Getting a clean, smooth finish while removing material quickly is not always easy when machining high-strength aluminium alloys. A new study on AA7075-T6 aluminium alloy has explored this challenge, identifying two different sets of drilling conditions to improve surface quality and maximise machining productivity. The research examined how cutting speed, feed rate and drill depth influence conventional drilling performance. Using response surface methodology and a central composite design, the researchers developed predictive models to determine how changes in these parameters affect the machining process. The models showed a strong level of accuracy, with coefficients of determination (R²) reaching 0.9731 for surface roughness and 0.9359 for material removal rate. Further confirmation...
Cleaner aluminium depends on three things going right at once: scrap collection, melting it in a furnace without much carbon, and the electricity behind the whole chain not being coal-powered. Developments across North America, the UK, the European Union (EU), Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia and India depict how unevenly those pieces are falling into place. While some markets are losing recoverable metal at the sorting line, others are redirecting cargoes or writing scrap into industrial policy, and a few are lining up green projects to hold primary aluminium production together. Aluminium scrap trade: North America leads, Thailand bans, EU retains The international aluminium scrap market is facing a combination of changing trade flows and growing pressure to secure cleaner, more consistent...
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LME aluminium gained slightly after the US dollar index hit one-month low following the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s last FOMC meeting. The light metal contract inched higher from US$2,085 per tonne on Wednesday, November 23 to US$2,090 per tonne on Thursday, November 24. JP Morgan in its recent report on global commodity market said that aluminium prices will rise, and so long-term hold is recommended. For the short term, any rise in LME aluminium will be limited within a narrow range. As on November 23, LME official cash buyer aluminium price (Bid Price) stands at US$2,088 per tonne, cash seller & settlement aluminium price (Offer price) is US$2,090 per tonne, 3M Bid Price is US$2,103 per tonne, 3M Offer Price is US$2,103.50 per tonne, Dec1 Bid Price is US$2,150 per tonne, and...
Serious concern over rising CO2 emission levels is prompting regulatory bodies all over the world to raise the average fuel economy standards for auto makers. In a bid to comply with those standards, auto makers are redefining their technology platforms and shifting to lightweighting in a big way. The journey which started a few years ago with replacing of heavy steel auto parts with small light metal castings and extrusions has transformed into a race to replace vehicle body parts with larger surface areas with light metal rolled products i.e. sheets. Winning the race from the forefront is aluminium and aluminium based rolled products! Aluminium rolled products consumption in the automotive industry is growing at a significant rate. Ford, Jaguar, BMW, Cadillac- you name them and they are...
Unionized workers at Alcoa Corp’s Canadian aluminum smelter in Becancour, Quebec have rejected the company’s contract offer and adopted a strike mandate, the United Steelworkers said on Wednesday. The collective agreement for 1,030 unionized workers expires at 11:59 EST (0459 GMT) Wednesday, after which workers will be in a legal position to strike and Alcoa will have the right to lock them out, the union said. Becancour produces 430,000 metric tonnes of aluminum annually, Alcoa said. Combined with the company’s Deschambault and Baie-Comeau smelters in Quebec, total annual production capacity is nearly 1 million metric tonnes of ingots, plates and billets, Alcoa said. Alcoa, which owns 74.95 percent of Becancour with Rio Tinto Alcan holding 25.05 percent, said in a statement that...
Global Metal Packaging Market is projected to reach USD 138.1 million by the end of 2022. The market will grow at CAGR of 3.28 per cent during the mentioned period, according to the report on Global Metals Packaging Market by Market Research Future (MRFR). Aluminium aerosol cans demand has been rising driven by technological improvements in product performance and features, and innovations in aesthetic appearance. The major participants operating in this market are Amcor Ltd. (Australia), Ardagh Group (Ireland), CPMC Holdings Ltd. (China), Crown Holdings (U.S.), Grief Incorporated (U.S.), Silgan Holdings (U.S.), Rexam Plc. (U.K.), Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd. (Japan), Ball Corporation (U.S.) and Huber Packaging Group GmbH (Germany). This market is categorized into regions of North...
After registering strong growth for two consecutive years, the U.S. aluminium household article import sector is nearing a drop in 2017. Market participants are of the opinion that changing international trade scenario, tariff structures and opposing views on the use of aluminium in food containers and as packaging material might have impacted on the demand of aluminium household articles in the U.S. market. However, with definite proof missing on the belief and WHO putting up safe estimates for the metal, it is expected that the imports will pick up once the politico-commercial issues have been sorted out in the upstream sectors. Global trade shows that the U.S. imported 24,2007 tonnes of aluminium household articles in 2016, a figure higher by almost 57 per cent from that in the...
Aluminum Association of Florida has been honouring construction companies specializing in aluminium with AAF’s Aluminum Construction Industry Awards for many years. Recently, Mullet's Aluminum Products, Inc. received the Aluminum Association of Florida's 2017 Awards of Excellence at the association's annual board meeting held at the Rosen Shingle Creek Reseort in Orlando, FL. Notably; it is for the 11th consecutive year that the company has won this prestigious award. Mullet's Aluminum received the excellence awards in two categories: Railings for fabrication and installation of aluminium stairs installed at Fruitville Elementary in Sarasota, FL. The company had collaborated with architect Sweet Sparkman and the contractor Jon F. Swift, Inc. for this project. Miscellaneous Metals for the...
After following a severe downward curve for four days, aluminium prices in China have seen some upward movement today. As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, average A00 aluminium ingot price has gained RMB 40/t on November 23 to stand at RMB 14,800/t from RMB 14,760/t yesterday. The slight rise in aluminium A00 Aluminum prices has been reflected in all other individual markets in China. A00 ingot prices have registered an increase from RMB 20/t to RMB 70/t across all markets. In the spot market aluminium is trading at a discount of RMB 160-120 /tonne. The little gain in A00 ingot prices in the individual markets can be seen in the table below: As forecasted by SMM, bear’s closing out could prevent SHFE Aluminium from dropping in the short term. In the short focus will be on whether SHFE...
Scandium International Mining Corp. (SCY) has instructed its EPCM contractor Lycopodium to commence critical path engineering on Nyngan Scandium Project in NSW, Australia. The company is expected to begin scandium production in first half 2019. SCY is focused on developing the Project into the world's first scandium-only producing mine. The addition of scandium into aluminium alloys produce stronger, lighter, heat and corrosion resistant, weldable aluminium products. Lycopodium will start on select critical path components including design and specification engineering on the high-pressure autoclave unit, associated flash and splash vessels and several specialized high-pressure input pumps. George Putnam, CEO of Scandium International Mining Corp. said, "This kick-off of detailed...
LME aluminium edged slightly higher on Wednesday, November 22, despite muted trading ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. The light metal contract closed at US$2,085 per tonne yesterday, up from US$2,062 per tonne on Tuesday, November 21. The fact that the demand growth has slowed down as market participants anticipated supply uncertainties due to China winter capacity cuts is prompting analysts to maintain a negative near-term outlook for LME aluminium. As on November 22, LME official cash buyer aluminium price (Bid Price) stands at US$2,084.50 per tonne, cash seller & settlement aluminium price (Offer price) is US$2,085 per tonne, 3M Bid Price is US$2,102 per tonne, 3M Offer Price is US$2,102.50 per tonne, Dec1 Bid Price is US$2,148 per tonne, and Dec1 Offer Price is...
Mercantile Investment which has proposed a takeover bid for Bauxite Resources so far has only 3.1 per cent of the company’s shares, a bidder statement lodged today confirmed. The company wants to acquire controlling stakes of the exploration firm with an off-market 9c-a-share cash offer for half of all the shares it does not own yet. If all shareholders sold their parts, Mercantile would successfully acquire a controlling stake of 53.1 per cent. In an earlier statement, Mercantile told to BAU shareholders, “Bauxite … has never found anything remotely viable and has chalked up losses of $48 million in the process.” To this Bauxite Chairman Robert Nash retaliated saying the statement made was “misleading.” Mercantile’s offer made via a subsidiary is an 11 per cent increase on Bauxite’s 8.1c...
The Every Can Counts, launched in England in 2009, has planned to expand the programme in all 32 counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Currently, the programme is running in 12 countries across the EU. Every Can Counts aims to encourage people to recycle aluminium cans in all environments including workplaces, universities and colleges, events, and festivals. Every Can Counts is a partnership formed between drink can manufacturers and the recycling industry. Róisín O’Brien, Every Can Counts Programme Manager said “The Every Can Counts programme provides a strong message to raise awareness of recycling drink cans. When you consider that cans are endlessly recyclable with no loss of quality, then it makes perfect sense to recycle each and every can. Overall I’m looking forward to having...
Spectro Alloys Corp has announced $5.5 million expansion at its Rosemount aluminium recycling facility in Minnesota. The expansion will not only boost recycling capabilities but also create jobs and improve melting safety and efficiency by reducing gas and electricity consumption. The company confirms that the expansion project includes construction of a new building with a 21-ton rotary furnace capable of melting a wide range of aluminium scrap. A filtration plant developed using a new technology will reduce emissions from the recycling process. The project is expected to be implemented by mid-2018. “We are now hiring to fill 10-plus new full-time production and maintenance positions as a result of this expansion,” a representative of Spectro Alloys said. “The planned expansion has...
Waste recycling is to start right at the moment a passenger lands at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), which operates the airport, is readying to install waste recycling machines to motivate people to recycle used aluminium beverage cans, steel cans, PET bottles and plastic bags before they leave the place for their individual destinations. As a pilot project, two waste recycling machines will be installed at strategic locations within the airport premises, GHIAL officials said. RGIA was the first airport to install its own composting plant, which processes food waste generated at the airport. Now the airport is installing its own packaging and aluminium can recycling machines- the first of its kind endeavour in the country....
Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, announced a ban on mining activities in the Cockpit Country Protected Area, Jamaica. Andrew Holness made the statement in parliament on Tuesday, November 21. Holness said, “In this regard, the Mining Act and any existing mining licences will be amended to close these areas to mining.” Holness explained, “The area is too valuable in terms of its ecological and hydrological importance and uniqueness to allow mining which may result in permanent and irreversible harm and deprive future generations of the benefit of this national asset.” “While we will forgo the extraction of millions of tonnes of high grade bauxite and limestone with potential earnings of billions of United States dollars; we cannot put a price tag on the loss to our water resources...
According to the latest foreign trade data from Aluminum Association, as derived from the U.S. Bureau of the Census, despite two consecutive drops month-on-month, U.S. aluminium imports were still up 25% YTD through September in comparison to the same period of 2016. Based on the growth rate through the first three quarters of 2017, it is expected that the total aluminium import would be about 17 billion pounds by the end of the year, which will be 18% more than the total import in 2016. The growth in import in the U.S. can be witnessed across virtually all product categories. But, semi-fabricated imports have increased 17.4% over the first three quarters of 2016. Aluminum sheet imports for the first three quarters of 2017 were up 19.5% in comparison to the same period of 2016. Import...
Aluminium and its raw materials are on a downward curve in China following winter capacity cut drive. Consumption is low and downstream purchasing is slow on expectation of lower supply. A00 ingot price is experienced the biggest drop in recent time in November. The average price of A00 Aluminium ingot stood at RMB 14,760/t today dropping further from RMB 14,860/t yesterday. The price is expected to range within RMB 14,740 – 14,780 per tonne. In the SHFE downward tendency of aluminium price is expected to be in control in the short term. Main contracts of SHFE Aluminium will aim RMB 14,500 per tonne for next stage. The contract is expected to move between RMB14,750-14,950 per tonne. . In the spot market aluminium is trading at a discount of RMB 120-80 /tonne. The drop in aluminium A00...
A team of researchers at the University of Leicester has won funding from the European Union for their work into a novel battery type based on aluminium and sulphur. Professor Karl Ryder and Professor Andy Abbott from the Materials Centre in the Department of Chemistry who are heading the team aim to position these batteries as alternatives to the conventional batteries. A consortium of the EU universities and a top battery testing company, Project SAlBAGE- Sulfur-Aluminium Battery with Advanced Polymeric Gel Electrolytes - is funded under the EU (Horizon 2020) Future Emerging Technologies scheme. The total value of the funding awarded is €3 million of which €545,000 will be forwarded to Leicester. This award is the first of its kind for the University. The Leicester team of scientists...
SolidCAM UK Ltd, the leading UK reseller of SolidCAM and InventorCAM suite of CAD/CAM software for manufacturing from SolidCAM, announced the move of its Technology Centre to a more spacious workshop within the premises of alimex UK Precision in Aluminium Ltd, based in Stonebridge, Milton Keynes. alimex UK Precision in Aluminium Ltd is a leading provider of high precision quality aluminium cast tooling plate, cuts and aluminium blocks. Malcolm Hohls, Head of Global Product Management, alimex UK, said: “The SolidCAM UK Technology Centre offers the end user the opportunity to gain insights and experience into the complete manufacturing cycle; SolidCAM Component Simulation / Programing, ROMI CNC Machining and alimex Material Performance all in one location. A unique opportunity to experience...
