Norsk Titanium and Airbus partner to qualify RPD for critical titanium parts
Metal AM company Norsk Titanium has entered into a new agreement with European aerospace leader Airbus to industrialize and quality the former’s Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) technology for the production of high-criticality titanium structures. This cooperation & research agreement comes just months after the companies announced that Airbus would be installing one of Norsk Titanium’s Merke IV RPD 3D printers at its facility in Varel, Germany to evaluate the technology.
Norsk Titanium’s proprietary RPD technology is a directed energy deposition (DED) process that uses a plasma arc to melt titanium wire feedstock. The technology, which operates in an inert argon gas environment, results in near-net-shape parts that require minimal machining to reach tight tolerances. According to Norsk Titanium, its RPD technology enables users to achieve a 50-75% buy-to-fly ratio improvement compared to conventional metal manufacturing processes while maintaining material properties comparable to those of forged titanium.
These capabilities are of interest for Airbus, which is expanding the role of metal AM within its development and production. In this case, the companies will be qualifying RPD technology for the production of high-criticality structural titanium parts following the successful certification of a 3D printed Lower Frame Fitting component.
The 3D printed Lower Frame Fitting, now in series production at Norsk Titanium’s facility in Plattsburgh, first flew on Airbus’ A350 aircraft this year. The part is reportedly the largest and highest classification 3D printed part to be certified by EASA and the FAA for a commercial aircraft aerostructure. “Together with the recent FAA certification of the Lower Frame Fitting for the Airbus A350, this represents an additional endorsement of our RPD technology and another step toward expanding the adoption across commercial aircraft programs”, said Fabrizio Ponte, CEO of Norsk Titanium, about the new partnership agreement.
Through the new framework, Airbus and Norsk Titanium will work together to industrialize and qualify RPD to expand applications for critical structural aircraft parts. As part of the agreement, the companies will be looking to technically qualify titanium wire, validate the industrial process, and establish greater standardization in line with Airbus’ (and the aerospace industry’s) strict requirements.
“Industrialization takes time, but the direction of travel is clear,” added Ponte. “Working together with Airbus, we are building the foundation for RPD to serve the industry at scale and to deliver the cost, lead-time and material savings that the aerospace industry requires.”
As part of the cooperation & research agreement, Norsk Titanium will coordinate with Airbus’ DED project team on several points, including engineering and airworthiness and operational implementation at the latter’s Saint Eloi and Varel facilities. Ultimately, the goal of the cooperation is to establish RPD as a long-term production solution for Airbus, enabling it to benefit from greater material efficiency as well as production agility for critical aircraft structures.
