The aircraft manufacturing industry is very demanding when it comes to new developments and quality control. Its’ aerospace equipment, components, parts, and designs are required to be in line with the highest standards, resulting in them becoming even more complex than before. This increase in complexity makes it extremely important that manufacturers only use those materials to keep up with innovative and new technologies and help drive the aerospace sector into the future.
Significance Of Choosing The Right Materials
There are multiple benefits of choosing the right type of materials for the aerospace industry, including enabling the production of lightweight parts. It is crucial to choose the right metal alloys and materials for aircraft parts and components to ensure their high performance at all times, strength, and resistance against extreme heat. Also, to ensure they are fatigue resistant, these materials must be reliable and have a long lifespan.
A key part of any aircraft is its wings. Thus, their design requirements include being high performance, which can only be ensured by using top-quality material metals with high resistance to fatigue, high compressive yield strength, and fracture toughness. The right knowledge and proper understanding of the characteristics of structural metals are important to the successful construction of an aircraft and its components. Using inferior metals or deviating from design specifications can result in both the loss of precious lives and materials.
Change In Material Demand
For many years, the aerospace industry has been predominantly using aluminum for aircraft manufacturing as it was readily available, cost-effective, and lightweight. It was a major component with 70% composition while other new materials were used in small quantities only. These included graphite, titanium, and fiberglass in quantities between 3-7%.
Now, however, the ratio of aluminum used in aircraft manufacturing has fallen to 20%. Although not completely outcasted, aluminum has now been rapidly replaced by new and durable alternatives. North Carolina State University is investigating infused CMF or Composite Metal Foam for possible replacement as it is much tougher, durable, and lightweight like aluminum.
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers or CFRPs are being used to produce lightweight and aesthetic interiors and paneling. For durability and better strength, honeycomb structures are becoming popular. Moreover, for engineering purposes, low weight and more heat-resistant materials are being used.
Important Factors for Choosing Aircraft Materials
You must consider the following factors when selecting materials for aircraft manufacturing, including its’ strength, density, malleability and ductility, elasticity and brittleness, toughness, and fusibility. In addition to these factors, you also need to check if the material you have chosen has good thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, flammability, and thermal expansion. Also, keep in mind its resistance to fatigue, stress, erosion factor, and stealth technology.
Materials Used For Aircraft Manufacturing
Materials used in the aircraft manufacturing industry include ferrous metals such as iron with up to 1% carbon, steel, and its alloys such as 0.35% copper, 0.25% nickel, 0.20% chromium, and 0.06% molybdenum. Alloys of carbon such as carbon steel with less than 2% steel and other elements such as copper, nickel, and manganese are also being used.
Carbon steel comes in several different grades:
- Low carbon steel having a carbon composition of 0.05% to 0.25%
- Medium carbon steel having a carbon composition from 0.29% to 0.54%
- High carbon steel with a composition of 0.55% to 0.95% carbon
Multiple studies are still being carried out to determine materials that will fit the requirements for materials required in aircraft construction, reducing the overall costs and improving the efficiency of the aircraft.
Acorn Welding is a trusted and highly qualified aviation welding company in Edmonton. We have the latest product designs and manufacturing capabilities required for safe aircraft welding. To get the most reliable and best services related to aviation welding, contact us today.
