IperionX Limited is pleased to announce the successful completion of site acceptance and commissioning of its advanced 300-ton six-axis SACMI powder metallurgy press at IperionX's Titanium Manufacturing Campus in South Boston, Virginia.

The commissioning of the SACMI powder metallurgy press represents an important expansion of IperionX's U.S. titanium manufacturing platform. The press significantly increases IperionX's compaction capacity and the ability to manufacture a broader range of complex titanium components using its powder metallurgy technologies.

Compared with conventional uniaxial pressing systems, the SACMI press provides higher compaction force, multi-axis movement, improved repeatability and enhanced geometry control. These capabilities are expected to support customer programmes that require more complex component designs, tighter process control and higher-volume production pathways.

The SACMI press utilises titanium powder produced from IperionX's low-cost, U.S.-sourced feedstocks through the Company's patented HAMR titanium process. The press forms near-net-shape titanium preforms that can then be sintered and forged using IperionX's patented HSPT process.

This powder metallurgy pathway will bypass the incumbent titanium sponge supply chain, ingot melting, billet production, multiple hot-working steps and extensive machining. IperionX's manufacturing pathway can reduce titanium waste, production cost and lead times, while maintaining the high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance and performance characteristics that make titanium critical to U.S. defence, aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics and industrial supply chains.

The newly commissioned SACMI press expands the types of products IperionX can manufacture. These include titanium fasteners, gears, brackets, actuators and other complex components that are used across defence, aerospace and industrial applications.

Titanium fasteners illustrate the scale of the opportunity. U.S. industrial and defence supply chains require large volumes of strong, lightweight and corrosion-resistant components, yet broader titanium adoption has historically been constrained by cost, lead times and supply chain concentration. Based on a pressing rate of up to 24 cycles per minute, the SACMI press is capable of approximately 24 single-cavity parts per minute, or approximately 11 million parts per year under operating assumptions, before downstream sintering. Higher part rates are possible where multi-cavity tooling is used for simpler component geometries.

The SACMI press will be integrated with additional HSPT sintering and forging furnace capacity purchased under the U.S. Government-supported IBAS expansion programme. Installation and commissioning of these additional furnaces is expected to begin following their arrival in June. Together, the expanded forming and sintering capacity is intended to accelerate customer qualification and support customer programmes for high-volume manufacturing.

Anastasios (Taso) Arima, IperionX CEO commented:

"Commissioning this advanced SACMI press is an important milestone for IperionX. It gives us greater titanium manufacturing capacity and more flexibility to manufacture a wider range of titanium components for customers in defence, aerospace and industrial markets.

Titanium is a critical material, but its use has often been limited by cost and supply chain challenges. By combining our U.S.-sourced titanium powder, patented HAMR process, powder metallurgy pressing and HSPT sintering and forging, IperionX is building a more scalable platform for domestic titanium manufacturing.

This new press, together with our upcoming furnace expansion, is designed to help move customer programmes from prototypes toward repeatable, higher-volume production."