Author - Matt Kerster

Understanding Aerospace Materials: AMS Specifications

The field of aerospace materials can be said to have begun with the production and sale of the Wright Flyer to the U.S. Army in 1909. At that time, the principal consideration for selecting materials was essentially maximum strength with minimum weight. As other builders and manufacturers joined the budding industry...

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Aircraft Materials Nomenclature: Aircraft Parts Classification

The production and designation of aircraft materials and parts is regulated in the United States and most other countries. Strictly speaking,  an aircraft part is an item or component that has been approved for installation on a type-certificated aircraft. Aircraft parts are approved within the jurisdictions of the countries where the...

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Metal Grain Direction: What You Need To Know

While many of the products we ship are simply cut to size before being installed or attached, others need to be formed first, often by bending. And this requires a bit of basic knowledge about the internal structure of aluminum and metals in general. The Impact of Grain in Metal Composition Most...

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2024-T42 and Natural Age

2024-T42 and Natural Age 2024-T42 is a specific temper of 2024 aluminum alloy that is solution treated and naturally aged. As part of the family of 2024 aluminum alloy variants, it is a commonly used and sought after material. 2024 is one of the best known of the high strength aluminum...

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Alloy Comparison: 7075-T6 Aluminum VS 7075-T62 Aluminum

Alloy Comparison: 7075-T6 Aluminum VS 7075-T62 Aluminum Both 7075-T6 aluminum and 7075-T62 aluminum are variants of the same material. They share alloy composition and many physical properties but develop different mechanical properties as a result of different processing. 7075 is part of the 7000 Series of aluminum alloys, which is considered the...

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Aluminum Aircraft Parts: Extrusion Vs Roll Forming

Aluminum is a ubiquitous material in aircraft and the various shapes and configurations of aluminum aircraft parts almost always derive from two basic forming processes: extruding or roll forming. While the reality is that most personnel handling and installing, replacing or repairing aircraft parts and components really don’t care how...

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