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...
Grow with
AL Circle
Argentina imported $54.7 billion worth of products in 2016. The country’s imports decreased during the last five years at an annualized rate of -6.705%, from $72.4 billion in 2011 to $54.7 billion in 2016. Argentina witnessed a fall in bauxite imports in 2016. The country’s export of bauxite is projected to increase considerably this year. {newsStudioGallery} International trade data shows that Argentina imported about 80763 tonnes of bauxite in 2016, down from 130130 tonnes a year ago. In 2017, the total bauxite import volume is expected to increase to 120478 tonnes. The cost of the total bauxite import stood at USD 58 million and USD 28 million in 2015 and 2016 respectively. The cost of import is estimated to increase to USD 440 million in 2017. China is the top supplier of bauxite to...
LME aluminium failed to sustain last week’s gain as buying slowed down in the downstream verticals. The light metal contract which had inched higher to US$2,106 per tonne on Thursday, November 16, slid back to US$2,077 per tonne after night trading on Friday, November 17. Current price trend suggests that LME aluminium will keep volatile and continue trading within a narrow range in the short term. As on November 17, LME official cash buyer aluminium price (Bid Price) stands at US$2,076.50 per tonne, cash seller & settlement aluminium price (Offer price) is US$2,077 per tonne, 3M Bid Price is US$2,095 per tonne, 3M Offer Price is US$2,095.50 per tonne, Dec1 Bid Price is US$2,140 per tonne, and Dec1 Offer Price is US$2,145 per tonne. LME aluminium Opening Stock or the LME aluminium...
Thiruvanthapuram Municipal Corporation successfully completed a colossal clean-up drive after the India-vs-New Zealand T20 cricket match at the Greenfield Stadium on November 7. With the help of 150 ground workers, the municipal body collected 1.5 tonnes of food waste, approximately 25,000 eco-friendly plates, 10,000 aluminium foil containers, 1,000 aluminium cans and around 10,000 paper cups from the stadium. Those were then handed over to recycling plants (except food) in the state. PEPSICO which joined hands with Thiruvanthapuram Municipal Corp under an extended producer responsibility (EPR) agreement also collected 35,000 pet bottles from the venue. Source: The News Minute The waste collection and clean-up drive was ideated and proposed by the municipal corporation to with the...
Aluminium profiles and tubes manufacturer Alu Menziken has been granted a 25 million euro ($29.5 million) loan by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the development of new aluminium profile factory in Romania. Matteo Patrone, Director of EBRD, Regional Head of Romania and Bulgaria, said: "This new investment is part of the EBRD’s efforts to drive job-generating foreign direct investment in Romania and enhance the competitiveness of companies shaping local industries and the workforce." The plant is expected to meet the growing aluminium profile demands, mainly from the automotive sector. The company, a subsidiary of Montana Tech Components, produces aluminium profiles and tubes, and complex extrusion press products. The company’s products are used in...
Tajik Aluminium Company (TALСO) official representative Igor Sattarov said Friday that the Yunnan Construction Engineering Group that provides construction services in China will construct a facility for the production of aluminium in the western city of Tursunzoda. China will invest $1.6 billion in the manufacturing plant. The new facility, with an annual production capacity of 500,000 tonnes, will be completed in the next one-and-a-half years utilizing the most advanced technology to date. Earlier reports indicated that Tajikistan is considering increasing the production of primary aluminium in 2017. The country’s largest state-owned company TALСO produced 76,000 tonnes of aluminium during January- September 2017. The company decided to increase aluminium production to 300,000 tonnes by...
A delegation of four Canadian aluminium companies and AluQuebec, the apex business cluster of Quebec in the Aluminium sector, yesterday met National Aluminium Company (Nalco) chairman and managing director (CMD) T K Chand at his office in Bhubaneswar to discuss business opportunities. Source: Nalco The two parties exchanged ideas and shared know-how for productivity enhancement and cost reduction through disruptive technologies and innovations. The Canadian delegation which comprised senior executives from Advanced Dynamics, Equibras Inc, Stas and Solutions Fonderie Services Métallurgiques Inc. were proposed to form joint ventures for setting up upstream and downstream manufacturing facilities at the upcoming Angul aluminium park in Odisha. The Canadian delegation’s India visit has...
After the controversy on falsified data on aluminium product quality has marred Kobe Steel’s business in Japan, it rival and the world's third-largest producer of flat-rolled aluminium products, UACJ Corporation is taking aggressive steps to expand its automotive capacity. The company is slogging hard to be at per with Novelis and Alcoa, the two global players in the aluminium rolled product segment for the automotive industry. UACJ's latest plan is to invest 16 billion yen ($141 million) for a new automotive line, quadrupling the company's total Japanese production capacity to over 130,000 tons. The line, announced in October is scheduled to go into operation at the company's plant in Fukui Prefecture in 2020. UACJ (of United Aluminum Company of Japan) was formed by merging Furukawa-Sky...
JSK Industries Pvt Ltd, a manufacturer of aluminium wire rod and aluminium conductor in India, has received clearance from the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) for setting up plant at Angul Aluminium Park, Odisha. The new facility will have capacity to produce 1,07,000 tonnes per annum of aluminium wire rod and aluminium conductor. The project involves a total investment of INR 50 crore. The company’s project, if implemented, will create jobs for 380 people. SLSWCA under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary A.P. Padhi approved investment proposals of INR 381 crore from five companies on Thursday, November 16, at its 75th meeting.
Australian automotive manufacturing sector is betting big on Nissan’s electric vehicle dream. At a time when automobile honchos like Holden, Ford, and Toyota have pulled out from Australia’s manufacturing domain, Nissan still continues to win contracts for its automotive aluminium die-casting parts manufacturing business based in Dandenong, Melbourne. Currently, the Nissan Casting Australia Plant (NCAP) which has been operating for here more than three decades now produces aluminium parts for the Nissan Leaf. Apart from aluminium water jacket, inverter case, and stator housing for the electric vehicle, Nissan is also manufacturing aluminium parts for the hybrid powertrains employed by Serena e-Power and the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Note. “Our aim is to be the preferred...
German automotive supplier BOCAR announced that the company will build a new facility with an investment of $115 million in Huntsville. BOCAR manufactures high pressure aluminium die casting, plastics and machining for automotive companies like Toyota, Ford, GM and many others. Gerd Dressler, CFO of BOCAR Group, said: “We are glad to invest in Huntsville, Alabama, where good infrastructure, talented people and a host of excellent universities will develop our business while contributing positively to the social and economic development of this community.” The company will start the construction on the site in spring 2018. The production is expected to commence two years later. BOCAR group made the statement at the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber along with representatives of the City of...
Japan’s export of aluminium rolled products is increasing year-on-year. Barring a dip in 2016, the average annual increase (in volume) has been around 14 per cent. The main category of aluminium rolled products i.e. plates, strips, and sheets which find a wide application in the foil packaging and automotive sheet markets has been witnessing this surge in shipment. According to global trade data, Japan exported 251,452 tonnes of aluminium plates, sheets and strips in 2016, down from 255,660 tonnes in 2015. The value of export has also risen from US$975 million in 2014 to US$1.05 billion in 2016. It is estimated that aluminium plates, sheets and strips export by Japan will reach 286,842 tonnes in 2017. The value of export will stand at US$1.14 billion. Japan is home to two of the world’s...
It will take time to reflect results of the implementation of production cut in the aluminium ingots inventory in the Chinese market. This is putting pressure in the aluminium prices by keeping it low. A00 ingot prices in China drop across two days after the winter capacity cut started on November 15. As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, average A00 aluminium ingot price has dropped RMB 130/t to RMB 15,230/t on November 17 from RMB 15,360/t yesterday. The price is expected to range within RMB 15210 – RMB 15250 per tonne. Chen Xuesen, vice director of strategic development Dept. of China Aluminum has recently said in a seminar in Fuzhou that Chinese government is researching on detailed measures to continue with aluminium output cut. Since China’s domestic aluminium demand is projected to...
In an official response to Mercantile chairman Ron Brierley’s comment that “it is time to call a halt” Bauxite Resources said the statement made was “misleading.” Bauxite in its ventures has been satisfactorily successful and continues to make further strides in bauxite exploration and mining domain. “The company considers the statement misleading. It is important to set out some facts about what has been achieved by the company since the listing in 2007,” Bauxite chairman Robert Nash said. Earlier this month, Mercantile had announced that it was mulling a takeover bid for half of its unowned stakes in Bauxite Resources. The company cited its displeasure at Bauxite’s slow-paced progress in its venture as the reason for such a decision. Brierley commented that after 10 years of...
The State-Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) on Thursday referred Vedanta’s plan to ramp up alumina production at Lanjigarh to high-level clearance authority (HLCA). Vedanta will increase its production from 1 million tonnes to 6 million tonnes if the HLCA clears the company’s proposal. Vedanta has sought 1,645.8 acres of land for the expansion of alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Odisha. The company will make an investment of INR 6,483 crore on this project. This will generate employment opportunity for 9494 people in the region. SLSWCA also referred company’s plan to ramp up the capacity of captive power plant from 90 megawatts (MW) to 340 MW to HLCA chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Runaya, founded by the sons of Vedanta Ltd's Executive Vice chairman Navin Agarwal,...
Aleris announced commissioning of its aluminium automotive body sheet production facility in Lewisport, Kentucky. The project with an investment of $400 million is designed by Aleris to meet growing North American automotive demand. Automotive industry is slowly shifting to aluminium from steel for lightweighting and fuel efficiency along with improved performance driving aluminium product makers to invest more in the automotive sector. The company has already begun shipping automotive products from Lewisport facility from this month. Commenting on the opening Aleris Chairman and CEO Sean Stack said, "The opening of our new automotive facility in Kentucky marks the completion of a significant piece of our strategic realignment, which includes expanding our capacity and capabilities to...
LME aluminium has edged higher above the US$2,100 per tonne mark. The light metal contract which has been struggling around US$2,080 per tonne level over the last five days rose 1.25 per cent to close at US$2,106 per tonne on Thursday, November 16. However, the bearish trend in global non-ferrous sector is likely to keep reining in the upward impetus of aluminium in the near term. As on November 16, LME official cash buyer aluminium price (Bid Price) stands at US$2,105.50 per tonne, cash seller & settlement aluminium price (Offer price) is US$2,106 per tonne, 3M Bid Price is US$2,123 per tonne, 3M Offer Price is US$2,123.50 per tonne, Dec1 Bid Price is US$2,168 per tonne, and Dec1 Offer Price is US$2,173 per tonne. LME aluminium Opening Stock or the LME aluminium inventory level stands at...
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has celebrates America Recycles Day on November 15 by applauding all individuals who make a strong effort to recycle as part of daily life, and encouraging all to learn more about recycling and the industry. America Recycles Day, a national initiative of Keep America Beautiful is organized in order to promote and celebrate recycling in the U.S. “Each year America Recycles Day offers us a reminder of the critical role recycling plays in the earth’s sustainability, including its impact on the environment, energy savings, and the economy,” said ISRI President Robin Wiener. It is noteworthy that in 2016, U.S. recycling industry recycled more than 130 million metric tons of scrap metal, paper, plastic, glass, textiles, rubber, and electronics...
So, aluminium prices are back again to the below US$2,100 per tonne mark. With demand remaining muted, this downtrend is unlikely to reverse in the near term. However, China monthly production figures (October production 2.55 million tonnes down by 2.3% YoY) suggest that aluminium supply from the country is shrinking and that will eventually drive up the prices what if not in the near term. But more than aluminium, it is the raw material prices that are grabbing attention of the analysts. Renowned aluminium industry analyst and columnist with Reuters Andy Home recently looked into the key aluminium raw material price trends and how they are being impacted by China’s looming industrial capacity cuts. Both alumina and prebaked anode prices have jumped considerably. “Carbon anode was already...
