Tekna, a supplier of advanced materials and plasma systems for industrial applications, has reached a major production milestone: 1,000,000 kilograms of titanium powder. The achievement marks ten years of continuous growth and industrialization of titanium atomization, reflecting not only the volume produced but also the expertise, processes, and people driving Tekna’s success.
“1,000,000kg is more than a milestone, this achievement represents a decade of continuous growth, world-class quality and certifications and a motivated team determined to provide the best product to our customers,” the company wrote in a LinkedIn post.
The journey began in 2013–2014, when Tekna’s R&D team developed its plasma atomization process, a technological challenge completed in record time. By January 2015, industrial production started with a single atomization system, scaling quickly to 24/7 operations. A second line was added in 2016, enabling further growth and expanding the company’s capacity for high-quality titanium powders.
Commitment to Quality and Certification
Quality and certification have been central to Tekna’s operations. The company secured critical certifications including ISO 9001, AS9100, Nadcap, ISO 17025, and ISO 13485, enabling access to global markets and ensuring consistent particle quality, traceability, and documented process control.
This week, Tekna renewed its ISO 13485:2016 certification for its Advanced Materials division, confirming that its commercial powder manufacturing processes meet the highest standards for medical products. The recertification, valid until January 2029 and conducted by NQA, evaluated manufacturing, HR, purchasing, equipment maintenance, and laboratory practices. Executive VP Rémy Pontone noted that the certification “enables the acceleration to penetrate the market by facilitating our product qualification.”
Producing hundreds of tons of titanium powder consistently requires repeatable particle quality and verified process control. Tekna’s adherence to standards ensures uniform particle size, morphology, and chemistry for demanding applications like aerospace and medical additive manufacturing. Its 2025 NADCAP accreditation further confirmed that Tekna’s powders meet stringent aerospace requirements across heat treatment, chemical processing, and non-destructive testing (NDT), reducing the audit burden on aerospace and defense OEMs across the supply chain.
A Growing Industry Standard
Tekna is not alone in this approach. AP&C expanded its market reach through AS9100 certification, reinforcing its position as a qualified supplier to aerospace primes. Elsewhere, Sandvik Additive Manufacturing’s AS9100D certification positioned the company to deliver aerospace-grade titanium and nickel powders, enabling deeper collaboration with customers developing flight-critical components and accelerating qualification pathways.
Together, these examples demonstrate that rigorous quality systems are not optional; they are essential to ensuring metal powders can be reliably produced and adopted for safety-critical, high-performance applications. While certification enables access to these high-performance markets and supports scale-up, actual output volumes and part performance remain dependent on validated process controls and production equipment.
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Featured image shows Close-up of titanium alloy powder. Photo via Tekna.
