Aluminium alloy powder production for additive manufacturing is set to expand through a new technical cooperation agreement between CNPC Powder China Ltd and Xi’an Bright Laser Technologies Co Ltd (BLT). The agreement covers the production and international distribution of BLT-AlAM400, an aluminium alloy powder developed for applications in humanoid robotics, new energy vehicles (NEVs), aerospace and other industrial sectors. Under the agreement, BLT has authorised Shanghai-based CNPC Powder to manufacture BLT-AlAM400 on a contract basis in China and sell the powder internationally. CNPC Powder has also secured exclusive overseas agency rights, excluding BLT’s direct sales network and existing regional agents. With an annual powder production capacity of almost 10,000 tonnes, CNPC Powder...
BorgWarner has won its first commercial order for an electric motor developed with aluminium-wire hairpin winding technology. The US automotive supplier will provide the new eMotor to a major Chinese automaker for use in hybrid vehicles, bringing the technology into its first production application. The motor uses aluminium-wire hairpin winding technology and is designed for hybrid vehicles. Its applications include generator motors and traction motors for auxiliary drive systems, with production scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. Explore AL Circle’s report ALuminium Wires & Cables - Insights & Forecast to 2030 for insights into aluminium applications, industry developments and opportunities across the electrical sector . Compared with conventional copper-wire motors with...
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Preliminary estimates from the Aluminum Association indicate that aluminium demand in the United States and Canada that includes shipments by domestic producers plus imports stood at an estimated 2,242 million pounds in January 2017, up 5.3% over January 2016. Demand for semi-fabricated (mill) products stood at 1,548 million pounds, up 6.0%. Apparent consumption which includes demand minus exports in domestic markets stood at an estimated 1,990 million pounds, up 5.3% YOY. Exports of aluminium ingot and mill products from the U.S. and Canada (excluding cross-border trade) stood at 252 million pounds in January, up 5.0% over last year, while imports were up 44.5% to 790 million pounds. Demand for aluminium semi-fabricated (mill) products in the United States and Canada (domestic producer...
Dutch yard Royal Huisman has revealed 58-metre sailing yacht known as “Ngoni” for the first time outside its build shed since the construction started in January 2015. The yacht first introduced as The Beast. Ngoni is built by Royal Huisman and designed by the by late Ed Dubois, founder of Dubois Naval Architects. The exterior of the yacht is crafted out of aluminium. The hull has dramatic plumb bow on top of which a sleek and streamlined deckhouse is placed. Managing Director of Royal Huisman Roemer Boogaard explains: “We are very proud that we are building Ngoni. Not only because she is Ed’s last superyacht project, but also because she is a perfect example of innovative design, efficiency in tandem with simplicity, performance without compromising accommodation, clever engineering and...
The rising momentum in LME aluminium has taken the contract to US$1,931 per tonne on Wednesday, the highest since mid-May 2015. The spike of 0.66 per cent from its previous close is the highest LME aluminium has registered in last one week. The strong uptrend in the light metal is expected to continue over the short term driven by speculations that the US will post a higher GDP in the fourth quarter. Shanghai Metals Market says LME aluminium will move between US$1,945-1,970 per tonne on Thursday, March 30. As on March 29, LME official cash buyer price of aluminium stands at US$1,930.50 per tonne, cash seller & settlement price is US$1,931 per tonne, 3M buyer price is US$1,938 per tonne, 3M seller price is US$1,938.50 per tonne, Dec1 buyer price is US$1,973 per tonne, and Dec1 seller price...
Almex USA Inc. has announced its selection as the technology and equipment provider for a U.S. subsidiary of the Kobe Steel Group. The new greenfield facility, presently under construction in Bowling Green, Kentucky, will be owned and operated by Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions Inc. (KPEX). Addressing the growing use of aluminium in the automotive industries, KPEX will manufacture high strength automotive alloy extrusions for bumper beams and car frames. Almex’s expertise in 2xxx and 7xxx series aerospace D.C. casting technology was said to be a key determining factor in the selection of the “Furnace to Finish™” supplier’s portfolio. As new generations of aluminium alloys are developed for aerospace and defence applications, today’s materials continue to find growing demand in...
Finance Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Colm Imbert said that the government is in talks with Alutech representatives to set up a plant that will manufacture aluminium downstream products in the Caribbean. The downstream products include aluminium sheets for the vehicle industry and wheel rims. Imbert said, “The Alutech plant will be the first of its kind in the Caribbean and will provide the opportunity to further diversify the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) economy.” The new facility will generate revenue, foreign exchange while creating employment opportunities. While speaking at the Senate, he stated that the government will import aluminium ingots and combined with start of the art technology to manufacture cast aluminium products. Imbert further emphasised that the government will import...
Vitracore G2, a BCA compliant range of aluminium composite panels, was recently installed in the Australian Defence Force Helicopter Aircrew Training System for $190-million redevelopment project at HMAS Albatross defence base Nowra. Vitracore G2 is manufactured by Fairview, a manufacturer and distributor of façade solutions throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The aluminium composite panel comes with Dark Grey Metallic, Poppy Red and Satin Black Metallic colours. Vitracore G2 aluminium panels are different from former aluminium panels as the company added benefit of being fully compliant to present BCA guidelines including AS1530.1 (non-combustible) which means the architects can choose Vitracore G2 without sacrificing building design. The redevelopment project is...
During the FT Commodities Global Summit in Lausanne, Jean-Sébastien Jacques, CEO of Rio Tinto said that China’s crackdown on polluting steel furnaces would lead to greater demand for higher-quality raw material iron ore. The restructuring of the country’s state-owned enterprises would lead to demand for the iron ore it produces in Australia. He at the same time added that the same is not true for the aluminium industry restructuring. Mr Jacques, who took charge as the chief executive of the Anglo-Australian mining giant in 2016, had a more cautious approach on aluminium. China’s restructuring of the aluminium industry will take longer. Aluminium industry has been highly subsidized and supported by the government in order to create employment. The fear of potential loss of jobs in remote...
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest aluminium producer in the Gulf Cooperation Council, has mandated Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan to advise on its initial public offering, reported sources aware with the development. One of the sources said the company’s EBITDA stands at $1.5 billion, and its closest publicly traded comparison Norsk Hydro is trading at a forward looking enterprise value-EBITDA multiple of 6.1. Last week EGA had invited banks to pitch for the IPO but that the offering size was yet to be determined, reported Reuters. EGA was formed from a merger between Dubai Aluminium (Dubal) and Abu Dhabi's Emirates Aluminium (Emal). An enterprise value of $15 billion was put at the time of its merger. It is owned by Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala...
Annual bauxite import by Ukraine declined significantly in 2016. The total bauxite import for the year was estimated at 4.22 million tonnes, down 26.48 per cent from 5.74 million tonnes in 2015. The cost of bauxite import also went down from US$308.45 million in 2015 to US$294.72 million last year, declining 4.45 per cent year-on-year. {newsStudioGallery} Ukraine is estimated to import 3.95 million tonnes of bauxite in 2017, down 7.1 per cent from last year. The total import of bauxite is estimated to be valued at US$326.37 million in 2017. Bauxite imports in Ukraine registered an accelerated growth trend from 2013 till 2015. While the growth was estimated at around 12 per cent YoY in 2014, the figure almost doubled to reach around 23.9 per cent in 2015. In fact, during January-March...
Odisha government has invited Volvo Auto India for the installation of its assembly plant in the state as the company was looking for setting up plant in India in order to cut down import cost. The state government wanted Volvo to select Odisha as the preferred plant location as the state provides competitive incentives to automobile manufacturers. Odisha accounts 54 per cent of India’s aluminium smelting facility. National Aluminium Company (Nalco) and the state-owned Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) have developed an aluminium park at Angul. Nalco will offer molten aluminium of 0.1 million tonne per annum for the downstream units. Odisha industries secretary Sanjeev Chopra has written a letter to Tom Von Bonsdorff, managing director of Volvo Auto India Ltd...
The United States Department of Commerce announced Tuesday, that it has launched a probe to determine whether Chinese aluminium foil imports in the U.S. should be subject to anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties. The move comes just a few weeks after the U.S. aluminium foil industry accused China of dumping the commodity in the country. The dumping margin is estimated to range from 38.40 per cent to 140.21 per cent, disclosed the U.S. Commerce Department. Earlier in March this year, the U.S. aluminium foil manufacturers lodged a petition demanding an investigation on 230 Chinese companies who they claimed to have sold around $400 million worth of aluminium foil last year in the U.S. market at discounted prices thereby causing damage to the sector. The Commerce Department responded to their...
Alro, the largest aluminium producer in Continental Europe (excluding Russia and Scandinavia), has posted a net profit of RON 67 million in 2016 vs a net loss of RON 24 million in 2015. The adjusted net profit stands at RON 101 million in 2016 vs RON 45 million in 2015. Marian Nastase, President of the Board of Alro said, “Even if 2016 was a year marked by an unstable macroeconomic climate and lower aluminium prices at international level, it was an important year in Alro’s history, being the first year with a profit after four consecutive years of losses.” As per company’s data, the turnover registered a decline of 2.1 billion from RON 2.3 billion in last year. The EBITDA level stands at RON 247 million in 2016 compared to RON 224 million in 2015. The company gives credit to its...
LME aluminium is back to where it was a week ago. At US$1,918 per tonne after Tuesday's night trading, the contract has inched higher from its previous close of US$1,916 per tonne on Monday but remains at the same level where it was seven days back. The news about the US President Donald Trump signing the administrative order to launch a new time of energy industry and employment on Tuesday night seems to have boosted the market sentiment. OPEC's decision to extend oil output cut has also added to the cheer. The decision is likely to support crude oil and aluminium prices. However, Reuters believes LME aluminium will test a support at US$1,856 per tonne over the next three months, a break below which could cause a further drop to the next support at US$1,775. In the short term, LME...
Constellium N.V. today announced that it has installed a new aluminium recycling furnace at its Muscle Shoals, Ala. facility in an effort to expand recycling capabilities in North America. The now fully operational furnace is expected to increase the total recycling output by 170 million pounds, or about 5.2 billion additional used beverage cans per year. The Muscle Shoals facility will then be expected to recycle the equivalent of nearly 20 billion cans per year – almost one-fifth of the cans sold in the United States. “This new furnace is a major step for our Muscle Shoals facility, great news for our customers and an exciting step forward in our commitment to promote recycling and sustainability, said Mike Tanchuk, president and CEO of the plant. “This increased recycling capacity will...
UC RUSAL, a leading global aluminium producer, has launched a “Properzi” rolling mill into operation at Kandalaksha Aluminium Smelter (KAZ) as part of the casthouse modernization project at the smelter. The project investments total USD 19.8 mln. The new equipment will produce up to 50 thousand tonnes of value added products (VAP) per annum. The launch of the new mill will allow the smelter to produce wire rods of 7 typical sizes which are a new aspect for KAZ; these are of the diameters of 9.5, 12, 14, 15, 19, 23 and 25 mm. Prior to that, the smelter supplied only one size, of 9mm diameter. KAZ will also start to produce wire rod from the alloys of 1xxx, 6xxx and 8xxx series. The main consumers of the wire rods produced at KAZ will be cable manufacturing plants operating in Russia and...
Vedanta Refinery has installed a red mud powder plant at its Lanjigarh alumina refinery in Kalahandi, Odisha. The automatic red mud powder plant is the country’s first of its kind initiative by an alumina refinery. The industry has been facing problems with red mud disposal which is a side-product of the Bayer process. Vedanta developed this innovative technology in-house which helps the alumina refinery to minimise consumption of caustic soda by 10 to 13 kg per ton of alumina. The facility also curtails the acreage of land necessary for disposal of red mud by 40 to 50 per cent as well as lessens wet red mud storage. The company has also installed a bio-gas plant to utilize organic waste. The plant will produce bio-gas from the waste which can be deployed in numerous ways. All the waste...
China is one of the leading producers of aluminium semis along with being the largest producer of primary aluminium. Chinese production and exports of semi-finished products hit the highest in 2016. China has been accused by competitors of selling semi-finished metal into oversupplied global markets below market rates. In fact, The U.S. International Trade Commission has launched an investigation into the global aluminium trade and into the allegations by the major U.S. aluminium producers about China’s unlawful export of semis to the U.S. market. {newsStudioGallery} Here, we are trying to analyse the export trends of aluminium plates, sheets, and strips in China to understand if there is any major upturn or downturn in the export market. We would also try to list out the major importers...
Sudal Industries, an India based manufacturer aluminium extrusion and alloys, has announced plans to invest INR 250 crore in setting up a new facility for aluminium products manufacturing at Naradana industrial estate of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) near Dhule. The facility is expected start operations around December next year and on starting will create employment for around 250 working professionals. At the time of the announcement, Sudarshan Chokhani, Managing Director of Sudarshan Industries, updated, "We have already bought 40 acres of land in MIDC. This will be the mega project for manufacturing aluminium extrusion and alloys. We had signed an MoU with the state government four years back, but could not start the project due to a slowdown. Now, we are going...
