WiredInUSA-December2015

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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.

wiredInUSA - December 2015

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