CNPC Powder and automotive supplier Brose have entered a strategic partnership to promote sustainable, circular manufacturing in the automotive industry. This collaboration will convert steel scrap metal from Brose’s Chinese production lines into CNPC’s iron-based powders for additive manufacturing. This new partnership shows how industrial collaboration can transform production waste into high-value materials, reinforcing sustainability across the automotive supply chain.
Using advanced production methods, including AMP and PS spheroidisation technologies, CNPC Powder produces metal powders with high sphericity, flowability, stable particle size distribution, low oxygen content, and compliance with international quality standards such as IATF 16949. The closed-loop process reduces raw material dependency and helps to minimise industrial waste while supporting Brose’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives.
CNPC Powder has extensive experience in recycling programs, producing materials such as 100% recycled Ti6Al4V Grade 23 powders with SCS Certification and high-sphericity AlSi10Mg powders. These initiatives demonstrate the company’s commitment to sustainable materials for advanced manufacturing.
Brose, a privately owned German company, develops and manufactures vehicle systems including doors, liftgates, seats, and electric motors ranging from 200 watts to 14 kilowatts for applications such as steering, thermal management, and e-scooters. With approximately 31,000 employees across sixty-eight locations in twenty-four countries, Brose leverages AM to accelerate product development while ensuring prototypes match series-production materials.
The new Green Steel metal powder, produced entirely from recycled stamping waste from Brose’s press shops, retains the chemical composition and mechanical properties of conventional sheet metal components. This allows it to meet machine compatibility requirements while supporting circular economy initiatives. Green Steel is still under evaluation for future volume production, but the partnership between CNPC Powder and Brose marks a significant step forward for sustainable, closed-loop Additive Manufacturing in the automotive sector.
What do you think of this development? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn or Facebook pages! Plus, don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter to get the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox. You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.
*All Photo Credits: CNPC Powder & Brose