Recently,Airbus has entered into a new round of in-depth cooperation with Norway's Norsk Titanium.The two parties signed a joint research agreement to accelerate the large-scale application of Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) additive manufacturing technology for critical titanium alloy components in aviation.
Building on the successful certification of the A350 lower frame fitting by both EASA and FAA,this structural part is the highest-class large load-bearing titanium component manufactured via additive manufacturing that has achieved mass production in commercial aviation.The core objective of the cooperation is to shift the industry standard from part-by-part certification to integrated process qualification,greatly shortening the cycle for new product conversion.
As planned,Norsk Titanium will install the Merke IV additive manufacturing system at Airbus' Varel site in Germany to jointly conduct process verification,qualification assessment of titanium alloy wire and standardization research.The RPD wire-fed directed energy deposition process produces near-net-shape titanium alloy preforms.Compared with conventional forging,it significantly improves material utilization and reduces raw material waste,while delivering mechanical properties meeting the requirements for fatigue-critical aviation components.
This cooperation further highlights the aviation industry's emphasis on advanced additive manufacturing technology for titanium materials.As Airbus continues to develop new manufacturing solutions for titanium components,additively manufactured titanium products are expected to gradually replace some conventional forgings,bringing new opportunities to the global high-end titanium supply chain.
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