Tuesday, October 7, in the presence of Additive Manufacturing industry players attending a meeting organized by Bpifrance, SOCOMORE and SILIMELT signed a partnership agreement. Focus of the agreement is the industrialization of titanium powders for additive manufacturing, responding to the aerospace industry's needs.

In the coming years, the aerospace industry will increasingly adopt additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) for critical parts, as well as engines and superstructures. In response to this trend, SILIMELT (a startup based in Bordeaux, France, that has developed a process for the manufacturing of powders from PLASMA) and SOCOMORE (a supplier of surface treatment and protection solutions for the aeronautics industry), will collaborate on the qualification and production of Titanium powders based on SILIMELT technology, at SOCOMORE industrial sites. The partnership's principal objective is the validation of the “Green Titanium” process for the production of titanium powders by recycling machining chips.

This will be SOCOMORE's first partnership agreement under the Breizh-lab concept. This will see industrial companies based in Brittany (France) provide free office and lab space, as well as access to industrial infrastructure in their manufacturing facilities, to startups with an industrial background. The aim being to support innovation in their respective markets.

Created in April 2009, SILIMELT designs and commercializes plasma-torch systems and develops plasma- based processes for production and recycling of advanced materials. The company currently focuses its work on its test facilities located at Limoges in the European Center of Ceramics and benefits from a preferred access to the aerospace market by participating in the Aerospace Valley competitiveness cluster.

SOCOMORE is a European company founded in 1972. As of 2013, the SOCOMORE Group represents a turnover of € 40 million, 180 people and 13 subsidiaries around the world. SOCOMORE designs, manufactures and commercializes specialty chemical solutions for critical operations: preparation, processing and protection of metal surfaces or composite materials for the aerospace, automotive, rail, nautism and energy industries. SOCOMORE has been involved in various innovation clusters for a long time. This agreement marks an important milestone in its collaborative approach SMEs - innovative start- up.