Boeing Co hired Norsk Titanium AS to print the first structural titanium parts for its 787 Dreamliner, the Norwegian 3-D printing company said on Monday, paving the way to cost savings of $2 million to $3 million for each plane.
The contract is a major step in Boeing's effort to cut the cost of its barely profitable 787 and a sign of growing industrial acceptance of 3-D printing technology, which is replacing more expensive traditional ways of manufacturing components.