Bosch Rexroth IndraMotion MTX will power Norsk's MERKE IV line of RPD machines in the world's first industrial scale additive manufacturing factory.

Norsk Titanium AS, the world's leading provider of aerospace-grade, titanium additive manufacturing technology, today announced a partnership with Bosch Rexroth AG to provide customized drive and control solutions for Norsk's patented Rapid Plasma Deposition™ machines in Europe as well as to fulfill a surge of orders bound for the U.S. market.

In recent months, Norsk Titanium has undergone several facility expansion programs to meet customer demand ahead of a planned groundbreaking in the U.S. of the world's first industrial scale additive manufacturing factory.

“We are pleased to partner with Bosch Rexroth and bring their proven MTX technology to our MERKE IV RPD machines,” said Norsk Titanium CEO Warren M. Boley Jr. “The robustness of their PLC platform supports our aerospace customers' need for absolute precision, and their scalability is critical for our ambitious plan to build significant North American capacity.”

Bosch Rexroth's customized solution for Norsk Titanium's RPD motion control involves 10 servo axes configured to control the titanium part build platform, feeding and handling of titanium wire entering the machine, the real-time control of multiple plasma arc torches, and other features.

“Norsk Titanium's pioneering Rapid Plasma Deposition™ technology for additive manufacturing is an excellent showcase for how we can customize our automation platform to meet extremely complex manufacturing challenges,” said Steffen Winkler, Vice President Sales Factory Automation of Bosch Rexroth. “We are proud that our technology is participating in the dawn of a new era of clean and efficient manufacturing.”