ASSA ABLOY has agreed to acquire Brazilian aluminium solutions manufacturer Rometal, strengthening its manufacturing presence in Latin America while expanding its portfolio of door systems, furniture fittings and aluminium products. Announced on November 12, 2026, the proposed acquisition would bring an established Brazilian business with approximately 500 employees into the Swedish group's Americas Division. Rometal recorded sales of approximately BRL 332 million (USD 59 million) in 2025, equivalent to approximately SEK 580 million (USD 57.57 million) in ASSA ABLOY's announcement. The purchase price has not been disclosed. ASSA ABLOY described the company's EBIT margin in 2025 as strong and expects the transaction to be accretive to earnings per share from the start. Rometal acquisition...
Finland-based renewable heat technology developer Coolbrook has joined Australia’s Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre (HILT CRC) as an affiliate partner, bringing its electrified heating technology into research aimed at decarbonising alumina refining and the wider aluminium industry. The collaboration would explore how high-temperature electric heating can support next-generation alumina refineries, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Coolbrook would work alongside major alumina and aluminium producers, including Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Alcoa, Rio Tinto, South32 and Hydro, as well as research organisations of CSIRO and Adelaide University. Initially, it would focus on HILT CRC’s Alumina Refineries’ Next-Generation Transition (AlumiNEXT) project,...
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The interest of aerospace industries in AM has been continually growing and the adoption rate itself describes a curve looking like a taking-off plane. As announced, the promising German-Russian joint venture “FITNIK” has started operations as of January 2018. Partners are the FIT Additive Manufacturing Group based in Lupburg (Germany), specialized in rapid prototyping and Additive Design and Manufacturing services, and NIK Ltd., based in Zhukovsky (Russian Federation), an engineering consulting firm active in the Russian and international aerospace market providing engineering and consulting. The cooperation combines two specialists united by one goal: To open up the Russian market for AM. Whereas FIT will provide ADM (Additive Design and Manufacturing) expertise and services for the...
Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), a state run mining entity, has announced that they have received all clearances for Kodingamali bauxite mine and expects to commence operation at the mine in two months. "We have all clearances in place for Kodingamali. Hopefully, mining activity will take off in two months,” said R Vineel Krishna, Managing Director of OMC. "Companies can source bauxite from OMC at auctions or through long-term linkages. Industries without captive bauxite sources can buy from us.” The commencement of bauxite mining activity at the Kodingamali will mark OMC’s foray into bauxite mining, according to news reported by Business Standard. The Kodingamali lease has 81 million tonnes of bauxite reserves. Kodingamali bauxite quarry is expected to bring relief to Vedanta’s Lanjigarh...
Aluminium is adorning more and more innovative building structures around the world primarily for it formability and lightweight advantage. The rounded shell of a school sports hall near Prague is aesthetically covered and disguised with reflective aluminium panels. The sports hall is designed by a local architectural firm Sporadical in the town of Dolní Břežany, to the south of the Czech capital. The hall can be used by the school and public for sports and as a cultural venue. According to the architect, the building's semi-spherical unique form gives it a distinctive contemporary feel. The neutral design complements the evolving urban context, while also covering the overall mass of the building. "The dome draws the scale closer to humans, the metallic surface mirrors the surroundings,...
The Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organization, Alupro-organized Every Can Counts programme has once again come forward to support a cause, which has values similar to its own. The programme has partnered with the female UK-based Trek-Drops professional women’s cycling team for the ongoing 2018 session. Support for the women cyclers has also come from other industry bodies like European Aluminium and Metals Packaging Europe (MPE). Source: www.letsrecycle.com Every Can Counts will now be seen as supporting Team Trek-Drops when they hit the tracks in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and France. Trek-Drops team director Tom Varney said, “We’re delighted to continue our partnership with Alupro and welcome the increased support from both the MPE (Metal Packaging Europe) and European...
UK bought US$644.1 billion worth of goods from around the globe in 2017.The country’s imports of aluminium container for compressed gas witnessed a drop in volume and value in 2017. UK expects an increase in imports of this product in 2018. In 2017, Czech Republic exported 3331 tonnes of aluminium containers for compressed gas to UK (estimated).The other top exporters are Germany, Hungary, Netherlands and Canada. Global trade data suggests that UK imported 11472 tonnes of aluminium containers for compressed gas worth US$82.6 million in 2016.Aluminium containers for compressed gas import totalled 8759 tonnes and was valued at US$55.5 million in 2017. A total volume of 9859 tonnes of aluminium containers for compressed gas will be imported by this year end. The value of import will also...
Canada, the biggest exporter of steel and aluminium to the U.S. is optimistic about being exempted from Trump administration’s crackdown on steel and aluminium import. Though the U.S. Commerce Department didn’t mention any exemption for Canada in its report where possible tariffs and quotas were outlined, it acknowledged northern neighbour’s crucial relationship to the U.S. aluminium industry. Canada supplies about half of the U.S.’s almost 5 million-metric-ton aluminium deficit, and currently domestic smelters are not in a position to fill up that gap. For steel, however, there are exemptions for allies like Canada and Japan. “If any country should be granted an exemption, I put my bet on Canada,” said Aluminum Association of Canada President Jean Simard. Adam Austen, a spokesman for...
Benchmark aluminium price on London Metal Exchange dropped marginally on Tuesday, February 20, as trading remained mostly muted during Asian morning trading hours. The light metal contract closed at US$2,239 per tonne, down from US$2,266 per tonne on Monday, February 19. After the US Commerce Department’s recommendation on the imposition of tariffs and quotas on aluminium (and steel), LME base metal prices are expected to ease a bit. However, knee-jerk reaction amid uncertainty caused may again lift LME aluminium prices in the short term. As on February 20, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$2,238.50 per tonne, LME aluminium cash (offer) price stands at US$2,239 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$2,205 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$2,206 per tonne; Dec 19 bid...
SMS Group GmbH has won a contract from ElvalHalcor, to supply a new four-stand tandem aluminium hot finishing mill for its Oinofyta plant, near Athens. ElvalHalcor is one of Europe’s leading producers of wide aluminium sheet that is currently investing EUR 150 million to upgrade equipment, technology and infrastructure. The investment, announced in December 2017 was funded by the European Investment Bank. The investment is a part of company’s five-year plan to more than double its flat rolled aluminium products capacity. With the installation of new four-stand tandem mill, the future spectrum of hot rolled strips will range from 1.8 mm to 12.7 mm in thickness and up to 2.6 m in width. This will secure ElvalHalcor’s position as a leading producer of high Quality wide aluminium sheet. This...
Altech Chemicals Limited has announced the approval of a manufacturing license from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) for its 4,500 tonnes high purity alumina (HPA) plant at Johor, Malaysia. The approval represents another important milestone for the development of alumina plant. Commenting on the manufacturing licence approval, Altech managing director Mr Iggy Tan said, "The Company is delighted with the support that it is receiving for its HPA project from MIDA and the Johor and Malaysian governments. The prompt assessment of our manufacturing licence application is testament to the support for our proposed HPA plant, which will represent a total investment of approximately 1.2 billion ringgit in Malaysia." Altech Malaysia has been requested to submit copies of...
AMA's Structural & Mechanical Division (AMA-SMD) has supplied potshell for Alba’s line-6 aluminium smelter project. The group has delivered the first potshell for expansion project on February 12. Image Source: Trade Arabia AMA Group was awarded the contract to manufacture 427 pot shells (each weighing 44 tonnes) for Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project. The group had received the contract from International Bechtel Company (Bechtel), the engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contractor for the project. In addition, AMA Group and Alucor (UAE) have delivered cathode ring busbars (each weighing 47 tonnes) on February 14. The AMA-Alucor joint venture company is manufacturing 24 cathode ring busbars for the project. Haresh Patel, the general manager of AMA-SMD said: “We are...
Leading aluminium producer UC RUSAL has announced the signing of a cooperation agreement with plants, machinery and services provider, SMS group, Germany. The agreement entails coming together of both the companies to develop innovative continuous casting equipment for aluminium wire rod production based on RUSAL’s proprietary technology of continuous casting, rolling and extrusion. RUSAL’s technology produces special grades of aluminium wire rods in a novel manner that ensures high quality against all industry benchmarks. According to the agreement, SMS group and UC RUSAL will develop a pilot equipment line already installed and field-tested at IrkAZ smelter. They will then proceed to sell the equipment commercially using SMS group’s network. RUSAL’s technical director Victor Mann said,...
Mercantile OFM has extended the Offer Period of the Off Market Takeover Bid for 50% shares in Bauxite Resources to 7:00pm (Sydney time) 30 April 2018. The company serves a new notice with ASIC to BAU Shareholders encouraging them to read the offer variation. According to the Extension of the Offer Period the new date for giving of the notice of the status of the conditions to Mercantile OFM’s takeover offer is now 23 April 2018. BAU Shareholders who have already accepted the Offer before or on the date of the Notice of Variation can still withdraw their acceptance of the Offer. As the Existing Proportional Takeover Bid has now been extended to 30 April 2018, Bauxite Resources CEO has urged the company shareholders to vote against the bid 14 days prior to close of the Existing Proportional...
Canadian Minister for Infrastructure and Communities, Amarjeet Sohi who is accompanying Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau on his 8-day tour in India, said yesterday in Kolkata that there is ample opportunity for Indians to participate in the North American nation’s ambitious 10-year infrastructure roadmap. Canada has been importing small quantities of aluminium bar rods and profiles from India over the years. In 2016, its total aluminium bar rods and profile import from India stood at 644.34 tonnes (approximately five per cent of the total aluminium bar rods and profile import). The three-year (historic) and 2018-estimated aluminium bar rods and profiles import by Canada has trended as below: It is clear from the above graph that Canada’s import of aluminium bar rods and profiles- a key...
Government has decided to release the seized mining equipment belonging to Exton Cubic following the cancellation of revocation order of bauxite mining lease. The company’s bauxite mining lease was revoked by the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry in September last year. The mining equipment was seized on the instruction of the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, and the District Chief Executive of the Atwima Mponua District. The Ashanti Region Minister has confirmed that minister will release seized equipment belonging to company’s sub-contractor, Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners (E&P) if officially informed by the Attorney General department. Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, a member of the company’s legal team told Citi News last week that “The decision taken by the...
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba) announced the appointment of Dr. Abdulla Habib Ahmed as the Acting Chief Operations Officer (COO) with immediate effect, following the meeting of the Company’s Board of Directors on Thursday February 08, 2018. Dr. Abdulla joined Alba in 1995 as a Trainee Engineer. During the last 22 years, he has held various supervisory and management roles in Alba -- Superintendent Reduction Line (2002); R&D Manager (2009); Reduction Lines Manager (2011); Customers Technical Support Manager (2013); Director of Reduction Lines and Services (2015) and Director of Reduction Line 6 Start-up (2017). Commenting on Dr. Abdulla’s appointment, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Murray, said: “At Alba, we believe that the key to our success is to develop and promote our people from...
U.S. consumers could end up paying more for a six pack of beer or a can of vegetables if President Donald Trump takes actions on U.S. Commerce Department’s tariff recommendations on steel and aluminium imports. Critics are of the view that such protective actions may harm many U.S. end-user industries, including breweries and canned vegetable companies that use imported aluminium for product containers. “Anything that raises our raw material costs will affect the bottom line,” said Henry Schwartz, founder and CEO of MobCraft Beer, a Milwaukee brewery. Switching off again to glass bottles again would cost money on additional equipment and bottles are not as appealing to consumers as cans. According to industry statistics, for every dollar worth of beer produced in the U.S., brewers spend...
India’s Odisha government may collect INR 270 billion from bauxite miners and miners of other minerals for indulging in excess production. The government has planned to send demand notices to the non-ferrous mine leaseholders for extracting beyond the approved limits. A government official said: “The demand notices would be sent to the non-ferrous lessees in staggered form in respect of violations of environment clearance, forest clearance and other statutory non-compliance. We have already conducted hearing with the leaseholders after sending initial showcause notices. The government believes there can be no discrimination on the basis of minerals.” The government may impose penalty on bauxite and other non-ferrous mines like coal, chromite and limestone for illegal production. Odisha...
According to the latest report from Aluminum Association, shipments of Aluminum Foil by U.S. and Canadian producers were slightly up YoY to 34 thousand tonnes during January 2018. Compared to the previous month, shipments increased 18.5 per cent over the December 2017 total of 29 thousand tonnes. Preliminary shipments for 2017 dropped 1.6 per cent to 433 thousand tonnes from the volume in 2016. Shipments of can stock by US and Canadian producers totalled 159 thousand tonnes during January 2018, up 1.3 per cent over January 2017. Month on month, shipments increased 12.8 per cent over the December 2017 revised total of 141 thousand tonnes. Preliminary shipments for 2017 dropped 2.9 per cent to 1.83 million tonnes from 2016. Compared to January 2017, producer shipments of can stock to U.S....
