Lightweight metals manufacturer, Alcoa, headquartered in Torrance, California, has signed an approximately $1 billion contract with Airbus for high-tech, multi-material aerospace fastening systems. The deal is Alcoa’s largest fastener contract ever with the aircraft manufacturer.
Alcoa’s fasteners are made using a variety of materials including stainless steel, titanium and nickel-based superalloys, which improve fatigue life, enable lightning strike protection, and improve wear and reusability on conventional and composite aircraft. Alcoa will produce these fastening systems at 14 of its global manufacturing facilities.
Alcoa’s fasteners will be used to assemble some of Airbus’s latest high-growth airplanes, including the A350 XWB, Airbus’ newest commercial airplane, and the A320neo. In addition, Airbus will use Alcoa’s fastening systems for longer-running platforms including the A330.