The next winner of the 2020 formnext start-up challenge is MolyWorks, a US-based company focused on the circular economy for metal. I caught up with Christopher Eonta, founder of MolyWorks, to learn more.
MolyWorks is also the winner of the AM Ventures impact award, a special sustainability award.
3DPI: When was your company founded and where are operations based?
CE: MolyWorks is based and founded in 2015, in Cloverdale, California. The first Greyhound system was built in a shipping container on our front lawn. Currently, MolyWorks is recycling or printing, for 11 international commercial customers, 10 domestic commercial customers, and several contracts with four United States Government agencies.
3DPI: Can you tell us more about your team’s background and experience with AM?
CE: The founders have backgrounds in Chemical, Mechanical, and Materials Engineering. That foundation formed MolyWorks, which has produced powder, designed parts, printed parts and recycled it all again. MolyWorks has had the privilege of forward-thinking Angel investors: former CTO of Micron; former Executive of Westinghouse and Secretary of the Army, and the Chief Supply Chain Officer of Intel.
3DPI: What does your company do?
CE: The Greyhound system has been recognized by NASA with the following quote: “…no other commercial company exists which is capable of making this material…”
MolyWorks is the creator of the circular economy for metal. The MolyWorks’ Greyhound system converts metal waste into metal powders for additive manufacturing (AM) at the point-of-need. The Greyhounds at Molyworks facilities are available to be ordered and utilized at customer sites; immediately creating your own circular economy. The Greyhound has demonstrated expertise in over 21 metals for AM, and has been contracted for land, air, sea, and space applications.
MolyWorks is creating a more sustainable future, one pound at a time.
3DPI: How does your company fit into the additive manufacturing ecosystem?
CE: The Greyhound enables the circular economy immediately for customers. By providing an end-of-life solution for all metal products, metal becomes an appreciating asset instead of a cost of goods sold. It solves the fourth quadrant of the circular economy, which is— collection, sorting, reprocessing.
3DPI How would you describe the roadmap for your enterprise in the coming years?
CE: Additive Manufacturing is an inherently distributed technology, however metal production infrastructure is remarkably centralized. A majority of countries have no commercial powder operations today. In order to supply the printer capacity, metal powder must be imported which has regulatory, lead-time, and availability issues. A Greyhound system immediately starts providing powder for a company or regional market while consuming the existing metal waste.
3DPI: Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
CE: The Greyhound System has provided a paradigm shift, for metal reuse into additive manufacturing grade powder. This is accomplished with the lowest energy, carbon, and physical footprint in the world.
In the last 12 months, MolyWorks has been recognized by NASA, the United States Department of Energy, United States Air Force and Army, and AM experts. MolyWorks strives to enable customers to achieve feats not yet thought possible for land, sea, air, and space applications.
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