Boeing to Use First 3-D Printed Components on Commercial Jet Plane

Boeing is set to use 3-D printed components for the first time on a commercial jet plane, according to CNBC.

Norsk Titanium, a Norwegian firm, confirmed Monday the production order for 3-D printed structural titanium components for the Dreamliner 787.

The new process should reduce the costs of production, according to John Byrne, Boeing vice president of airplane materials and structures and suppler management.

"From the outset, the 787 has been the hallmark of innovation and efficiency. We are always looking at the latest technologies to drive cost reduction, performance, and value to our customers," Byrne said.

The 3-D printed parts will make up a portion of the load-bearing structure of the plane, the report said.

The Dreamliner 787's list price is $312.8 million and Boeing builds them at its North Charleston, South Carolina factory, CNBC reported.

"This means $2 million to $3 million in savings for each Dreamliner, at least," Chip Yates of Norsk Titanium said, reported Reuters.

Norsk said that printers in Norway will produce the parts at first, but the company plans to have nine printers at work in New York by the conclusion of 2017, according to Reuters.

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