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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Global technology powerhouse Siemens AG will equip Chinese aluminium factories with medium and low voltage drives technology. This would safeguard the productivity in the rolling mills by supplying powerful, reliable drive systems. The order is in the low tens of millions of euros, and commissioning will be completed in several stages between November 2018 and April 2019. SMS China, part of the SMS group, a worldwide plant constructor and machine manufacturer in the ferrous and non-ferrous metal industry, has given the order to Siemens for constructing aluminium rolling mills. The company will provide drive technology for cold rolling mills near Liaoyang in Liaoning Province in Northeastern China, and also for a cold and hot rolling mill in Yingkou, Liaoning Province. “In addition, a...
LME aluminium inches higher again and is back to where it was a couple days before. The light metal contract after dropping to US$2,082.50 per tonne on Wednesday, August 23, rose back to US$2,105 per tonne on Thursday, August 24. However, this rise is unlikely to extend in the short term. According to Shanghai Metals Market forecast, LME aluminium will continue to test support at the five-day moving average and range at US$2,085-2,105 per tonne on Friday, August 25. Reuters’ technical analysis suggests that LME aluminium may fall into the range of US$2,068-2,081 per tonne. Any further gain would be limited to US$2,125 per tonne. As on August 24, LME official cash buyer aluminium price (Bid Price) stands at US$2,104 per tonne, cash seller & settlement aluminium price (Offer price) is...
Alumina Limited, the leading Australian resource company with focus on alumina refining, recently announced an impressive profit growth for the first half of 2017, thanks to higher commodity prices realized by its joint venture with Alcoa. Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC) reported net profit of US$369.7 million in H1 2017, up from US$72.2 million in the corresponding period previous year. Alumina’s contribution (40 per cent stake in AWAC) to the profit was US$147.1 million. Alumina has received US$83.6 million in distribution from the JV since June 30 this year. The amount was directed into the company’s fully franked interim dividend of 4.2 US cents per share. Alumina chief executive Mike Ferraro said Thursday, August 24, “Higher net cash distributions from AWAC have enabled the...
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries filed comments with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on August 21 in response to China’s intent to ban certain scrap imports. As the Voice of the Recycling Industry, ISRI made a statement that they support free and fair trade and oppose measures that restrict movements of specification-grade commodities around the world. They believed that China’s ban on “solid waste” to prevent imported waste from polluting the environment will have a negative economic impact on the recycling industries in the United States and China. It will also affect the manufacturing sector by rising prices of materials and is against sustainability efforts coming from the use of recyclable materials. ISRI has also requested a revision of the policy to avoid a disruption...
According to the latest report from Aluminum Association, aluminium product shipments in USA and Canada were up in July YoY. Shipments of Aluminum Extruded Products including extruded shapes, pipe & tube, and rod & bar by U.S. and Canadian producers stood at an estimated 432.5 million pounds during July 2017, up 5.4% YoY. On a month on month comparison, shipments decreased 7% from the June 2017 revised total of 465.3 million pounds. YTD shipments through July 2017 stood at 3,128.7 million pounds, up 1.6% over the 2016 YTD total of 3,079.4 million pounds. Estimated net shipments of Aluminium Sheet and Plate by U.S. and Canadian producers stood at 688.4 million pounds during July 2017, up 1% YoY. On a month on month comparison, shipments decreased 8.1% from the June 2017 revised total of...
While on one hand China is waging a tough war against the polluting alumina refineries and aluminium smelters, its downstream aluminium industry players are busy scaling their production and selling products off to the international market. As per the latest export-import data published by China General Customs, the country’s total aluminium semi-finished and finished products exports continued to surge in July 2017 {newsStudioGallery} China’s aluminium semi-finished products export totalled 390,000 tonnes in July and 2.52 million tonnes during January-July, up 6.6 per cent year-on-year. Barring aluminium bar, rod and profiles, export volumes of all other aluminium semi-finished product categories witnessed a jump during the periods under review. The table below shows the export volumes:...
According to the recently published statistics from U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Interior, the U.S. aluminium industry purchased an estimated 347,452 tonnes of aluminium scrap during June 2017, off 1.8% from the June 2016 total of 353,348 million. USA recovered 300,000 tonnes of aluminium from scrap in June, 4% less month-on-month and slightly off from the amount in June 2016. Of this amount, 170,000 t of aluminium was recovered from new scrap, 3% less than the amount in the preceding month, but slightly up from the amount in June 2016. Recovery from old scrap was 130,000 t, 5% less month-on-month and 4% less than the amount in June 2016. According to the preliminary data from USGS, for the first half of 2017, the recovery of aluminium from scrap is estimated at 1.83 million...
Architectural Glass & Cladding, a provider of high quality bespoke architectural high performance glass products and metal cladding products including Reynodual non-combustible double-skin aluminium, has joined hands with the Cladding Systems to manufacture fire rated façade system. Cladding Systems has designed, developed and fabricated the latest WC-185 Window Wall System. Window Wall System is compliant when combined with company’s Reynodual product. Reynodual meets fire-resistance requirements. Reynodual is a coil-coated double sheet aluminium panel for facades with high technical, visual and environment-friendly advantages. Cladding systems is one of the building industry’s principal facade companies in Australia. The company’s product includes Nu Wall aluminium cladding, ALUCOBOND...
According a report from Shanghai Metals Market, India origin SOI Global is expected to resume bauxite production in late September. The Company is engaged in trading of various industrial Minerals, Chemicals, Agro- Commodities & Fertilizers. The company produced about 500,000 tonnes of bauxite during H1 2017, down 50 per cent YoY. The producer which mostly exports to China, cut output during Q1 2017 due to weak demand in China. However, it now plans to produce 400,000 tonnes of bauxite in the fourth quarter. SOI Global had to halt production in early June due to heavy monsoon rains. Since the rains are expected to come to an end in September, the company hopes to restart operations in late September. The company now holds about 150,000 tonnes of bauxite inventories, and produced 1.70...
Aluminium prices in China registers a significant leap today after falling consecutively for two days. The price of aluminium closes on a six-year high today on speculation that the latest limits on expanding output capacity will help curtail oversupply. The aluminium price per tonne on the Shanghai Futures Exchange rose as much as 3.2 per cent on Thursday to RMB16,650/t. SHFE 1710 aluminium fell to RMB 16,090/mt due to exit of longs after opening at RMB 16,285/mt on Wednesday. However, the contract recovered losses during night trading and expected to challenge new highs between RMB 16,550-16,850/t today. In domestic spot market in East China, spot discounts are expected to expand to RMB 220-18/t. The stock in China is however growing notwithstanding the rising prices. In response to...
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not granted the EPA permit to Exton Cubic Group Limited to undertake prospecting of bauxite at Nyinahini in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region. Exton Cubic Group Limited restricted from entering the Nyinahin bauxite deposit area. “…Exton Cubic Group Limited has not obtained the required EPA permit under its mining lease and therefore, any attempt to enter the area for mining activity is illegal.” Exton Cubic Group Limited acquired a Mining Lease on 29th December 2016 from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. This mining lease requires a new EPA permit which has not been granted by the EPA, according to the press release. “On 29th March 2016, Exton Cubic Group Limited applied for three separate Environmental Permits from...
On failing to break a key resistance at US$2,125 per tonne, LME aluminium retraced to US$2,080 per tonne level. The light metal contract closed at US$2,082.50 per tonne on Wednesday, August 23, coming down from its earlier high of US$2,104.50 per tonne a day before. According to Shanghai Metal’s Market forecast, LME aluminium is estimated to range widely within US$2,085-2,120 per tonne on Thursday, August 24. Reuters’ technical analysis suggests that LME aluminium may again rise in the short term, but any gain would be limited to US$2,125 per tonne. As on August 23, LME official cash buyer aluminium price (Bid Price) stands at US$2,082 per tonne, cash seller & settlement aluminium price (Offer price) is US$2,082.50 per tonne, 3M Bid Price is US$2,075 per tonne, 3M Offer Price is US$2,076...
As China is busy drawing up implementation regulations for its environmental protection tax law, aluminium producers in India and elsewhere stand benefitted from the price impact the Asian country has on the global light metal industry. Source: Google Aluminium accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the revenue of National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) and Hindalco, and around 30 per cent of Vedanta. With the LME aluminium price hovering above US$2,100 per tonne on worries over supply from China, the shares of all these three Indian aluminium majors have surged high on the S&P BSE Metal Index. Hindalco Industries Ltd. has climbed 44 per cent and Vedanta Ltd. has risen 33 per cent; Nalco's has been a lower than moderate rise of nearly 4 per cent. China has been the key influencer in the...
Chief has upgraded its MultiTool Aluminum Repair Station with a taller and slimmer cabinet, improved equipment accessibility and five drawers to keep contamination-sensitive tools. The Multitool Aluminum Repair Station comes with the new Chief M30 Pro Alu stud-gun welder and new temperature crayons that helps in pulling out dents by heating it to the right temperature. “With all the new equipment necessary for aluminum repair, shops are concerned about crowded bays and keeping all the aluminum tools clean and separate from those used to repair steel,” said Mickey Swartz, vice president of global product management for Chief. The new workstation mobile cabinet has a compact 24 ½-inch by 34-inch size with a height of 40 ¼-inches, which helps working easy for technicians. The M30 Pro Alu...
Mingtai Aluminum Co. registered increase in both revenue and net profit in the first six months of this year. The company’s revenue increased by 41.10 per cent year-on-year to 4.67 billion yuan in the first half of 2017. Mingtai Aluminum’s net profit grew 33.06 per cent year-on-year to 180 million yuan in H1 2017. The company’s earnings per share were 0.37 yuan. Mingtai Aluminum manufactures aluminium sheet, aluminium coil and aluminium foil in China for electronic, automotive, transportation, construction, and other industries. China’s Guizhou Huaren New Materials Co. will soon start production of its first phase of aluminium project. The company will begin aluminium project of one million tonnes at the end of this month, says SMM survey. The first phase has a capacity of 500,000 tonnes...
A Madison County roadway that has seen serious flooding will be upgraded and protected with a new aluminium box culvert. As said by roads Superintendent Willie Willis, the aluminium culvert will keep flood water at bay in that area. According to Madison County Judge/Executive Reagan Taylor, the new aluminium box culvert that will replace Knob Lick Bridge will be the first of its kind in the county and they are very excited about it. Willis added that the aluminium culvert is much cheaper, durable and stronger than building a concrete culvert. The culvert project will be financed by the state transportation cabinet's 80/20 Bridge Replacement funding. Contech Engineered Solutions, which submitted the sole bid for the project has been aapointed as the supplier of the culvert by the Madison...
India’s refractory raw material imports have been hit badly ever since China declared war against its polluting industries. The slump in the imports of fused and calcined alumina have left domestic refractory manufacturers struggling to meet demand from the core user industries such as aluminium, steel, glass and cement. {newsStudioGallery} The non-ferrous industry in India of which aluminium is a significant stakeholder accounts for about six per cent of the refractory raw material consumption. Going by the overall alumina import statistics, India remains the top importer from China with volume of alumina imported reaching 46854 tonnes in 2015. In 2016, total alumina import from China was estimated to reach 51441 tonnes. The global export-import data reveals the following...
Both traders and downstream producers thronged into east China spot aluminium market today when SHFE aluminium fell back for two consecutive days. The mainstream traded prices for SHFE aluminium were RMB15,900-15,920 /tonne in Shanghai, RMB15,900-15,920 /tonne in Wuxi, and RMB15,930-15,950 /tonne in Hangzhou. Contracts were traded with spot discounts of RMB 90-140 /tonne over SHFE 1709 aluminium. In the midst of growing capacity and slow demand, Inner Mongolia Jinlian Aluminum Co., Jinjiang Group’s subsidiary, has reported cuts in aluminium capacity. According to SMM, the company has cut 100,000 tonnes of capacity and will complete closure of another 150,000 tonnes by September 2017. After cutting 250,000 tonnes of aluminium capacity, the company’s total capacity will be reduced to...
