Aluminium manufacturers are facing a challenge that extends across the entire production chain: improving output and product quality while making better use of raw materials, energy and existing equipment. From recovering metal from complex scrap to controlling billet solidification and achieving precision in rolled products, every stage presents technical demands that influence the efficiency and economics of the final operation. Addressing these demands requires more than conventional machinery. Equipment manufacturers are developing specialised technologies to tackle problems such as low scrap recovery, surface segregation, casting defects, unnecessary metal removal and inconsistent strip flatness. Increasingly, the focus is on improving process control, reducing production losses and...
Vedanta Aluminium Metal Ltd is turning to captive bauxite supplies to manage rising raw material costs as a pricing dispute with its long-term supplier, Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd (OMCL), puts pressure on its procurement expenses. The company plans to begin production at its Sijimali bauxite mine in Odisha during the current financial year, targeting an initial output of 1 million tonnes. Vedanta received long-pending consent to operate the mine in September. Production is expected to increase to 5–6 million tonnes in FY28, with the captive resource anticipated to replace imported bauxite and reduce the company's dependence on external suppliers. The mine is expected to generate savings of approximately USD 25 per tonne, according to chief financial officer Anup Agarwal, who discussed...
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Hydro has provided updates on its business operations amid the coronavirus pandemic. While the situation is leading to closures and reduced production at many sites, Hydro has reopened some facilities to meet customer demand. The company has reopened some sites at extrusion solutions operations in south Europe this week. Around 30% of the extrusion solutions operations are running at approximately normal levels, around 45% are running at reduced levels and around 25% of the sites are either closed or running at very low levels, Hydro said. The Energy segment and Bauxite & Alumina segment are now running as normal. Primary production operations are mostly running as normal. “Husnes aluminium plant ramp-up postponed to Q3 2020 at the earliest. Recycler Azuqueca in Spain and Luce in France...
Extrusion manufacturing facility based outside Toronto, Spectra Aluminium, has reportedly ordered a 28-MN front-loading direct extrusion press and 5,000 kg/h, high-efficiency gas billet oven from Danieli Brada for producing industrial profiles starting from 8” to 9” aluminium billets. The new extrusion press and the gas billet oven will be installed in Bradford, Ontario, Canada. The press will be equipped with the Danieli-patented Energy Saving solution ESED 4.0 that allows average energy savings of 25-30 per cent compared to traditional systems available in the market. The press will also feature fully electric billet loading right from the oven to the press, which will significantly reduce the billet heat/energy loss and improve billet temperature accuracy. The automation system, also...
The US dollar index slipped to a one week-low of 99.5. LME aluminium closed 1% higher overnight. The SHFE kept its night trading session suspended. Three-month LME aluminium rallied in the North American trading session, recovering from earlier losses to finish the day 1.02% higher at US$1,484 per tonne. The contract increased 0.27% on the week. LME aluminium fell for 13 weeks in the past 15 weeks, according to Shanghai Metals Market. As of Thursday, April 9, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1428.50per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1428.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1467 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1467 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1603.50 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1603.50 per tonne. The LME...
On 8 th April’20, Airbus, Europe’s largest manufacturer, has announced that it will drop aircraft production of its core three aircraft models by roughly a third. The aircraft manufacturer has stated clearly that it will steeply cut production from the bestselling A320 single-aisle jet to 40 per month from 60 per month previously, assembled in Toulouse and Hamburg. Airbus will also drop its production of the A330 to two a month and the A350 jet to six a month. The aerospace sector is a key consumer of aluminium. The worldwide demand for the light metal has been choked, with the COVID-19 epidemic spawning the utmost turmoil to supply chains, and the outcome of it is putting the global premiums down. Guillaume Faury, CEO, Airbus said: “Our airline customers are heavily impacted by the...
According to the latest data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on Thursday, April 9, China’s wholesale deliveries of new energy passenger vehicles totalled at 56,000 units in March, down 49.2 per cent from the same period last year but grew by about three times from the last month. Wholesale volumes of plug-in hybrid vehicles accounted for 9,200 units of the total volume of new energy passenger vehicle sales. As per CPCA data, this figure is down by about 59 per cent from the corresponding period last year. Wholesale volumes of pure electric cars fell 48 per cent over the year and totalled at 47,000 units in March 2020. The robust performance of sole-proprietorship and joint-venture automakers in China primarily drove the country’s new energy vehicles market last month,...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the average alumina spot price has seen to close the week ending Friday, April 10, at RMB 2121 per tonne, down RMB 25 per tonne from RMB 2,146 per tonne on Thursday, April 9. In the central, the average alumina spot price has decreased by RMB 30 per tonne to RMB 2,130 per tonne. In the east as well, the average alumina price has come in at RMB 2,130 per tonne, as of April 10, but by declining RMB 20 per tonne. The north has also witnessed a plunge of RMB 20 per tonne in the alumina price to RMB 2,110 per tonne, while that in the south has remained restrained at RMB 2,520 per tonne. The imported alumina price has dipped today by RMB 35 per tonne to RMB 2,140 per tonne, while the Australian Alumina FOB price has continued to hover at US$225 per tonne....
Metalex staffs are presently working overtime at its sites in Poole, Horsham, Birmingham, Chepstow and Milton Keynes to process the orders for aluminium plate and bar billets to be used in the rapid production of medical equipment. Paul Nicola, MD, said: "To date, we have supplied over 80 tonnes of the plate and bar to OEM's such as Penlon, Luxfer, Mclaren, Renishaw and a huge number of subcontractors who are working on this project, and have orders for a further 90 tonnes with more coming in every day.” "As the UK's largest independent distributor of aluminium plate and bar products we were ideally placed to assist in this work and have retained all of our staff whilst our competitors have been furloughing large numbers of theirs." The Metalex staffs have been following social distancing...
The Lexus LC is appearing with a compelling blend of exotic looks, intoxicating V8 noises and performance and finely tuned dynamics. The 10kg less weight is one of the major tweaks of 2021 LC, as it equipped with new aluminium lower suspension arms, a hollow anti-roll bar with a revised diameter, a new high-strength coil spring material and lighter rear wheels for the 21-inch wheel option. To capitalise on the added agility and precision that brings, Lexus lengthened the stroke of the adaptive front dampers and optimised the rigidity of the bump stops to create a smoother overall suspension stroke. The LC 500’s 10-speed automatic paired to the same 470 hp/540 Nm 5.0 litre naturally-aspirated V8 as before. As for the LC 500h, the Multi-Stage Hybrid drivetrain, which combines the electric...
Social inventories of primary aluminium ingots have fallen this week, as demand improved and aluminium smelters held back on sales and reduced deliveries to social warehouses owing to weaker aluminium prices, learned Shanghai Metals Market. The SMM data shows the primary aluminium inventories decreased 69,000 tonnes over the week ended Thursday, April 9, across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants. This marks the first week-on-week decline since the Lunar New Year Holiday, bringing the inventories at 1.607 million tonnes. On last Thursday, April 2, the primary aluminium inventories were at 1.676 million tonnes, up 9,000 tonnes compared to a build of 20,000 tonnes in the previous week. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories...
Arconic is executing mitigation measures with immediate effect that are estimated to reduce operating costs by approx. $150 million on a yearly rate basis. These deduction measures, as well as capital reductions of $50 million, will enhance the Company’s financial profile by approx. $200 million. The various measures that the company is implementing will be continued until the market again regains its move. The CEO’s salary and the Board of Director’s annual cash retainer will be reduced by 30%, the senior-level management will incur a 20% salary cut and the drop-down employees will attract a10% pay cut. The salaried staff will be cropped with a 10% reduction and Tennessee and New York facilities will be kept idle until the demand grows from the customer’s side. Tim Myers, CEO, Arconic...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, aluminium billet inventories in China have declined today, on April 9, for the fifth consecutive week, as stocks in east China have begun to shrink. The data shows the stocks of 6063 aluminium billets across five major consumption areas in China have totalled at 170,100 tonnes after declining by 4,100 tonnes over the week. Last week, on April 2, the inventories had plunged by 18,500 tonnes week-on-week to 174,200 tonnes. The chart below indicates the current status of aluminium billet inventories across China in more details: In Wuxi, Changzhou, and Nanchang, the aluminium billet inventories have dropped by 4,520 tonnes, 4,230 tonnes, and 1,530 tonnes to come in at 47,100 tonnes, 21,100 tonnes, and 7,400 tonnes, respectively. Foshan and Huzhou, on the...
Owing to weaker aluminium prices due to the COVID19 pandemic, Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd has reportedly revised its forecasts for financial years 2020-22. For FY20, the company has cut its net profit forecasts by 29 per cent to RM 415.5, and for FY21 and FY22, 12 per cent and 13 per cent to RM 816.3 and RM 948.9, respectively. According to the report, the company has also reduced its revenue outlook to RM 7,370.2 for FY20, RM 10,866.2 for FY21, and RM 11,137.1 for FY22. FV has also been reduced by 29 per cent to RM3.03 (from RM4.24 previously) based on 15 times revised FY21F earnings per share (EPS) (from RM4.24 based on 18 times FY21F EPS previously). <iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AwGLceThp5w" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay;...
One of the biggest economies of central Europe is Poland and is also a considerable location for one of the fastest-growing aluminium markets in the region. Poland’s aluminium consumption grew by about 10% in 2018, reaching 1.43 million tonnes. The nation has appeared as a European leader of secondary aluminium products, especially casting alloys. The bauxite import market for Poland remains inconsistent during 2017-20, as the total bauxite import recorded during 2017-19 stood at 161,131 tonnes, whereas the estimated bauxite import for 2020 has been analysed at 67,071 tonnes. The total volume for the 4 years import of bauxite stands at 228,202 tonnes. The bauxite import of Poland in 2017 has been recorded at 45,361 tonnes, whereas the amount paid was $7.09 million. In 2018 the bauxite...
The average alumina spot price has extended its decline further by RMB 26 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,146 per tonne, as of Thursday, April 9, found Shanghai Metals Market. This marks the sixth consecutive fall this month, bringing the average alumina spot price down by RMB 429 per tonne over the past one month. In the north, the average alumina price has declined by RMB 35 per tonne to RMB 2,130 per tonne, followed by the central and east by RMB 20 per tonne and RMB 15 per tonne to RMB 2,160 per tonne and RMB 2,150 per tonne, respectively. In the south, however, the price has continued to remain restrained at RMB 2,520 per tonne. The imported alumina price has recorded a fall as well by RMB 25 per tonne to RMB 2,175 per tonne. The Australian Alumina FOB price has slipped by US$ 6 per...
The Australian Aluminium Council and Australian Workers Union is anxious that any reduction of the crucial workers that strikes on the aluminium industry’s complex supply chain, in regards to shutdown measures, perils the permanent close-down of alumina refineries and aluminium smelters across the nation and losing thousands of jobs. The integrated aluminium industry is unique and indispensable in Australia. This is by grasping the whole chain from bauxite mining to alumina refinery to aluminium smelters and also the holding the contractors for essential supplies and services. The temporary shut-down in any unit of this supply chain turns out uncertainty in alumina refineries and thus hits out at the aluminium smelters. This can move towards the permanent closure of these operations. The...
The US dollar index edged higher on Wednesday in choppy trading, attracting safe-haven bids, as investor concerns remained over the economic fallout of the pandemic. Three-month LME aluminium fell to a new more than four-year trough of US$ 1,455 per tonne in the North American trading session, before it recouped some losses to close the day 0.61 per cent weaker at US$ 1,469 per tonne. As of Wednesday, April 8, both LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price fell sharply from US$ 1455.50 per tonne to US$ 1421.50 per tonne, followed by a significant increase on the previous day. 3-months bid price and 3-months offer price also recorded a sharp fall from US$ 1491.50 per tonne to US$ 1459.50 per tonne. Dec 21 bid price and Dec 21 offer price came in at US$ 1591.50 per...
M.T. Abraham Group, Aluminij Industries d.o.o. and Aluminij d.d. Mostar have signed a lease agreement for the Mostar based company in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Chinese-Israeli consortium announced: “The Abraham Group and its partners will start executing the strategic plan as stated in the agreement between the parties, all to make certain that Mostar based Aluminium smelter start operating in due time.” Amir G. Kabiri, President of M.T. Abraham Group and Director of Aluminij Industries d.o.o. said: “From the beginning of the negotiation process, I did not doubt that we would reach a mutual agreement. Starting tomorrow, we must concentrate on implementing our strategic plan to restart the manufacturing process.” Director of M.T. Abraham Group, Isaac M. Tami, added that he would do...
All American Marine (AAM) has secured a contract from Switch Maritime to complete the aluminium construction and outfitting of a 21-m, 84-passenger, zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered, electric-drive ferry that will operate in the California Bay Area. The project to build the vessel – both project and vessel are called Water-Go-Round – began at Bay Ship & Yacht shipyard in Alameda, California, and is being transferred to AAM. When launched, the Water-Go-Round vessel will be the US’ first hydrogen fuel cell vessel and the world’s first commercial fuel cell ferry. The project is funded in part by private capital from Switch Maritime, an investment platform seeking to build North America’s first fleet of zero-emission vessels. The project is also partially funded by a US$3M grant from the...
