Development of Wrought Al Alloys for Defence Applications
Most of the wrought Al alloys required for Indian defence are currently being imported. DMRL has developed four different grades of Al alloys, viz., AA2219, AA6082, AA6061 and AA5086 on industrial scale in the form of sheets, plates and rods as required for Army, Navy, Air Force and DRDO’s missile programmes. Type certification of these Al alloy semi-products are near completion. The AA2219 and AA6082 extruded rods (f = 40-150 mm) were produced at Ordnance Factory Ambajhari, Nagpur, for missile and armament applications, respectively. While, AA2219 plates, both unclad and Alclad, in the thickness range of 2-30 mm for missiles, AA6061 sheets (t = 1.2-2.4 mm) for aerospace applications, and AA5086 sheets (t = 2 mm) and plates (t = 12-30 mm) for naval applications have been produced at BALCO, Korba.
DMRL has also successfully developed DTD 5124 (composition close to AA7075) T651 extrusions at Ordnance Factory Ambajhari, Nagpur, and produced hard anodized tail fin and sabot for FSAPDS ammunition.
DMRL has actively participated in indigenizing five different advanced Al alloys in the form of extrusions, profiles, forgings, rolled rings and seamless pipes and tubes for missile applications. The cast billets were produced at HINDALCOAlmex Aerospace Limited, Aurangabad, and subsequent extrusion processing, ring rolling, forging and manufacturing of seamless pipes and tubes took place at Century Extrusions Limited (CEL), Kharagpur; CHW Forge Limited, Greater Noida; Steel and Industrial Forgings Limited, Thrissur; and Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hyderabad, respectively.
