Back to Media Back to all Press Releases

Spirit AeroSystems and Norsk Titanium Announce Commercial Aerospace Collaboration

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, KANSAS — June 20, 2017 — 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 RPD™ 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.

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 Spirit AeroSystems Inc.

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

Media Contact:
Jarrod Bartlett
316.523.5649 (direct) | 316.925.1852 (cell) | jarrod.s.bartlett@spiritaero.com