6K Additive (ASX: 6KA) announced on September 30, 2026, a 30-month long-term supply agreement for Nickel 718 metal powder with ADDMAN, North America's largest additive manufacturing company. The contract has a minimum value of $8.1 million and could reach up to $10.8 million if demand materializes as expected. The powder will be used for ADDMAN's production of components for the aerospace, defense, and energy sectors. The agreement includes two notable features: first, a dedicated inventory stocking program for ADDMAN to ensure a stable supply of Nickel 718 powder; second, an industry-first recycling and buyback program—6K Additive will repurchase ADDMAN's surplus/recycled powder after use and reprocess it into high-purity spherical powder using its proprietary UniMelt microwave plasma process, creating a closed-loop supply chain and reducing total cost of ownership. The agreement framework also leaves room for future business expansion between the two parties. On the day the agreement was signed, 6K Additive's stock price rose 5.5% to close at A$0.67. ADDMAN CEO Joe Calmese stated that the collaboration strengthens the company's ability to deliver high-performance parts for critical aerospace, defense, and energy applications. 6K Additive CEO Frank Roberts called it a natural evolution of the long-term trusted relationship between the two parties. Value for powder buyers: ① U.S.-domestic Nickel 718 powder supply is locked in for 30 months; aerospace/defense customers can watch for incremental demand spillover and delivery windows within the ADDMAN system; ② The closed-loop model of powder use–buyback–reprocessing has been implemented in contract form for the first time, providing a replicable paradigm for the recycling and cost reduction of high-value nickel-based powders; domestic powder manufacturers can reference this in establishing compliant recycling systems; ③ Monitor 6K Additive's capacity utilization and the pace of subsequent long-term agreements as a leading indicator of the North American supply landscape for IN718/Ni625-type powders.