Military/Air

High strength with light weight, minimal maintenance, the absence of brittleness at low temperatures, and the ability to engineer a wide range of functionality into components, make aluminum extrusions a major element of military, aircraft and aerospace solutions.

And aluminum has played an important role in these applications for years; in fact, the Wright Flyer, in which the Wright Brothers achieved the first powered flight in December 1903, utilized a cast aluminum engine block to minimize weight. Today, a new generation of aluminum-lithium alloys for extrusions and forgings is offering aircraft producers weight and fuel savings vs. the newest composites.

Today you'll find aluminum extrusions in:

• Command and hospital tent structures
• Military vehicles
• Rapid deployment landing mats
• Aircraft and helicopters
• The International Space Station
• Combat vessels
• ... and more

Click the links to see the role extrusions play in the International Space Station and in the newest generation of Navy ships.

Images: NASA, Taber Extrusions, AM General