Norsk Titanium and Airbus have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly develop and document the DED Process for Norsk Titanium’s RPD® (Rapid Plasma Deposition®) technology
Plattsburgh, New York – March 3, 2026 – Norsk Titanium and Airbus have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly develop and document the DED Process for Norsk Titanium’s RPD® (Rapid Plasma Deposition®) technology.
“This agreement marks a pivotal milestone in the enduring technical partnership between Norsk Titanium and Airbus, acting as a catalyst for the adoption of additive manufacturing technologies at Airbus,” comments Fabrizio Ponte, CEO of Norsk Titanium.
As part of the collaboration, Norsk Titanium will install one of its Merke IV® RPD® machines at an Airbus production facility in Varel. The collaboration focuses on joint technical evaluation of RPD® manufacturing processes, controls, and validation data to support the transition from part-specific qualification to broader process-based methodologies for specific titanium products.
By installing a Merke IV® RPD® machine at the Varel site, Norsk Titanium and Airbus will collaborate on the technical data and documentation required to assess the industrial application potential of the Rapid Plasma Deposition® (RPD®) process. This evaluation is part of Airbus’ broader strategy to advance diverse Direct Energy Deposition (DED) solutions in its manufacturing operations.
“With a standardized process it will be easier to transition parts to RPD® and to bring many more parts into scope over time. This will support Airbus’ pioneering work to implement DED in more applications,” says Ponte.
The commercial aerospace market remains a cornerstone of Norsk Titanium’s growth strategy. This cooperation agreement on process development is additional to the existing long-term Master Supply Agreement to supply RPD® raw material to Varel to support A350 production (reported April 15th 2024) and it is contributing to the Airbus global ambition to adopt DED technology.
“We are still very early in the industrialization process, and we remain very confident that our RPD® technology can offer the aerospace industry significant savings on cost and time. Together with Airbus we will make this happen,” says Ponte.
For more information, please contact:
Fabrizio Ponte, President and CEO of Norsk Titanium Email: Fabrizio.ponte@norsktitanium.com Tel: +1 404 426 2270
Ashar A. Ashar, CFO Norsk Titanium Email: Ashar.Ashary@norsktitanium.com Tel: +1 518 556 8966
About Norsk Titanium Norsk Titanium is a global leader in additive manufacturing of aerospace-grade titanium components. Its patented Rapid Plasma Deposition® (RPD®) technology enables scalable production of structural parts with lower waste, lower energy use, and shorter lead times than conventional manufacturing processes.