ABB has secured two orders from China’s Southwest Aluminum to supply integrated automation and digital technologies for two six-high aluminium cold rolling mills, supporting the manufacturer’s wide-strip production expansion and upgrade. The projects involve a 2,500 mm two-stand mill and a 3,000 mm single-stand mill, with both lines expected to be fully commissioned and operational by the end of 2027. Chongqing-based Southwest Aluminum is a subsidiary of the Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco). The orders build on the longstanding cooperation between ABB and the aluminium producer, with the latest projects focusing on process stability, control precision and production performance. Explore insights and forecasts for the aluminium flat rolled products (FRP) market from our...
India-based PG Foils Limited plans to establish a downstream aluminium manufacturing facility in Bahrain, focusing on electric vehicle (EV) battery foil and pharmaceutical foil production. The proposed investment is expected to expand the kingdom’s aluminium downstream capabilities and strengthen its manufacturing base. Bahrain’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce signed a letter of intent with PG Foils for the project. The agreement was signed by Industry and Commerce Minister Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro and PG Foils Joint Managing Director Sahil Shah during the fourth edition of the Gateway Gulf expo, which opened on November 1 in Manama. Explore: The most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report – Aluminum Foil Market Report Forecast Till 2035 Hosted by the Bahrain...
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According to the international trade data, Norway’s aluminium wire exports to Sweden are likely to stand lower at the end of this year, while its exports to the Netherlands are likely to amount higher. Norway in 2019 is estimated to export 27,521 tonnes of aluminium wire to Sweden, down 15.44 per cent from 2018. The country’s export volume to Sweden in 2018 was also slightly lower from its previous year at 31,771 tonnes. In 2017, Norway’s aluminium wire exports to Sweden were approximately 32,008 tonnes. To the Netherlands, Norway’s aluminium wire exports in 2019 are likely to come in at 18,183 tonnes, up 20 per cent from 15,212 tonnes in 2018. In 2017, the export amount was 16,701 tonnes, which means the country’s aluminium wire exports to the Netherlands in 2018 were down by about 9 per...
Metals.com, a leader in retail metals sales, celebrated its 10th anniversary with the new aluminium division. This aluminium division will serve the automobile, aerospace and construction industries. Metals.com Vice President Walter Vera said: "Aluminium is widely acknowledged as one of the most versatile materials available today. The broad application of aluminium is something our team understands and will uniquely compliment our enterprise customers in the manufacturing sector." "Aluminium is an essential element to the American manufacturing future, There are over 692,000 jobs and $174 billion dollars in economic output equivalent to 1% of the United States GDP." Metals.com will offer aluminium long bar, tube, pipe, sheet, coil, and plate metal products. "People use more aluminium...
Braidy Industries has appointed Mike Otero as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company with effect from January 6, 2020. He joins the Braidy Industries executive team with the added designation of Head of the Ashland Headquarters facility. He will report directly to Craig Bouchard, CEO and Chairman of Braidy Industries. Braidy Industries is an Ashland, Kentucky-based manufacturer of metals for the global transportation, toolmaking, and food and beverage industries. The company's first project, the construction of Braidy Atlas aluminium rolling mill, will position Braidy Industries as the low-cost, low-carbon maker of 300,000 annual tonnes of production-ready series 3000, 5000 and 6000 aluminium sheet for the automotive and beverage can industries. Craig Bouchard, CEO of Braidy...
On Sunday, December 8, Mexico’s foreign minister rejected the United States proposal for aluminium and steel production under the new trade deal, citing that it would leave Mexico at a disadvantage. During a meeting with senators over details of negotiations for the United States-Mexico-Canada treaty (USMCA), Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the US proposed 70 per cent of steel for automobile production from the North American region. This, according to him, will put Mexico at a great disadvantage as cars produced in Mexico also use components imported from Brazil, Japan, and Germany. Ebrard also said that Mexico would not accept any term for aluminium provisions either, as the United States has no resources to produce aluminium. He rather pointed out that Mexico is one of...
The Aluminum Association has objected to the request for exclusion to Section 301 tariffs applied to imports of Chinese-origin aluminium body stock and end stock. The trade association submitted a letter of objection to the office of United States Trade Representative (USTR). Lauren Wilk, Vice President, Policy & International Trade in the Aluminum Association said in the letter that the imposition of Section 301 duties on certain aluminium products will send an important signal to the Chinese government on the need to address overcapacity through a government-to-government negotiated agreement. The letter added that the broad exclusions from tariffs will discourage Chinese government to take the aluminium overcapacity seriously. Aluminum Association specifically objected to the exclusion...
GFG Alliance has reached an agreement with Novelis to buy Aleris’s Duffel aluminium rolling mill in Belgium, S&P Global Platts reported. The deal is subject to review and consents from EU authorities and China's State Administration for Market Regulation. GFG said it expects the Duffel deal to be closed in the coming months. Novelis earlier this year received the approval of the European Commission for its $2.6 billion proposed acquisition of US aluminium rolled products manufacturer Aleris Corporation on the condition that it would sell Aleris' plant in Duffel in Belgium. "The deal is consistent with GFG Alliance's strategy to create an international, vertically integrated aluminium business," a GFG Alliance spokesman told S&P Global Platts. "The addition of Duffel to our value chain...
Russia’s exports of aluminium (crude metal and alloys and semi-finished products) to the US totalled 8,280 tonnes in August 2019, an increase of 48.12% or 2,690 tonnes from July. Exports dropped by 66.88% from June’s exports of 25,000 tonnes, 59.81% from May’s exports of 20,600 tonnes, and 70.22% from April’s exports of 27,800 tonnes. The US imports of crude metal and alloys and semi-finished products from Russia amounted to 135,000 tonnes in the first eight months of 2019, as updated by the US Census Bureau. Exports of crude metal and alloys increased by 46.01% month-on-month to 7,680 tonnes in August. Russia’s exports to the US contract by 66.9%% from June, 59.15% from May and 70.8% from April. Russia exported 125,000 tonnes of crude metal and alloys to the US in the first eight months...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, inventories of aluminium billet continued to decline by 1,100 tonnes as of Thursday December 5, after dipping 8,800 tonnes in the previous week. Stocks of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas in China stood at 76,800 tonnes. This marked the eighth straight week of declines. The chart below indicates the current status of aluminium billet inventories across China in more details: Inventories of aluminium billet in Changzhou, Jiangsu and Huzhou, Zhejiang stood at 6,700 tonnes and 13,000 tonnes, a drop of 1,800 tonnes and 2,000 tonnes from November 28. Stocks in Nanchang, Jiangxi declined by 200 tonnes to stand at 6,100 tonnes. But the inventories of aluminium billet in Foshan, Guangdong and Wuxi, Jiangsu increased by 1,600 tonnes...
SMS group has been awarded a contract to supply an extrusion press to Constellium Singen GmbH in Germany. SMS group will install a 45-MN aluminium extrusion press in a newly established production hall at the Singen site. The extrusion press will expand the company’s production capacity of high-quality aluminium profiles. Commissioning of the extrusion press is scheduled for summer 2020. “The 45-MN front-loading extrusion press will be built to SMS group’s latest design and be equipped with the highly precise linear guidance system for all moving main components of the press, with servo drive technology for all auxiliary functions as well as the proven EcoDraulic concept to reduce energy consumption of the hydraulic pumps,” according to SMS group. Another feature of the press is the...
According to the United States Geological Survey, Japan’s aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports to the US recorded a decline in August by about 5.41 per cent to 4,890 tonnes, followed after three consecutive months of growth. In July, Japan’s export volume of aluminium plates, sheets and bars to the US had increased 30 per cent month-on-month to come in at 5,170 tonnes, while that in June grew by 3 per cent from 3,890 tonnes in May to 3,990 tonnes. Thus, Japan’s aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports to the US from May to August totalled at 17,940 tonnes. From January to August, the total export volume was 32,900 tonnes, which represents the fact that Japan’s exports in the first four months of the year were lesser by 17 per cent than the next four months. After Japan, India was...
The Czech Republic is set to increase its import of aluminium wire from the global market in 2019. Aluminium wire import is likely to increase by 9.11% year-on-year in 2019, after rising 21.84% YoY in 2018. Romania and Poland were the top suppliers of aluminium wire to the Czech Republic in 2018. {newsStudioGallery} According to recent estimates, Romania and Poland exported about 15797 tonnes and 11075 tonnes of this product last year. In 2019, the Czech Republic is estimated to import 19765 tonnes and 8164 tonnes of aluminium wire from Romania and Poland. Other key bauxite exporting countries namely, Turkey, Germany, and Hungary supplied lesser volumes of aluminium wire to the Czech Republic: 3020 tonnes, 2061 tonnes and 1298 tonnes respectively. According to recent estimates, the Czech...
US based auto parts supplier Nippon Light Metal Georgia (NLMGA) plans to build a US$50 million factory in north-western Georgia. Governor Brian P. Kemp and the state economic development officials from Georgia announced it last Thursday. The company, which makes aluminium automotive components, held a ground breaking ceremony for the new factory in Adairsville — about 60 miles northwest of Atlanta last week. According to Nippon officials the planned expansion is meant to leverage on the growing demand for lighter-weight aluminium parts for vehicles as the automakers across the globe are focusing on lightweight fuel-efficient vehicles. The facility, which is likely to be in 2022, hopes create 110 new jobs. “This facility is the beginning of our dream to manufacture aluminium forged...
QuesTek Innovations LLC, a US based leading Integrated Computational Materials Engineering company has developed a new aluminium alloy for additive manufacturing. The alloy is capable of high-strength performance at 200 to 300 degrees C in the as-built condition. According to the company it is the first aluminium alloy powder capable of meeting those requirements without the need for heat treatment. The new aluminium alloy will help in printing lightweight precision components like heat exchanger parts requiring internal cooling channels, which are not possible with conventional manufacturing method. Commenting on the development, Greg Olson, QuesTek chief science officer, said, “The accelerated design and development of a printable aluminum alloy capable of meeting so many current needs...
Gränges, a global leader in aluminium engineering, manufacturing and innovation, has reportedly agreed to buy Polish aluminium producer Aluminium Konin for 2.3 billion Swedish crowns ($239 million). The news came after the company announced on Thursday, November 28, while also saying that this deal will help them expand presence in Europe and boost position in growth areas such as materials for electric vehicles. At present, the deal is subject to approval by competition authorities, but is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020. According to the report, the deal values Aluminium Konin at 6.9 times its annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). Gränges CEO Johan Menckel said, "Aluminium Konin contributes with technically advanced operations,...
To sum up 2019 with a boost in production, the UK-based fast-growing die casting foundries Midland Pressure Diecasting Limited (MPD) has invested £250,000 in the installation of a new fully automatic aluminium diecasting machine at its Willenhall facility. This new investment is reportedly expected to enhance the efficiency of the facility by creating an additional 20 per cent capacity and generate new jobs locally. Plant investment is an area which the company always gives a higher preference as part of the ambitious expansion plans. They also encourage their employees to present new ideas for improvement projects and spending suggestions. Ash Suman, Managing Director at Midland Pressure Diecasting, said: “We are always looking at company improvements, whether via investments into plant,...
Shanghai Metals Market found aluminium billet stocks in the southern markets of China lowered significantly, leading to the further decline in inventories for the seventh consecutive week, as of November 28. Data showed the inventories of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas in China fell 8,800 tonnes from a week ago to stand at 77,900 tonnes. On November 21 , the billet inventories were at 86,700 tonnes after declining by 12,100 tonnes week-on-week. The chart below indicates the current status of aluminium billet inventories across China in more details: Not all Chinese cities have seen a downfall in aluminium billet inventories today. Only Foshan, Changzhou, and Nanchang have witnessed a fall. Compared to last Thursday, the inventories in Foshan has dropped by 9,100...
Enkei Wheels (India) Limited (EWIL), a manufacturer of the aluminium alloy wheels, has signed a Joint Venture Agreement to establish a Joint Venture Company with Nikkei MC Aluminium Co. Ltd, Japan, Century Metal Recycling Limited, India and Enkei Corporation, Japan. The purpose of the JV agreement is “to incorporate a private limited company (Joint Venture Company) with the main objects of manufacturing, importing/ exporting, processing of primary and/ or secondary metal, metal scrap recycling and selling of aluminium alloys in molten and ingot form,” Enkei Wheels (India) said. Nikkei MC Aluminium Co. Ltd will hold a 60% stake in JV Company, with Century Metal Recycling Limited and Enkei Corporation holding 26% and 7% respectively. Enkei Wheels (India) Limited will hold a 7% stake in JV...
Alpine Aluminum, based in Gran-Gevrier, Haute-Savoie, France, which was placed in bankruptcy proceedings in August, received potential buying offers from two buyers. The commercial court of Annecy city, France, which was to decide between the two offers for the recovery of the company on 26 November, postponed its decision to Friday. The Greek group Cosmos proposed to take over all the 91 employees of Alpine Aluminium and continue the operations. The other takeover offer came from the French holding company Samfi Invest and Industry. It offered to take over 49 employees and proposed to diversify the company's activities in steel. The Commercial Court meeting on November 26 found that they did not have all the necessary financial information on the group Cosmos. The court said it needed...
