Aluminum casthouses are facing a growing operational challenge of increasing the use of recycled metal without compromising melt quality, recovery rates or production efficiency. As manufacturers look to incorporate more post-consumer recycled (PCR) aluminum, processing lightweight scrap, machining chips and other low-density materials has become increasingly important. Such materials are difficult to introduce into conventional melting furnaces, making efficient scrap feeding and submergence essential to improving recycling performance. The challenge extends beyond scrap preparation. Maintaining consistent temperature and chemical composition throughout the molten metal bath is critical to producing specification-compliant aluminum. Equipment used for circulation and stirring must...
ClearFlow Metalworks plans to invest $28 million in a new aluminum manufacturing facility in Russellville, Kentucky, marking an expansion of secondary aluminum production in the United States. The project is expected to create 50 full-time jobs, with its first phase designed to deliver an estimated annual production capacity of approximately 100,000 tons. The company, which focuses on sustainable aluminum recycling and production, will develop the facility in phases. Phase I will feature a secondary aluminum billet casting operation, processing recycled aluminum materials into billets for extrusion and other downstream manufacturing applications. The project will establish ClearFlow's manufacturing presence in the U.S. and support domestic demand for aluminum products while expanding...
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The US dollar continued to move higher on Wednesday, June 17, as investors safe haven demand increased amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic with a surge in cases in some US states. Three-month LME aluminium ended higher for the third consecutive day, as it bounced back after dipping to a session low of US$ 1,591 per tonne, finishing the day 0.22 per cent higher at US$ 1,607.5 per tonne. Open interest shrank 15,022 lots to 838,000 lots as shorts covered their positions. On Wednesday, June 17, both LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price stood at US$ 1577.50 per tonne after growing by US$ 4 per tonne. 3-months bid price and 3-months offer price also rose but marginally by US$ 0.5 per tonne to come in at US$ 1600 per tonne. Dec 21 bid price and Dec 21 offer...
In early June 2020, Alba’s executives, along with the Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali, visited the company’s Spent Pot Lining (SPL) Treatment Plant construction site. Upon the visit, the CEO reported that the construction is progressing as per schedule. In line with Bahrain’s National Waste Management Strategy, this project will provide a value-creating and sustainable solution to treat SPL, ensuring zero-waste. Bahrain’s National Waste Management Strategy is led by His Highness Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Personal Representative of His Majesty King of Bahrain, and President of the Supreme Council for Environment. Ali Al Baqali, said: “Being one of the blue-chip assets of the Kingdom of Bahrain, our aim is to lead the fields in sustainability – in line with the Kingdom of...
Publicizing a first of its kind innovation, Riot Labz presents a small version of Oakmist – automatic mist based hand sanitizer dispensers, named “Oakmist Mini”. This was designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Mini version is being floated to meet the sanitisation needs of Indian households. Oakmist mini is precisely designed for the sanitisation needs of the Indian households during this COVID-19 epidemic and carries a one year warranty. Oakmist mini has been immutably tested for more than 100,000 spray cycles and is encased in an aluminium body. It uses a high clarity ultrasonic sensor to detect the hands to spray a mist of hand sanitizer. Oakmist mini has a capacity of around 1200 ml and works with any liquid sanitizer based on Isopropyl...
New Yorker Electronics, a franchise distributor of Exxelia Sic Safco and carries its full line of electrolytic aluminium capacitors, has expanded its products poryfolio with the launch of new Exxelia Sic Safco Long-Life Aluminium Electrolytic Capacitor. It offers low ESR and high ripple current. It provides high energy loads and great performances in energy density. The company last year showcased it at PCIM Europe. The Felsic HV family of aluminium electrolytic screw terminal capacitors can be used in Medical, Aviation, Military Markets and railway applications. “For instance, 6,800µF @450V fit into a volume of Ø77x220mm and can withstand 200,000 hours between 0 to 70°C under 37Amps, which makes them the perfect choice for use in rolling stock traction systems or the concurrent...
On 17 th June’20, Alcoa Corporation, a global leader in bauxite, alumina and Aluminum made public that from 25 th June’20, it plans to begin the formal process for the collective dismissal of employees at its San Ciprián aluminium facility in Spain. On 28 th May ’20, Alcoa set forth an informal process with the workers’ representatives to discuss significant and unsustainable circumstances at the aluminium plant. The Company now intends to begin the formal 30-day consultation period with the Works Council to achieve the best possible outcome for the Company and its workforce. The Company envisions a restructuring for the aluminium plant that retains a portion of the cast-house in operation. A collective dismissal could potentially affect up to 534 employees of the aluminium plant. No...
RUSAL, one of the world's largest aluminium producers, has signed a cooperation agreement with DKS, a leading international electrical company, for the supply of raw materials and the joint development of new products. The project covers the establishment of the production of high-tech import-substituting products in Russia. DKS intends to manufacture cable support systems for the distribution of electricity and communications from aluminium alloy by 2025. “Products will have increased corrosion resistance and strength. RUSAL has already expressed interest in supplying these products to aluminium, alumina enterprises and other facilities,” RUSAL said. RUSAL will deliver about 2,000 tons per annum of aluminium to DKS, including about 700 tons of low-carbon aluminium from the ALLOW brand...
“The scaling tensions with China create an accelerated expectation of India’s attempt slow down its import dependency from its neighbour of North and shift the required demand to the local manufacturing” – as per industry experts. Even though China has cropped up to be India’s biggest trading partner with imports accounting for close to 16% of the total. As per experts opinion, any obstruction will have a comparatively brief impact on the domestic industry. The disarray engendered to raw material supplies from China due to COVID-19 has prepared local companies to deal with such events. Vinnie Mehta, Director General of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), which represents auto parts companies said: “The COVID-19 situation has underlined the need to enhance deep...
Kyrgyzstan is a Central Asian country which is landlocked with mountainous terrain. It is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and southwest, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east. Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Russia-backed Eurasian Economic Union. Its economy is heavily dependent on gold exports and remittances from Kyrgyzstani migrants working in Russia and Kazakhstan. FocusEconomics panellists forecast GDP contracting 1.8% in 2020, which is down 4.0 percentage points from last month's estimate. For 2021, the panel sees GDP growth at 5.7%. The country’s import of aluminium Bar Rods and Profiles during 2018-19 has remained flat, as the import volume stood at 5749 tonnes and the expenditure remained at $16.76 million. However, the estimated import for...
Belgium-based startup ValCun is reportedly creating a technology to make metal 3D printing more affordable and convenient than before. The company reports that it is using fresh and recycled aluminium, even cans, as input for its products. As mentioned in the available reports, ValCun refers to the technology as “molten metal deposition.” The technology uses aluminium wire feedstock, which looks like a spooled metal wire that is melted. The process of the technology is described to be as follows: the metal is first melted, then the workpiece is heated using plasma, and then finally, the material is deposited. This procedure leads to less heat and energy expended compared to heating an entire chamber. Jonas Galle, the inventor of the technology and founder of ValCun, said this process of...
According to the latest report from the US Geological Survey, US domestic primary aluminium production was 95,000 tonnes in March 2020. The average daily production stood at 3,050 tonnes, essentially unchanged from that in February, slightly more than that in March 2019, and 34% more than that in March 2018. Total aluminium recovered from scrap was 278,000 tonnes in March, unchanged from the amount in February, 4% less than the amount in March 2019, and 10% less than that in March 2018. Of this, 154,000 tonnes of aluminium was recovered from new scrap and 124,000 t was recovered from old scrap. In March, the average U.S. spot market price of primary aluminium ingot was $0.866 per pound, 4% less than that in February. Inventories of primary aluminium in LME-approved warehouses in the...
The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter with 800 employees near Bluff in New Zealand might have to hold up for a year to find out whether their jobs are safeguarded as the combat over its power bill continues. The Electricity Authority of New Zealand last week covered the way for the smelter to apply for a discount potentially worth $10 million a year on the transmission charges it pays Transpower to connect to the national grid. However, Transpower declared on 17 th June’20 that it might be at least a year before it is ready to consider any application. Transpower said: “Any discounts on transmission charges would need to wait on other decisions Transpower needs to make about how to implement a broader instruction issued by the authority for it to adopt more of a user-pays model for...
Shanghai Metals Market reveals that China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment has issued the eighth batch of copper and aluminium scrap quotas for 2020 on Tuesday, June 16. The authorities confirmed that the eighth batch of metal scrap quotas would allow additional 5,840 tonnes of high-grade aluminium scrap to enter China. This marks a significant rise of 4,360 tonnes from 1480 tonnes allowed in the seventh batch . While in the sixth batch, the ministry had granted 1,030 tonnes of additional imports to China. Thus, with the latest expansion, the cumulative quotas for this year have reached 483,999 tonnes, according to Shanghai Metals Market. China is expanding its aluminium scrap import quotas anticipating the usage of secondary aluminium to replace the primary metal. At China Aluminium...
Alcomet, a Bulgaria-based company that is principally engaged in the production of aluminium rolled and extruded products, published a net loss in the first quarter of 2020. The company reported a net loss of 772,000 levs ($446,000/395,000 euro) in Q1, from a net profit of 3.6 million levs last year. Alcomet said in an interim financial statement that its operating revenue stood at 95.2 million levs in the first three months of the year, down from 97.9 million levs in the first three months of last year. Sales of extruded products increased by 5.8% year-on-year to 6,626 tonnes in Q1. Rolled products sale came in at 11,276 tonnes, down 2.3% year-on-year. Total sales rose to 17,902 tonnes, from 17,805 tonnes last year. Despite the commissioning of new production plants, production remained...
The US dollar rose on Tuesday on the back of a record rise in US retail sales. LME and SHFE base metals mostly closed higher on the day. Three-month LME aluminium gained for the second straight session. It ended up 1.04% on the day at US$1,604 per tonne. As of Tuesday June 16, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1573.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1573.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1595.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1595.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1703 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1703 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1616550 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled 1408325 tonnes, and Cancelled Warrants were 208225 tonnes. LME aluminium 3-months Asian Reference Price is hovering...
The A00 aluminium ingot price in China has recorded a hike for the third straight day on Wednesday, June 17, found Shanghai Metals Market. Following the growth of RMB 150 per tonne on June 16, the A00 aluminium ingot price today has climbed by RMB 110 per tonne to stand at RMB 14,080 per tonne. With this, the price of aluminium ingot has crossed the 14K level since early February of this year. The average prices today are expected to range between RMB 14,060 per tonne and RMB 14,100 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 180-220 per tonne. Foshan, among all the major Chinese markets, has seen the highest growth today in A00 aluminium ingot price by RMB 140 per tonne to peg at RMB 14,160 per tonne. Wuxi and Chongqing have witnessed an increase of RMB 120 per...
According to the latest data released by the US Geological Survey, the United States in March 2020 exported 69,900 tonnes of aluminium plates, sheets and bars, bringing the total export amount in the first quarter of the year to 207,000 tonnes. Year-on-year, the United States’ aluminium semis exports in March 2020 was down by 7.78 per cent from 75,800 tonnes. Also, the total exports in Q1 2020 recorded a downtrend compared to 226,000 tonnes of the total exports of aluminium plates, sheet and bars by the US in Q1 2019. In February 2020, the US aluminium semis exports were 68,600 tonnes, meaning the exports in March dropped by 1.86 per cent month-on-month. The exports in February remained flat compared to 68,200 tonnes of exports in January 2020. The exports in January, however, registered...
Since 1994, Audi has been plying aluminium in its car bodies, but aluminium production is very energy-intensive. That is the reason Audi has been using a closed circulation of this material. It was introduced in 2017 at the Neckarsulm factory, and at the beginning of this year also at the Ingolstadt plant. This mechanism saves valuable primary raw materials and makes cars enter service with a more favourable ecological balance. In the production process of the Audi A3, A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 model lines, as well as the Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback components, compressors in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm use recycled aluminium. Marco Philippi, Director, Supply Strategy said: “Efficient and economical resource management is as important to us as the reduction of CO2 we emit. The amount of...
The United Kingdom-based waste management company Viridor has once again bagged the contract, worth £10 million, to process Ealing Council’s dry mixed recycling, with effect from June 6. As per the contract, Viridor is accountable for processing around 24,000 tonnes of dry recycling annually collected in Ealing for the next five years. Recycling would include aluminium cans, glass, paper, card, and plastics, and the processing would be done at Viridor’s Crayford Materials Recycling Facility (MRF). Earlier, Viridor won the same contract in 2016 and processed Ealing’s recycled material for the past four years, following Ealing Council’s decision to move to a comingled recycling collection service. Crayford Materials Recycling Facility currently receives 300,000 tonnes of comingled dry...
