Airbus Partners With Norsk Titanium to Install Merke IV DED System — Targets Aerospace Manufacturing Transformation

In a significant move for aerospace additive manufacturing, Airbus has signed a collaboration agreement with Norsk Titanium to install a Merke IV® Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD®) system at Airbus facilities in Varel, Germany.

From Part-Specific to Process-Based Qualification

The partnership marks a pivotal shift in how aerospace manufacturers approach additive manufacturing qualification. Instead of qualifying each part individually—a time-consuming and expensive process—Airbus and Norsk Titanium will work toward broader process-based methodologies.

"This agreement marks a pivotal milestone in the enduring technical partnership between Norsk Titanium and Airbus, acting as a catalyst for the adoption of additive manufacturing technologies at Airbus," said Fabrizio Ponte, CEO of Norsk Titanium.

What This Means for Aerospace Manufacturing

The Merke IV system uses Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology to build large titanium aerospace components layer by layer, using wire feedstock and plasma arc energy. This approach offers several advantages:

• Faster lead times — DED can produce large components in hours rather than weeks
• Material efficiency — Near-net-shape production reduces material waste by up to 80%
• Supply chain resilience — On-demand production reduces dependency on forged part suppliers

This collaboration builds on Norsk Titanium's existing Master Supply Agreement supporting A350 aircraft production, further solidifying titanium DED as a mainstream aerospace manufacturing process.