“We can see some positive signals from the market. I believe that the LME returns to a level that is viable for our customers, which should free-up investments”, Benjamin Ulmann, Fives’ Aluminium Regional Sales Director, Middle East

Benjamin, graduated in 2005, worked for 8 year as Sales & Marketing for US based company named LUFKIN (now part of GE), a worldwide leading manufacturer of gearing solutions. Then in 2013, he worked for a UK based company named WELDING ALLOYS, a manufacturer of advanced welding consumables, automated equipment for wear protection, and engineered wear solutions. In 2016, he joined the Aluminium division of the French group Fives. After having worked with several subsidiaries of the division in the UK and in France, he is now Regional Sales Director for the Middle East. Benjamin has shared his insightful thoughts on how the use of smart automation solutions in aluminium plants will increase remarkably in 2021. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

AlCircle: Do you plan to design any new process equipment or revamp any existing technology for the aluminium industry this year?

Benjamin: Fives is an engineering company and R&D is part of our DNA. If we are not planning to develop any new process equipment in 2021, we will keep developing our digital solutions - AMELIOS Suite - to provide smelters with a complete ecosystem and comprehensive solutions to improve the efficiency of the aluminium production. Fives started this journey more than ten years ago and continue to develop breakthrough solutions to position the Aluminium – material and industry wise - as the future.