Recent development in aluminium alloys for aerospace applications

Driven by the increasing requirements from aircraft producers, Hoogovens Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH, together with Hoogovens Research & Development, has enhanced the property combinations of their aircraft materials. For these types of material, optimised processing routes as well as new alloy chemistries have been investigated. Whilst retaining the strength levels required by the aerospace industry, new processing routes offer major improvements in ductility, toughness, fatigue performance and in reduction of residual stress in large dimension plate and sheet products. A further goal of investigating new alloy chemistries is the trend towards new joining techniques such as welding and brazing for aircraft structures. These new joining techniques require different property combinations compared to the conventional aerospace alloys. In parallel to these improved processing routes and new alloy developments, new ultrasonic inspection techniques have been developed, which are able to predict fatigue performance and residual stress in thick plate products.