Norsk Titanium supplies flight-critical structure to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

Norsk Titanium, a global leader in additive manufacturing of aerospace titanium structural components using its patented Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) technology, announces the delivery of a flight-critical aircraft structure to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), a leading developer of unmanned aircraft systems and prime contractor to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Under a development contract with GA-ASI’s Additive Design & Manufacturing Center of Excellence, Norsk Titanium has supplied RPD fabricated parts for testing and evaluation. GA-ASI will perform destructive testing to support specifications and part development.

“General Atomics has been dedicated to maturing directed energy additive and implementing it in their production programs,” said Nicholas Mayer Norsk Titanium Vice President of Commercial, “After an extensive collaborative qualification effort over the past few years with Norsk Titanium, GA-ASI plans to apply the qualified process to structural components within their next generation platforms currently under development, and is planning on their first flight of a critical, structurally loaded component, within the 2024-2025 timeframe.”

Norsk Titanium has recently achieved qualification and production milestones in its core market for commercial aerospace titanium. The continued expansion of its offering in the defense market is an integral part of Norsk Titanium’s long-term growth strategy.

In summary, Norsk Titanium’s delivery to GA-ASI marks a decisive step in the application of advanced 3D printing technologies in the aerospace industry. The use of RPD technology for critical aircraft components underlines the potential of additive manufacturing to significantly increase efficiency and performance in the production of aerospace components. This progress demonstrates not only Norsk Titanium’s innovative strength, but also the growing confidence in 3D printing technologies as a reliable method for high-stress aerospace applications.