Materials Day

WERKSTOFFE FR TRANSPORT UND VERKEHR , 18th of May 2001, ETH Zrich, Switzerland

NEW ALUMINIUM ALLOYS AND FUSELAGE STRUCTURES IN AIRCRAFT DESIGN

Gerhard Tempus

EADS Airbus GmbH Bremen

Outline Outline
New Fuselage Structures:
Laser Beam Welding (LBW) Friction Stir Welding (FSW) Extruding

New Aluminium Aerospace Alloys:

Al-Mg-Si-Cu Alloy (AA6013) Al-Mg-Sc-Alloy Al-Mg-Li-Alloy (1424)

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NEW FUSELAGE FUSELAGE STRUCTURES STRUCTURES NEW

Frame

Today
Differential Structures
STRINGER PROFILE VARNISH (Primer and Top Coat) EDGE SEALING SURFACE SEALING SKIN SHEET

Clip

Stringer Skin Sheet

Riveted

Tomorrow
Integral Fuselage Design

T-joint (Clip/Sheet)

Welded
(T-joint, Sheet/Stringer)
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Extruded
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T-joint (Stringer/Sheet)

Butt joint (Sheet/Sheet)

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INTEGRAL STRUCTURES - Goals

Cost reduction reduction max. max. 15 15% % Cost

High grade of automation Reduced mass of material (joining elements, sealing) Saving of manufacturing steps
Weight reduction reductionmax. max. 10 10% % Weight

Reduced mass of sealing More freedom for design Aluminium alloys with lower density
Corrosion-resistanceimprovement improvement Corrosion-resistance

Free of gaps and crevices No rivet holes

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LASER BEAM WELDING (LBW) Advantages Advantages

Narrow welding seam Low energy input per seam length affected zone Very high welding speed reduced distortion, reduced heat

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LASER BEAM WELDING (LBW) Cross-Section of T-joint

Extruded stringer Chemically milled sheet Simultaneous welding from both sides

Skin itself is not influenced by the laser beam welding process (HAZ)

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LBW Pilot Equipment

max. welding speed 10 m/min.

X-axis Y-axis z-axis A-axis B-axis C-axis

6m 3m 0,9 m +/- 90 +/- 25 + 200 /-100

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LBW

Cylindrical panel

Nov. 2000 1st A318 spherical panel of series production

Spherical panel
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FRICTION STIR WELDING (FSW) CONCEPT

Constant pressure ensures process stability

Solid state joining process: Material is heated by frictional heat and stirred by the rotating pin into a uniform joint
Shoulder genrates frictional heat + pressure

F=konst.
We l g din di

ti rec

on

Pin stirs material

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FSW
Process: Process: T = 400 500 C, v = 0.2 to 1 m/min Thickness = 0.5 50 mm (from both sides up to 100 mm) All AlAlloys weldable, i.e. also the not fusion weldable Combination of different alloys No filler metal, no hot cracks, no pores, no shielding gas Fine recrystallised microstructure, minimum distorsion High static and dynamic properties (e.g. joint strength 80 100% of Rm of base material) Special clamping system necessary Only for simple joint geometries (especially butt joints) License required from TWI (The Welding Institute, GB, Patents 1991) Ship, High Speed Train, Rockets
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Material: Material:

Advantages: Advantages:

Disadvantages: Disadvantages:

Applications Applications today: today:

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Longitudinal FSW butt joint

Today Riveted lap joint
LBW / EX T.
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Tomorrow FSW butt joint

Microsectio n
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FSW

EXTRUDED PANELS

Goals: Goals:

Maximum

panel width (> 1500 mm)

Thickness 1.6 mm 6.0 mm Tight tolerances High surface quality Properties like the 2024 standard skin sheet alloy

Material: Material:
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AlMgSiCu (AA 6013)

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EXTRUDED PANELS
Maximum panel width
Flat extrusion,
State of the art (for railway vehicles e.g.) western supplier

Width 650 mm
Thickness 1.6 mm

Flat extrusion,
Russian Supplier

Width 1100 mm
Thickness 2.4 mm

Tube extrusion,
Russian Supplier

Width 1350 mm
Thickness 2.4 mm

Tube extrusion,
Russian Supplier

Width 2100 mm
Thickness 6.0 mm

1000
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2000
Panel width (mm)
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EXTRUDED 6013 PANELS

Process for maximising the panel width
Extruding as a tube Cutting and bending of the tube

Roll-straightening to a flat panel

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EXTRUDED TUBE
Alloy: Dimensions: Producer: 6013 300 mm x 1.6 mm 650 mm panel width VILS (Moscow)

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EXTRUDED PANELS

Conclusion Conclusion

Insufficient panel width can be efficiently increased by joining several panels with FSW Insufficient surface quality Property requirements are fulfilled

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NEW ALUMINIUM ALUMINIUM ALLOYS ALLOYS NEW Today

AlCuMg2 AlCuMg2 (AA2024) (AA2024)

Differential
Fuselage Structures
(riveted, bonded)

AlMgSc AlMgSc

Tomorrow

AlMgSiCu AlMgSiCu (AA6013) (AA6013)

Integral
Fuselage Structures
(LBW, (LBW, FSW, FSW, Extrusion) Extrusion)

AlMgLi AlMgLi (1424) (1424)

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Chemical Composition of the New Sheet Alloys

Alloy

No.

Si
0.6 1.0 0.15

Cu
0.6 1.1 3.8 4.9

Mn
0.2 0.8 0.4 1.0 0.3 0.9

Mg
0.8 1.2 4.0 4.5 5,0 5,6 1.2 1.8

Li
1.5 1.75 -

Sc
0.1 0.3 0.01 0.06 -

Zr
0.03 0.2 0.05 0.3 -

Zn
0.4 0.7 -

AlMgSiCu AA6013 AlMgSc AlMgLi 1424

0.08

AlCuMg2 AA2024

0.5

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AlMgSiCu(AA6013 (AA6013T6) T6)Sheets Sheets AlMgSiCu

Age hardening alloy T6 (artificially peak aged) Development of LBW Technology First civil aircraft application in LBW fuselage panel of A318 6013T6 T6vs vs2024 2024T3 T3 6013

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Weldable Increased Yield Strength (+25%) Reduced Fatigue Crack Growth Rate (-50% at K=25 MPam) Higher Toughness (+23%) 3% Lower Density

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AlMgScHX HX Sheets Sheets AlMgSc

Work hardening alloy HX (strain hardened + partially annealed) High microstructure stability due to coherent stable Al3SC-phases causing an additional slight strength increase AlMgScHX HX vs vs 2024 2024T3 T3 AlMgSc

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Excellent Corrosion Resistance Excellent Weldability (No Hot Crack Sensitivity, High Joint Strength) Reduced Fatigue Crack Growth Rate (-20% at K=25 MPam) 5% Lower Density Reduced Tensile Strength (-10%) More Expensive
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Al-Mg-Sc Al-Mg-Sc Processing Problems Problems Processing

- - Chemical milling
-

Surface attack
(pitting initiates fatigue cracks)

- Stretch forming

Limited stretching rate Luderlines (optical appearance)

Consequences Consequences
- New chemical bath / Mechanical milling - New forming process
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Creep forming
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AlMgLi(1424 (1424TX) TX)Sheets Sheets AlMgLi

Age + Work hardening alloy TX (3 step artificially aged) Development in cooperation with: - EADS Airbus (Leadership) - Institute VILS / VIAM (Moscow) - Co. KUMZ (Russian) - Co. Corus (Koblenz) 1424Tx Tx vs vs2024 2024 T3 T3 1424

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10% Lower Density Excellent Weldability (No Hot Crack Sensititvity, High Joint Strength) Increased Tensile Strength (+15%) Reduced Fatigue Crack Growth Rate (-70% at K=25 MPam) More Expensive

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Al-Mg-Li Al-Mg-Li Non-Permissible Critical Critical Properties Properties Non-Permissible

- - Insufficient thermal stability > 3000h at 85C, - especially drop in fracture toughness - - Accelerated fatigue crack propagation in NaCl, - especially at low frequencies

Consequences Consequences
- Ongoing investigations with VIAM (Moscow)

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