Alcoa is expanding its aluminum lithium capacity and capabilities at three locations, in Pennsylvania, United Kingdom and Lafayette, Indiana, to meet growing demand in the aerospace market for its newest alloys. The alloys, introduced last year and now patented, allow airframers to build dramatically lighter and lower-cost airplanes vs. composite alternatives. The new alloys provide the best strength-to-weight performance in Alcoa’s aerospace alloy portfolio combined with better stiffness and corrosion resistance. The alloys are used in extrusions, forgings, sheet and plate applications across aircraft structures, including airplane wings and fuselage elements. The expansions follow discussions with airframers subsequent to the launch of the alloys last year.
The largest of the aluminum lithium capacity expansions is a greenfield state-of-the-art facility to be constructed adjacent to Alcoa’s Lafayette, Indiana plant. When completed the facility will produce more than 20,000 metric tons of aluminum lithium and be capable of casting round and rectangular ingot for rolled, extruded and forged applications. Alcoa plans to invest more than $90m in this facility alone which will encompass approximately 115,000 ft² and create approximately 75 permanent high-value jobs, as well as approximately 150 additional jobs during the course of construction. Initial work on the new Lafayette facility has already begun and is expected to produce its first aluminum lithium by the end of 2014.
