AL Circle: What role does Almex play in the aluminium industry?

Ravi Tilak: We provide equipment and technology and complete solutions for making aerospace aluminium balloons. Our significant focus has been on aerospace aluminium, slabs, and billet casting. But it's not just related to casting. We provide furnace-to-finish solutions, including metallurgical process know-how and training for a plant to completely absorb the essentials of qualifying their product for aerospace applications. Now, that is far more difficult than other alloys. The aerospace alloys are far more complex, and the quality requirements are very stringent; a plant becomes qualified once it is entirely on board with AS9100 and aerospace major qualifications. So, we hold our customers' hands up to complete their qualifications. So, it's more than just... Selling the equipment. No, I'll tell you. Our customers come to us looking for equipment but stay with us to buy solutions. Ultimately, it's the solution that you need. Because the ultimate customer is so important. So, our selling focus has always been on our customer's customers. Because they must be involved in whatever our customers want.

AL Circle: In the automotive industry, are 2000 series and 7000 series aerospace alloys used? If so, what specific parts are made from these alloys?

Ravi Tilak: Interestingly, aerospace alloys are now being deployed to run on ground transportation structures.