Airbus Partners With Norsk Titanium to Develop Titanium DED Process for Aircraft Manufacturing

Bridging Additive Manufacturing and Aerospace Production

Airbus has signed a collaboration agreement with Norsk Titanium to jointly develop and document the Direct Energy Deposition (DED) process for Norsk's Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) technology. The partnership marks a significant step toward qualifying titanium 3D printing for serial aircraft production.

Under the agreement, Airbus will install a Norsk Titanium Merke IV RPD machine at its production facility in Varel, Germany. The companies will focus on joint technical evaluation of RPD manufacturing processes, controls, and validation data to support the transition from part-specific qualification to broader process-based methodologies for specific titanium products.

From Part-Specific to Process-Based Qualification

Currently, each 3D printed aerospace component requires individual qualification — an expensive and time-consuming process. Airbus and Norsk Titanium aim to develop a process-based approach that can be certified once and applied across multiple parts.

Assessing the industrial application potential of RPD, reviewing technical data and documentation, is part of a broader strategy at Airbus to advance diverse Direct Energy Deposition solutions within its manufacturing workflows.

The Merke IV System

Norsk's Merke IV is a 4th-generation RPD machine capable of producing 10-20 metric tons of titanium parts annually, depending on part size and geometry. The system features a build envelope of 900 x 600 x 300 mm and a deposition rate of 5-10 kg/hour.

The technology has already been leveraged by Boeing and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. This new agreement with Airbus builds on a long-term Master Supply Agreement announced in 2024, which sees Norsk supply RPD raw material to the Varel facility to support A350 production.

Significant Cost and Time Savings

Though early in the industrialization process, both companies are confident that RPD technology can offer significant savings on cost and time compared to conventional titanium manufacturing methods.

This agreement marks a pivotal milestone in the enduring technical partnership between Norsk Titanium and Airbus, the companies said in a joint statement.