Norsk Titanium US Inc. will open a nearly 70,000-square-foot additive-manufacturing production and training facility in the fourth quarter this year. The Plattsburgh Demonstration & Qualification Center (PDQC) will complement the U.S. company’s new headquarters and manufacturing facility in Plattsburgh, N.Y., which is targeted for completion in 2017. The PDQC facility will include Norsk Titanium’s “Ultra lean cell” (ULC), which demonstrates a production line that turns CAD files into finished aerospace parts in a space of approximately 120 feet. The ULC showcases the 3D printing, heat treatment, nondestructive testing and final machining of aerospace-grade titanium parts in a process time of less than 40 hours.

The PDQC, which will house approximately 50 skilled workers and office staff, will also include space and facilities for up to 10 MERKE IV™ RPD™ machines. One MERKE IV can produce approximately 20 metric tons of aerospace-grade structural titanium components per year. The first titanium aerospace components to be produced by Norsk in Plattsburgh are planned for November 2016.