A New Paradigm in the Design of Aluminum Alloys for Aerospace Applications

Property requirements which drive material development for aircraft structures have evolved over the years. In order to take advantage of the enhanced material characteristics to improve performance and lower the overall installed component cost of the aircraft, concurrent consideration of design, materials development, and manufacturing is required. This in turn requires close interaction between the material producer and the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). An example of such a teaming approach is the Integrated Product Teams (IPT). For effective functioning of the IPT, the material producers must better understand how material behavior translates to sub-component performance through the use of design tools. Examples of such design tools developed by Alcoa are given. Case studies for wing and fuselage structures are illustrated. More structurally representative testing methods must be developed to supplement these analytical tools. These tools and structurally representative test methodologies are critical enablers to meet the overall needs of the today's OEM including higher performance, less weight, lower manufacturing and assembly costs, lower aircraft maintenance costs and a higher level of safety.