aerotec

Norsk Titanium, a supplier of 3D printed aerospace components, has delivered additive manufactured titanium aircraft parts to Premium AEROTEC for machining.

Under a joint qualification programme for additive manufactured titanium aircraft components, Norsk Titanium recently delivered the first aircraft sample part produced through the company’s patented rapid plasma deposition (RPD) process to Premium AEROTEC.

Premium AEROTEC will use titanium Ti-6Al-4V sample parts for A350 XWB airframe workshare cost reduction purposes and started engineering analysis of the product at the company’s testing facilities.

Premium and Norsk will use the results of the engineering analysis test for the qualification programme, which is the second move towards developing a full industrial technology maturity of the sample part.

"This fast-track qualification programme is a great example of the value proposition RPD brings to our commercial aerospace partners."

The titanium Ti-6Al-4V sample part was designed by Premium AEROTEC.

Premium AEROTEC Varel Plant parts production head Joachim Schmidt said: "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."

Premium AEROTEC provides various aero structures for A350 XWB, the wide-body aircraft of Airbus that entered service last year.

In addition, the company provides fuselage shells and sections, wing components, floor structures, pressure bulkheads as well as the main landing gear attachment for Airbus A350 XWB.

Premium AEROTEC also provides the pressure bulkhead and titanium parts for the composite Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Norsk Titanium chief commercial officer Chet Fuller said: "This fast-track qualification programme is a great example of the value proposition RPD brings to our commercial aerospace partners.

"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 $2m – $3m per aircraft."

Image: Premium AEROTEC titanium Ti-6Al-4V sample part additive was manufactured by Norsk Titanium. Photo: courtesy of Norsk Titanium.