Norsk Titanium develops nickel-based superalloy for US Navy applications
Under a contract from Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI)
Norsk Titanium (Euronext: NTI, OTCQX: NORSF), a global leader in additive manufacturing for aerospace-grade structural titanium components, has qualified Inconel 625 for use with its patented Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) technology for US Navy applications.
Under a contract with Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI), Norsk Titanium has adapted their industrialized RPD process for Inconel 625. As part of the ongoing effort, Norsk Titanium and BPMI are developing the deposition parameters and heat treatment process needed to produce additively manufactured Inconel 625 with material properties equivalent to legacy castings and forgings.
Inconel 625 is used in US Navy applications that require high strength and resistance to corrosion. Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. is developing new manufacturing processes for Inconel 625 to deliver cost and schedule savings to their customers as well as developing alternating sources of supply for crucial materials.
“This initial effort is an important first step in opening the nickel superalloy market to our additive process,” said Nicholas Mayer Norsk Titanium Vice President of Commercial. “We look forward to taking the learning from this effort, and applying it to specific Naval applications,” added Mr. Mayer.
Norsk Titanium has recently announced qualification and production milestones in their core commercial aerospace titanium market. The addition of nickel superalloys and maritime applications is a key part of Norsk Titanium’s long-term growth strategy.
Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI), a prime contractor for the United States Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP), has been scaling its adoption of AM for nuclear propulsion applications. Last September the company awarded a contract to ATI Inc., a producer of high-performance materials and solutions for the aerospace and defense markets, and other critical applications, to support the development of highly-engineered part solutions in support of the US Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
To support the contract, which calls for advanced manufacturing methods including metal additive manufacturing, ATI established a dedicated AM facility outside Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
