Aluminum is one of the most commonly used metals in the world, with a wide range of influences touching lives every day. From covering dinner in the oven to providing an aircraft’s structural elements, aluminum‘s high strength and light weight make it an ideal choice for many applications.
Aluminum History: Aluminum has been used in the aerospace manufacturing industry ever since the Wright brothers built their first aircraft. However, in the first plane, the main structural elements were made of wood, but the engine crankcases were made of aluminum. Although the use of aluminum in aircraft manufacturing has improved since the 1940s, aluminum is still considered the best material for aircraft manufacturing. Today, like many industries, the aerospace industry makes a wide use of aluminum for aircraft manufacturing. Due to its invaluable properties, aluminum has become ideal for reducing aircraft manufacturing costs while meeting the stringent requirements in the industry.
Benefits of Aluminum
Aluminum is an easy choice for manufacturing aircraft due to its many useful and beneficial properties. Wood was originally used to craft airplanes, but it is defenceless to rotting and can split without proper maintenance. Similarly, steel is stronger than aluminum, but it is heavier, which is its weakness. Steel is used in building aircraft only when very high strength is needed, such as while creating landing gears or high-speed planes. Some of the top benefits of aluminum are listed below:
Light Weight: The most considerable benefit of using aluminum for manufacturing aircraft is its light weight, which helps in reducing the weight of an aircraft. With a weight about one-third lighter than steel, it helps an aircraft carry more weight or become a more fuel-efficient aircraft.
High strength: The strength of aluminum allows it to replace other heavier metals without losing strength while taking advantage of its lighter weight. Also, airframes that need to be crafted from high-strength metals can take advantage of aluminum’s strength to make aircraft manufacture more reliable and cost-effective.
Corrosion Resistance: Corrosion can be extremely dangerous for an aircraft and its passengers. Aluminum’s ability to resist corrosion and chemical environments makes it highly valuable and useful for aircraft operating in highly corrosive maritime environments.
Conclusion: Aluminum is an irreplaceable metal that’s employed in many industries, and it has helped every industry with its perfect combination of low weight and higher strength. Aerospace industry is using the aluminum from the time the first airplane was made. Now, as an aerospace manufacturer, it's time to think about where you will get the best aluminum and its alloys at an affordable price. The simple and perfect answer is FlightMetals, the specialty metals supplier of aluminum products like AMS 4121, QQ-A-200/2, 2014-T6511, 2219-T851, AMS QQ-A-250/30, Aluminum 2014 and AMS 4599.
Comments