AlCircle News Edited By "Rupankar Majumder"
A professional with a technical background, specialising in producing insightful content centred around metals, particularly aluminium, passionately engaged in the intricacies of the recycling sector.
Unifor union regrets the indefinite closure of Rio Tinto’s Aluminium alloy ingot plant in Beauharnois, Canada
Rio Tinto’s indefinite closure of aluminium alloy ingot plant in Beauharnois, Quebec, has been considered as an unexpected on workers and their Unifor Union, Canada's largest private-sector union, with over 300,000 members in a diverse range of sectors, across the country. On 26 th October’20, Renaud Gagné, Quebec Director, Unifor, said: “This is very bad news. A hard blow for our members as the holiday season approaches.” “In addition to the layoff notices and bonuses that will be offered to them in accordance with the collective agreement, workers will have the opportunity to go and work in Saguenay in one of the Rio Tinto factories,” Mr Gagné added. In the last one year, a 60% drop in contracts has made the employer to decide for the closure of the plant. The weekly yield dropped from...
Kanfit Ltd renders additive manufacturing of aluminium parts through its subsidiary Kanfit3D
Kanfit Ltd based in Nof HaGalil, Israel, is to render the Additive Manufacturing of aluminium parts through its subsidiary Kanfit3D, with the addition of an SLM® 280 Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) AM machine from SLM Solutions, Lübeck, Germany. Kanfit3D specialises in additive manufacturing for the medical and aerospace sectors. The SLM 280 machine enables the medium- to high-volume production of aluminium parts and prototypes and was installed remotely in a joint effort between Kanfit3D’s technical team and SLM Solutions via telephone video conferencing, due to the travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It joins Kanfit3D’s EOS M290 PBF-LB AM machine from EOS GmbH, Krailling, Germany, which is used for producing Ti64G5 parts. Zachy Shtamler, COO of Kanfit3D, said:...
Saint Jean Industries confer lighter brake disc made of Aluminium and cast iron at lightweight construction summit in Würzburg
Lightweight construction on the chassis has several advantages, as it improved driving dynamics, lower fuel consumption and greater driving comfort. In regards to that Saint Jean Industries presented a bi-material brake disc at the lightweight construction summit in Würzburg. Two-part brake discs with a brake pot made of aluminium or sheet steel as well as a friction ring made of grey cast iron, ceramic or CFRP materials offer several advantages like slighter mass, higher braking performance and load capacity, better NVH behaviour and heat dissipation. However, connecting the two components and materials is still a complex and costly undertaking. Saint Jean Industries has taken on this problem and, according to Patric Auner, Business Development Manager for Saint-Jean Industries in...
British Aluminium Extrusion and Fabrication firm “EDMO” secures COVID-19 funding package
The British Aluminium extrusion, fabrication and finishing firm EDMO have obtained seven-figure funding package from HSBC via the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). Edmo has been a trusted name since 1978. Edmo based in Herefordshire works with a host of industries which includes aerospace engineering and healthcare. The extruded aluminium firm will use £3.6 million injections to maintain supplier payments during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Andrew Stride, CEO, Edmo, said: "Our goal at Edmo is to offer every one of our customers a complete, specialist solution.” "As a direct result of the pandemic and its immediate effect on trade in the early months of the crisis, it placed huge demands on cash flow generally, but thanks to the support from our relationship director...
Panama’s import of Aluminium Foil during 2018-20 reveals steady growth
Panama's dollarized economy rests primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for three-quarters of GDP. Strong economic performance has not translated into broadly shared prosperity as Panama has the second-worst income distribution in Latin America. In 2020, Panama's economy should slow further amid lower mining sector growth, fewer expected infrastructure projects, and subdued activity in the Canal due to weaker global trade growth. The country on the isthmus linking Central and South America has recorded import of aluminium foil of 1527 tonnes during 2018-19 and expenditure occurred for the import stood at $7.36 million. The import for 2020 has been evaluated at 1232 tonnes and expenditure to stand at $7.60 million; when the import volume and expenditure of the...
Kharafi Construction reduces stake in Arab Aluminium
On 25 th October’20, Arab Aluminum (ALUM) disclosed to the Egyptian Exchange that Kharafi Construction reduced its stake from 43.20% to 37.89%. Kharafi Construction, a Grade 'A' General Contractor with the experience of executing major construction and infrastructure projects throughout Kuwait has sold 300,000 shares at EGP 30 per each, with a total amount of EGP 9 million. MAK Holding for Industry sold its entire ownership for a total value of EGP 12.01 million in a September 28th transaction. The aluminium producer, Arab Aluminium posted an 8.7% Y-o-Y decrease in its net profit during the first half of 2020. Arab Aluminum is an Egypt-based company that specializes in extruding aluminium profiles for architectural and industrial applications. The company undertakes the activities of...
Rusal America Corp secures low carbon Aluminium supply contracts to two Mexican downstream manufacturers
On 22 nd October’20, Brian Hesse, President and CEO, Rusal America Corporation, said: “Rusal America Corp has secured ‘green’ aluminium supply contracts with two separate Mexican downstream manufacturers, with one being the ‘greenest’ slab contract ever signed in North America.” “Mexican manufacturers are leading the green aluminium charge in North America, realizing that consumers will start demanding it”, he said. Rusal America has already signed contracts for its low-carbon allow brand with two different Mexican downstream aluminium producers for aluminium billet and slab. Hesse said: “Neither of those contracts includes an additional ‘green’ premium on top of the value-added premiums outlined in the deals.” Lord Gregory Barker, En+ Group Chairman in June’20 said: “Green premium was...
Vietnam’s import of Aluminium scrap during 2018-20 reflects potential growth
In the 21st century, Vietnam is in a period of being integrated into the global economy. Almost all Vietnamese enterprises are small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The government has targeted a 2 to 2.5% economic growth for 2020 with an aim of 6.5% in 2021. The latest figures from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) give an overview of Vietnam's performance in the first nine months of 2020. The Southeast Asian nation’s import of aluminium scrap during 2018-19 was recorded at 63,249 tonnes and the expenditure occurred during the import remained at $33.28 million. The import for 2020 has been expected to reach at 63,829 tonnes and the expenditure to stand at $34.54 million; when the import volume and expenditure of the preceding two years gets assorted, it reflects 127,078 tonnes...
Angul Aluminium Park’s infrastructure work to be ready by March 2021: State Govt. of Odisha, India
Angul Aluminium Park, a joint venture of Nalco and Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco), has positioned March 2021 as the deadline to complete infrastructure works by State Govt. of Odisha, India. As per reports, the state government has started receiving investment scheme in aluminium downstream industries; importance has been given towards speedy completion of the infrastructure works at the project site. Sanjay Singh, Idco Chairman-cum-Managing Director lately visited the site and directed officials-in-charge to diligently complete the infrastructure works in the coming five months. Singh said: “Work on infrastructure development within the proposed Aluminium Park is going on in full swing. The proposed park will be ready by March next year. Instructions have...
Austrian Aluminium manufacturer AMAG stands well-positioned for the crisis
Amag Austria Metall AG, the biggest company is the Austrian Aluminium sector and is also listed at Vienna Stock Exchange, has again recorded better incoming orders in recent months. On 22 nd October’20, Gerald Mayer, CEO, AMAG said: “In particular, the last two months were okay again. Even in the crisis, the stronger strategic orientation towards aviation and automobiles is confirmed.” “Only in the second quarter did the corona crisis halve the incoming orders, significantly worse than in the economic crisis a decade ago. But after the three bad months, it was better, especially in the last two months” Mayer believes: “The automotive sector should recover quickly and there is already another increase in orders, in aviation, it will take longer.” The CEO had already said in July: "The...
Tata Motor’s Jaguar Land Rover enters research trials in association with General Association of the Aluminum Industry
The British multinational automotive company Jaguar Land Rover is entering in research trials to test the competence of advanced lightweight metals and composites to be used in future vehicles. The subsidiary of the Indian automotive company Tata Motor’s, JLR is headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, United Kingdom is taking part in a two-year project, which will use technology developed for the aerospace industry to understand how materials respond to corrosive environments, in global markets and over rigorous terrains. Samples of new metals and composites planned for use in future Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles will be built into aerospace-grade sensors and put through their paces in some of the world’s most extreme physical conditions, tested for over 400,000km across North America. The...
Rio Tinto: Vaudreuil Alumina refinery in Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean is promoting circular economy
The mining and metal Group Rio Tinto was highly inspired by the reduction of the environmental impact by the agricultural and food sector. Now by investing C$250 million in the commissioning of a bauxite residue filtration and optimization plant at its Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean, the metal giant is promoting the circular economy. The food industry, chiefly in winemaking filter presses are widely used and to reduce its ecological footprint, Rio Tinto has equipped itself with four 85-ton presses fitted with plates with hydraulic pressure to compress and revalorize the bauxite residues from the production of alumina. These residues, which take the form of potting soil or compost, must be dried before their storage and recovery. This drying process took up to...
South Korea’s export volume of Aluminium Tubes and Pipes fittings during 2018-20 reveals unsteady, revenue generation remains strong
The COVID-19 pandemic has de-stabilised most of the economies of the world, except for South Korea’s. As per the latest economic projections by the OECD, South Korea is looking at a mere 1% GDP contraction for 2020, the second-best performer among major economies behind only China. In contrast, the euro area is expected to shrink by around 8%, and the United States could see full-year contraction on the order of almost 4% of GDP. The East Asian nation’s export of aluminium tubes and pipes fittings during 2018-19 remains at 3278 tonnes and the revenue earnings stood at $24.72 million. The export for 2020 has been marked at 1440 tonnes and earnings to be standing at $15.16 million; when the export volume and earnings get assorted with the existing two years, it resembles 4718 tonnes and...
Azelio in partnership with Jet Energy aims to store 45 MWh of electricity until 2025
Jet Energy, a Moroccan EPC Contractor specialized in the construction, operation and maintenance of photovoltaic power plants has developed multiple power generation projects in Francophone Africa and now they are coming up with storage systems. On 20 th October’20, as a part of an agreement signed with the Moroccan company, the Swedish firm Azelio, who uses recycled aluminium as the storage medium, will supply the systems. Jonas Eklind, CEO, Azelio said: “French-speaking Africa is one of the markets where we see that our technology for long-term (30 years) energy storage (TES.POD) can bring great benefits. We are delighted to be working with Jet Energy in their efforts to provide customers with reliable and affordable renewable energy production around the clock.” The systems to be...
Comboios de Portugal orders aluminium bodied 1668 mm gauge electric and bi-mode multiple-units
Comboios de Portugal (CP), the national operator has assigned Stadler Rail its first contract to deliver 1668 mm gauge versions of its Flirt regional multiple-unit family for use on the Iberian Peninsula. On 21 st October’20, €158 million agreement was signed which covers 10 electric multiple-units and 12 electro-diesel units, along with staff training and four years of maintenance. The modular design will enable the bi-mode units to be converted to electric-only operation, or the diesel generators to be replaced by batteries, depending on the operator’s future needs. The three-car aluminium bodied EMUs will be 63·2 m long, while the BMUs with an extra power module will be 74·4 m. They will have 214 seats and a total capacity of 375 passengers, with wi-fi, step-free access from platforms...
Decarbonisation requires over $1 trillion investment towards key energy transition metals, incorporates Aluminium: Wood Mackenzie
The growing demands of decarbonisation over the next 15 years requires to meet by an investment of over $1 trillion, which will be entailed in vital energy transition metals - aluminium with other metals like copper, nickel and lithium stands in there. The UK headquartered Global Energy Research and Consultancy, Wood Mackenzie, in a new report, said the figure is double what was invested over the last 15 years. Wood Mackenzie pointed: “While the coronavirus pandemic has slowed climate change mitigation efforts this year, governments across the world are using stimulus packages to either kick-start or accelerate their decarbonisation journeys.” Julian Kettle, Wood Mackenzie’s Vice Chairman of Metals and Mining, said: “One can argue about both the pace and scale of the energy transition but...
Slovenia’s import of Aluminium Bar Rods and Profiles during 2018-20 stands enterprising
Slovenia is a developed country with an advanced, high-income economy and a very high Human Development Index. However, the EBRD, in the latest edition of its Regional Economic Prospects report, said: "A slowdown in 2019 (when Slovenia's economy grew at the rate of 2.4%) was followed by a severe recession in 2020, mainly due to the imposition of virus containment measures and disruptions in global supply chains." The Central European nation’s aluminium bar rods and profiles during 2018-19 have been recorded at 37,899 tonnes and the expenditure incurred stood at $128.60 million. The import for 2020 has been analysed to be at 19,822 tonnes and expenditure to stand at $52.67 million; when the import volume and expenditure of the preceding two years gets added it denotes, 57,721 tonnes and...
Australian Aluminium Council welcomes “VBX Limited”, the first member in category of Bauxite explorers and mine proponents
The Australian Aluminium Council has welcomed the VBX Limited as a new member. In 2020, the Council created a new membership category, enabling bauxite explorers and mine proponents to join the Council. VBX is the first member of this category. VBX is the proponents of the Wuudagu Bauxite Project on Wunambal Gaambera country, in the far north of Western Australia. Wuudagu is proposed as a bauxite mine, beneficiation plant and transhipment operation. The Project is expected to employ up to 100 people during construction and up to 250 people during operations. Subject to statutory approvals, the Project could commence from 2022. Marghanita Johnson, Executive Director of the Council, said “We welcome VBX to the Council. We are excited by the potential the Wuudagu Project has to provide...
