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Airbus to Buy Titanium Parts from Alcoa for A320neo

By Daniel Michaels , 2013-12-18 10:08:31

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Metals giant Alcoa Inc. will supply European plane maker Airbus with advanced titanium components for its planned A320neo jetliners under a new $110 million contract, the companies said. The deal, while not large by aviation-industry standards, is emblematic of how producers of metallic jetliner parts are fighting back against competition from sophisticated composite materials.

Since Airbus rival Boeing Co. launched its 787 Dreamliner a decade ago as the first jetliner made largely of composite materials, competition has intensified between suppliers. The new Airbus A350 model, now in testing, uses even more composites than the Dreamliner. But the smaller A320neo, or new engine option, an update of the existing A320 model, will be built largely from metal. Boeing made a similar choice in updating its competing 737 single-aisle model, as the 737 Max.

Under the new multiyear contract, Alcoa will supply Airbus with titanium forgings and other parts for the A320neo. The contract expands on previous Alcoa supply contracts to Airbus, a unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. EADSY +2.37% For example, Alcoa is also supplying very large forgings for the existing A330 widebody model and the A380 superjumbo, the world's largest passenger jet. It is making those parts from a proprietary aluminum alloy that is stronger and lighter than previous alloys used.

An Airbus spokeswoman said its new planes would benefit from Alcoa's broad experience in aviation. Alcoa Executive Vice President Olivier Jarrault said it could supply the components partly thanks to an enormous 50,000-ton press-one of the world's largest machine tools-it has built in Cleveland. Alcoa and rivals, including the Alcan unit of metals giant Rio Tinto RIO.LN +1.21% PLC, have invested heavily over recent years to develop alloys that are both stronger and lighter than traditional metals. They also are pitching metals to plane makers as being easier to manufacture and repair than composites.

While composite materials-generally made of carbon fiber reinforced with epoxy resin-are strong, lightweight and resist corrosion, they can be complicated and expensive to produce and fix once a plane is in service. Another selling point for advanced metal parts is as the connectors for composite parts. Traditional aluminum and composites can react chemically in ways that damage the materials, so metals companies have developed special types of fasteners that don't interact with plastics. Such fasteners are generally more expensive than traditional ones, although fewer are necessary on each plane.

Mr. Jarrault at Alcoa said that although metals now compete with composites, the company sees many new uses for higher-value metal parts. 'Even in a composite wing, the ribs and fasteners are metallic,' he said. 'A composite wing offers many opportunities for Alcoa.'

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