SAE Tomorrow Today
337. Additive Manufacturing Certified for Aerospace
Why It Matters
Additive manufacturing’s ability to reduce material waste, lower weight, and accelerate part delivery addresses critical cost and environmental pressures in the aerospace industry. As airlines and defense contractors seek faster, more efficient production, certified AM solutions like Norse Titanium’s become essential for next‑generation aircraft design and maintenance.
Key Takeaways
- •Wire-fed AM cuts titanium waste by 10‑50% versus forging.
- •Production ramps to steady state within two to three months.
- •AS9100 certification ensures aerospace‑grade quality from day one.
- •Large parts up to 80 kg printed, enabling complex designs.
- •Consistent material properties achieved across Norway and New York facilities.
Pulse Analysis
Norse Titanium has positioned wire‑fed additive manufacturing as a disruptive alternative to traditional titanium forgings in aircraft airframes. By depositing material only where needed, the process eliminates 10‑50 % of the waste generated by machining solid billets, delivering both environmental and cost benefits. The plasma‑arc welding system can lay 10‑mm wide strings at high speed, allowing rapid production of structural components that weigh up to 80 kg in the as‑deposited condition. This capability opens the door to larger, more intricate parts that were previously impossible with conventional casting or forging methods.
The company’s quality framework has been AS9100‑certified since its inception, ensuring aerospace‑grade reliability from day one. After a new part qualification, Norse Titanium reaches a steady‑state value stream within two to three months, feeding a consistent volume of components to downstream stress‑relief, machining, and non‑destructive‑testing operations. Calibration cycles and a frozen‑process approach guarantee identical material properties whether the build occurs in Norway or New York. Mechanical testing follows ASTM standards, and once the engineering justification is accepted, the parts can be incorporated into Boeing, Airbus, or defense platforms without additional certification hurdles. Beyond waste and speed, additive manufacturing unlocks a design paradigm shift.
Integrated, curvilinear structures replace bolt‑laden assemblies, reducing part count, weight, and fatigue hotspots while preserving safety margins. This flexibility is especially valuable as the titanium supply chain faces periodic shortages, giving manufacturers a resilient source for large structural elements with lead times of 26‑50 weeks. Looking ahead, Norse Titanium envisions printing even larger, more complex components for next‑generation commercial aircraft and space vehicles, where traditional processes cannot meet size or geometry demands. As the technology matures, on‑site MRO printers could further cut aircraft downtime, reshaping both civilian and defense aerospace ecosystems.
Episode Description
When aircrafts are lighter, they use less fuel and are easier to maintain. That’s why major airline manufacturers are increasingly using titanium and carbon in their construction.
Norsk Titanium is the only high deposition rate additive manufacturing company that is FAA-approved and OEM-qualified for structural titanium parts—and their wire-based manufacturing process reduces material waste by up to 50%.
Listen in as we sit down with Philip Riegler, Product Quality Manager, to explore how additive manufacturing is transforming aerospace production, from lightweight titanium structural components to large-format printed parts for commercial and defense aircraft.
From serial production programs with Airbus and Boeing to future applications in aerospace, defense, and space, this conversation dives into the realities of certifying 3D-printed flight hardware, scaling additive manufacturing globally, and why titanium supply chain pressures are pushing the industry toward a new era of production.
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