ABSTRACT
The major applications of aluminum plate products, classied as having metal thickness greater than 0.25 inch (6.35 mm), are involved mainly in the manufacturing of aircraft wings and stabilizers. As discussed in Section 6.3, one of the major metal products of the wing structure is the high strength aluminum alloy rolled plate, which is used mainly for wing and stabilizer skins. The wing box normally consists of multiple skin panels integrated together creating a complex aerodynamic shape of the wing. Manufacturing of wing or stabilizer skins from plate products involves various process steps as shown in Figure 9.1.
