Airbus and Norsk Titanium have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly develop and document the Direct Energy Deposition (DED) manufacturing process for Norsk Titanium’s Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) technology.

Under the agreement, Norsk Titanium will install a Merke IV RPD machine at Airbus’ production facility in Varel. The programme will evaluate manufacturing processes, controls and validation data required to support wider industrial use of the technology.

“This agreement marks a pivotal milestone in the enduring technical partnership between Norsk Titanium and Airbus, acting as a catalyst for the adoption of additive manufacturing technologies at Airbus,” says Fabrizio Ponte, CEO, Norsk Titanium.

The collaboration aims to support a shift from part-specific qualification toward broader process-based methodologies for certain titanium components. Technical data generated at the Varel site will be used to assess the industrial application potential of the Rapid Plasma Deposition process as Airbus expands its Direct Energy Deposition manufacturing capabilities.

“With a standardised process it will be easier to transition parts to RPD and to bring many more parts into scope over time. This will support Airbus’ pioneering work to implement DED in more applications,” adds Ponte.

The cooperation builds on an existing Master Supply Agreement under which Norsk Titanium supplies RPD raw material to Airbus’ Varel facility to support A350 production. The commercial aerospace sector remains a key focus for Norsk Titanium as it works with Airbus to industrialise additive manufacturing processes for titanium aircraft structures.