Leading the way with advanced aluminium solutions for aerospace structures

AGEFORM: Forming advanced aerospace panels at reduced cost

F. Eberl, Alcan R&D Center, Voreppe, France S. Gardiner, Airbus UK Ltd, England G. Campanile, ALENIA AERONAUTICA - Engineering, Italie G. Surdon, Dassault Aviation, France M. Venmans, SABCA, Belgium P. Prangnell, UoM, England

Frank.Eberl@alcan.com
Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl 1

Lightweight solutions for metallic airframes

Objective Development of competitive metallic solutions in the fields of Design Materials Manufacture With the target of cost Cost and Weight reduction
20%

weight

20%

Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

High performance and low cost airframes

Laser beam welding technology
20%

Integrally machined monolithic structures

weight

cost

20%

Welded monolithic structures Ageforming Friction stir welding technology

Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

Airframe structure performance Advanced alloys

Advanced Design Concepts

Advanced joining and forming techniques

AND
Multi-disciplinary & Collaborative approach!
Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl 4

Alternative routing for assembling

Current fuselage skin
6xxx sheet T4 temper

TOP wing skin

7xxx plate TAF temper

Damage tolerant structures

Integral machining

plate machining

forming (stretch forming)

2xxx plate (new material) T3 temper

Laser Beam Welding

ageforming

3D machining

ageforming
surface treatment
welding

special features

Friction stir welding

ageforming

Manhole/overthickness machining pocketing

re-shaping

surface treatment

ageing

surface treatment
Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl 5

AGEFORM: Forming advanced aerospace panels at reduced cost

Process principles Metallurgical principles and mechanical properties Ageform process for Aerospace applications Summary and outlook

Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

AGEFORM process
room temperature aging temperature

Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

Metallurgical principles
Physical phenomenon: creep
Stress relaxation during the artificial ageing cycle Application of specific ageing treatment Relaxation

200

Stress (MPa)

150

6h@175 C+13h@190 C
100

4h@108 C+24h@160 C
50

24h@173 C Constant strain tensile test: Highest stress relaxation for 2022
0 4 8 12 Time (hrs) 16 20

AlCuMg
2022 IS237 6056 7475

AlMgSiCu AlZnMgCu
24
8

Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

Metallurgical principles
Precipitation alignment in the 2022 alloy
No impact on static properties No impact on anisotropy
400
2022 static 2022 dynamic

0.2% Yield Stress (M Pa)

390 380 370 360 350 340 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Angle w ith longitudinal axis ( )

Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

Metallurgical principles
Precipitation alignment in the 2022 alloy
No impact on damage tolerance properties
Roll forming Sample loading Ageforming in autoclave

190 170 150

R-Curves CCT760 (L-T) Ageforming effect

no impact on R-curve Ageformed panels can be characterised in the flat shape

Kr (MPa m)

130 110 90 70 50 0 ae ff (mm) Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl 20 40 60
10

2022clad T8 th 3.2 ref 2022clad T8 ageformed 3.2 mm (R 1 m) 2022clad T8 th 6 mm ref 2022clad T8 ageformed 6 mm (R 2 m)

AGEFORM: Forming advanced aerospace panels at reduced cost

Process principles Metallurgical principles and mechanical properties Ageform process for Aerospace applications Summary and outlook

Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

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Ageform process for Aerospace applications

Example of a commercial aircraft fuselage panel
Including modern assembling features as
Laser Beam Welded (LBW) stringers on the skin Longitudinal Friction Stir Welded joints Machining of fuselage skin: pocketing,

Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

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Ageform process for Aerospace applications

Manufacturing of a commercial aircraft fuselage panel (1/2)

Skin Trimming

Pocket Mechanical/Chemical Milling

FSW Skin Panels

Cleaning / Pickling

Laser Beam Welding of Stringers Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

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Ageform process for Aerospace applications

Manufacturing of a commercial aircraft fuselage panel (2/2)

Creep / Age Forming

NDE

Dimension Checks

Cleaning / Painting
Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl 14

Ageform process for Aerospace applications

Evaluation of result obtained
Quality increase
0%
displa ce m ent in m m 5 aft er welding 4

Weight reduction
baseline: 2024/7175 6056 T6 welded

Cost reduction

aft er ageforming 3
r elative weight gain
2 1 0 -1 -2 - 300 - 100 10 0 w idth in m m 30 0 50 0

-5%
high strength 2xxx, riveted high strength 2xxx, welded

-10%

- 500

-15%

-20%

-25% 2.65

Al-Li, welded Al-Li, welded

2.70 2.75 2.80
3

2.85

average density in g/cm

Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

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Summary and outlook

Bottom wing skin Complex fuselage structures Aerospace structures

Process demonstrated Final properties evaluated Micro-structural mechanisms well understood Process demonstrated on LBW and FSW containing structures Representative bottom wing structure demonstrated Representative fuselage panel demonstrated

Ageform process can be applied to damage tolerant structures

Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl 16

Summary and outlook

180

Property Improvement of Al alloys: 170 Fuselage skin & stringers 2139 T851
180 160

Kapp(T-L) (MPam)

toughness

Relative variation (%)

160 Skin - Kapp T-L Stringer - TYS L 150 140

6156 T651

2198 T851 2022 T8512139

2198 6156 2524 7475 T7651 Al-Li PA766

140

120

130 120 110

1970 100 230

2024
100

2024 T351

7349

7075
80 1950

7150
1990 Year of AA registration 330 430 CYS(LT) (MPa) 2010

530

Still a lot of 2030 improvement anticipated !

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strength
Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

Aerodays exposition: Ageform, stand nr. 51

rib 42 rear spar rib 49 stringers
~0 .5 m

~1.5 m

f ront spar

~500 mm

~1500 mm

Aerodays 2006, Vienna, the 18.06. 21.06.06, Ageform, F. Eberl

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