IperionX Appoints Harold Sears as Senior Advisor for Additive Manufacturing

IperionX Limited Appoints Harold Sears as Additive Manufacturing Senior Advisor. IperionX’s low-cost, low-carbon, circular titanium metal powder is a key enabler for the manufacture of a wide range of specialized titanium components. The appointment of Harold Sears as Senior Advisor will enhance IperionX’s technical capabilities for rapid additive manufacturing of high quality, low cost prototype and production titanium components for advanced industries.

Mr. Sears brings over 32 years of experience in rapid manufacturing technologies, including 29 years in additive manufacturing. This includes a highly distinguished career at Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) where he held the role of Technical Leader of Ford’s Additive Manufacturing Technologies, and led a large team of additive manufacturing engineers, specialists, and operators to accelerate the integration of additive manufacturing technologies into Ford’s manufacturing environment. He has a proven capability to develop and implement additive manufacturing processes that leverage state-of-the-art technologies for the production of commercial parts and prototypes. He has significant experience in scaling additive manufacturing technologies for high-volume automotive production parts and to deliver rapid prototypes for new product development and manufacturing tooling try-outs.

Mr. Sears will play a key role in guiding the expansion of IperionX’s additive manufacturing capabilities across a range of production modalities. A large number of leading companies in the automotive, consumer electronic, bicycle and defense sectors are accelerating the use of additive manufacturing to improve sustainability, reduce long lead times and to rapidly produce large volumes of low cost, complex parts. IperionX currently has two Laser Bed Powder Fusion printers and one Binder Jet printer that are used to rapidly prototype titanium components to optimize final design, and to print production series parts for customers.

Unlike other market providers, IperionX’s patented technologies can produce low-carbon titanium metal from 100% recycled titanium production scrap or out-of-specification recycled titanium powder feedstocks, allowing prototyping to take place at lower cost and with significantly lower environmental impact.

Mr. Sears’ appointment as a Senior Advisor builds upon the recent IperionX and Carver Pump partnership to introduce additively manufactured titanium pump components into the U.S. Navy’s supply chain. When coupled with benefits of additive manufacturing, this leading partnership offers the U.S. Navy an ability to rapidly manufacture complex, operation-critical titanium parts with lower lead times.

Anastasios Arima, co-founder and CEO said: “I am pleased to announce the addition of Harold Sears to the IperionX team as our Additive Manufacturing Senior Advisor. Harold brings a wealth of industry-leading experience and expertise, having spent over 32 years leading additive manufacturing programs at Ford Motor Company, which is particularly notable given that initial development of IperionX’s patented titanium technologies were funded via the U.S. Department of Energy for light-weighting across the U.S. automotive industry, with support from Ford. Harold’s deep knowledge and extensive experience across the additive manufacturing field will be invaluable as we scale our breakthrough sustainable titanium technologies for advanced industries.“

Harold Sears, Additive Manufacturing Senior Advisor said: “I am excited to be working with IperionX to develop market leading in-house additive manufacturing capabilities. Their patented titanium technologies offer a valuable competitive advantage to customers that need to rapidly innovate with additive manufacturing, but at lower cost and lower environmental impact. I look forward to assisting with building a world-class additive manufacturing division that will offer customers innovative and sustainable titanium components on shorter timeframes.”

Find out more about IperionX at iperionx.com.