Norsk Titanium
Norsk Titanium, a leader in 3D printing for aerospace-grade structural titanium components using its patented Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) technology, is expanding its rapid part development and qualification capabilities to shorten the lead time and meet accelerated customer part verification needs.
The new capabilities include ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT), heat treatment, finish machining operations, and coordinate measuring (CMM). The company says the new capabilities will allow it to perform all tasks needed to design, develop, and qualify parts without adding any lead time required by the supply chain.
NDT is often used to locate defects in metallic parts. The technology can identify cracks and other quality-degrading features.
“With our RPD Builder rapid part design tool and these new capabilities, we can now take a customer’s final part geometry, design the RPD preform, and validate the design at all our Plattsburgh New York facility,” said Steve Eaton, Norsk Titanium VP of Operations. “We will be able to verify parts in accordance with our customers’ aerospace material specifications in as little as six weeks.”
Norsk Titanium says the expanded capabilities will allow it to deliver limited production rapid prototypes to customers with urgent needs. The company says that rapid part development and prototyping are critical capabilities needed to meet its objective of developing ‘part-in-a-day’ operation and transitioning the number of parts needed to meet the company’s long-term goals.
Norsk says its RPD technology uses “significantly less” raw material, energy, and time than traditional “energy-intensive” forming methods, and gives customers a way to better manage costs, logistics, and environmental impact.