Stretching the Limit of Possibilities: Arconic’s New Stretcher Takes Thick Plate to New Heights

Following the commissioning of Arconic’s very thick plate (VTP) stretcher in 2017, Arconic has worked closely with its customers to qualify and supply high strength aluminum alloy products with increased gauge and/or width capability. Applications for these materials include, but are not limited to, fuselage frames, wing ribs, integral wing skins & structural components for space launch vehicles. In parallel, Arconic is expanding industry-standard material specifications, specifically for 7050-T7451 & 7085-T7451. The unique characteristics of the VTP stretcher (largest pull force & cross-sectional capability in the world) together with an optimized fabrication flow path have enabled high performance plate products in dimensions that were not previously available in the market. A detailed update will be presented covering new mechanical property and damage tolerance data for 7050-T7451 up to 9” in thickness and 7085-T7451 plate up to 10” in thickness. New S-basis static allowables for 7050-T7451 between 8 and 9” thick and for 7085-T7451 between 7 and 10” in thickness will be presented, highlighting how these products maintain very attractive properties in these larger dimensions. Further, an updated dataset of damage tolerance properties including fracture toughness, fatigue and fatigue crack growth will also be presented. Both 7xxx products are showing excellent corrosion resistance in these expanded gauge ranges following extensive testing in lab-scale environments (per industry specifications) as well as in seacoast environments. Finally, an updated timeline will be shared regarding commercialization steps relative to temper registrations, AMS specifications and MMPDS allowables.