
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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Audipack that creates standardized products as well as custom-built products and solutions is set to introduce new products featuring aluminium profiles. A new and updated package of stands comes for all types and sizes of flat screens. The company said that on meeting market requirement, its R&D department has manufactured a wide variety of new products such as free-standing and hanging video wall solutions for configurations from 2×2 screens up to 6×3. These products come with new aluminium profiles; a ‘revolutionary’ push/pull unit that can adjust on six axes; aluminium profiles with integrated ducts; and a ‘quick release’ solution. Audipack will also launch Silent cabin that the company claims to be the first interpretation booth in the world according to the new ISO 4043 -2016 norm....

Macquarie has upgraded Alumina's recommendation from neutral to outperform and increased its price target by 35% to $2.30, implying upside of 20% to the company's current trading range. Through its ownership of 40% of each of the Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC) entities which form a part of the Alcoa alumina business segment, Alumina is strongly leveraged to movements in the aluminium price. In response to recent disclosures from Alcoa, Macquarie has made material upgrades to its aluminium price outlook and undertaken a remodelling of its earnings estimates for the group, including the potential for growing bauxite export revenues. These revisions have resulted in the broker increasing earnings forecasts for calendar years 2017 and 2018 by circa 16%. Commenting on broader...

Rio Tinto announced full year financial results for 2016 today. Operating cash flow generation reached US$8.5 billion and underlying earnings totalled US$5.1 billion (+12% year-on-year) for the entire tenure ended December 31, 2016. The balance sheet strengthened further with net debt reducing at US$9.6 billion, down 30% YoY. Rio Tinto posted volume gain in bauxite from increased production at all four mines. Gross revenue from bauxite for the year ended December 31, stood at US$1,913 million while EBITDA was estimated at US$848 million, both down from the figures posted in 2015. The company attributed the decline in revenue to the low bauxite prices which did not match the increase in production. Plus, Chinese import price fell moderately to just under $50 per tonne as new supply from...

Bosnian aluminium smelter Aluminij on Monday, February 6, proclaimed that the company has proposed to the state-level government to put an end to the import tax on unalloyed aluminium in order to reduce cost of production and boost productivity. The company said, "Currently, no one is importing unalloyed aluminium so funds are not being raised. If the state were to abolish its customs duty on this material, Aluminij could be the engine of economic development in Bosnia." According to company, Aluminij smelter could melt 25,000 tonnes of unalloyed aluminium per year utilizing fuel gas substituting electricity. With the implementation of this, Bosnian aluminium smelter will raise its production output by 30 per cent as well as secure the state extra $50 million in exports. Recently, Bosnian...

The global market for aluminium bar rods and profiles is projected to grow at 5.7 per cent CAGR from 2016 till 2020, reveals data in a recently published market research report. During 2009-2015, the market grew at a CAGR of 7.4 per cent with aluminium alloy profiles accounting for 96 per cent of the global demand and non-alloyed aluminium bar rods and profiles contributing to only 4 per cent of the market share. While the United States, Germany, Italy, and France still remain the largest market, the APAC is estimated to grow at a higher rate with China leading the way as the key demand driver followed by India as the fastest emerging market for aluminium bar rods and profiles. {newsStudioGallery} China currently constitutes 7.6 per cent of the global aluminium bar rods and profiles...

Ford premieres the bigger, lighter and more loaded 2018 Ford Expedition at a private event in Dallas on February 7 Tuesday. The SUV will have a public unveiling during the Chicago Auto Show later this week. The all-new 2018 Ford Expedition is characterized by its high-strength aluminium-alloy body and redesigned steel frame that shave up to 300 pounds of weight from the full-size SUV’s weight. Though the weight reduction is conditioned by the trim level, Ford says it maintains its off-road capability. With the aluminium-body SUV that is to be commercially available from fall this year, Ford has successfully implemented aluminium construction for the second time after the 2015 F-150. The Expedition is based on the same F-Series platform that turned out to be a rugged best seller despite...

LME aluminium rose for a day on Monday only to give in to the downward pressure of a strengthening dollar on Wednesday, January 8. The contract ended at US$1,809 per tonne after Tuesday's night trading, down marginally by 0.16 per cent from the previous day's closing of US$1,812 per tonne. Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) forecast says LME aluminium will range between US$1,820-1,835 per tonne on Wednesday. As on February 7, LME official cash buyer price of aluminium stands at US$1,808 per tonne, cash seller & settlement price is US$1,809 per tonne, 3M buyer price is US$1,823 per tonne, 3M seller price is US$1,824 per tonne, Dec1 buyer price is US$1,872 per tonne, and Dec1 seller price is US$1,877 per tonne. The current LME official Opening Stock of aluminium is estimated at 2249125 tonnes,...

The International Aluminium Institute (IAI), the global association of aluminium producers, has introduced a new web-based tool at the 14th International Aluminium Recycling Congress in Manchester, UK, that helps the user to know aluminium value chain from bauxite to aluminium scrap, including inter-regional trade flows. The IAI’s mass flow visualisation lets users to operate an animated Sankey diagram that allows seeing the production, consumption and trade of bauxite, alumina, ingots (primary and recycled), semis, final products and scrap across nine regions between 1962 and 2014. Some highlights from the animation shows: In 2004, 15 million tonnes of scrap were available worldwide. In 2014 this scrap availability had increased to 26 million tonnes. North America, historically the...

Novelis, the world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, today reported net income of $63 million for the third quarter of fiscal year 2017, compared to a net income of $6 million in the prior year period. Excluding tax-effected special items in both periods, the company more than doubled third quarter fiscal 2017 net income to $67 million from $32 million in the prior year. Current year net income reflects record adjusted EBITDA and an 18% reduction in interest expense, a result of the refinancing of two senior note issuances during the second quarter of fiscal 2017. "Continued operational efficiencies combined with strong aluminium automotive sheet demand and strategic capacity investments delivered record, sustainable adjusted EBITDA results this quarter," said Steve Fisher,...

Texas based AGENCY Architecture has created an aluminium Selfie Wall on the border between Mexico and the United States. AGENCY has been in the practice of engaging contemporary culture through architecture, urbanism, and advocacy since its inception. Aluminium Selfie Wall is installed in a public park where visitors are invited to capture image and post their selfies to the social media and help in the research of how much information is being shared. This experiment is a part of creating awareness about data and privacy and providing solutions that help people to protect them. The AGENCY team said, "Thanks to metadata, a picture may really be worth a thousand words.” Agency team built the Selfie Wall from 162 custom-fabricated units, CNC-milled from composite aluminium panel, and folded...

Aluminium Foil is the 275th most traded product and the 281st most complex product according to the Product Complexity Index (PCI). The 4 digit HS92 product is traded around the world to be used in cigarette package, food package, flexible package, electric package industries, etc. {newsStudioGallery} The top exporters of Aluminium Foil are China, Germany, Japan and Italy. We are trying to analyse the trading patterns for all the four countries for the year 2016 with an estimated outlook for 2017. This will give us an idea about the market share of these countries in the growing foil market. In 2016, China exported an estimated 9,63,833 tons of aluminium foil and the total value of export stood at USD 3.1 billion. In comparison to China, Germany exported 3,28,687 tons of aluminium foil in...

The noted Taiwanese mobile phone manufacturer Asus has launched Zenfone 3s Max (ZC521TL) featuring a suave aluminium metal body in India today. The smartphone which was unveiled earlier in India at an exclusive event with a real-time tear down demo sports bumped up specs from the Zenfone 3 Max. The new Asus Zenfone 3s Max with an aluminium metal body packs in a lot of style in addition to a number of upgraded technical features. Available in two colour variants – black and gold, Zenfone 3s Max comes with a 5000 mAh battery delivering up to 30 hours of standby. The company claims the battery also doubles up as power bank to charge other devices over OTG cable. What else the new kid on the block with an aluminium body has in store for smartphone users in India? - It has a 5.2 inch HD IPS...

The global automotive aluminium market is slated grow at a CAGR of 8.8 per cent (value-wise) during 2016-2026, revealed data published in a recent market research report. The market will be valued at US$111.80 billion by 2026. The powertrain application segment which accounted for the largest share of the market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR, while cast aluminium will top the product category as the fastest growing segment during the forecast period, the report says. Region-wise, Asia-Pacific automotive aluminium market will register the highest growth rate from 2016 till 2026. Aluminium is preferred by the modern-day vehicle manufacturers due its lightweightness, rigidity, and formability. The metal has been found to be far more versatile than steel in a number of specific...

India's Navaratna public sector undertaking National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco) has signed a Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) with Neelachal Inspat Nigam Limited (NINL) for establishing a joint-venture coal tar pitch producing company. The move is in line with the State owned aluminium major's revised business strategy of investing in backward integration in order to sustain its aluminium smelting business. The plan involves establishment of a coal tar distillation plant using raw material produced by the domestic steel producer's coke oven plant located in Odisha's Kalinganagar industrial town. The plant has an annual capacity of 1.1 million tonne. Source: Nalco Commenting on the development Nalco’s chairman and managing director Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand said, “The agreement is part of...

Guinea Alumina Corporation S.A. (GAC), a bauxite mining company, a subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), yesterday announced that the company granted an engineering and program management consultancy contract worth $700 million to Fluor for its under-construction bauxite mine in the Boke region of Guinea, Africa. The bauxite mine project is expected to begin production in 2018. The company will provide high-quality raw materials for alumina production facilities worldwide. Fluor completed the feasibility study for GAC’s Guinean mine in the second quarter of 2016. Rick Koumouris, president of Fluor’s Mining & Metals business, said, “Fluor has worked with GAC since the preliminary phase of the project to develop a customized, capital-efficient design to meet the company’s unique...

According to Aluminium Highlights published by the Aluminum Association, domestic U.S. and Canadian producers shipped an estimated 1,712 million pounds of aluminium (including export) during December 2016. It registers a 1.9% drop from the December 2015 total of 1,746 million pounds. Shipments of aluminium mill products in December dropped 2.8% from the previous year to 1,110 million pounds. For the full year, mill product shipments were slightly down from 2015. Shipments of aluminium ingot for castings, exports and destructive uses decreased by four-tenths of 1% YOY in December. For the full year, the amount increased 5.8% over 2015. Preliminary producer shipments in 2016 totalled 23,422 million pounds, registering a 1.6% increase over last year. December inventory levels totalled an...

The dollar gave up its earlier gains against Japan's yen and the euro after key U.S. jobs data was released last Friday. President Trump's newly elected office is yet to publish the details of tax reduction and government expenditures. This, along with the market worries toward global trade and exchange rate of the U.S. dollar has weighed down the dollar index sending LME aluminium prices up from their current lows. The contract closed at US$1,812 per tonne after Monday's night trading, up 0.22 per cent from the previous day's closing of US$1,808 per tonne. Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) forecast says LME aluminium will move in the range of US$1,820-1,840 per tonne on Tuesday. As on February 6, LME official cash buyer price of aluminium stands at US$1,811 per tonne, cash seller & settlement...

In June 2017, New York City is going to witness the most anticipated ferry service the city has ever seen in a century and the credit goes to aluminium. Manhattan is an island and the New York City’s five boroughs all sit on rivers- ferries have always been important in transportation for the people residing at island region. This year, the Citywide Ferry will provide 19 new aluminium vessels to travel between waterfront communities throughout New York City. A total of six routes and 21 landings designed will connect New Yorkers and visitors to the City’s waterfront communities. The ferries are built in collaboration with the Hornblower and Metal Shark companies in Louisiana. The Citywide Ferry Service is a proposed network of ferry routes in New York City operated by Hornblower Cruises....