Printing Titanium Aircraft Components Takes Off
New parts printed by the RPD process could save Airbus $2-$3 million per aircraft.
Posted: February 5, 2016
Norsk Titanium AS (Oslo, Norway) has announced that a first shipment of Airbus test parts manufactured by their patented Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD) process has been received and finish machined by Premium AEROTEC (Augsburg, Germany) with excellent results.
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 the companies 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’s near-net-shape RPD components into finished test pieces,” said Dr. Joachim Schmidt, the head of parts production at Premium AEROTEC Varel Plant.
“This fast-track qualification program is a great example of the value proposition RPD brings to our commercial aerospace partners,” added Chet Fuller, the chief commercial officer at Norsk. “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 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.
Norsk Titanium is a supplier of aerospace-grade, additive manufactured, structural titanium components. The company is distinguished in the aviation industry by its patented RPD process that transforms titanium wire into complex components suitable for structural and safety-critical applications. Their research and development team is committed to displacing the age old and inefficient forging process with a precision wire deposition technology embodying substantial savings for aerospace, defense, and commercial applications.
Premium AEROTEC is one of the world’s leading tier-1 suppliers of commercial and military aircraft structures and is a partner in the major European and international aerospace programs. The company’s core business lies in the development and production of metal and carbon fiber composite aircraft structures, as well as the associated equipment and production systems. The company has manufacturing sites in Augsburg, Bremen, Nordenham and Varel in Germany, as well as in Braşov in Romania.
www.norsktitanium.com, www.premium-aerotec.com
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