U.S. Aluminium Forging for Aerospace Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Ring-Rolled, Closed-Die, and Open-Die), and Country Forecast, 2025-2032

The U.S. aluminium forging for aerospace market size was valued at USD 322.00 million in 2024. The market is projected to grow from USD 354.84 million in 2025 to USD 539.49 million by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period.

Aluminium forging in aerospace involves shaping high-strength alloys into aircraft and spacecraft parts using heat and compressive forces with tools such as hammers or presses. Wrought aluminium billets, bars, or plates are deformed into near-net shapes, such as landing-gear beams, bulkheads, and structural rings. Forging improves the grain structure and aligns it with the part’s geometry, thereby enhancing strength, fatigue resistance, toughness, and reliability compared to cast or machined parts. It is essential for lightweight, safety-critical components in aircraft, engines, and space systems.

Furthermore, the market is dominated by several key players, including Howmet Aerospace, Carlton Forge Works, and Scot Forge, which are at the forefront. A broad portfolio, innovative product launches, and strong geographic presence expansion have supported the dominance of these companies in the U.S. market.

U.S. ALUMINIUM FORGING FOR AEROSPACE MARKET TRENDS

Transition toward Larger, More Integrated, Near-Net-Shape Components to be the Latest Market Trend

A significant trend within the U.S. aluminium forging industry for aerospace applications is the transition toward larger, more integrated, near-net-shape components. Cost pressures and performance criteria primarily drive this shift. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier-1 suppliers are increasingly requesting single, complex forgings to replace multiple bolted or welded sub-assemblies. Examples include integrated landing-gear beams, substantial fuselage frames, or engine structural rings, due to their advantages in weight reduction, decreased assembly time, and minimization of fatigue-critical joints.

U.S. forging companies are responding by investing in higher-capacity presses, advanced ring-rolling mills, and enhanced die design and simulation capabilities to accommodate larger sections and more complex geometries in advanced 7xxx and Aluminium-Lithium (Al-Li) alloys. Consequently, this trend benefits well-capitalized U.S. entities capable of meeting stringent aerospace qualification standards and engaging in early-stage co-design with OEMs.

MARKET DYNAMICS

MARKET DRIVERS

Ramp-Up in Aircraft Production and Fleet Renewal Programs is Anticipated to Boost Market Growth

The primary structural driver for aluminium forging within the aerospace sector is the anticipated increase in global aircraft production, as airlines modernize their fleets and enhance capacity. Following the COVID-19 disruption, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) backlogs for narrow-body aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families have extended over multiple years, thereby securing elevated production rates for the foreseeable future. Each new airframe and its corresponding engine set necessitate numerous aluminium forgings, including landing gear beams, wheels, structural rings, bulkheads, brackets, and actuators, among others. Consequently, increased delivery volumes directly lead to a corresponding rise in forging demand.

Forgers respond by investing in advanced presses, ring mills, automation, and heat-treatment capacities, which increase available output and promote the design of more aluminium-intensive components, where factors such as weight reduction, fatigue life, and certification benefits justify the associated costs. Collectively, these developments establish sustained high aircraft production rates as a significant, long-term driver of aluminium forging demand.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

Competition from Alternative Materials and Manufacturing Processes is Anticipated to Limit Market Growth

The growth of aluminium forging is limited by the rapid advancement of composites, titanium alloys, and additive manufacturing within aerospace structures and engines. On new platforms, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are increasingly substituting traditional aluminium forgings with carbon-fiber composites for wings and fuselages, and titanium forgings in regions with high temperatures and corrosion sensitivity. They are also occasionally using 3D-printed titanium or nickel components where complex geometries or internal channels are necessary.

These alternatives can provide superior stiffness-to-weight ratios or enhanced temperature capabilities. Once a program is initiated, material selections are effectively fixed for decades. Consequently, the potential scope for aluminium forgings diminishes in certain applications, compelling forging companies to strive to maintain their share per aircraft and make substantial investments in process and alloy innovation to remain competitive.

Furthermore, qualification and switching costs pose significant challenges for aluminium forging suppliers in regaining lost market share once alternative materials become deeply established. Each modification in aerospace materials or processes necessitates rigorous testing, certification, and often re-approval of designs, thereby making OEMs hesitant to revert from an established composite or titanium solution to aluminium unless the advantages are substantial.

Simultaneously, supply chains for composite and titanium materials are expanding capacity and reducing unit costs, while additive manufacturing is transitioning from prototyping to serial production for specific brackets and housings. Consequently, aluminium producers must incur higher research and development, as well as capital expenditures, to remain competitive. This involves innovating with new alloys, near-net shape designs, and integrated machining, without assurance that market programs will favor a material shift, thus imposing a structural constraint on long-term U.S. aluminium forging for aerospace market growth.

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Aftermarket & Life-Extension Programs for Aging Fleets are anticipated to Create New Market Opportunities

A significant opportunity for suppliers of aluminium forging services exists within the aftermarket sector, as airlines, business jet operators, and defense forces aim to prolong the operational life of existing fleets rather than undertake complete replacements. Numerous commercial and military aircraft from the 1990s and 2000s are now reaching extensive maintenance intervals, during which components such as landing gear, structural components, hinges, actuators, and engine support hardware require replacement or refurbishment. These components frequently comprise aluminium forgings.

As Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) promote 'power-by-the-hour” and long-term service agreements, alongside increasingly stringent fatigue-life and corrosion resistance standards imposed by regulators, there is a growing demand for certified replacement forgings. These are occasionally redesigned employing advanced aluminium alloys or optimized geometries, transforming them into a sustainable revenue stream rather than a one-time sale associated solely with new-build programs.

MARKET CHALLENGES

Volatility in Aluminium Feedstock Pricing Increases Production Costs

A primary challenge faced by aluminium forging suppliers is the high and volatile proportion of material costs in their economic structure: aluminium may constitute between 40–50% of the total cost of component production, and in some cases, even more for straightforward ring or block preforms. Fluctuations in LME prices, regional premiums, tariffs, or billet surcharges can cause the underlying cost base for a forging establishment to shift more rapidly than the contract prices negotiated with OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers. Since aerospace contracts are typically multi-year and price adjustments are often delayed, this volatility erodes profit margins, complicates the quotation process for long-term RFQs, and heightens the risk of under-recovery of material costs. Additionally, it compels forging companies to allocate considerable management resources toward hedging strategies, procurement tactics, and yield enhancement efforts (including scrap reduction, near-net-shape processing, and recycling) in an effort to maintain profitability, rather than solely concentrating on technological innovation and customer service.

Segmentation Analysis

By Type

To know how our report can help streamline your business, Speak to Analyst

Ring-Rolled Segment to Capture Dominant Share as It Offers Greater Circumferential Grain Flow

Based on type, the market is divided into ring-rolled, closed-die, and open-die.

The ring-rolled segment is anticipated to dominate the U.S. aluminium forging for aerospace market share. Ring-rolled aluminium forgings are utilized in the U.S. aerospace sector for a variety of components, including engine casings, bearing races, wheel hubs, and fuselage rings. These forgings provide superior circumferential grain flow and enhanced fatigue strength. Consequently, demand is increasing due to the rise in commercial and military engine manufacturing rates, the production of landing gear, and the export of U.S.-made rings. Design trends favor larger, integrated, single-piece rings, and the resurgence of supply chain re-shoring further contributes to the growth of this industry segment.

The closed-die segment is expected to increase at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. Closed die forgings are a fundamental component in the manufacturing sector. These forgings are extensively utilized for producing intricate, near-net shape parts such as landing-gear beams, hinges, brackets, engine mounts, and structural fittings. They offer a combination of high strength, precise tolerances, and favorable buy-to-fly ratios, rendering them particularly suitable for high-volume applications in narrow-body and business-jet programs, as well as defense enhancements. The industry’s growth is further supported by initiatives aimed at consolidating multiple machined or fabricated parts into single forging units, thereby reducing the need for fasteners, decreasing assembly time, and lowering overall life-cycle costs. Additionally, automotive applications are projected to hold a 36.4% share in 2025.                               

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Key Industry Players

Players Strengthen Technological Capabilities and Supply Reliability to Sustain Market Leadership

As far as the competitive landscape is concerned, the U.S. aluminium forging for aerospace market is moderately consolidated, with a significant number of regional and global players operating globally. Some of these companies include Howmet Aerospace, Carlton Forge Works, and Scot Forge, among many others. These firms are competing in terms of both the application and price of their products. They are placing great stress on social marketing, product innovation, collaborations, and acquisitions. Most corporations have integrated their raw material production and sales activities to maintain product quality and expand their regional presence.

LIST OF KEY U.S. ALUMINIUM FORGING FOR AEROSPACE COMPANIES PROFILED

• Howmet Aerospace (U.S.)
• Scot Forge (U.S.)
• Carlton Forge Works (U.S.)
• Specialty Ring Products (SRP) (U.S.)
• All Metals & Forge Group (AMFG) (U.S.)
• Weber Metals (U.S.)
• Anchor Harvey (U.S.)
• Bourdon Forge (U.S.)
• Summit Machine, LLC (U.S.)
• DEECO Metals (U.S.)
• American Hand Forgings (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

• April 2025: Anchor Harvey bought the PMG group of businesses, including D&N Machining in Greenwood, Arkansas, combining PMG’s precision machining expertise with its closed-die aluminium forging operations.
• April 2025: Anchor Harvey announced the official integration of the PMG family of businesses under the Anchor Harvey name, positioning the company as a one-stop provider of end-to-end metal component manufacturing solutions for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
• December 2022: Weber Metals expanded its footprint by acquiring the Viking Metallurgical facility in Verdi, Nevada, marking a major strategic growth milestone. The 22-acre site, featuring over 100,000 sq ft of manufacturing space, brings a long-established expertise in high-temperature alloy rolled rings, strengthening Weber’s capabilities in advanced forging and metallurgical production.

REPORT COVERAGE

To gain extensive insights into the market, Download for Customization

Report Scope & Segmentation