Aleris Plate and Sheet Developments for Metallic Airframes – an Update

The increased pressure on Airframe manufacturers from the airline customers to provide cost efficient, environmentally friendly aircrafts which offer more comfort for passengers has led to the introduction of advanced materials such as fibre reinforced composites. Also in the field of aluminium significant progress was made on the development of new alloys allowing for further weight reduction and optimized buy-to-fly ratios compared to today’s flying alloys.

These new alloys are specially designed for optimum performance considering new manufacturing techniques and aircraft designs recently introduced or to be applied for future aircrafts.

Several alloy concepts are currently being evaluated at Aleris including 2xxx alloys containing Li, 5xxx alloys with Sc additions and 7xxx alloys having a higher Zn content than the incumbent variants.

With a density of AlMgSc being lower than today’s AlCuLi alloys, and their excellent fatigue and damage tolerance properties, high thermal stability and good corrosion resistance, they offer substantial benefits in terms of weight and cost savings. Additionally the application of advanced manufacturing technologies such as Laser Beam and Friction Stir welding in combination with a subsequent creep forming process simplifies further integration of structural components and offers additional weight and cost reductions.

Even though new concepts based on Sc and Li containing alloys are the current focus of today's AC material developments, also new conventional 7xxx alloys show potential for improvements in properties, considering both strength and damage tolerance aspects.