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Case Studies in Alcoa Innovation
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Innovation? Born with It.
At Alcoa, breaking through the boundaries of cost, time and materials is what we do every day. We're the company whose founder, Charles Martin Hall, sparked the entire aluminum industry with his patented process. And we've been innovating ever since.
We're the company that helped launched the aerospace age with more than 90% of the aluminum alloys used today in aircraft and space flight. We're the people who helped put beverages in the ultimate recyclable container: the all-aluminum can and the ultra-cool aluminum bottle. And we're the company that has helped companies just like yours succeed with thousands of successful, game-changing new products.
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Lighter Airplanes with Alcoa’s Aluminum-Lithium
During 2012, we began expanding our capacity to meet growing demand from aerospace customers for aluminum-lithium (Al-Li).
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Building Lighter Weight Automobiles with Alcoa Structural Pretreatment
To obtain fuel effi ciencies that reduce consumer cost and meet stricter Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, our automotive customers are rapidly replacing steel with lightweight aluminum in automobiles.
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Faster and Less-Expensive Drilling for Oil and Gas Thanks to Alcoa Aluminum Drill Pipes
Alcoa’s innovative and proprietary aluminum alloy drill pipe is a tapered, high-strength, aluminum alloy tube with a steel tool joint using a proprietary thermal connection technology that allows steel tool joints to be attached to the aluminum pipe body.
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Increasing Alcoa’s Refinery Yield
Our researchers developed process and technology innovations to increase the yields of Alcoa’s refi neries over the past decade by 2.4 million metric tons of alumina annually.
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Saving Energy and the Environment Thanks to Alcoa’s Smart Grid Innovations
Our smelting engineers and energy specialists have also found ways to reduce our energy costs while benefitting the community through a partnership with the regional electric grid operator.
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Advanced Aluminum Lithium Alloys
Advanced aluminum alloys are being used by NASA in the Ares 1 rocket.
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Eco-Friendly Bus
Alcoa and Yutong Bus Co., China's largest bus manufacturer, are developing an environmentally-friendly bus design to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel economy.
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Chevrolet Sequel
Alcoa engineers partnered with GM on structural design, engineering and manufacturing, as well as fabricated more than 300 aluminum structural components and built the bodies-in-white.
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F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)
Alcoa engineers partnered with Lockheed Martin to design and manufacture all the large aluminum structural die forgings for more than 1,200 aircraft.
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Ultra-Light Extruded Alloy Drill Pipe
Alcoa's advancements in the design and construction of lightweight, high performance exploration riser components have provided measurable improvements in the performance and reach of ultra-deep water exploration.
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Fridge Vendor
Fridge Vendor, as it was originally called when spawned by Alcoa's Rigid Packaging business, makes it easier for consumers to keep more drinks cold in the refrigerator and helps boost sales for Alcoa's can-making customers.
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Aluminum Foam
Alcoa is currently determining the technical and economic feasibility of producing porous aluminum products using low value scrap as feedstock material.
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Aluminum Alloy 2099
Aluminum alloy 2099 extruded shapes and plate products reduce weight because of the alloy's lower density and improved mechanical properties.
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787 Dreamliner (in qualification)
Hundreds of thousands of fasteners are used in every new aircraft to secure body and wing panels and other components.
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FWAL Series Forged Aluminum Fifth Wheel
On a tractor trailer, the fifth wheel is the critical component that couples the tractor and trailer together.
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Flight Control Manifold
A new flight control manifold casting produced by Alcoa Power and Propulsion has one of the most complex geometries ever manufactured using the investment casting process.
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