West Manufacturing News • March 2025 • AM Vendor Managed Inventory Solution

United Performance Metals’ (UPM) Additive Solutions and Authentise have announced a partnership to introduce a Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) solution. This offering is designed to streamline material management, traceability and efficiency for manufacturers.

“At UPM Additive, we are dedicated to delivering innovative solutions and the highest quality materials to our customers,” said JJ Johnson, General Manager of UPM Additive Solutions. “The introduction of this VMI solution in partnership with Authentise represents a significant milestone for the additive manufacturing industry, showcasing its increasing maturity and the growing adoption of advanced technologies to streamline production processes, and we are thrilled to be the first to deliver it.”

The VMI solution leverages Authentise’s technology to deliver comprehensive traceability for critical components, such as metal build plates or powders. By tracking the complete history of these objects, manufacturers can enhance quality, streamline production and adhere to rigorous industry standards. Furthermore, the solution streamlines inventory management, helping ensure that critical materials are always available and minimizing the need for manual intervention.

“We are excited to join forces with UPM to introduce this transformative solution to the additive manufacturing industry,” said Andre Wegner, CEO of Authentise. “VMI is a natural extension of our existing Material Genealogy tools, which already provide detailed traceability record. This extends inventory history beyond materials and outside the walls of the manufacturer. By integrating our expertise in data-driven workflow tools with UPM’s extensive knowledge of high-performance metals and tools, we are enabling manufacturers to optimize their operations, reduce costs and deepen transparency.”

The VMI solution also presents financial advantages to manufacturers. By allowing consignment stock in the buyer’s warehouse, the solution reduces capital requirements and enhances cash flow. This flexibility enables manufacturers to quickly respond to evolving market demands and scale their operations more efficiently.