9 / 46
9
wiredInUSA - December 2015
MAKING
THENEWS
Alcoa flying high with $1bn deal
US-based Alcoa has signed a contract
to supply aerospace fastening systems to
Airbus, a deal valued at approximately
$1 billion. The contract is Alcoa’s largest
fastener contract with the aircraft
manufacturer, which already uses Alcoa’s
fasteners on every Airbus platform.
The fasteners will be used to assemble
some of Airbus’s latest airplanes, including
the A350 XWB, its newest commercial
airplane. Alcoa will supply advanced
fastening systems, such as those that
enhance the assembly of aircraft panels
and engine pylons on newer airplanes
with sophisticated design features.
The A350’s composite panels incorporate
an outer copper mesh to manage the
direct effects of lightning, helping to
maintain the Faraday cage principle
and channelling the electrical current
harmlessly around the fuselage, rather
than letting it pass through to damage
fasteners and structures.
Alcoa’s fasteners are made from
stainless steel, titanium and nickel-based
superalloys, which improve fatigue
life, enable lightning strike protection,
and improve wear and reusability on
conventional and composite aircraft.
Alcoa has acquired RTI International
Metals;
aerospace
components
manufacturer, TITAL; and global jet
engine parts manufacturer Firth Rixson, in
a move to capture a greater share of the
aerospace market.
INDEX