Photo by: Airbus
TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – US aluminium producer and refine Alcoa this week announced that it had inked a $110-million multi-year agreement with aeroplane manufacturer Airbus to supply value-add titanium and aluminium aerospace parts.
NYSE-listed Alcoa said the products would be made at its state-of-the-art 50 000 t forging press in Cleveland, Ohio.
The press meets tough aerospace specifications and is capable of producing the world’s largest and most complex titanium, nickel, steel and aluminium forgings.
“Our expertise innovating highly engineered products, long history in aerospace, and the unmatched capabilities of our 50 000 t press make Alcoa uniquely qualified to produce high-end solutions for the most advanced aircraft. This agreement deepens our long and collaborative relationship with Airbus with whom we will continue working to advance the industry with superior products,” executive VP and Alcoa Group president for engineered products and solutions Olivier Jarrault said.
Alcoa would supply titanium parts, including forgings used to connect the wing structure to the engine, for the A320neo, Airbus’s most fuel-efficient single-aisle jet. The agreement also includes several large aluminium forgings for the A330 and A380 – including the A380 inner rear wing spar, which is the largest aerospace forging in the world – that would be made using Alcoa’s proprietary 7085 alloy intended specifically for large structural aircraft components.
Most of these forgings support the wing structure where strength-to-weight ratio is critical to efficient flight performance.
In 2012, Alcoa signed multi-year supply agreements with Airbus for Alcoa’s aerospace aluminium sheet, plate and hard alloy extruded products utilising Alcoa’s current, advanced-generation and aluminium lithium alloys. Terms were not disclosed, but the agreements were valued at about $1.4-billion.
In addition to sheet, plate, forgings and extrusions, Alcoa specialty fasteners and structural castings were also used on Airbus aircraft.
Alcoa has a long history of being involved in the aerospace industry.
During 2012, Alcoa’s aerospace business generated $3.8-billion in revenues.