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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With the US dollar index falling amid North Korea jitters, LME aluminium recovered some strength and rose higher from its earlier close of US$2,069.50 per tonne to US$2,075 per tonne on Thursday, September 7. Reuters’ technical analysis suggests that LME aluminium may revisit US$2,145 per tonne as its correction from this level seems to have reached completion. According to Shanghai Metals Market forecast, the light metal contract is likely to hold firm at US$2,095-2,120 per tonne on Friday, September 8, on technical support and weak dollar. As on September 7, LME official cash buyer aluminium price (Bid Price) stands at US$2,074 per tonne, cash seller & settlement aluminium price (Offer price) is US$2,075 per tonne, 3M Bid Price is US$2,095.50 per tonne, 3M Offer Price is US$2,096.50 per...
UK-based Ariel Motor Company, best known for the ultra-lightweight Atom car, released details of its upcoming electric sports car project – HIPERCAR. The project is “destined to be one of the highest performances and sought after vehicles in the world.” The company will released the final exterior design at a later date. HIPERCAR will feature aluminium folded and bonded lightweight chassis with full rollover protection, the structure features aluminium front and rear sub frames carrying aluminium wishbones and outboard adjustable suspension. The car is a Series Hybrid EV (Electric Vehicle) featuring a 750 Volt, 42 kWh or 56kWh, lithium-ion, cooled and heated battery pack. Simon Saunders said, “Like other Ariels we want HIPERCAR to represent excellent value for money for the remarkable...
At a ceremony held during the ALUMINIUM CHINA 2017 exhibition in Shanghai, the first ever winners of the prestigious Alufoil Trophy competition to be held in China, which was launched in 2016, were announced. Sixteen aluminium foil products and solutions from 13 companies were awarded an Alufoil Trophy China. Alufoil Trophy China 2017 is co-organized by the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNFA) and the Global Aluminium Foil Roller Initiative (GLAFRI) and supported by EAFA. The awards ceremony was attended by many senior representatives from aluminium foil manufacturers, aluminium foil product suppliers, aluminium foil users and the news media. Speaking during the awards ceremony, Dong Chunming, GLAFRI Coordinator in China, told the audience, “China’s aluminium foil industry,...
Arconic announced that it has received two 2017 Values Partner awards from Spirit AeroSystems for superior performance. Spirit recognized Arconic’s Global Rolled Products (GRP) and Arconic Fastening Systems and Rings (AFSR) businesses at the Spirit AeroSystems Suppliers Awards Dinner in Wichita, Kansas, on August 31. “Spirit cannot be successful without world-class partners,” said Tom Gentile, Spirit president and chief executive officer. “We are proud to recognize these suppliers for sharing our passion in delivering high-quality products on time. We look forward to collaborating with them in the future as we continue to meet our customers’ delivery needs and rate requirements.” Spirit AeroSystems Supply Chain Management awards these honorees to recognize suppliers that have achieved...
Hindalco Industries Ltd., a subsidiary of the Aditya Birla Group, is planning to expand Novelis' auto lines in the US and China to meet the growing demand for automotive aluminium Sheets. Hindalco’s Managing Director Satish Pai said at the Annual Global Investor Conference on Tuesday. Satish Pai said: “Auto shipments from Novelis were 18 per cent in 2016 and in the next year or so, around 25 per cent of our shipments will be auto.” Novelis, a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries, is the world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling. The company is a global producer of automotive and beverage can sheet. “Electric vehicles are going to be a big trend. They are much more aluminium-in tensive than some of the other straightforward con versions for aluminium that we see,“ Pai said at the...
Jaguar Land Rover announced a new aluminium recycling programme- REALITY. This scheme will enable JLR to recycle aluminium waste from end-of-life cars and then reuse it in new vehicles. Simon Edmunds, director of manufacturing and materials at Innovate UK, said: “Innovate UK is proud of our support for the REALCAR programme.” “This exciting latest stage of the project, REALITY, is another excellent example of collaboration between large and small businesses in the supply chain, supporting them to scale up and become more productive. These projects have been a model in terms of professional delivery of complex research and development.” The £2m REALITY project builds on the REALCAR programme set up in 2008 to reuse aluminium waste from the manufacturing process. The company reclaimed more...
According to a Reuter’s report, China has agreed to offer a loan of $20 billion over almost 20 years to Guinea. The loan will be provided in exchange of concessions on bauxite mined in the West African country, the mines minister confirmed. The loan will support projects like China Power Investment Corp’s (CPI) planned alumina refinery and Aluminium Corp of China’s bauxite mine and another bauxite project by China Henan International Cooperation Group, all of them in the north-western town of Boffa. “Those are the three projects targeted as priorities for the first phase,” Mines Minister Abdoulaye Magassouba told Reuters. “The revenues these projects generate will serve as reimbursement for the loans.” According to the minister the fund will be spent mostly in improving the infrastructure...
Nigeria is the 49th largest export economy in the world and the 107th most complex economy according to the Economic Complexity Index (ECI). The country exports raw aluminium and scrap aluminium to name a few around the globe. {newsStudioGallery} Nigeria’s Alscon, an 85%-owned subsidiary of Russia's UC Rusal, has an annual production capacity of 193 thousand tonnes of aluminium. Aluminium exports by Nigeria have increased significantly over the last two years and are expected to follow the trend in the coming years. Japan is the major importer of aluminium from the country. According to the estimated data, in the year 2015, export of aluminium stood at about 55999 tonnes. The volume increased to 63111 tonnes in 2016. The aluminium export is estimated to rise significantly in 2017. The...
Spot alumina prices in China are on an upward track and now continue to grow firm throughout all the major markets. According to Shanghai Metals Market Statistics, the average spot alumina price started rising from mid-August when it was hovering around RMB 2521/tonne and reached the highest level at RMB 2859/tonne on August 31. Average Alumina Price for August and September Average alumina price for the month of August was RMB 2604.17/tonne. Average price of alumina in the first week of September stands at RMB 2972.60/tonne. On September 7, Thursday, the average price stands at RMB 3044/tonne. Alumina prices from large scale alumina enterprises too saw some rise in August. On September 7, Thursday Chalco alumina prices stand at RMB 3110/tonne and are expected to move within a range of...
LME aluminium prices are set for further correction. The light metal contract which closed at US$2,082 per tonne on Tuesday, September 5, came down by 0.6 per cent to close at US$2,069.50 per tonne after night trading on Wednesday, September 6. Reuters’ technical analysis suggests that LME aluminium may fall further towards US$1,958 per tonne in the near term as it failed to break a key resistance at US$2,119 per tonne. On breaking above US$2,114 per tonne mark, it may rise up to US$2,125 per tonne. According to Shanghai Metals Market forecast, LME aluminium positions improved significantly; so, it should move higher within the range of US$2105-2,125 per tonne on Thursday, September 7. As on September 6, LME official cash buyer aluminium price (Bid Price) stands at US$2,069 per tonne,...
VR Group, a state-owned railway company in Finland, has ordered 20 new double-deck trains with aluminium structure worth over €50 million with the aim of responding to the increasing demand for this. Transtech, a subsidiary of Škoda Transportation Group, will supply new coaches to the company. Transtech Ltd is the leading European manufacturer of double deck railway vehicles. Maisa Romanainen, Senior Vice President of Passenger Services at VR, said: We make growth in rail traffic possible also in the future by investing significantly in additional capacity. The current rail infrastructure does not make it possible to increase the number of services during peak hours, but we can still increase the capacity of the existing trains.” The production of these new cars will begin next year and...
GRANCO CLARK, Inc. of Belding, Michigan, will exhibit at the Aluminum USA 2017, Music City Center, Nashville, Tennessee, October 25-26th, Booth 507. Granco Clark, a full-service company and global leader in the aluminum extrusion industry manufacturing a full range of equipment including some of the world’s largest aluminum extrusion systems. GRANCO CLARK produces all required equipment to heat, cool, pull, stretch, cut, stack, age, and store aluminum extrusions. We work with you to recommend the right equipment for your needs to ensure a smooth acquisition from purchase order to manufacturing. Once the equipment is installed, we adjust it, train your personnel for operation and get it into production. After installation, we follow up to make sure equipment is performing at peak...
Oman's National Aluminium Products Company (NAPCO) has named a new chief executive officer (CEO) following the resignation of Robert Holtkamp. Ihab Mouallem has taken over as the chief of NAPCO. Holtkamp resigned from the role due to personal reasons, and his departure was confirmed by NAPCO in a filing to the Muscat bourse this May. David Ponraj, financial controller at NAPCO, managed the company's day-to-day affairs in the interim period. Mouallem has more than 20 years' experience within the engineering, building, and aluminium sectors. NAPCO's new CEO holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the Lebanese American University, with his education focussing on steel construction, hydraulics, transport, and environmental sciences. Prior to his appointment at NAPCO, Mouallem was...
Australian Mines has acquired the Sconi cobalt/nickel/scandium project from joint venture partner Metallica Minerals for $10 million in North Queensland. An Australian bauxite developer Metallica will use the cash to advance its Urquhart bauxite project. Metallica CEO Simon Slesarewich said, “With Metallica’s focus firmly on the development of the Urquhar bauxite project, the Sconi project has become a noncore asset, which was reflected in the earn-in agreement signed with Australian Mines in 2016.” The company will pay 3.5 million to Metallica in cash and will issue $1.5 million in shares following completion of bankable feasibility study (BFS) by June 2018. The remaining $5 million will be payable in cash or shares after the start of commercial production from the Sconi project. “The...
Crystal, a provider of PVC-U and aluminium windows, doors and roofing systems for replacement, new build and commercial applications, has opened a new production and distribution facility for aluminium and other relevant products in Glasgow. "Scotland has some amazing merchants, all selling more and more of our products, as their customers now know that made to measure PVC-U windows and doors are available via their local builders' merchant,” said the company's Group Operations Director Tim Goldspink. This new facility will manufacture its SynerJy range of PVC-U windows and doors. Also, the company will supply its aluminium products, composite doors and roofs. "As well as increasing our group production capacity generally, the new Glasgow factory will also afford us more delivery time...
Turkey has a diversity of rich mineral resources. The country has an alumina refinery- Seydisehir Alumina owned by Eti Aluminyum Inc. that produces alumina and supplies to the domestic and international markets. {newsStudioGallery} Turkey exported 660 tonnes of alumina in July 2017 and 1,320 tonnes during January-July to China, a major consumer of alumina. Turkey’s export of alumina is estimated to drop in the second half of this year compared with the first half of 2017. According to the estimated data, Turkey exported 85 tonnes of alumina in H1 2016. The value of export stood at US$ 0.071 million. Export volume of alumina jumped in H2 2016. The country exported 422 tonnes of alumina, and the value of export stood at US$ 0.185 million. During the first six months of 2017, alumina export...
Benjamin Hubert has collaborated with British furniture brand Allermuir to create a collection made entirely from recycled materials, which will launch during this year's London Design Festival. The Axyl collection, designed by Hubert's studio Layer for Allermuir, comprises furniture pieces each made totally from reclaimed materials. Recycled aluminium forms the frames of a chair, stool and table, while the shells, seats and tabletops are available in recycled wood fibre, timber or nylon. "The recycled aluminium in the Y-frame of the chairs uses just five per cent of the energy required to create new aluminium and also offers significant cost savings," said Layer. A stackable chair features a die-cast aluminium Y-frame, which supports an injection-moulded shell made from recycled plastic....
Hazlemere Commercial, one of the largest suppliers of architectural aluminium products in the South East of England, has secured a new refurbishment contract to replace windows and doors at Braunstone Frith Primary School, Cuffling Drive in Leicester. “The project also involves some internal building works, but the bulk of this buildings improvement contract, worth over £1/4m is yet another contract Hazlemere Commercial have been awarded involving AluK aluminium fenestration products,” it said. The company will manufacture and install replacement white powder coated double glazed thermally broken windows using the AluK 58BW aluminium casement window system. Also, the company will fabricate several AluK GT55 TB aluminium commercial entrance doors as part of the refurbishment project at...
