RTI International Metals' new titanium plant in Virginia has produced its first batch of product for the Airbus A350 XWB.
The initial delivery comes after the Martinsville, Virginia, plant assigned to forge, grind and hot roll raw material into aerospace-grade titanium spent 10 months clearing the Airbus certification process for forgings suppliers.
RTI is already EADS' largest supplier of titanium from North America, says Dawne Hickton, vice chair, president and chief executive of RTI. The products will be used for the A350 XWB and for other EADS and Airbus products, she adds.
The $135 million Martinsville plant has the capacity to forge 6.35 million kilograms (14 million pounds) of titanium annually, but is expected to grow as the plant expands operations.
Airbus is continuing to work on certifying the facility for grinding and rolling mill processes.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
