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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Aluminium extrusion dies manufacturer Phoenix International has been acquired by private equity firm Ambienta SGR for an undisclosed amount. Europe’s leading private equity investor Chequers Capital on Monday announced the sales of its portfolio company Phoenix. Phoenix, headquartered in Verdello, Italy, designs, produces, sale aluminium extrusion dies for the construction, transportation and industrial markets. The Group has eight plants in Europe, the US and the Middle East. Revenues for 2018 came in at EUR 91 million. Roberto Rusticelli, CEO of Phoenix International, said: “Over the tenure of Chequers, Phoenix has grown from its solid foundation as a South European leader to become the undisputed world leader in the dies market through acquisitions in Germany and the US and the...
Bulgarian rolled and extruded aluminium product manufacturer Alcomet has opened a new production facility for the production of aluminium profiles. The company also aims to enter the automotive parts industry, SeeNews reported on Monday, 20 May 2019. Alcomet offers a large variety of aluminium semi-finished products – household, technical and container foils, finstock, sheets and strips, as well as standard and customized aluminium profiles. The company exports 95% of its production, mainly to Europe and the USA. Alcomet’s production of extruded products stood at 22,214 tonnes in 2018, a drop of 0.2 per cent year-on-year. Its non-consolidated net profit for the year came in at 13.7 million levs, down 11.1 per cent year-on-year. The new Hybrex press, made by Germany's SMS Group, will allow...
Rolled aluminium products supplier Gränges acquired the entire utilities infrastructure from Jernbro on its industrial premises in Finspång for SEK 93 million. The company said that utilities infrastructure acquisition will ensure a safe, reliable and long-term supply of energy and utilities. The companies also agreed to new operation and maintenance agreements. The move will have a positive impact on profit over time. The acquisition will have a cash flow effect in Q2 2019, but little to no impact on the profit, Gränges said through its press release. Gränges supplies its products for heat exchanger applications and other niche markets. The company’s geographical markets are Europe, Asia and the Americas. With production facilities in Sweden, China and the United States, it has a...
Sundaram Clayton Limited (SCL), a leading aluminium die-castings supplier to the automotive and non-automotive sector, has officially opened a plant in Dorchester County in the Lowcountry, a geographic and cultural region along South Carolina’s Coast. The project is worth US$90 million and is expected to create manufacturing jobs in Ridgeville, a town in Dorchester County. The company said it chose Dorchester County for the plant because of the technical expertise. Lakshmi Venu, the joint managing director for Sundaram-Clayton said, "The talent pool is fantastic, so there are people who are committed to working. It’s a very hardworking motivated culture.” Sparks flew at the inauguration for the latest newcomer to Dorchester County’s business community. The plant in Ridgeville will be the...
A group of Congressional leaders in the US have requested the Trump administration to review Rusal’s investment in the Braidy aluminium rolling mill. Eight prominent Democratic lawmakers with leadership roles in committees with oversight, banking and national security responsibilities, including Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and House Intelligence Committee Chair Rep. Adam Schiff came up with the request. Rusal has announced US$200 million investment in the Braidy’s rolling mill at eastern Kentucky. The lawmakers request for an investigation considering the fact that Rusal came under sanction from Treasury department for the “worldwide malign activities” of the company’s primary owner, Oleg Deripaska. They said they are deeply alarmed at the news of the investment. “The proposed investment by...
Innovative contract manufacturer Alexandria Industries announced that it has invested in a new aluminium extrusion press. The new press will increase extrusion production capacity by 30 per cent. Made by Presezzi Extrusion Group (Vimercate, MB-Italy), the press will allow the company to extrude more complex product, and hold tighter tolerances, while utilizing a variety of alloys. Tom Schabel, CEO, Alexandria Industries said: “By combining the latest in aluminium extrusion technology with the best employees, we will continue to lead our industry. This investment also aligns with our company vision and commitment to excellence. The new system will provide robust extruded aluminium components for our customers, while providing us continued business growth into the future.” The company will...
Leading automotive component manufacturer Endurance Technologies announced results for the quarter and year ended 31st March 2019. The company reported a 27.75 per cent increase in consolidated net profit at INR 148.65 crore for the fourth ended March 2019. Net profit was INR 116.36 crore for the fourth ended March 2018. Sales for the fourth quarter stood at INR 1900.36 crore, up 9.55 per cent from INR 1734.76 crore in the same period last year. For FY2019, Endurance Technologies’ net profit increased from INR 390.76 to INR 495.01 crore. This marks a growth of 26.68 per cent year-on-year. Sales for the full year increased 18.25 per cent to INR 7510.50 crore. The company had posted INR 6351.38 crore sales in the previous year. Endurance Technologies operates 25 plants globally, with 16 of...
According to the latest Mineral Industry Survey report from US Geological Survey, the US exports of aluminium semi-finished products (plates, sheets, bars, etc.) came in at 73,000 tonnes in February 2019, down 13 per cent from 83,900 tonnes in February 2018.On a month on month comparison, the volume decreased 5.68 per cent from the January export volume of 77,400 tonnes. In the first two months of 2019, aluminium semi-finished products export stood at 150,000 tonnes, as compared to 173,000 tonnes in the first two months of 2018. This records a drop of 13.29 per cent year-on-year. Exports to Canada stood at 27,700 tonnes in February 2019, down 15.29 per cent from 32,700 in the same period last year. In the first two months of 2019, exports volume came in at 56,900 tonnes. The US had...
Aditya Birla Group flagship company Hindalco Industries announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended 31 March 2019. Hindalco’s consolidated revenue increased from INR1,15,820 crore in FY18 to INR 1,30,542 crore in FY19. EBITDA stood at INR16,627 crore, up 11% year-on-year. This buoyant performance was driven by stable operations, supporting macros and improved efficiencies. Consolidated Profit After Tax rose 22% to INR5,495 crore in FY19. Hindalco Industries reported an increase in standalone revenue for FY19. Revenue from operations (including Utkal) stood at INR45,908 crore. EBITDA was at a record high of INR7,532 crore, up 5% YoY. “This spirited performance, despite a sharp rise in input costs, was on the back of stable operations, supporting macros and improved operational...
Gestamp North Europe Services has reportedly expressed its intention to invest 23.5 million levs ($13.4 million/12.0 million euro) in acquiring major stakes of Viohalco’s aluminium profiles production and processing businesses – Etem Automotive Bulgaria and Etem Aluminium Extrusions by increasing the two companies’ capital. As per the official documents, Etem Aluminium Extrusions’ capital will be increased by 18.58 million levs to 37.92 million levs, while Etem Automotive Bulgaria’s capital will be hiked by 4.89 million levs to 9.59 million levs. After increasing the capital, Spain-based Gestamp North Europe Services will reportedly control a 49 per cent stake in Etem Aluminium Extrusions and 51 per cent in Etem Automotive Bulgaria. Earlier this year, Viohalco had announced that Etem...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, stocks of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas in China came in at 93,600 tonnes on Thursday, 16 May 2019. Inventories of aluminium billet dropped some 2,900 tonnes from 96,500 tonnes on Thursday, May 9. Aluminium billet stocks declined in the week as downstream consumption picked up, SMM data showed. In Foshan, Guangdong, the billet stocks stood at 48,000 tonnes, down 3,800 tonnes from 51,800 tonnes. Inventories of aluminium billet in Huzhou, Zhejiang and Nanchang, Jiangxi dropped 5,00 tonnes and 7,00 tonnes to stand at 11,500 tonnes and 7,600 tonnes. Stocks of aluminium billet in Wuxi, Jiangsu and Changzhou, Jiangsu rose by 1,600 tonnes and 5,00 tonnes from Thursday, May 9 to stand at 18,000 tonnes and 8,500 tonnes. The price of...
The ET Foundation (The Extrusion Technology for Aluminum Profiles Foundation) has announced the winners of the 2019 Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition. More than 90 students from high schools and universities submitted entries for the cash award sponsored by Bonnell Aluminum. The award is organized by Aluminium Extruders Council. David Asher, Process Optimization Manager for Bonnell Aluminum; Dr. Joseph Benedyk, Editor of Light Metal Age magazine and Todd Boyer, Director of Sales & Marketing for Mid-States Aluminum judged the 2019 Extrusion Design Competition. Students were awarded for designs that showcased the versatility and advantages of aluminium extrusions. First Prize was won by a student from The Oslo School of Architecture and Design for a Bed for Refugee Camps, which was made...
According to the latest report from US Geological Survey, aluminium demand in the United States and Canada, including shipments by domestic producers plus imports stood at an estimated 2.1 million tonnes for January and February 2019, slightly down from the same period of 2018. Total aluminium supply in January and February (3 Primary production, secondary recovery, and imports for consumption) in the US stood at 1.58 million tonnes. When we look at the total import by the US in the first two months of 2019 (including scrap), we see the volume standing at 935,000 tonnes. Excluding scrap US import of aluminium and semi-finished aluminium stood at 836,000 tonnes, about 14% drop from 973,000 tonnes in the first two months of 2018. The import of crude aluminium and alloy dropped about 18% to...
The Indian government has once again postponed the deadline to impose retaliatory import duties on 29 US products, including almond, walnut, and pulses, by a month. In a notification issued by the finance ministry, the government said that the implementation of increased customs duty, which was slated to come into effect from May 16, has been postponed to June 16. These deadlines have been extending since June 2018, when India decided to impose these duties in retaliation to the US’s decision to impose customs duties of 10 per cent on imports of aluminium products and 25 per cent on imports of certain steel products. The extension of the deadline comes in the backdrop of the US decision to withdraw export incentives provided to Indian exporters under the Generalised System of Preferences...
Aluminium products exports by China increased 13.1 per cent year-on-year to 1.28 million tonnes in the first three months of 2019, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The growth rate lost 7.4 percentage points from the same period last year, the MIIT said. Aluminium products exports reached 3.5 billion U.S. dollars in Q1 2019. This was up 3.9 per cent year-on-year, as reported by Xinhua News Agency. Unit export prices of aluminium products dropped 8.1-percent year-on-year in the mentioned period. According to the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s production of 10 major non-ferrous metals stood at 13.7 million tonnes in the first three months. This records an increase of 6.3 per cent year-on-year.
After rising in the past three consecutive years, Czech Republic’s aluminium powder and flakes import is likely to stand down this year, found the global export-import data. Compared with 4,591 tonnes in 2018, Czech Republic in 2019 is expected to import 4,297 tonnes, down 6.38 per cent year on year. Until 2018, Czech Republic’s aluminium powder and flakes import rose year on year, according to the available data. From 3,523 tonnes in 2016, the country’s import volume increased 9.11 per cent amounted to 3,844 tonnes in 2017. In 2018, the amount rose further to 4,590 tonnes, up 19.4 per cent from 2017 and 30.28 per cent from 2016. In tandem with the increasing import volume, Czech Republic’s aluminium powder and flakes import cost rose year on year from 2016 to 2018. In 2016, the estimated...
Suntown Technology Group Corporation Limited (SNTO) has been certified against Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s (ASI) Performance Standard for responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium. SNTO has become the third company in China to receive Certification under the ASI, and the first in China covering aluminium recycling, demonstrating its commitment to environmental, social and governance performance, ASI announced on Monday,13 May, 2019. SNTO, headquartered in Wangcheng Economic Development Zone, Changsha, manufactures aluminium products from cast billet through to sheet, extrusions and foil. The certification covers aluminium re-melting, re-fining and re-cycling and semi-fabrication activities at the sites in Changsha and Changde. Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive...
It has been a year President Trump announced tariffs on steel and aluminium. Further tariffs on Chinese goods were started kicking-in a few months later and in late September of 2018 a 10 per cent import duty was applied to US$200 billion of Chinese goods. A report from the Department of Labor in the US claims that contrary to the expectations that the tariffs would hurt U.S. consumers; the actual market data defy predictions of tariff-led inflation. A report from the Department of Labor in the US said Friday that its consumer price index was up just 2.0 per cent YoY, indicating that prices are not rising at a faster rate after the tariffs. The Federal Reserve says it targets 2 per cent inflation, although it uses a different measure of prices. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross insisted that...
