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Alcoa to Supply Aluminum Sheet and Plate to Embraer

Alcoa-Embraer

Alcoa signed a long-term contract with Embraer, a leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 130 seats. Under the multi-year agreement, valued at approximately $470 million, Alcoa will supply aluminum sheet and plate for Embraer’s new E2s, the second generation of its E-Jets family of commercial aircraft, a narrow-body medium-range jet airliner. The Embraer E-Jets E2 were launched at the Paris Airshow in 2013 and are scheduled to enter into service in 2018.

“Our partnership with Embraer is rooted in constant innovation and this contract is further proof of that strength,” said Mark Vrablec, president of Alcoa’s Aerospace & Automotive Products business. “Our patented alloys enable us to support our customer’s game-changing E2 program, and we’re proud that Alcoa will fly with Embraer.”

Embraer chose Alcoa’s proprietary alloys for the E2 due to the combination of strength, corrosion resistance and fatigue resistance that they offer. “Alcoa offers a good combination of technical expertise and industry leading material and capabilities,” said Fernando Queiroz, Embraer vice president, Supply Chain. “Embraer designed the E-Jets E2 commercial aircraft to be the best in its segment and to do that, we needed the best material in the business, and Alcoa offers the best solution.”

According to Embraer, the market segment that the new E2 program was designed to serve is projected to require 6,350 new aircraft over the next 20 years. In addition, Embraer also stated that it has more than 50 percent market share by orders with the current E-Jet and expects to maintain similar levels with the new E-Jets E2 aircraft.

The long-term agreement makes Alcoa the sole supplier to Embraer for proprietary wing skins and fuselage sheet on the E2 line of jets. Other Alcoa plate products — used in key applications such as wing ribs, fuselage frames, and other structural parts of the aircraft — are also part of the contract and will be featured on the E2, as well as Embraer’s KC-390 military transport aircraft and executive jets.

The partnership draws on the aerospace manufacturing capabilities of Alcoa’s Global Rolled Products business, supplying Embraer from its plants in Davenport, Iowa, and Kitts Green, United Kingdom. Alcoa’s aerospace businesses will form part of Arconic – Alcoa’s new Value-Add company – to be launched following Alcoa’s separation in the second half of 2016.

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