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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The possible infrastructure development plan from the newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump seems to have finally livened up the commodities market a bit. The base metal prices which were heading downward reversed their trends and responded favourably before the week ended on November 18, Friday. LME aluminium prices inched higher by 1.15 per cent to close at US$1,712/mt on Friday from a previous low of US$1,692.50/mt on Thursday. According to the Shanghai Metals Market forecast, LME aluminium that struggled at the 40-day moving average last week will range between US$1,680-1,705/mt on Monday, November 21, with support. The current LME Aluminium Official Cash Buyer Price stands at 1,711.50/mt. The Cash Seller & Settlement price is at US$1,712/mt, 3-months Buyer price is at...
CBIX fell 1.7% (US$0.8/dmt) to US$46.7/dmt with low Value in Use (ViU) priced Malaysian ore weighing on the week’s average, despite cargos of higher ViU ore from Guinea and Brazil. Malaysian prices remain unmoved on US$27.5/dmt FOB for un-washed ore and US$39.5/dmt FOB for washed material. Chinese domestic alumina prices steadied, with the north price down 0.2% (RMB5/t or US$0.7/t) to RMB2,731/t (US$399/t) and the south, which typically lags the north, up 2.3% (RMB62/t or US$9.1/t) to RMB2,727/t (US$398/t). Smelter restarts and ramp-ups continue in China, increasing demand for alumina and prompting further alumina capacity restarts and ramp-ups. This comes despite falls in the primary aluminium price, driven by higher deposit rules for trading on the Shanghai Exchange, which we see as an...
Aluminium's lightness, ductility and the impeccable sheen have landed it in many unusual places in the recent times. Sometimes, we have found it adding thrill to water sports by making boats speedier, while at other times we have found it enthralling people inside an auditorium with out-of-the-box (read world!) performance like the one we are getting to see in the currently running Aluminum Show. Now, the versatile metal has again made it to where it treaded very less in the past- not in actual terms of place though but in terms of genre of the usage. Famous Italian architect Giancarlo Zema has made an aluminium eco-yacht which resembles a full-fledged 'floating house.' The "Innovative Semisubmerged Architecture Studio" named Jelly-fish 45 is basically an environmentally friendly...
Consumption of aluminium foils is rising steadily all across the globe. According to Technavio's latest report, the global aluminium foil packaging market will grow at a CAGR of 3.69 per cent by volume during the period 2016-2020. Aluminium foils are produced by continuous casting and cold rolling of aluminium sheets. They are prepared in thin metal leaves and can be used to wrap around any product for packaging. They act as a major barrier to external agents like bacteria, oxygen, moisture, and UV rays. Aluminium foils are used in the pharmaceutical and food and beverage sectors. The global aluminium foil market which is primarily segmented into APAC, European, North American, and ROW (rest of the world) regions is dominated by a number of prominent vendors namely, Amcor, Alcoa, and...
According to a Reuter’s report, Century Aluminum Co. CFO Rick Dillon will be leaving the company in order to pursue another professional opportunity. A company report confirms the news and also announces that till the time the Board of Directors selects a replacement for Dillon, CEO Michael Bless, will assume interim responsibilities of the principal financial officer. Century CEO Michael Bless Dillon joined Century Aluminum in June 2014 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Dillon's resignation will be effective from December 2, 2016. Commenting on Dillon’s departure, Mr. Bless said, “On behalf of everyone at Century, I would like to thank Rick for his service over the past couple years. Rick has made many important contributions to the company and we all wish him...
Metal cans, especially aluminium cans used for beverage and aerosol packaging, are the most recycled packaging units across the globe. They can be recycled at the end of their lifecycle without degradation in quality, and that makes them the preferred packaging material for brands across industries, ahead of other materials like plastic and paper. The demand for aluminium cans in the U.S. and Europe has always been on the higher side. With the growing middle-income group population, changing lifestyle, and evolving consumer preferences, the consumption rates in the Asian and South-east Asian countries are also rising steadily. According to a recent report, the global metal cans market is expected to reach USD 52.83 billion by 2020. Following are the top five aluminium can manufacturers...
Robert McClymont, a man in Lochaber plans to start-up an aluminium recycling business amid ongoing uncertainty over the future of a local smelter. Lochaber, an area in the west of the Scottish Highlands used to be the operating location for Rio Tinto-owned Alcan aluminium smelter for 90 years. The problem emerged when the mining giant made a plan to sell it to a preferred bidder. The facility, which is the last surviving aluminium smelter in the UK, used to be one of the largest organizations in the Lochaber area, employing 150 people directly and 400 workers through the supply chains. In January, the mining and metals group announced its intention of doing a strategic review of the plant operations. Mr McClymont used to be an employee at the Fort William smelter and the old Kinlochleven...
Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan (ITRI)has introduced an Ultrafast Rechargeable Aluminum Battery (URABat), which could be a safer and more efficient alternative to lithium-ion batteries. The battery, which is developed in partnership with Stanford University, can be fully-charged in one minute has a life of more than 10,000 cycles. In technological terms, the URABat maintains a 98 per cent coulombic efficiency (CE) for its lifespan, which means that the battery would degrade less with repeated charges in comparison to lithium-ion batteries. Since it is made from graphite and aluminium it would not catch fire when damaged. “URABat is the first electrochemical device capable of achieving a storage cost lower than a quarter of the cost of renewable electricity itself....
FIT Show- the UK's only exhibition for the window, door, conservatory, and double glazing industry, will be held at the NEC Birmingham from 23-25 May 2017. With many of the UK’s major aluminium window and door systems manufacturers coupled with trade fabricators and supporting service companies, the next edition of FIT Show is expected to be the biggest gathering of aluminium suppliers ever assembled at a UK fenestration trade show. As the market for aluminium window systems among UK homeowners and residential specifiers grow, more than thirty companies express keen interest to feature aluminium framed products at their stands. However, the USP of the 2017 FIT Show remains the large number of eminent window and door systems suppliers that are readying to launch their brand new products...
The new Stelvio SUV BY Alfa Romeo in a hot Quadrifoglio guise revealed itself at the LA auto show. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is powered by all-aluminium bi-turbo 2.9-litre V6 engine which was there in the Giulia Quadrifoglio. The engine produces 510hp and 600Nm of torque and the Stelvio will be offered only in all-wheel drive. The all-wheel-drive system is available as standard across the entire range in the US, though, Alfa Romeo hasn’t confirmed about the other markets. The SUV comes with 8-speed automatic gearbox capable of shifting gears in 150 milliseconds when Race mode is active. The steering-column-mounted aluminium paddles can also be used for shifting gears. Stelvio Quadrifoglio will be available in four drive modes - Dynamic, Natural, running-cost-friendly Advanced Efficiency...
RPC Group’s PET Power has expanded its closure product portfolio with the introduction new aluminium closures. PET Power has launched a range of aluminium closures, which are designed to meet customer requirements and brand objectives. The new closure features unique cap integrating a decorative hook, which can be used for a variety of fun applications. PET Power is offering the aluminium closures in different sizes and colors, helping it coordinate the cap with all other elements to create a fully integrated finished pack. Aluminium closure, which includes ribbed side and retractable edge on the underside, can be customised to particular customer needs. The caps can be printed or embossed with different color options, said the company. The new cap with hook is suitable for applying a...
NRG Energy's Gregory Power Partners LLC objected to the bankrupt company Sherwin Alumina's November 10 emergency motion at the bankruptcy court to expedite the hearing and objection deadlines on its bankruptcy reorganization and asset sale plan. Alumina producer Sherwin Alumina has been in Chapter 11 protection at the U.S. Bankuptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas since January 11. Gregory Power Partners (GPP) supplied the alumina refiner with steam and some power from an on-site, 550-MW cogeneration plant. NRG claimed, the operation of that cogen plant is endangered by Sherwin Alumina's actions. Sherwin Alumina is owned by Glencore Ltd., which is now eyeing some assets out of the bankruptcy case. Sherwin Alumina would source most of its bauxite supplies for its facility from...
India has a total bauxite resource of 3,480 million tons( according to UNFC system) which includes 593 million tonnes reserves and 2,887 million tonnes remaining resources. By grades, about 84% resources are of metallurgical grade. Odisha alone accounts for 52% of country's resources of bauxite followed by Andhra Pradesh (18%), Gujarat (7%). The last reported production of bauxite in India stood at 21.6 million tons in 2013-14 increased by 30% as compared to previous year, due to good demand in domestic market and also from China. Odisha emerged as the leading producing state accounting for about 35% of the total production. Next in the order of production is Gujarat (32%). If we look at the export statistics of Indian bauxite for last three years, we can understand the trading patterns....
AMAG Austria Metall AG, the leading Austrian premium supplier of high-quality aluminium cast and flat rolled products, reported significant year-on-year profit growth in the January to September period, continuing its positive earnings trend in the third quarter of 2016. The €687.1 million revenue during the first nine months of 2016 was 2 % below the previous year’s figure, but effects from the lower aluminium price were almost offset by higher shipment volumes, especially in the Rolling Division. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were up by 7 % year-on-year during the first three quarters of the year, growing from €102.1 million to € 109.7 million, while the operating profit (EBIT) amounted to €58.6 million, 17 % above the previous year’s level of...
Aluminium consumption in India was estimated at 15.49 million tonnes (mt) during the second quarter of the current financial year. Total production volume, on the other side, stood at 14.47 mt in the same period previous year. Clearly, there is a demand-supply gap that remains to be bridged through imports. Following graph shows the existing aluminium production capacity of the country: India's total consumption of aluminium during third quarter of the current financial year is estimated at 15.20 mt against the expected aluminium production volume of 15.01 mt for the same period, revealed India ministry of mines data. The actual and targeted production volumes of the country's top aluminium producers for September 2016, are as follows: India's aluminium consumption is rising steadily and...
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As if Trump's win in the U.S. Presidential elections and speculations over possible Fed rates hike were not enough to weigh on the LME aluminium prices that Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen joined in to deliver a speech in a 'hawkish' tone on Thursday. Result - the US dollar index which was already hovering at highs shot up further dragging the contract further down to US$1,692.50/mt at the end of Thursday's night trading. As on November 18, Friday, LME official cash buyer price of aluminium stands at US$1692/mt. LME aluminium is predicted to test support at the 40-day moving average and will move between US$1,688-1,700/mt on Friday. According to Shanghai Metals Market forecast, base metals will remain range-bound in the near term. In China, aluminium traded on Shanghai Metal Exchange closed...
The state government of Odisha had taken up the issue of working out local bauxite supplies for Vedanta’s loss-making alumina refinery at Lanjigarh where it had left in 2013. The state-run mining company Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) had renewed attempts to start bauxite mining operations in the nearby regions, but their efforts are unlikely meet success as possibilities of them missing the March 2017 seems to be rather too high. This year August, when Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal visited Odisha, the state government had committed to arrange bauxite from any of the mines held by OMC. The state mines minister Prafulla Mallick had also said bauxite can be arranged from OMC's Kodingamali mines. But in the wake of the present state of affairs it seems they might not be able to make...
Japanese automobile conglomerate Honda unveiled its all-new sporty 2017 Civic Si prototype in Los Angeles today. Originally created as the range-topping performance model of the Honda Civic, but superseded by the Type R in the mid-1990s, the Civic Si is about to get a major update and adopt the redesigned exterior and drivetrain of the tenth-generation model. Claimed to be the most powerful Si model produced till date, 2017 Honda Civic Si comes with a pair of 10-spoke forged aluminium alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance tires. Described as a vehicle that closely previews the production model, the prototype wears a full Factory Performance aero kit, including front and rear splitters, rear spoiler, a center-mounted polygonal exhaust finisher, and 19-inch aluminium alloy wheels in...
