By Michael Niedzinski, Constellium. During the past 60 years the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) charted the western world’s course for the exploration of outer space. NASA managed and funded programs such as Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and the International Space Station, which is supported by Space Shuttle missions and more recently by the Space […]
The Parker Solar Probe, launched on August 12, 2018, began a journey that will bring it closer to the sun than any mission before. The probe carries sensors and instruments that will enable unprecedented, close-up observations of the Sun’s corona and solar wind, which will address unsolved scientific questions, as well as making contributions to […]
Arconic officially opened its expanded aluminium and titanium aerospace parts facility in Bestwig, Germany. The expansion increases Arconic’s production capacity to meet growing demand from commercial aircraft customers for lightweight titanium investment castings for the aerospace industry. “We have significantly invested in Arconic Bestwig’s capabilities, almost doubling our titanium parts production capacity, and have added […]
Triumph Group, Inc. announced that its Aerospace Structures business was awarded a multi-year airframe component contract for Lockheed Martin’s C130J Super Hercules, a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. Under initial terms of the contract, Triumph Fabrications in San Diego, California, will provide 108 different part numbers for the C130J program. The parts include fabricated sheet […]
Taber Extrusions, headquartered in Russellville, AR, expanded its capabilities through the acquisition of the Exact Manufacturing division of Lou-Rich, Inc. With this acquisition, Taber will continue to offer Ultra Precision Extrusions®. These micro-extrusions (Figure 1) — produced with circle sizes of 3 inches or less and weights of 1 lb or less—are used in a […]
Researchers at Purdue University developed a high-strength aluminum alloy and coatings. Xinghang Zhang, a professor in Purdue’s School of Materials Engineering who led the team of researchers, noted that there is increasing demand for such materials because of their advantages for automakers and aerospace industries. “We have created a very durable and lightweight aluminum alloy that is […]
STELIA Aerospace, in partnership with Constellium, Ecole Centrale de Nantes, and CT Ingénierie, introduced a demonstrator for metallic self-reinforced fuselage panels, with stiffeners directly manufactured on the surface, through additive manufacturing. In the long term, this new technology could eliminate the current added stiffeners, which are attached to the fuselage panels with fixing screws and […]
Arconic Inc. plans to invest $137 million to install a new horizontal heat treat furnace at its Davenport Works facility in Iowa. Heat treatment is a required step in the production of certain high-strength products, and is essential for products intended for large aerospace and industrial applications. This new furnace will enable Arconic to heat treat […]
