The world's largest aluminium producer, engages in the competition of
manufacturers. The company wants to stop the trend for aircraft made
of carbon fiber and relies on lightweight metals.
Rio Tinto Alcan brings a new range of super lightweight high-tech
metals on the market that are supposedly superior to plastics in
aircraft construction. This is the emerging trend will be slowed down
on the use of carbon fiber materials (CFRP) in aircraft. As Christophe
Villemin, head of the aerospace division Alcan Global Aerospace, said
in an interview FTD, is a new alloy with the family name AIRWARE "the
answer to the challenges of future aircraft."
Indeed, there is no one way only for the use of new plastics. For the
air show in Farnborough, Alcan announced two major contracts from
Airbus and Bombardier for new light metals.
The Alcan's development shows that the major aluminium suppliers have
not given up the struggle for the material plane of the future. The
aviation industry is for both Alcan and Alcoa for the competitor to
the major markets of their material. Although there is a new-model
Boeing 787 and Airbus' new A350 model to more than half of carbon
fiber composites. Yet the race is open: The new Model C-Series of
small Canadian manufacturer Bombardier, which will fly in 2012 for the
first time, but can not get a CFRP fuselage, but is made from a
mixture of both light metals, aluminium and lithium.
The key decision in the material struggle comes when Airbus and
Boeing, the material for the successor of their best-selling A320 and
737 series pick. "I'm still not convinced that an A320 successor as
Kompositflugzeug makes sense," said Jean Botti, EADS Chief Development
Officer prior to the air show. Thus, the lightning protection of a
plastic aviator is considerably more complex than that of a metal
airplane. This lifting weight and cost advantages of CRP on again.
Airbus may have the choice of material time anyway. The A320 is the
successor until after 2025. Boeing is probably earlier with a
successor. But the U.S. company's decision is not yet clear whether
the small series such as the 787 comes in CFRP. "We look at the
developments of both materials at very closely," says Boeing's civil
aircraft chief Jim Albaugh.
Depending on your view to see the representatives of CFRP materials or
new aluminium alloys in their material advantage. Both camps speak of
the potential 20 percent weight savings over previous aluminium
structures. And both camps weight savings seen as an important
contribution to economical aircraft. Alcan managers Villemin is
particularly proud "that the AIRWARE products are 100 percent
recyclable. This is a contribution to environmental protection."
Airbus and Alcan are already exploring together how aluminium can be
reused from old aircraft.
As evidence of his hopes for the new alloy products AIRWARE Alcan
invests 42.5 million euros in its Issoire plant in France and in the
development center in Voreppe. First major customer for the new metal
alloys are Airbus for the A350 wing components and fuselage panels for
Bombardier competitors of the future C-Series models with 100-149
seats. What is the expected revenue from the contracts, will not
betray the Alcan managers. "There are very large, long-term
contracts," said Villemin. Hopes to finish the managers on the use of
new light alloys in the new Chinese aircraft model C919. "We see no
reason why there no Airwar could also be used." The Chinese currently
get anyway, many Western aerospace suppliers on board to build its
Airbus competition pilots.
