AIRCRAFT ALUMINIUM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23970, 21 May 1941, Page 10

AIRCRAFT ALUMINIUM

NEW AUSTRALIAN PLANT CONTRIBUTION TO DEFENCE SYDNEY, May 17 I'he Minister lor Munitions, Senator Mcßride, inspected the Australian Aluminium Company's new fabrication works yesterday. These works, which are producing aluminium alloy sheets lor aeroplane construction, play a vital part in Australia's aircraft manufacturing programme The Minister sav. aluminium ingots imported from Canada being melted, cast into slabs, and r,oiled in hot and cold mills into thin sheets for constructing the fuselage and wings of modern, all-metal bombing aircraft. Senator Mcßride said that, although the worlvs were fed by aluminium ingots imported from Canada, the Federal Government had not overlooked the possibility of producing aluminium from Australian bauxite ore. "The difficulty about the industry," he said, "is that it requires a high-grade ore free from impurities, and supplies of bauxite <>l that standard are extremely limited in Australia Nevertheless, we have gone a long way to developing a process which we hope will be successful." Among the company's products is the aircraft materal known as alclad, a duralumin-type alloy sheet coated with high purity aluminium to combat corrosion. It has been used in Australia for many years in the hull construction of the Seagull amphibian type of aircraft in service with the Royal Australian Air Fqrce, and is being used extensively in the construction of Australian-built Bristol Menu fort bombers. Senator Mcßride said that the entire output of the factory was being used on defence work. Further extensions to the works, to be equipped with Aus-tralian-built machinery, would enable the plant to supply other countries liesides Australia with essential materials for aeroplane construction and repairs. The company has spent £.'">00,000 on the establishment: of its plant, which is the only factory in the Southern Hemisphere producing the entire range of aluminium alloy material required in aircraft manufacture. Its fabricating methods have been developed and are being supervised by Australian metallurgists, engineers and plant operators who returned some time ago from training in Canada. Formed more than two years ago with a capital of £1.000.000, the company is jointly owned by the British Aluminium Company, Limited. Aluminium. Limited, of Canada, and the Electrolytic Zinc r V>mpanv of .Australasia, Limited