ECKA Granulate GmbH of Fürth/Bayern, Germany, one of the world’s largest non-ferrous powder producers reports that it is to discontinue copper powder production at its MicroMet site in Hamburg early in October 2008 where Cu and other powders have been produced since the early 1930s.

The company plans to expand capacity for electrolytic and copper powders at three other European locations – Senecourt, France, and Velden and Trautenfort, Germany. ECKA is also rebuilding its burned down powder plant in Birmingham, UK, which it expects to be operational by the end of 2007.

The rebuilt plant will have two gas atomisation facilities plus a water atomiser to produce special alloy powders based on Fe, Co, and Ni. The plant was acquired from BSA Metal Powders in December 2005.

ECKA Granulate MicroMet also produces ultrafine copper powders (lt;1µm) using a wet chemical precipitation process for electronic and MIM applications such as MLCC and externally heated micro-fluid mixers.