Processing

GWMG’s alloy processing plan includes:

• GWMG’s two wholly owned subsidiaries Great Western Technologies Inc. and Less Common Metals Limited
• The development of metal making capacity and facilities
• The continued expansion of LCM’s alloy production capacity by 100% by 2012 and then, based on industry demand, continued expansion of capacity.

Great Western Technologies Inc.

GWTI is a wholly owned subsidiary of GWMG. It was incorporated in 2005 as an asset acquisition of an ongoing operation that had been established in the 1980’s.

GWTI processes specialty metal alloys that include rare earth materials, focusing primarily on the battery alloy and hydrogen storage markets. An ISO 9001:2000 registered company, GWTI is based in Troy Michigan where it operates from 24,000 square feet of state-of-the-art manufacturing space.

GWTI has undertaken key projects for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration (DARPA), and is strategically located in the U.S. as America sets out its plan to reduce its dependence on foreign sources of critical materials such as rare earths.

more...


Less Common Metals

LCM is a wholly owned subsidiary of GMWG, having been acquired in 2008. As a global leader in rare earth alloy processing, LCM serves some of the world's largest magnet manufacturers, many of whom in turn, supply the world's largest automobile manufacturers.

At the urging of its long standing and loyal customers, LCM has embarked on the first phase of its expansion program. A new furnace that will produce “flakes” rather than the traditional ingots, again at the urging of its customer base, will be fully operational by January 2012. That will be followed by a second furnace of the same type which is expected to be commissioned in late 2012. This will double the current capacity of LCM from approximately 1,100 tonnes per year to just over 2,000 tonnes per year.

The market has indicated a preference for the “flakes” produced by the new furnaces. This has resulted in LCM gaining access to new markets willing to pay an increased, but an indeterminate amount, above the Chinese market.

Significantly, and in addition to the two new furnaces, because of the long term commitments of major customers such as Aichi Steel, a partially owned subsidiary of the Toyota Group of Companies, LCM will proceed with an expansion process that is scheduled to see its capacity increase significantly. A similar arrangement with Vacuumschmelze of Germany proves once again that LCM is viewed as a trusted supplier of rare earth alloys.

These types of supply agreements are based on the future supply of rare earths from GWMG's Steenkampskraal mine in South Africa.

more...