for Ti-6Al-4V, and verify batch-to-batch consistency before qualifying it for aerospace or medical production runs. The real test is not the June launch but the repeatability of the first 100 tonnes.