Ford has produced more than 5,000 large aluminium unicastings at its Shelbyville Technical Center as it advances manufacturing preparations for the Fathom midsize electric truck, scheduled to launch in 2027. The castings are being used for process testing and prototype assembly at the company's Louisville Assembly Plant. The Fathom will feature two large aluminium unicastings that replace 146 individual structural parts, significantly simplifying the vehicle's architecture. Ford says the approach reduces vehicle mass and improves overall energy efficiency, while introducing a different method of assembling vehicles through its new Universal Production System. The two large structures form the front and rear sections of the vehicle. By consolidating numerous components into fewer castings,...
AMAG Group reported around a 59 per cent increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to EUR 181 million (USD 202 million) in the first nine months of 2026, compared with EUR 114 million (USD 127 million) in the same period last year. Revenue rose 16.4 per cent to EUR 1.3 billion (USD 1.4 billion) from EUR 1.1 billion (USD 1.2 billion) in the first three quarters of 2025. Net income after taxes increased about 142 per cent to EUR 82 million (USD 91 million), up from EUR 34 million (USD 38 million). The Austrian aluminium producer attributed its performance to strong operations at its Ranshofen site, higher shipment volumes in the Rolling Division, and attractive market conditions for its Canadian aluminium smelter interest, Alouette. Cost-efficiency...
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On 22 nd January 2021, the global leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, Novelis Inc., has publicized the name of Chris Courts as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Compliance Officer. In this role, Courts will have responsibility for all legal matters across the company and serve on the company's Executive Committee. Chris Courts has over 15 years of experience with Novelis, where he most recently served in this role in an interim capacity since March 2020. Before that, Courts served as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel. During his tenure, he has held a series of leadership positions in the legal department, including overseeing intellectual property, contracts management, securities, compliance, governance, corporate secretary, as well as...
Skoda Vagonka applauds the opening of Europe's largest aluminium machine tool in Ostrava. The device is part of a large investment aimed at significantly increasing and accelerating the production of aluminium-box vehicles. The Skoda Transportation Group announced that the value of investments in the Skoda Vagonka plant in Ostrava, which celebrates its 120th anniversary, has exceeded 100 million crowns. The most important part of the plant's equipment is the aluminium machine tool, the design of which allows you to work with elements with dimensions exceeding the capabilities of standard machines (even up to 39 x 4.5 m). Machining is possible down to a hundredth of a millimetre. Weighing 360 tonnes, the device is almost 50 meters long and 10 meters wide. Adaptation of the new hall to the...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, 6063 aluminium billet inventories gained 1,600 tonnes week-on-week, ending on Thursday, January 21, across the five major Chinese consumption areas. Data shows the inventories this week has come in at 84,300 tonnes versus 82,700 tonnes last Thursday, January 14. The chart below indicates the current status of aluminium billet inventories across China in more details: The growth in aluminium billet inventories on January 21, however, touched only on Wuxi and Changzhou, where stocks grew by 2,300 tonnes and 2,200 tonnes, respectively, to stand at 14,700 tonnes and 10,900 tonnes. In Nanchang and Foshan, 6063 aluminium billet inventories declined 2,000 tonnes and 900 tonnes to come in at 8,500 tonnes and 39,200 tonnes, respectively, whereas in Huzhou, the...
Senegal has remained as an attractive after the COVID-19 pandemic and it is a known fact that Senegal, of all Francophone African countries, indisputably offers a very welcoming environment for foreign investors, and delivers numerous advantages. Senegal is very politically stable and has competitive production costs, a skilled workforce, advantageous geographic location and no restriction on full ownership of a business by foreign investors. The West African nation’s import of aluminium bar rods and profiles during 2018-19 was recorded at 3547 tonnes and the revenue expended for the import stood at $ 11.18 million. The import for 2020 remained at 11,219 tonnes and the foreign revenue expended stood at $24.53 million. However, when the import volume and expenditure for 2020 gets assorted...
Lotus’ new manufacturing facility at Hurricane Way, Norwich, has accomplished the first extruded and bonded aluminium chassis. The unit, a chassis for the legendary Lotus Elise, was built for the validation and quality checking of the new manufacturing process. Even though not destined for a conclusive vehicle, it will remain at the factory for testing. As chassis manufacturing volumes rise significantly over the next few months, it will help ensure that the processes adhere to the globally recognised quality standards expected. The new 12,300 m2 facility at Hurricane Way can build several thousand chassis per year. It will produce around 1,500 units for the Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora during 2021. The facility is set to engage 125 highly skilled operatives, technicians and engineers....
The South African Aluminium Company that specializes in rolled products, Hulamin appoints Meganathan (Mark) Gounder as CFO and Executive Director, with effect from 1 st April 2021. Gounder is an experienced finance professional with over 25 years’ experience. He has held various senior finance roles within the Illovo Sugar Group, which involved extensive operational experience across Africa, as well as exposure to Europe, Asia and North America. Laren Farquharson steps down as acting CFO and Gounder to take the charge. As the only major aluminium rolling operation in Sub-Saharan Africa, Hulamin is one of the largest exporters, representing more than 60% of sales. Hulamin Extrusions is South Africa’s leading aluminium extruder and operate the plant from Pietermaritzburg with a sales and...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative announced on Wednesday, January 20, that it successfully certified Lotte Aluminium Co, Ltd.’s rolling facility in Ansan, South Korea, against the Chain of Custody Standard. The facility’s operations include rolling, sepa-slitting, and annealing for the production of aluminium foil. Earlier in February 2020, the plant received ASI Performance Standard Certification. Lotte Aluminium’s rolling facility produces aluminium foil dedicated for food packaging, pharmaceuticals, electronic batteries, automotive parts, and construction materials. The ASI CoC Standard sets out requirements for the creation of a Chain of Custody for material that is produced and processed through the value chain into diverse downstream sectors. On certifying Lotte Aluminium against the...
Indian business tycoon Kumar Mangalam Birla, the owner of $48 billion Aditya Birla Group has an interesting thought on how the recovery of the Indian economy is being distinguished, as per his view “markets are euphoric and economists are pessimistic.” The thinking which has come from one of the country’s biggest industry leader is significantly ahead of India’s annual budget on 1 st February 2021. However, Birla shared the same thought that even the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has. The RBI, in its latest financial stability report, highlighted that in India, while the economy has been called out as “weak”, the stock markets have moved to an all-time high. Kumar Mangalam Birla is more optimistic than the economists at Reserve Bank of India (RBI), or elsewhere. “In India too, the initial...
Cyprus was moving on an enterprising growth path before the global outbreak of COVID-19. The pandemic and the restriction measures that followed have dramatically changed the scenario. In the first quarter of 2020, economic growth slowed down considerably, 0.8% (year-on-year), reflecting a significant fall in external demand for goods and tourism. Economic sentiment and expectations in services are at a historic low, despite a slight improvement in June’20. Tourism, the main pillar of Cyprus’ economy, has been severely affected. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to significantly dampen international demand for tourism. Tourist arrivals and revenues decreased by 46.5% and 52.4%, respectively in the first quarter of 2020 (year-on-year). The island nation in the eastern Mediterranean has...
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has certified Audi against Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard for rolled material press shop operations undertaken at production facilities in Neckarsulm and Ingolstadt, Germany. At the two facilities, rolled material press operations create automotive body parts from aluminium sheet material. It collects aluminium scrap generated in the process in a separate stream and sends it for recycling in a closed-loop system. The ASI Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard sets out requirements for the creation of a Chain of Custody for material that is produced and processed through the value chain into diverse downstream sectors. On receiving the CoC Standard certification, Dirk Gross-Loheide, Board Member for Procurement and IT at AUDI AG, commented: “We are...
The Japanese metal products maker Kobelco has been forced to shut down temporarily its aluminium product plants after discovering a group of Covid-19 infections. On 19 th January’2021, Kobelco is planning to close its aluminium extrusion plant at Chofu works in western Japan's Yamaguchi prefecture. The aluminium extrusion plant is will remain closed for three days until 21 st January 2021, allowing the firm to focus on quarantine measures and Covid-19 tests on more than 900 plant staff. However, Kobelco stated: “The closure is unlikely to affect shipments and customer deliveries of aluminium products at this stage because of ample stocks.” The company has confirmed 12 cases of Covid-19 at the Chofu works. The new rise in infections has led to tighter Covid-19 measures, with Japan...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has certified Hydro’s aluminium extrusion plant in Magnor against its Performance Standard, recognising the plant’s responsible production, sourcing, and stewardship of aluminium. The certification covers the site’s production of aluminium solutions, including extrusion and fabrication activities, and surface treatment. Magnor extrusion plant develops and produces around 7,500 tonnes of aluminium profiles annually, serving customers in the building, electronics, general engineering, and transport markets. It employs about 100 people and is the first aluminium extruder in Norway to achieve ASI certification. “It is nice to be rewarded for the hard work our team has done and achieve this goal. ASI Certification is important to our sustainability agenda, and...
Hindalco Industries Limited has cut its aluminium products price for the third time in a row. With effect from Tuesday, 19 January 2021, wire rods price stands at INR 179,100 per tonne, down by INR 1,250 per tonne from INR 180,350 per tonne on January 16. The company is selling its aluminium billets at INR 175,100 per tonne on January 19, representing a decline of INR 1,250 per tonne from INR 176,350 per tonne on January 16. Aluminium ingots price stands at INR 168,000 per tonne. The Indian aluminium producers generally link prices of its products to the three-month futures of aluminium on London Metal Exchange. The aluminium price on LME has been increasing since October. The price has climbed nearly 14% in the October-December. Aluminium operations of the company, excluding those of its...
The Indian Aluminium Industry is seeking immediate Government support to cross over the challenging phase it is currently facing. This is the Aluminium Industry’s expectations from the upcoming Union Budget 2021. India stands as one of the rapidly growing economies and fastest emerging markets in the world and the Aluminium Industry plays a vital role in the nation’s economy. The aluminium sector is of a strategically important for the country and a much-demanded commodity for multiple other industries, as it is a major role player in diversified applications which are crucial for the economy like energy, security, national defence, infrastructure, electrification, aerospace, automobile, consumer durables, packaging etc. Presently, the Indian Aluminium industry is going through a rough...
Hindalco Industries Limited has reduced its aluminium products price for the second time in a row. With effect from Saturday, 16 January 2021, wire rods price stands at INR 180,350 per tonne, marking a drop of INR 1,500 per tonne from INR 181,850 per tonne on January 12. The company is selling its aluminium billets at INR 176,350 per tonne on January 16, down from INR 177,850 per tonne on January 12. Aluminium ingots price has dropped to stand at INR 169,250 per tonne, down INR1,500 per tonne. The Indian aluminium producers generally link prices of its products to the three-month futures of aluminium on London Metal Exchange. The aluminium price on LME has been increasing since October. The price has climbed nearly 14% in the October-December. Aluminium operations of the company,...
Colombia hosting almost 1.8 million Venezuelans as of May’20 stands by far the largest destination country for displaced Venezuelans. Since the beginning of the crisis in Venezuela, the Colombian government has maintained an open and constructive response towards the arrival of displaced Venezuelans. The country’s economic lockdown and quarantine have resulted to plunge Colombia’s GDP to fall by almost 8% in 2020, driving the country into its first recession in two decades. This economic slowdown is having severe effects on the Colombian labour market, with the unemployment rate reaching 19.8% in June 2020. The transcontinental nation’s import of aluminium tubes and pipes during 2018-19 was recorded at 3535 tonnes and the foreign revenue expended on the import remained at $ 12.16 million....
Mekapati Gautam Reddy, the Minister for industries and Commerce for the Indian state Andhra Pradesh asked the officials to speed up land acquisition for Utkarsha Aluminium Dhatu Nigam Ltd's proposed plant at Kodavalur mandal in Nellore district. On 16 th January 2021, the Minister at his camp office reviewed the advancement of the project with the officials and representatives of the company. He said any irregularities in payment of compensation to the farmers who handed over lands for the project should be settled and additional land should be acquired if needed for setting up the industry. Gautam Reddy discussed with the representatives of Utkarsha Aluminium, a special purpose vehicle for setting up the unit of Midhani, towards the investment for the unit and details of the direct and...
Hydro announced shipments of low-carbon aluminium products to European customers using Norway’s biggest sailing vessel SC Connector. The shipment has about 200 tonnes of Hydro REDUXA low-carbon aluminium. “We want to work with the most forward-leaning companies when it comes to developing greener technology for sea transportation. This retrofitted vessel with rotor sails is a very good starting point and we look forward to seeing what kind of opportunities this represents moving forward,” said Susanne Vinje, Head of Logistics in Hydro. Sea-Cargo will transport all finished products from the cast houses in Norway to Europe from 2021. The technology in the vessel reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. “The sails are 35-meter-tall, 5-meter-wide cylinders. The vessel´s total air draft...
