Arconic signed a two-year joint development agreement (JDA) with Lockheed Martin with the aim of realizing next-generation advanced materials and manufacturing processes. Together, the companies will develop customized lightweight material systems and advanced manufacturing processes, such as metal 3D printing, to advance current and next-generation aerospace and defense solutions — including new structures and systems not currently in […]
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 […]
HRL Laboratories, LLC, developed technique for successfully 3D printing high-strength aluminum alloys — including Al7075 and Al6061 — which were previously not amenable to additive manufacturing. This opens the door to the additive manufacturing of engineering-relevant alloys for aircraft and automobile parts. Nanoparticle Functionalization Additive manufacturing of metals typically begins with alloy powders that are […]
Renishaw and Aeromet International Limited announced a collaboration to establish additive manufacturing process parameters and material properties for Aeromet’s A20X® aluminum alloy. The two companies will work together to optimize the processing techniques for the high-performance alloy on Renishaw metal additive manufacturing (AM) systems. They are also investigating a range of heat treatment regimes to deliver optimum […]
Braidy Industries, Inc., a new company formed by chairman and CEO Craig T. Bouchard, plans to construct a $1.3 billion greenfield aluminum rolling mill in Greenup County, Kentucky, to produce sheet and plate for the automotive and aerospace industries. The project is being constructed in partnership with the State of Kentucky and the Ashland Alliance. […]
Arconic completed the installation of its new manufacturing technology — the Very Thick Plate Stretcher. Located at the company’s facility in Davenport, Iowa, the stretcher improves the performance of thick aluminum and aluminum-lithium plate in aerospace and industrial applications. The stretching process reduces stress introduced into the plate as part of the manufacturing process, resulting […]
Norsk Titanium AS received an order for 3D-printed titanium structural components from Boeing. The parts, which are being produced by the company’s proprietary Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD™) process, are the first 3D-printed structural airplane components to to be approved by the FAA. It has been reported that the use of these 3D-printed components could eventually save Boeing up to $3 million […]
