Norsk Titanium to build industrial-scale aerospace additive manufacturing plant in New York

Norsk Titanium AS, a pioneering supplier of aerospace-grade, additive manufactured, structural titanium components released on July 11, that the State of New York, in partnership with SUNY Polytechnic Institute, has placed an order for an initial lot of 20 of Norsk Titanium’s patented MERKE IV Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) machines. The order is in accordance with an approved state budget allocation to facilitate Norsk Titanium’s US subsidiary building and operating the world’s first industrial-scale metal additive manufacturing plant in New York. Plattsburgh, New York has been selected as the location for the first Rapid Plasma Deposition factory, which is supposed to be operational by the end of 2017. Under the terms of the deal, Norsk Titanium US will provide additional investment into the Plattsburgh operation that is expected to bring the total program commitment to the US$1bn level over the initial 10-year period of operations. A US$125m New York investment in the Norsk Titanium US Plattsburgh factory was approved in the 2016-2017 State budget and first highlighted by Governor Cuomo on April 1, 2016 during the North County Highlights budget address in Albany. Norsk Titanium US is also partnering with the North County Chamber of Commerce in Plattsburgh to support and promote the successful launch and growth of Norsk’s industrial-scale factory including workforce training, economic development and STEM outreach including specific educational programs for SUNY Plattsburgh, local community colleges and other schools in the region. Norsk Titanium’s proprietary RPD process works by feeding titanium wire into a set of plasma torches protected by a cool argon environment that has made it possible to replace legacy forged parts, which take months and even years to develop and produce, with precision, additive manufactured components. The company has signed numerous contracts with the top echelon of aerospace manufacturers and tier-1 suppliers interested in leveraging RPD to cut cost and lead time from airframe and engine programs. Norsk Titanium RPD components have equivalent strength to forgings, but are delivered inexpensively and efficiently, with unprecedented part cost and design-to-market speeds.