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Aluminium Matrix Composites (AMCs) component design and manufacturer Alvant (Basingstoke, UK), has been appointed to work on a two-year, £28m Large Landing Gear of the Future project led by Safran Landing Systems (Vélizy, France).

The project aims to make use of new materials and manufacturing methods to develop and demonstrate technologies that will reduce landing gear weight without diminishing capabilities or safety. 

Alvant’s goal is the design, manufacture and testing of an AMC brake rod, targeting a 30% weight reduction over an equivalent titanium component while maintaining the same strength as steel. AMCs are advanced composite materials in which the aluminium is reinforced with a secondary high-performance material, typically a long fiber, short fiber or particulates. Compared to unreinforced metals, AMCs have higher strength, greater stiffness, lower weight, superior wear resistance, and lower coefficients of thermal and electrical conductivity.

Alvant’s appointment to the Large Landing Gear of the Future project comes soon after the company, formerly Composite Metal Technology (CMT), relaunched under the Alvant name on June 12. Alvant’s work on the project will be funded by a £513,000 grant from Innovate UK (Swindon, UK).