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.
Alcoa Intalco Works Aluminium smelter’s layoffs and curtailments conclude
Alcoa Intalco Works aluminium smelter curtailment has been concluded according to workers, many of which were laid off in the process. The Pittsburgh-headquartered Alcoa Corporation declared the planned curtailment and layoffs in April’20 specifying declining market conditions and at that particular time, the company estimated 700 workers would be laid off at the Intalco facility beginning in June’20 according to the company’s WARN notification to the Washington State Department of Employment Security. However, as per the 9 th September press release from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, 621 were ultimately laid off. A rally in support of the Intalco Works facility and workers was held in Ferndale outside of Pioneer Park the day after the curtailment was...
ISGEC won order from Hindalco’s Mahan Aluminium
ISGEC Heavy Engineering, an Indian heavy engineering firm has won an INR 126.50-crore order for a semi-dry circulating fluidised bed scrubbers (FGD) system from Hindalco Industries. The FGD system will be used at one of the Hindalco's 150 MW units at Mahan Aluminium at Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh. The project was won through a competitive bidding process against other technology provider firm. ISGEC said: “The wide scope of the project includes design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, civil works, construction, commissioning and performance guarantee testing for the complete semi-dry flue gas desulphurisation system package. The schedule for completion of the project is 22 months.” ISGEC Heavy Engineering is a diversified heavy engineering company engaged in manufacturing and project...
CFRP-Aluminium hybrid wheel is set for series production, developed by Thyssenkrupp Carbon Components and the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center
Thyssenkrupp Carbon Components and Hyundai have led a 19-inch wheel rim in CFRP-aluminium construction to series production. On a further note due to its low weight, it has reduced rolling noise. Developed jointly by Thyssenkrupp Carbon Components and the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre (HMTEC), the forged wheel comprised of an aluminium wheel spider and the rim base made of carbon using braiding technology is attached to it. As stated by the manufacturers, to fully certify the new type of construction, besides the usual tests for wheel trials, additional tests specifically tailored to the material CFRP were required. On test stands and in real vehicle tests, the developers have shown that they have increased acceleration, shorter braking distances and significantly reduced road...
Kiira Motors in Uganda to start manufacturing Electrics Vehicles in 2021; G Das Industrial to supply Aluminium components
The Government of Uganda has publicized June 2021 as the date for the start of manufacture of electric cars in Uganda, however, failed to hit the deadline in 2018. Kiira Motors on social media conveyed: “Expect us to start manufacturing Ugandan made vehicles from our Vehicle Plant by June 2021.” On a further note to confirm their plans, the company declared its commitment to source most of their raw materials from local manufacturers. Kiira Motors: “We are on the move to gather all the necessary components to deliver all things Made in Uganda. Our first stop is at G Das Industrial Ltd, a company located in Jinja known for smelting Aluminium and manufacture Aluminium profiles.” Kiira Motors Director Production, Albert Akovuku and Director Product Development Richard Madanda piloted the...
India enters the club of proven capabilities in hypersonic vehicles, DRDO’s HSTDV bottom made from Aluminium alloy
The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) of India has successfully conducted a test on 7 th September of its wholly indigenous Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) which has been under development for well over a decade. HSTDV took-off aboard an Agni missile booster rocket from the APJ Abdul Kalam testing range on Wheeler Island off Balasore, Odisha. The rocket reached an altitude of 30 kilometres (about 98,425 feet) when the HSDTV separated, its air intake opened, which then automatically triggered the firing of the air-breathing scramjet or supersonic ramjet. The combustion prolonged for more than 20 seconds, with the vehicle achieving a cruise velocity of Mach 6 (about 7400 km/h at this altitude), the main criteria to deem the test a success. DRDO said: “The...
Motorola rolls-out Razr 5G, plastic replaces Aluminium rear of the phone
The Chicago headquartered Motorola Inc. rolls-out its highly-awaited new foldable smartphone the Motorola Razr 5G. The flip phone comes with a 6.2-inch display with 21:9 aspect ratio while the secondary display is 2.7 inch. Motorola Razr 5G runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor. The device has a 48 MP camera with Quad Pixel technology that provides 4x the low light sensitivity. The selfie camera is of 20 MP and comes handy for video calls, offering a high-quality immersive experience. The rear side of the phone’s plastic body is replaced by 7000 series aluminium with polished 3D glass, which delivers an eminent, eye-catching look. The smartphone comes in three colours options - Polished Graphite, Liquid Mercury and Blush Gold. It has a tapered chin, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor...
Estonia’s Aluminium scrap export displays strong movement during 2017-19; Projected 17.64% downfall in 2020
Estonia's economic freedom score is 77.7, making it's economy the 10th freest in the 2020 Index and the country is ranked 5 th among 45 countries in the Europe region, and its overall score is well above the regional and world averages. Oil shale energy, telecommunications, textiles, chemical products, banking, services, food and fishing, timber, shipbuilding, electronics, and transportation are key sectors of the economy. The Northern European Nation’s aluminium scrap export during 2017-19 has been recorded at 26,612 tonnes and the revenue earning collected was $24.98 million. The estimated export for 2020 has been figured out at 8765 tonnes and revenue generation to stand at $7.35 million. However, when the export volume and earnings for 2020 gets added with the previous three years it...
Thyssenkrupp Aerospace and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Canada Aerospace Inc. extends contract
Thyssenkrupp Aerospace has made public a three-year extension to its contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Canada Aerospace Inc. (MHICA). The agreement which commenced in 2018, thyssenkrupp Aerospace conducts material for aluminium wing planks, including procuring, receiving, inspecting, and storing planks directly from the mills at its facility in Montreal. The material is drilled and tapped on demand for just-in-time delivery. Jürgen Funke, Chairman and CEO of thyssenkrupp Aerospace North America, said: “The continuation of our contract with MHICA is a sign of their confidence and trust in our relationship. Under our ‘Materials as a Service’ approach, we reduce the complexity of MHICA’s supply chain with access to global markets, custom supply chain solutions, material processing,...
Australia: Bell Bay Aluminium unites with West Tamar Council to support local businesses
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Apple Island’s shores in March’20, many Tasmanian businesses received a financial blow, but a partnership is supporting five businesses in the West Tamar to move ahead towards the future. The West Tamar Council and Rio Tinto's Bell Bay Aluminium smelter united to form a movement for the Recovery, Economic and Resilience Grants to assist businesses with a share of $50,000. Patronizing an application and assessment process, five businesses secured $10,000 each across marine, food manufacturing, adventure tourism and education sectors. The successful recipients include Pivot Maritime International, Launceston Kayak Tours, A Pinch of Tasmania, Learning Partners and the Commercial Dive Academy. Shona Markham, General Manager, Bell Bay Aluminium said: “Being...
Kazakhstan’s import of Aluminium wires recounts rapid growth during 2018-20
Kazakhstan has a mixed economic system which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Kazakhstan is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. Kazakhstan's economy and society have undergone deep transformations since the country declared independence in 1991. Kazakhstan has set itself the goal of becoming one of the 30 most developed countries in the world by 2050. The Central Asian nation’s import of aluminium wires during 2018-19 has been recorded with rapid growth, as the import volume stood at 14,318 tonnes, which occurred with an expenditure of $31.17 million. The estimated import for 2020 has been marked at 12,056 tonnes and revenue expenditure to be standing at $22.67 million. However, when the import volume and...
Noranda Alumina deals with Cemtech to sell Bauxite residue for cement production
New Day Aluminum Holdings LLC, through its subsidiary Noranda Alumina, has executed a Letter of Intent with Cemtech Materials Corporation to sell 60,000 tonnes of bauxite residue starting from the Q4 of 2020. This bauxite residue will be used in the cement production process as the raw material for iron (Fe), replacing other current iron-bearing raw materials. This agreement was preceded by a beneficial use approval from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality for Noranda Alumina to supply bauxite residue into the cement industry. David D’Addario, Chairman and CEO, New Day Aluminium Holdings, stated: “We are focused on continuously improving the sustainability of our business and reducing our environmental footprint on our path to a zero residue refinery in Gramercy. The...
India initiates anti-dumping probe on flat-rolled Aluminium imports from China
India has initiated an anti-dumping probe in the imports of certain flat-rolled products of aluminium originating in or exported from China based on a complaint by Hindalco Industries, alleging injury to the domestic industry due to the dumped goods. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) will probe the dumping from FY17 to December 2019. DGTR has communicated that: “The applicant has also claimed that imports are causing a threat of material injury, considering the significant increase in imports as compared to the base year, significant surplus capacities in the subject country, the high export orientation of producers in the subject country and the ability to scale up production in a short span.” It added: “All these factors go on to show that imports are causing a threat of...
Jamaica Government pays-off outstanding debt to Alumina partner Noble Group
Clarendon Alumina Production Limited, CAP, has repaid all its outstanding debt to the alumina partner Noble Group, amounting to US$135.7 million. The Jamaican Government indicated last month that it planned to repay the funds, but gave no precise timeline. However, in a notice to shareholders this week, Noble Group Holdings Limited said: “Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Noble Resources International Pte Ltd, has received full repayment of the loan and interest outstanding under the prepayment facility agreement with CAP.” “The aggregate amount received was US$135.7 million,” Noble said. Jamalco is CAP’s primary asset. Clarendon Alumina Production holds 45% of the refinery on behalf of the Government of Jamaica, while Hong Kong-based Noble Group holds 55% via subsidiary General Alumina...
Azelio collaborates with Atria Power for 65MW energy storage in India
Azelio, the Swedish energy storage firm and Atria Power of India have signed an MOU towards the collaboration of installation of over 65MW capacity of Azelio’s energy storage until 2025 in India. This is Azelio’s first landing foot in India and it is visualised as a market with the huge potentiality for renewable energy solutions in off-grid areas. Atria Power aspires to use Azelio’s energy storage technology to supply both electricity and heat. Whereas by combining Azelio’s energy storage units with cooling and water desalination technologies, Atria will offer zero-emission electricity, potable water, and cooling for rural villages and communities in India. Azelio’s storage technology can be connected to solar PV, wind power, or any other energy source. The energy is stored in recycled...
Ireland’s Bauxite import during 2017-20 reveals strong market, Aughinish alumina refinery remains the root cause
Ireland has a mixed economic system which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Ireland is a member of the European Union. A wide range of manufactured products is exported, including electrical machinery and apparatus, processed foods, chemical products, clothing and textiles, and beverages. The North Atlantic Island nation’s bauxite importation during 2017-19 has remained strong, as the import volume stood at 11.79 million tonnes and revenue expended on the import remained at $383.60 million. The estimated import for 2020 has been analysed at 4.59 million tonnes and expenditure to stand at $182.04million. However, when the analysed import volume and expenditure of 2020 gets assorted with the previous three years, it...
WAAM technology pilots to discover Aluminium’s unique ductile properties: St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia
The researchers from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) developed metal with unique ductility during experimenting on high-performance Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). However, the outcome of the research made it clear that the ductility is three times higher than specified in the standard. The growth of WAAM productivity steered to the discovery of the unique properties of aluminium. Elongation of specimens during tensile tests of produced metal increased from 12% to 41% compared to its standard properties for the same chemical composition. This denotes that the material will be able to execute prolong with the same loading conditions. The developed WAAM technology with higher process rates helps to achieve better material performance. Oleg Panchenko,...
SPF Institute for Solar Technology rewarded towards the development of electricity and heat production using Aluminium as fuel
The SPF Institute for Solar Technology at the University of Applied Sciences in Eastern Switzerland (Ost) received the innovation prize from the "Stiftung Futur" for the development of electricity and heat production using aluminium as fuel. For two years now, the researchers at the SPF have been working on behalf of the Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) on electricity and heat production from aluminium and want to make heating oil and natural gas superfluous in buildings. "In addition to the buildings' heat requirements in winter, aluminium can also supply electrical energy," says Rapperswil. Together with the solar power generation on the roof and a heat pump, even buildings that are not connected to a heat or natural gas network can be completely heated and supplied with electricity in...
Tesla to replace robots with Aluminium casting machines
Robots are not efficient enough for Tesla’s new car factory in Germany, which plans to replace hundreds of them with giant aluminium casting machines to build simpler chassis parts, a person familiar with the matter brought up this information. The electric carmaker, Tesla, has struggled to increase production volumes through hi-tech automation and was forced to fly in a new production line from Germany to Nevada in 2018 after robots failed to coordinate seamlessly at the US factory. Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla said: “For the new Model Y, we will replace 70 components glued and riveted into the car’s rear under-body with a single module made using an aluminium casting machine.” “That’s just the start of a new automation drive, with the vehicle’s front module and other parts to come”, the source...
