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In the aerospace industry, the term “Aircraft on Ground” (AOG) refers to the effect of maintenance issues that are severe enough to prevent an aircraft from flying. When these situations occur, replacement parts or materials must be brought in as quickly as possible to prevent further delays and losses.
How Aircraft on Ground Affects Airlines
Due to their high upfront leasing or purchasing costs, commercial airplanes are designed for constant use. A 2014 Airbus A330-200 dry lease, for example, was listed for $513,000/month, or $17,000/day, in 2015. So if the aircraft were out of commission for three days for a B-check, the overall costs would amount to $51,300 — and that’s before factoring in maintenance labor costs.
When smaller airlines encounter AOG issues, they often lose more than $20,000 a day. Although many AOG incidents can be resolved within a day, the cost of a single solution for these scenarios can run as much as $150,000 an hour. For both small and large companies, AOG presents serious problems for their bottom line.
To avoid this type of costly downtime, it’s critical to partner with a well-respected supplier who can source materials as soon as they’re needed during an AOG situation.
Common Aircraft Materials
At Continental Steel & Tube Co., we provide a wide range of materials to aerospace companies across the globe. When managing AOG situations, aluminum is often employed for structural and aerospace skin applications. Some of the most popular grades include:
Aluminum honeycomb products are also regularly used in structural elements of aerospace applications. This outstanding core material offers improved weight-to-strength ratios, and is also an efficient energy absorber. Continental Steel & Tube Co. is able to supply a number of honeycomb material qualifications used by many major aircraft manufacturers including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, SAE, and several Mil-spec requirements. Some of the aviation materials we most regularly provide include:
AMS3711
AMS3715
AMS 4177
AMS 4178
AMS 4348
AMS 4349
We also provide lightweight, high-strength titanium, which is often required with a fast repair turnaround. Many engine components and structural sections make use of the following titanium grades:
Continental Steel & Tube Co. supplies various nickel and high-temperature alloys as well, including Monel, Inconel, and Hastelloy, all of which are regularly needed for aerospace maintenance applications. These types of alloys are commonly used in gears and chains in landing gear, and often serve to secure engine and exhaust assemblies.
Partnering With Continental Steel & Tube Co.
As an ISO 9001:2008 certified supplier of titanium, nickel, and aluminum, we’re proud to offer industry-leading turnaround and short lead times for all of our aerospace clients. We understand the importance of remedying AOG situations as quickly as possible; we provide lightweight, high-strength, and corrosion-resistant metals for ultimate quality and safety without slowing down your schedule.
To learn more about our work in the aerospace industry or discuss an upcoming project with one of our experts, contact us today.
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Extremely high-strength and lightweight, titanium is used across a wide range of industries. Its high tensile strength, low heat transfer, and ballistic properties make it particularly well suited for manufacturing applications.
Versatile and easily customizable, titanium sheets can be cut and stamped as needed to produce unique components and can also be bent and formed through heat treating.
Titanium Sheet Applications
In most applications, titanium sheet can be waterjet cut or stamped to specific sizes, allowing for high-volume production of finished components. Because this material is reactive to heat, it must be cold cut to prevent chemical property changes. Various industries make use of titanium sheet, including:
Aerospace — Jet engines, protective assemblies, airframes, and firewalls
Power generation — Protective assemblies and firewalls
Automotive — Cut or stamped engine parts such as wrist pins and springs
Petroleum — Deep-sea production risers, topside water management equipment
Titanium Grades
To ensure quality and reliability, it’s critical to have a solid understanding of the many titanium grades and alloys available. Five of the most common types include:
Titanium Grade 1 — As the softest, most ductile commercially pure titanium grade, this is particularly easy to work with thanks to its excellent formability. Its high corrosion resistance makes it especially well-suited to marine and chemical processing applications. Grade 1 titanium is also able to withstand high-impact environments.
Titanium Grade 2— The most widely available and versatile pure grade, this type of titanium is slightly stronger than Grade 1 and is often used in medical and architectural applications, as it can be easily formed and welded.
Titanium Grade 3 — While less formable than Grades 1 and 2, commercially pure Grade 3 has higher strength and Grade 3 is used less frequently than Grades 1 and 2 but is ideal for applications requiring moderate strength and high corrosion resistance, such as medical and aerospace projects.
Titanium Grade 4 — The strongest of the commercially pure, unalloyed grades, this material is also highly formable and weldable, as well as corrosion resistant. It’s commonly used in industries that require high strength, such as aerospace and medical.
Titanium Grade 5 — Also referred to as Ti6Al4V, Ti-6Al-4V, & or & Ti 6-4, this is the most popular titanium alloy, accounting for half of all titanium use worldwide. Aside from titanium, Grade 5 composed of aluminum, vanadium, iron, and oxygen. High-strength but lightweight, this alloy has good formability, superior toughness, and high corrosion and creep resistance. Extremely versatile, Grade 5 is used for a wide range of applications, from aerospace fasteners to sports equipment.
Titanium Grade 9—This grade, also referred to as Titanium 3Al-2.5V, is exceptionally resistant to corrosion. While not as strong as Grade 5, this material is still useful in aerospace and industrial applications given its light weight and greater resistance to high temperatures. Continental Steel offer Titanium Grade 9 sheets and plate to match ASME SB-265 standards.
Learn More
For more than three decades, Continental Steel has been a leading supplier of titanium sheet, as well as titanium plate, tube, pipe, bar, and various fittings. As an ISO 9001:2008 certified company, we’re committed to quality in everything we do. With quick responses, competitive pricing, reliable deliveries, and an exhaustive inventory, we ensure that clients get the best possible products available, for the best possible price.
With our trusted partners spanning the globe, we can supply even the hardest-to-find materials to a wide range of industries, including aerospace, marine, oil and gas, construction, military, medical, racing and automotive, and industrial.
To learn more about our selection of titanium products, or to discuss how we can assist with your next project, contact the team today.
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The topic of air pollution has become a central discussion point in today’s world. In the wake of present environmental issues, many people continue to look for effective ways to ameliorate the pollution harming the atmosphere. And while the task of alleviating air toxins is ordinarily allotted to plants and trees, new studies have shown that titanium dioxide roof tiles can help break down nitrogen oxides and remove it from the air.
Pollution and Solution
Nitrogen oxide is a binary compound of oxygen and nitrogen formed by burning fossil fuels, and reacts with sunlight to create smog, a problem that can cause potentially serious health complications for people with existing medical conditions. Titanium dioxide, on the other hand, is a mineral used in many types of paints and varnishes that absorbs nitrogen oxide when exposed to sunlight.
Recent studies have estimated that an area containing one million roofs painted with titanium dioxide could remove approximately 21 tons of nitrogen oxide per day. Each roof tile was shown to remove at least 88% of the ambient nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere, and a single roof could remove the equivalent pollution of a car driving 11,000 miles per year.
The Cost
The expenses associated with titanium dioxide roof coatings are estimated to be quite low. Because it only costs $5 for every average roof, titanium dioxide roof coatings prove a very simple and cost-effective measure to help reduce the amount of pollution in the atmosphere. These minimal costs make it a simple matter for anyone installing roofing to apply a coat of paint, as well as adopt the coating into yet another tool to help combat pollution (in areas such as southern California).
Installation of titanium dioxide roofs, along with additional measures, could help cities all across the world to ensure that the air their citizens breathe is both cleaner and healthier.
Continuing the Project
Students at UCR were recently recognized as phase one winners of the EPA People, Prosperity and the Planet challenge, a competition for college students meant to produce “designing solutions for a sustainable future.” Their ongoing hopes are that further variables will be tested using titanium dioxide coatings, and that we may find new ways to use the material to continue to decrease air pollution and make our planet a better place to breathe.
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Less mass = greater speed and better performance!
Most of us know that cars go faster and burn less fuel if they weigh less but very few of us know how to reduce the weight. In fact, many of the constructors we meet that design and build high-end race cars are very surprised to learn how many automotive parts and fasteners are now being manufacturer from titanium alloys. It’s logical; titanium is stronger than steel and weighs 40% less. Even Tesla (yes Tesla, not Ferrari) is using titanium sheet for underbody shields on their Model S sedan.
So, is this phenomenon a fleeting trend or a growth industry that’s here to stay? All of our research suggests that this evolution is gaining momentum every day. The High Performance Automotive Industry has enthusiastically embraced titanium for use in the manufacturing of the parts listed below because their results have been obvious, immediate and measurable.
Axles
Brake Calipers
Housings
Cam Belt Wheels
Safety Cages
Underbody Panles
Valve Springs
Skid Plages
Gudeon (wrist) pin
Bumper Supports
Rocker Shafts
Exhaust Systems
Rocker Arms
Clutch Components
Valve Retainers
Fasteners including bolts, nuts, screws, and washers.
Engine Bay Bars
Torsion Bars
Drive Shafts & Enclosures
Connecting Rods
Gears
Engine Valves
Suspension Springs
Linkages
Levers
Brackets
Fly Wheels
Foot Pegs
Brake Rotors
Hardware
At Continental, we’re serious about optimum performance…yours and ours! We understand the power-to-weight ratios so we’re “driven” to provide strong, light weight titanium options to the Race Car Industry every day in every grade and form needed including sheets, plates, bars, tubing (welded and seamless,) wire, block and forgings.
Please call Bob today to learn how our titanium products can be used to improve the performance of the cars we love.
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In the world of metals—and the countless industries that count on them—there are a seemingly endless amount of different types, alloys, and applications. It is impossible to put any one metal into one universal generalization.
Take titanium, for instance. Titanium is an incredibly important metal in modern manufacturing; it is utilized by every worldwide industry of any size, and it has infinite uses. Titanium is strong and durable, yet lightweight, and offers numerous distinct advantages.
All titanium is not created equal, though. In addition to pure titanium, there are many titanium alloys, the properties of which vary greatly depending on their unique composition. Titanium is generally broken up into four distinct groups: unalloyed titanium; alpha structure; alpha beta structure; and beta structure. Each possesses different properties and therefore serves the needs of different applications and industries.
By far the most common of the titanium alloys is titanium Grade 5. It is classified as an alpha-beta alloy, and consists of 6% aluminum, 4% vanadium, and trace amounts of iron. This Titanium alloy is aslo often referred to as Ti 6AI-4V.
There are many reasons why grade 5 is so commonly used, including its exceptional strength—it is much stronger than commercially-pure titanium, but possesses the same stiffness and thermal properties pure titanium is known for. Additionally, it is heat-treatable, making it ideal for many manufacturing applications. The fact that it is easily welded and fabricated, while offering high strength and corrosion resistance, makes it easy to see why it is the most common titanium alloy in the world.
Titanium grade 5 is also able to withstand a range of environmental factors, including seawater, and can withstand temperatures up to nearly 800°F. Additional advantages include good fatigue resistance, low thermal expansion, high strength-to-weight ratio, and low modulus of elasticity.
For these reasons, titanium grade 5 is very often used in offshore and subsea oil and gas applications, and in general within the oil industry. It is also frequently used within the aerospace industry for a range of applications, as well as within the marine industry. Both aerospace and automotive manufacturers count on titanium grade 5 for engine components, and it is widely used in the power generation industry. This titanium alloy is also frequently used within the medical field, particularly for instruments and prosthetics, and even within the human body, in the form of surgical implants.
At Continental Steel, we offer a wide variety of titanium in many different forms, serving every industry for which titanium is counted on. Please visit our website for more information.
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In previous articles, we’ve covered buying pipe, tube, and beams (all which have various unique apsects which make them more complicated). However, buying steel plates are about as basic as it gets.
The first step as with all metal forms that we ofer, is to isolate the grade that you need to order. Regardless of it being Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Nickel Alloy, Titanium, or Aluminum each metal type has specific grades and properties which you need to understand going into a purchase. Some of these alloys are more common that others; for instance, in Carbon steel plate the most common is ASTM A36, although we also carry A572 Gr 50, A588, A514 / T1, A656, 1045 and many others.
Next, you’ll need to let us know the dimensions of the plate you’re looking for, including thickness, width, and length. At Continental Steel & Tube, Carbon Steel plate ranges from 3/16th, all the way up to 24″ thick. Widths can run up to 120″. If you’re looking for something with higher strength and less weight than carbon steel, we carry many grades of Stainless Steel, Titanium, and Nickel Alloy Plate in Monel, Inconel and Hastelloy Grades. These plates run up to 96″ in width. One thing to note is that the sizing is very flexible as we can cut plate to the size you need. These can be waterjet cut, hi-definition plasma cut, or simply saw cut to your exact specifications. Please let us know
For additional customization, we also can roll steel plate into the sizes you need. If you need a custom size pipe, we can roll the plate to your size including having plate rolled to a specific radius for building tankers. These particularly are jobs that we are delighted to take, so ask us and we can put together a custom quote for you!
Lastly just need to know the quantity and where the material needs to be shipped.
Please ask about any of the metal plate needs you may have. We are happy to help and would be happy to look at any requirements.
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On the way to becoming an overnight sensation, something funny happened to the Tesla Motor Co. in the last couple of years. Three of its highly touted Model S sedans caught fire in on-road accidents, raising the specter of something dangerous lurking in the electric cars’ motors. Upon further examination, however, investigators found that the cause of the accidents was the undercarriage of Tesla vehicles striking metal debris on the road, which punctured the aluminum shielding designed to protect the sedan’s lithium-ion battery packs, causing something called “thermal runaway.”
The hand-wringing over just a few of Tesla’s new cars catching fire was enough to bring out the doom and gloom crowd on the Internet, who eagerly jumped on the incidents as proof that lithium-ion batteries in automobiles are inherently unsafe. The folks at Tesla first responded with words, with CEO Elon Musk writing on the company’s website that: “For consumers concerned about fire risk, there should be absolutely zero doubt that it is safer to power a car with a battery than a large tank of highly flammable liquid.”
Then Musk put his engineers to work to correct the design flaw. What they came up with is a better shield for the Li-ion battery pack in the front of the car. And the centerpiece of the improved shield, literally, is a plate of stamped titanium (weighing about 0.8 to 1.6 pounds).
According to a report in the Christian Science Monitor, the new shield is a three-part, “military-grade, aluminum-titanium solution” to the vulnerability, which Tesla enthusiasts have taken to calling Tank Mode. The California-based motor company has announced that “all Model S cars manufactured on or after March 6 will carry three extra layers of underbody protection, and Tesla service centers will retrofit existing cars free of charge,” according to the report.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has since closed its investigation of the traffic fires, satisfied that the aluminum-titanium workaround (in addition to the quarter inch of armor plate already protecting the base of the vehicle) should remedy the problem, according to a report in The New York Times (free registration required).
“As the empirical evidence suggests, the underbody shields are not needed for a high level of safety,” Musk wrote recently. “However, there is significant value to minimizing owner inconvenience in the event of an impact and addressing any lingering public misperception about electric vehicle safety.”
The New York Times article states that Tesla made a good choice in selecting titanium as the material of choice for shielding its vulnerable battery packs from dangerous road debris strikes, because of the metal’s unique strength-to-weight characteristics. “The titanium plate prevents sensitive front underbody components from being damaged and aids in neutralizing the road debris,” Musk observed.
“The protective qualities of the underbody shields are substantial, but their effect on the overall structure of the vehicle is minimal” Musk added. “In total, the shields only have a 0.1 percent impact on range and don’t affect ride or handling. Wind tunnel testing shows no discernible change in drag or lift on the car.”
It sounds like a perfect use for a material with amazing properties.
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Airlines are always looking for ways to save on operational expenses. So the prospect of being able to save millions of dollars a year on fuel costs by reducing the weight of the passenger seats in their cabins may be too much for them to pass up. That’s the hope of a French start-up that has engineered a new passenger seat made mostly of titanium.
Paris-based Expliseat SAS has recently begun selling a radically different airline seat, which it is calling the Titanium, to air carriers for use in the economy sections of narrow-body jets such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families. The new “seat” is actually a connected three-passenger row of seats that dramatically cuts the weight and complexity of traditional airline recliners. The Titanium Seat, which also uses low-weight composite materials, each weigh in at 8.8 pounds per passenger, about half that of a traditional seat. Moreover, the three-seat assembly requires only about 30 working parts, much fewer than the 500 or so parts employed in a conventional seat on a jetliner.
To simplify things even more, Expliseat partnered with Iffstar, a French research center specializing in transport technologies, to come up with a seatback construction that “reduces inter-vertebra shocks,” according to the company. And the fixed backrest has been “pre-reclined” by 18 degrees instead of offering a conventional recliner mechanism. The backrest, just two-inches thick (with a non-sliding tray table), is made from a “technical textile” that is able to absorb shocks from the knees of passengers sitting in the row behind.
The company said the lightened weight load applied to a single-aisle aircraft’s economy class section could result in an estimated 3- to 5-percent fuel saving, or $300,000 to $500,000 per aircraft per year. Factoring the number of vehicles in the fleet of a budget-themed airline could translate into savings of many millions of dollars of savings a year. Just this March, after receiving approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Expliseat signed its very first customer for the Titanium Seat offering, netting charter airline Air Méditerranée, which will test the concept onboard one of its Airbus A321s.
“With this [EASA] certification, the reliability of our seat has been confirmed, proving it can provide both safety and passenger comfort. The Titanium Seat is a substantial technical achievement, combining robustness and performance, and it breathes new life into the aircraft seat market,” said Benjamin Saada, Expliseat CEO.
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