Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. (OTC: LQMT) is the leading developer of amorphous alloys – unique materials capable of retaining a random structure when they solidify, in contrast to the crystalline atomic structure that forms in ordinary metals and alloys. As the first company to produce amorphous alloys in commercially viable bulk form, Liquidmetal has developed an explicit strategy for advancing the commercial adoption of its technologies. The basis for this strategy is a strong intellectual portfolio, valuable partnerships and a strong sales team.
More than double the strength of titanium, highly elastic, non-magnetic and resistant to corrosion, Liquidmetal alloys are a metallic glass that enable applications to achieve unprecedented performance and accuracy levels, making them ideal for medical, military, consumer, industrial and sporting goods products.
Liquidmetal has control of intellectual property rights for this technology with more than 70 U.S. patents – and the applications within this IP portfolio continue to expand. The company recently received an annual purchase order from CoNextions to produce a critical medical device component to be used for suture-based tendon repairs, and, in December, Liquidmetal began selling its Liquidmetal Hybrid Knife, which embodies a geometry that is impractical to produce with any other metal forming process.
“The ability of the Liquidmetal process technology to provide such a high level of part to part dimensional precision and repeatability is showcased by the precise fit of the knife blade and protector,” Paul Hauck, vice president of World-Wide Sales and Marketing, stated in a news release. “After more than 30 years of involvement with metal parts fabrication technologies, I have not witnessed anything like the precision of this molding technology…”
Liquidmetal manufactures its components through a network of Certified Liquidmetal Partners (CLP) comprised of leading alloy material suppliers, machine & mold manufacturers, government agencies, and commercial companies. This structure ensures that each CLP adheres to rigorous testing and certification requirements and means each customer who purchases Liquidmetal parts and services receives a consistently high quality.
The company also maintains the highest standards for itself and kicked off 2016 with news it has received its formal ISO 9001: 2008 certification, which the company says places it in a position to close the gap between early prototypes and high volume dual source to outsourced production.
Liquidmetal reported $42,000 in revenues for third-quarter 2015, down from $97,000 in the comparable quarter of 2014, but marking the fifth consecutive quarter with a significant sequential increase in the number of request for quotes (RFQs).
“In the third quarter of FY15 we again received over 100 RFQs and again achieved an all-time high. Just as significant about 25% of these RFQs came from Europe. RFQs are the lifeblood of our future and this significant quarter-over-quarter increase along with their ever-improving quality gives us substantial reason for optimism as we look towards 2016,” company CEO Tom Steipp stated in the third-quarter earnings call (source:www.seekingalpha.com).
As Liquidmetals prepares to ramp-up production and shipment revenues in the upcoming year, customer education and confidence will play a vital role in its success. For this, Liquidmetals has a strong sales and marketing team.
“During the past 18 months, we’ve worked hard to assemble an internal and external team of sales and marketing professionals … The total team at Liquidmetal is now processing more than 100 RFQs per quarter and more than 200 general technology inquiries … The increasing number and quality of RFQs is a clear reflection of their significant contribution to educating customers on the design principals and material property benefits that come from our technology…,” Hauck stated in the quarterly earnings call.
After hitting several key milestones in 2015, Steipp says the company has built a solid foundation for the beginning and increase of production revenue in the year ahead.
For more information, go to www.liquidmetal.com
