Norsk Titanium Collaborates with QuesTek Innovations LLC

Farnborough, UK – July 17, 2018 – Norsk Titanium (Norsk) and QuesTek Innovations LLC (QuesTek) announce a collaborative effort to test novel titanium alloys for applicability in additive manufacturing processes. As part of this collaboration, the companies are evaluating a QuesTek-designed titanium alloy using Norsk’s Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) process. Preliminary evaluation of the alloy is complete and Norsk has manufactured initial test specimens.

The test program will characterize the alloy microstructure, provide initial material properties, and will confirm QuesTek’s Ti alloy performance using Norsk’s proven production process. QuesTek’s patented titanium alloy has previously demonstrated approximately 15% greater strength and improved ductility over traditional Ti-6Al-4V in both wire-based Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing and traditional casting processes.

"We are excited to be working closely with Norsk Titanium’s business and technical team to evaluate our alloy in their proven process. Based on our interactions with the major aerospace component suppliers and aircraft OEMs in the U.S., Europe and Japan, we know there is a significant desire for reliable, higher performance Additive Manufactured titanium components that will enable light weighting and an increase in component life,” said QuesTek's Manager of Business Development Jeff Grabowski.

When implemented, the new alloy is expected to provide material properties in excess of the standard Ti-6Al-4V already provided by Norsk. “Norsk is continually evaluating new applications of our process beyond the structural airframe components in production today. QuesTek’s novel titanium alloy will allow RPD™ to grow into new applications and will allow designers to take further advantage of the benefits of additive processes,” stated Norsk Vice President of Product Development Nicholas Mayer.

Norsk will have a display of its RPD™ technology at the upcoming Farnborough International Airshow, Hall 4, Booth 41430, 2018, July 16-20. For more information, visit norsktitanium.com.

About Norsk Titanium AS

Norsk Titanium is a global leader in metal 3D printing, innovating the future of metal manufacturing by enabling a paradigm shift to a clean and sustainable manufacturing process. With its proprietary Rapid Plasma Deposition^® (RPD^®) technology and 700 MT of production capacity, Norsk Titanium offers cost-efficient 3D printing of value-added metal parts to a large addressable market. RPD^® technology uses significantly less raw material, energy, and time than traditional energy-intensive forming methods, presenting customers with an opportunity to better manage input costs, logistics, and environmental impact. RPD^® printed parts are already flying on commercial aircraft, and Norsk Titanium has gained significant traction with large defense and industrial customers

About QuesTek Innovations

QuesTek Innovations LLC is a global leader in Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME). QuesTek has used its proprietary Materials by Design® methodology to rapidly design and deploy a family of commercially-available Ferrium® steels that are being used in demanding military landing gear applications, flight-critical components on SpaceX rockets, and are being qualified to increase the power density and durability of next generation helicopter transmission gears. QuesTek has been involved in 30 projects to resolve materials issues across various alloy systems in additive manufacturing (Al, Mg, Cu, Fe, Co, Ni and Ti) to improve component performance.