Aerospace Manufacturing
Metals for aerospace manufacturing, namely stainless and aluminum for aerospace metal-to-metal bonding, are vital to the industry. The uses of these metals across the aerospace industry often require exceptional performance, strength or heat resistance, even at the cost of considerable expense in their production or machining. Others are chosen for their long-term reliability in this incredibly safety-conscious field, particularly for their resistance to material fatigue.
The engineering necessary materials and specifically the use of stainless and aluminum for aerospace metal-to-metal bonding is incredibly important within aerospace engineering and have considerable oversight and standards.
There are a few key metals and metal alloys used in the aerospace industry:
Although incredibly lightweight, commercially pure aluminum has a tensile strength of about 13,000 psi. Cold working the metal can approximately double its strength. Aluminum is commonly alloyed with other elements such as manganese, silicon, copper, magnesium, or zinc to further increase strength.
Another major benefit of aerospace usage is that at subzero temperatures, aluminum is stronger than at room temperature and is no less ductile. Boasting a high strength-to-weight ratio and good formability, aluminum also has a beneficial anti-corrosion mechanism. When exposed to air, aluminum forms a hard, microscopic oxide coating which seals the metal from the environment.
For many years, Aluminum was the primary material used for manufacturing aerospace components due to it’s incredibly high tensile strength as well as being lightweight. Stainless steel, however, in specific alloys, can offer higher tensile strength than aluminum, though generally with a heavier weight.
Stainless steels are used in aerospace applications because they are resistant to corrosion and high-temperature oxidation and maintain their mechanical properties over a wide temperature range. It’s generally used for engine and exhaust components, landing gear, and key joints in an aircraft’s superstructure.
If you have questions about a particular metal type, product availability, or our metal finishing options, please submit a contact form here and our team will be in touch.
