Alcoa has inked new multi-year supply contracts to supply its aerospace aluminum plate, sheet and hard alloy extruded products to Airbus. The products use Alcoa’s next-generation aluminum lithium alloys. Both the companies signed the contracts at the Farnborough Air Show, this week. The value of those agreements is considered to be about US$1.4 billion.
Aluminum solutions from Alcoa will be utilized across all commercial programs of Airbus and include a number of aluminum lithium applications on the A380 and A350; new lower wing skins on the A320; and also include huge extruded lower wing stringers for use in the A380, large fuselage panels and wing skins for use in the A380, and structural plate for use in the A350.
Alcoa’s facilities in Indiana, Germany, Baltimore and Maryland will provide hard alloy extruded products, which include drawn tubing, rod and extruded shapes for use in floor structures and wing stringers. The company’s facilities in Iowa, Belaya Kalitva in Russia and Kitts Green in the United Kingdom will provide flat rolled products. Aluminum lithium will be casted at the Alcoa Technical Center in Pennsylvania, as well as in a new Lafayette greenfield facility and Kitts Green plants in order to aid Alcoa’s aerospace supply chain.
Aerospace business of Alcoa includes four units. Alcoa Forgings and Extrusions, and Alcoa Global Rolled Products serve the structures market.
Source: http://www.alcoa.com/