- New commercial agreement between Spirit
and Norsk Titanium identifies thousands of titanium parts currently
manufactured at Spirit or by its suppliers as 3D-printing
candidates
WICHITA, Kan.,
June 20, 2017 /CNW/ -- Spirit
AeroSystems [NYSE: SPR] and Norsk Titanium AS have entered into a
commercial agreement to produce 3D-printed structural titanium
components for the commercial aerospace industry. Norsk Titanium's
proprietary plasma arc Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) technology
will be used to build up the parts to a near-net shape, reducing
waste, using less energy and reducing product costs by up to 30
percent.
Spirit currently builds thousands of titanium parts for
multiple customers around the globe and expects that at least 30
percent of them could be candidates for the RPDTM
process.
"We are pleased to enter into this innovative commercial
agreement with Norsk Titanium to fabricate compliant and
high-quality parts for our customers," said Spirit President and
CEO Tom Gentile. "Reducing our
material cost and our environmental impact is a win-win for Spirit,
our customers and the communities where we do business."
Spirit AeroSystems and Norsk Titanium have been working
together to develop this technology for the aerospace industry
since 2008. This commercial agreement between the two companies
solidifies and extends the partnership and identifies specific
parts that can be immediately produced using RPD™.
"As the Spirit and Norsk Titanium relationship approaches
its 10th year, we reflect on the value of this partnership and the
significant milestones achieved during the transition from R&D
to production," said Norsk Titanium CEO Warren Boley. "We recently announced becoming
the world's first FAA-approved 3D-printed structural titanium
provider and Spirit is the ideal tier-one aerostructures partner to
leverage this pioneering capability."
Spirit AeroSystems is one of the largest manufacturers of
fabricated parts for the aerospace industry. The company recently
announced plans to expand its fabrication business to support other
manufacturers around the globe.
On the web: www.spiritaero.com
On Twitter: @SpiritAero
About Spirit AeroSystems
Spirit
AeroSystems designs and builds aerostructures for both commercial
and defense customers. With headquarters
in Wichita,
Kansas, Spirit operates sites in the U.S.,
U.K., France and Malaysia. The
company's core products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and
wing components for the world's premier aircraft. Spirit
AeroSystems focuses on affordable, innovative composite
and aluminum manufacturing solutions to support customers around
the globe. More information is available
at www.spiritaero.com.
About Norsk Titanium
Norsk
Titanium is the world's pioneering supplier of aerospace-grade,
additive manufactured, structural titanium components. The company
is distinguished in the aviation industry by its patented Rapid
Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) process that transforms titanium wire
into complex components suitable for structural and safety-critical
applications. Norsk Titanium is a tier-1 supplier to Boeing and is
committed to cost-reducing aerostructures and jet engines for the
world's premier aerospace manufacturers. RPD™ is the world's
first FAA-approved, 3D-printed, structural titanium, delivering
substantial lead-time and cost savings for aerospace, defense, and
commercial customers.
www.norsktitanium.com
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spirit-aerosystems-and-norsk-titanium-announce-commercial-aerospace-collaboration-300476291.html
SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems Inc.