Rusal starts supplying alloys to Ford Sollers for engine serial production

UC Rusal, a leading global aluminium producer, announces that the supply of aluminium alloys for serial production of car engines components at Ford Sollers car building plant in Elabuga has commenced. Having successfully passed the qualification tests, Rusal aluminium alloys are now being delivered in engine components to Ford Sollers engine plant by local suppliers of the Ford Motor Company.

Aluminium produced at Rusal is being used at “RosALit” / “ZMZ” - Zavolzhski engine plant in the city of Zavolzhie in cylinder barrels, cylinder heads and main bearing caps for Ford’s localized engine. The engine piston is being produced by the Kostroma car component plant, in the city of Kostroma.

In addition to engine components, Rusal's alloys are used in the production of wheel disks for all of Ford’s cars in Russia. The production of wheel disks for Ford’s Russian models was launched at the LMZ SKAD factory in Divnogorsk. In 2008, the factory was awarded Q1 status by The Ford Motor Company, which confirmed it as a Priority Supplier.

Rusal and Ford Sollers have plans to further extend their joint projects. Ford Sollers is considering whether, in the future Rusal's alloys’ can be used in radiators, production of which is localized in Nizhny Novgorod. In 2015, Rusal will supply 49 thousand tonnes of aluminium and alloys for domestic car market, which is 11% (5 thousand tonnes) more than in 2014.

‘The development of the domestic market in line with import substitution of aluminium products is our strategic priority. The serial production of engines using Rusal's alloys at Ford Sollers is a significant move in car component production in Russia. Given current economic conditions, there is a need for a large-scale state programme to support national producers of aluminium-containing products. This will help in the formation of a dynamic and fast growing domestic market’, noted Vladislav Soloviev, CEO of Rusal.

Aluminum alloys are produced for Ford Sollers at Rusal's Novokuznetsk aluminium smelter. The smelter is compliant with ISO 14001:2004 International Standard (ecological management), ISO 9001:2008 International Standard (quality management), and ISO/TS 16949:2009 International Standard (quality management in automotive production).

As a major supplier of high quality primary aluminium and alloys, Rusal collaborates with the leading national and international automobile assembly plants in the production of localized car components’ as well as for the state programme on import substitution. In addition, Rusal and its partners work jointly to create new automotive alloys and produce aluminium zirconium wire rod for car wire harnesses.