Alcoa wins $1.1B PW deal

NEW YORK -- Alcoa has announced a $1.1 billion deal to supply jet engine parts to Pratt and Whitney, including the world's first lightweight aluminum alloy fan blade. It developed the forging for the aluminum blade for PW's PurePower engines using an advanced aluminum alloy and a proprietary manufacturing process. Alcoa also is developing for the PurePower engines a fan blade forging using its most advanced aluminum-lithium alloy. "We're going where no materials scientist has gone before," said Alcoa chairman and chief executive Klaus Kleinfeld, saying the company "cracked the code on forging an aluminum fan blade that is lighter and enables better fuel efficiency." (Source: Industry Week, 07/14/14) Gulf Coast note: The PurePower engine is an option on the A320neo. Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala.