Norsk Titanium and Premium AEROTEC look to produce additive manufactured titanium aircraft components
January 21, 2016
Norsk Titanium AS, Oslo, Norway, has announced that a first shipment of Airbus test parts manufactured by Norsk Titanium’s patented Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) process has been received and finish machined by Premium AEROTEC.
The Titanium Ti-6Al-4V sample parts, for which Premium AEROTEC holds design authority, are currently undergoing stringent engineering analysis at the company’s testing facilities. Results will be used for the qualification program in a joint approach between Norsk Titanium and Premium AEROTEC as the next step to develop full industrial technology maturity.
“We ordered samples of two of our proprietary Airbus A350 XWB parts and were pleasantly surprised how quickly they arrived and how efficiently we were able to machine Norsk Titanium’s near-net-shape RPD components into finished test pieces,” stated Dr Joachim Schmidt, Head of Parts Production at Premium AEROTEC Varel Plant.
Premium AEROTEC Titanium Ti-6Al-4V sample part additive manufactured by Norsk Titanium
“This fast-track qualification program is a great example of the value proposition RPD brings to our commercial aerospace partners,” stated Norsk Titanium Chief Commercial Officer Chet Fuller. “We turned AEROTEC’s 3D CATIA files into flyable titanium parts in a matter of weeks under a cost reduction effort that could ultimately save Airbus $2-$3 million per aircraft.”
In addition to the Norsk Titanium parts currently in testing, Premium AEROTEC supplies fuselage shells and sections, wing components, floor structures, the pressure bulkhead, and the main landing gear attachment for the high-tech Airbus A350 XWB. The company also supplies the pressure bulkhead and titanium components for the composite Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
In December 2015 Norsk Titanium announced that it had achieved Technology Readiness Level Eight (TRL 8) by concluding a test plan coordinated through the Federal Aviation Administration. The results of Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research Inc.’s multi-year testing campaign demonstrated that Norsk’s RPD titanium parts meet demanding aerospace requirements and can now be supplied to the world’s premier aerospace and defence manufacturers for final certification and airframe integration.
