22.08.2007
ALCOA, UAC SIGN AGREEMENT
MOSCOW, RUSSIA and NEW YORK, NY - August 22, 2007 -- Alcoa
and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) today announced they have signed
an agreement on the 22-th of August, 2007 whereby Alcoa will supply UAC with
advanced metallic materials, modern structural concepts and manufacturing technologies
for UAC future generation civil aircraft. The agreement, signed today at the
Moscow International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKC 2008), includes joint
technology cooperation on next generation UAC aircraft and is part of UAC's
plan to become the third largest civil aircraft manufacturer in the world by
the year 2015.
Agreement between UAC and Alcoa in the sphere
of technology cooperation for future generation civil aircraft is the
significant and important step to further develop their technical and
commercial opportunities.
And besides, the ultimate objective of this cooperation is
the implementation of these solutions on UAC modifications of commercially
manufactured aircraft for improvement of aircraft characteristics.
Taking reference to UAC and Alcoa specific competences,
capabilities and joint interests, the main UAC - Alcoa technology cooperation
objectives will include:
- Upgrade commercially manufactured
materials as a result of SAMARA and BK plants' investment;
- Developing competitive and advanced
metallic structures for next generation civil aircraft using advanced metallic
materials, most modern structural concepts and manufacturing technologies;
- Drop-in-replacement of modern fastening
elements in commercially manufactured civil aircraft;
- Wide application of fastening elements
in future generation civil aircraft.
As part of the memorandum of understanding (MOU), Alcoa will
open an Aerospace Technology Centre in Russia to develop specific competences
to support integrated product teams through:
- Extensive testing of Russian and Western
alloys and products, including damage tolerance and fatigue, in close
interaction with Russian Institutes and Universities;
- Evaluation of Alcoa Russian alloys and
products coming from Alcoa's Samara and Belaya Kalitva facilities;
- Supporting certifications and
qualifications of Western alloys and products for Russian aircraft applications
(beginning in the fourth quarter of 2007);
- Understanding of Russian aircraft
design principles and rules;
- Utilizing Alcoa proprietary
trade-studies and design tools for aircraft structure.
The Alcoa Aerospace Technology Centre is
expected to begin work in 2008.
The technology cooperation activities will be
supported by organizing of Integrated Product Teams which will be created for
the major components for the next generation civil aircraft such as wings and
fuselage, will develop, evaluate and realize the most promising technical
options in concurrent engineering process. Integrated teams will draft joint
activities plan before the end of 2007.
Materials included in the supply arrangement -
which includes proprietary alloys, heat-treated sheet and plate, hard-alloy
extrusions, and forgings will be supplied to UAC out of Alcoa's Samara and
Belaya Kalitva aluminum fabricating plants, which are approximately 1000 kilometers
from Moscow.
As Aleksey Fedorov, UAC President and Chairman
of the Executive Board says, UAC through its vast heritage has extensive
capabilities and knowledge in aircraft design and manufacturing. Taking that
knowledge and that combining it with Alcoa's technical and materials expertise
should further strengthen our positions on the global civil aviation market.
Helmut Wieser, Alcoa Executive Vice President
and Group President of Global Rolled Products, Hard Alloy Extrusions, Russia
and Asia, underlines, that Alcoa'sconnection to the customers and ability to
supply cutting edge materials and technologies has helped become the worldwide
leader for the aerospace industry. «We look forward to serving UAC and
utilizing our expertise to help them achieve their growth goals, understanding
clearly, that signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is a new and
significant step in development long-term relationships between Alcoa and
Russian aircraft industry on the whole», - says Helmut Wieser,
JSC UAC was incorporated according to the
Decree #140 "On Joint Stock Company "United Aircraft Corporation" signed by RF
President V. Putin on February 20, 2006. The corporation was incorporated
on November 20, 2006. UAC's priorities include design, manufacture, sales,
maintenance, upgrades and utilization of civil and military aircraft.
The size of UAC's chartered capital is 96.7 billion rubles,
Russian Federation holds 90.1% shares of the corporation. UAC is formed by
following companies: Sukhoi Aviation Holding Company, Irkut Corporation,
Ilyushin Finance Corp., Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association,
Joint Stock Company «Ilyushin Aviation Complex», Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft
building plant "Sokol", Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association, JSC
Tupolev, Finance Leasing Company.
Alcoa is the world's leading producer and
manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is
active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace,
automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and
industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other
capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum
products and components including flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions,
and forgings, Alcoa also markets Alcoaâ wheels, fastening systems, precision
and investment castings, structures and building systems. The company has
122,000 employees in 44 countries and has been named one of the top most
sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com
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