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ALCAN CONTRIBUTES TO SUCCESS OF ARIANE 5 ECA ROCKET
Alcan has contributed to the success of the latest Ariane 5 ECA launch by supplying EADS Space, the prime contractor of Ariane, a new advanced solution for large brackets, part of the rocket’s upper stage and critical in enabling its flight and control. The Ariane 5 ECA blasted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on a mission to place two satellites into geostationary transfer orbits and deploy a communications antenna. “Alcan is co-developing groundbreaking aerospace solutions with its customers, taking advantage of the Company’s unique wide range of aluminum alloys,” said Jean-Philippe Caël, President Aerospace, Transportation and Industry “This achievement reaffirms Alcan’s leading position in aerospace R&D, and underscores ATI’s innovative, reliable, solution-drive reputation as the partner of choice for aerospace manufacturers,” he added. Alcan’s aluminum alloy 7040 plate was chosen for this Ariane 5 rocket as its properties include high strength combined with superior damage tolerance resistance against fatigue crack growth and stress corrosion, all at extreme environmental conditions, such as space. Alloy 7040 is produced at Alcan’s Issoire facility in France, a recognized leader in the production of high-quality aluminum plates for aerospace, aeronautical and transportation applications. In June, Issoire, which employs 1,500 people, increased its plate capacity by 20 percent through a new US$28 million advanced aerospace plate installation and equipment. Alcan supplies some of the world’s largest aerospace manufactures, such as EADS, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Lockheed Martin, Embraer, Dassault, and Pilatus, with advanced aluminum solutions from its manufacturing facilities in Europe and North America.
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