Metals firm to employ 100 with £10m move
‘Pioneering’ metal and alloys company Metalysis has committed £10m site at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham.
The company, which has a site in Wath upon Dearne in South Yorkshire, is launching its Materials Discovery Centre at the Park to expand its research and development capabilities.
Metalysis produces titanium, tantalum, metal and alloy powders using greener electrolysis process.
At its new site, it will carry out projects to produce exotic metal powders for high performance allows in the aerospace and automotive sectors.
When complete it will employ 100 people in total across its South Yorkshire sites, with recruitment already underway.
This follows its first new customer, rare earth miner Mkango Resources contracting Metalysis for a commercial R&D programme to develop 3D printed rare earth magnets for electric vehicles.
Metalysis has committed approximately £10m to creating the Materials Discovery Centre and at its Materials Manufacture Centre in Wath-upon-Dearne as it launches its Generation 5, which will see manufacturing options for thousands of tonnes per annum of high value metal alloy powders developed.
Douglas Caster, chairman of Metalysis, said: “We are very proud to be part of the UK’s fourth industrial revolution and we do so with responsibility and optimism. We have a truly unique, patented technology that can produce highly desired metals and novel alloys which have historically been considered too difficult, or too exotic and costly. The UK stands to benefit from our world-leading, transformational process and I am very excited to seeing what the coming decade will bring for Metalysis.”
Dion Vaughan, CEO of Metalysis, said: “Here at our new Materials Discovery Centre, Metalysis will carry out bespoke, commercial R&D projects to produce exotic metal powders for high performance alloys used by customers such as the aerospace and automotive industries. Titanium compositions for light-weighting vehicles, High Entropy Alloys for aero-engines and Rare Earth elements for permanent magnets for electric vehicles are a few examples of the projects we are working on.
“Using the deep talent base around Sheffield University and AMRC, fantastic and capable colleagues in this historically industrious Rotherham area, supported by patient capital, Metalysis will define the next chapter in an arc of innovation stretching back to Huntsman, Bessemer and Brearley.”
Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, said: “The council has worked with Metalysis since 2004 and watched the company progress from theoretical research to game-changing technology that is set to transform the metals industry.
“Building on Rotherham’s reputation for high skilled, high-quality manufacturing, this new development from Metalysis ensures that we remain at the cutting-edge of innovation and research, bringing the next generation of engineering and manufacturing jobs.”
Lord Prior of Brampton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), said: “Through our Industrial Strategy we will support sectors across the UK by commercialising and building on our scientific and research strengths to deliver real-life solutions that have a global impact.
“The investment in the new Materials Discovery Centre at the Advanced Manufacturing Park will lead the UK’s effort to develop innovative materials for the manufacturing industry, and uphold our reputation for scientific excellence across the world.”
