IBC Advanced Alloys Corp. ("IBC" or the "Company") reports that its wholly owned US subsidiary, IBC Engineered Materials Corp. ("IBC-EMC"), has been awarded an investment casting hard tooling contract from Lockheed Martin in support of its F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS).
Under the terms of the contract, IBC-EMC will be responsible for the design, manufacture and implementation of hard tooling to be used as a part of the final qualification process to establish Beralcast® castings as an effective beryllium-aluminum alternative for precision optical components for the F-35 Lightning II.
As previously disclosed, IBC-EMC is demonstrating the viability of Beralcast® castings to improve lead times and affordability of high performance aerospace components made from beryllium aluminum alloys. IBC-EMC has completed several advanced prototype castings and will now use the hard tooling to deliver a first article casting for pre-production approval.
"IBC is pleased to have received a hard tool contract from Lockheed Martin," said Ray White, President of IBC-EMC. "We are committed to demonstrating the viability of Beralcast® castings with a hard tool and to completing the final stages of our materials and processing qualifications."
"It is an honor to be working with Lockheed Martin," said Anthony Dutton, President and CEO of IBC. "Our Company is committed to delivering advanced beryllium aluminum casting solutions, not only for Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Lightning II but also for other aerospace industry initiatives where modulus, weight and cost are critical performance factors."
Beralcast® alloys can be used in virtually any high performance application requiring complex, lightweight and high-stiffness parts and can be substituted for aluminum, magnesium, titanium, metal matrix composites as well as pure beryllium or powder metallurgy beryllium-aluminum. Beralcast's® principal alloys are more than three times stiffer than aluminum with 22% less weight and can be precision-cast for simple and complex three-dimensional stability. These high-modulus alloys are ideal for high performance industrial and high tech components as well as for a wide range of aerospace applications.
About IBC Advanced Alloys Corp.
IBC is an integrated manufacturer and distributor of rare metals (beryllium) based alloys and related products serving a variety of industries including nuclear energy, automotive, telecommunications and a range of industrial applications. IBC has 80 employees and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada with production facilities in Indiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Missouri. IBC is creating a dynamic global beryllium and advanced alloys company. IBC's common shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "IB" and the OTCQX under the symbol "IAALF".