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 being one of the major strategic sectors for Québec and a true metal of the future has been in the priority list of the Government of Québec. The government has designed and launched the Québec Aluminium Development Strategy on June 19, 2015, in order to stimulate growth and cover all parts of the aluminium value chain in the process. With an implementation target over three years (2015-2018), the strategy has set clear cut growth vision for Québec’s aluminium industry. The strategy aims at developing an active processing sector in Quebec so that the province can add value to the amount of aluminium produced in the region. The government aims at doubling aluminium processing in Québec over the next ten years and facilitate supply security of metal to the aluminium processing...
Novelis, the aluminium rolling and recycling major has reported net income of $121 million for Q3 FY 2018, compared to $63 million in the same period of 2017. Excluding special items in both years, the company reported net income of $138 million in Q3 FY 2018, more than double the $67 million reported in Q3 FY 2017. The YoY increase in net income is driven primarily by 20% higher EBITDA and lower interest expense. Higher shipments and the company's strategy to deliver a more favourable product mix with higher automotive shipments and increased operational efficiencies supported the gain in EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA reached $383 per ton in the quarter. Net sales increased 33% YoY to $3.1 billion, driven by higher aluminium prices, higher total shipments, and a strategic portfolio shift to...
Both Constellium N.V. and Novelis Inc. have announced through press release that they signed a binding agreement to sale and acquire operating facilities and manufacturing assets at its Sierre plant that have historically been leased. The North Building Assets of Constellium’s Sierre plant in Switzerland have been leased and operated by Novelis since 2005 and Constellium and Novelis agreed on a purchase price of €200 million. The acquisition will allow Novelis to gain additional flexibility to continue serving the growing automotive aluminium sheet market and provide a more secure and stable future for its stakeholders. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, subject to customary closing conditions. "This acquisition further solidifies our leadership...
Clean TeQ Holdings Limited has entered into an agreement with Chinalco Materials Application Research Institute (CMARI) and Chongqing University for the development and adoption of scandium alloys in the global transport industry. Researchers will investigate the functional and commercial benefits of scandium in a range of aluminium alloy. Clean TeQ CEO Sam Riggall said: “Scandium allows us to create a new generation of aluminium alloys with unrivalled functionality – alloys that are stronger, lighter, corrosion-resistant and weldable.” “As the largest resource in the world of this rare metal, Clean TeQ Sunrise will become an important source of global supply for decades to come. We believe our partnership with Chinalco, one of the world’s largest aluminium companies, and Chongqing...
Alcomet has announced its non-consolidated net profit for 2017 on Wednesday, January 31.Alcomet, an aluminium products manufacturer, reported a drop in net profit in 2017. The company’s consolidated net profit dropped to 15.9 million levs ($10.12 million/8.12 million euro) in 2017, compared to 26.9 million levs in 2016. Sales revenue increased to 354.5 million levs in 2017, compared to 309.8 million levs in 2016. The value of total products sales volume rose to 317.2 million levs in 2017, from 130.8 million levs in the previous year. Alcomet is one of the leading manufacturers of rolled and extruded aluminium products in Bulgaria. The company provides cast coils and billets; and finstock products, strips for heat shields and noise protection panels, standard strips, and sheets, as well as...
Sanjeev Gupta led GFG Alliance has won Highland Council’s permission for a new aluminium alloy wheel factory in Fort William, UK. The plant, which will come up next to its Liberty British Aluminium Smelter, will be the first large-scale alloy wheel plant of UK. Construction work at the site is expected to begin in the second half of 2018. The new aluminium alloy wheel plant to be built at an initial investment of 120 million Pound will procure aluminium from Liberty British Aluminium smelter. It will manufacture up to two million wheels per year and supply to the British automobile industry. Sanjeev Gupta said, “We are delighted to have reached this milestone in the development of a very exciting project and are very grateful to the council for giving this matter their close attention...
Aluminium alloy prices in China domestic market dropped across major regions as buying slowed down in the winter months. Interruption of the movement of trucks due to low temperatures and heavy smog forced end user industry players to limit their buying of aluminium alloys for future operations. As a result, inventory built-up lead to the fall of prices. The one-month average price movement of aluminium alloy as updated by Shanghai Metals Market is as follows: Aluminium alloy (ADC12) average price has dropped by RMB 50 per tonne to RMB 16100 per tonne; aluminium alloy average prices in east, south, and west China are down by RMB 50 per tonne. Prices of aluminium alloy ZLD102 and ZLD104 are also down by RMB 350 per tonne each at RMB 15600 per tonne and RMB 15000 per tonne respectively as...
The Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU) in Russia has created an aluminium engine for Yak-52 airplane. This all-aluminium engine is 50 kg lighter than the previous steel engine. According to a TASS report, the engine will be installed on Yak-52 two-seat planes. Image Source: micetimes.asia "The world’s first aircraft engine fully made of aluminium has been developed by designers of the basic Novosibirsk State Technical University. Even the parts exposed to the highest loads are made of aluminium, namely, the crankshaft, cylinder barrels and the flywheel,” the Novosibirsk Region Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation Policy said. Aluminium alloy is the perfect choice for manufacturing aircraft body parts and engines due to its corrosion resistant, high strength, less...
Scientists at Purdue University say they have developed a new aluminium alloy with strength comparable to stainless steel. According to researchers at the university’s School of Materials Engineering, altering the metal’s crystal lattice by introducing distortions known as “stacking faults,” or omitting a layer in the crystal’s atomic structure, can add strength to the metal that it would not have ordinarily possessed. Two stacking faults, known as “twin boundaries,” are capable of enhancing the alloy’s strength even more. Purdue professor Xinghang Zhang says that a particular stacking fault, referred to as 9R, holds special promise for strengthening aluminium. “It has been shown that twin boundaries are difficult to be introduced into aluminum. The formation of the 9R phase in aluminum...
India’s aluminium bar rods and profiles import will continue over the medium term till a significant percentage of the large downstream processing projects get completed. The imports will be necessary to support the massive construction work going on across the grids of the country. According to a recent estimate, India will import 41,530.6 tonnes of aluminium bar rods and profiles in 2018. India ranks third after China and US as the fastest growing construction market in the world. A new report Global Construction 2030 forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by 85 per cent to $15.5 trillion worldwide by 2030, with three countries cumulatively accounting for 57 per cent of the global growth. India also ranked third on the US Green Building Council's (USGBC) annual ranking of...
The Aluminum Association responded today to news that the Department of Commerce delivered to the White House its Section 232 report prepared in connection with the agency’s investigation of the national security implications of imported aluminum. Aluminum Association President & CEO Heidi Brock commented: “On behalf of the domestic aluminum industry, the Aluminum Association appreciates the president’s continued commitment to strong trade enforcement and a level playing field for U.S. producers. We expect that the report will recognize the significant role the aluminum industry plays in ensuring our nation’s security and welcome the opportunity to engage the administration on an appropriate remedy that will benefit the entire aluminum value chain. The association supports actions that...
Aluminium powder is used for several applications such as manufacture of slurry, explosive and detonators, thermit process used for manufacture of ferro-alloys, specialised welding applications, and manufacture of aluminium paste, and others. Aluminium flakes comes from aluminium powder through dry ball milling process. France’s imports of commodities have decreased during the last five years. The data shows a downward trend for aluminium powder and flakes Import in France. The country’s import of this product is estimated to decline in 2018. International trade data shows that France imported 9889 tonnes of aluminium powder and flakes in 2016. The total import was valued at US$31 million. In 2017, the country imported 9553 tonnes with total value estimated at US$33 million. In 2018,...
Scandium International Mining Corp. (SCY) announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Ohm & Häner Metallwerk GmbH & Co. GK to test scandium alloys in casting applications. Ohm & Häner Metallwerk, based in Olpe, Germany, is a manufacturer of sand cast and gravity die cast parts. It produces over 3,000 individual cast parts primarily aluminium and copper-based alloys. Georg Dieckhues, PhD, Plant Director of Ohm & Häner commented: "We are confident that this group is a reliable and reasonable resource for master alloys containing scandium to refine aluminium--copper-based casting materials in order to improve both on castability and technical properties of the final castings." “The LOI calls for the Company to contribute aluminium-scandium master alloy 2% (MA), for mixing and...
COIL, the world leader for aluminium anodising, announced its full year revenue for 2017. The company’s revenue was down 10.1 per cent from 2016. The company generated revenue of €29.6 million in 2017, down from €33 million in 2016. The company said revenues in the fourth quarter of 2017 fell 19 per cent to €6.8 million from €8.4 million in 2016. COIL’s sales of anodising services registered €25.3 million, down 9.7 per cent from 2016, due to significant volatility in demand from metal distributors faced with aluminium price fluctuations, particularly in the second and fourth quarters. “Following a record year in 2016, sales of packaged offers (anodising with metal included) have consolidated their international development, with several major orders delivered in Europe, Asia and the US....
Saudi Arabia, one of the fastest growing economies of the Gulf region, is on the verge of entering a post-oil era. The economic drivers in this phase are going to be aluminium, building and construction, and port industry. With stellar urbanization, consumer durables sectors like aluminium foil packaging, appliances and automobiles will witness significant growth. Five-year data of aluminium foil import by Saudi Arabia shows this correlation: From 8975 tonnes in 2014, Saudi Arabia’s aluminium foil import has surged to 59,513 tonne in 2017. In 2015, the volume reached its highest at 60343 tonnes. However, macro and micro-economic factors remaining constant, aluminium foil import by the Gulf country is estimated to drop to 45214 tonnes in 2018. Saudi Arabia’s GDP stood at US$646.4 billion...
The Indo-Italian MetalHub seminar titled ‘Aluminium Age’ held last Saturday, January 20, in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, heralded a new era of cooperation between Indian and Italian aluminium industry players. The high-level delegation from Italy comprising Mario Conserva, General Manager A&L and Vice President Alfin-Edimet, the founding company of METEF, Mauro Cibaldi, President Centro Al – Assomet, Maurizio Sala, President Amafond, representing the Associations: Amafond, Assomet, Assofond, Francesco Esposito, Carmelo Brocato, Vice President DCMK, Danieli&C, Giuseppe Giordano, FACE, Prof Alberto Cavicchiolo GM, Art Valley, and Alberto Pomari, the Marketing Director of A&L aluminium magazine showed genuine interest in investing at the upcoming downstream aluminium park at Angul. The delegates...
Novelis Inc. will spend $300 million in an automotive aluminium sheet manufacturing facility in Guthrie, Kentucky. The investment is the latest addition to company’s' extensive network of automotive finishing lines. The greenfield facility will have an annual nameplate capacity of 200,000 metric tons and will include heat treatment and pre-treatment lines that prepare aluminium for use in vehicle parts such as body-in-white, hoods, doors, lift gates and fenders. "Today's announcement by Novelis to expand its capabilities in North America is a strategic decision fully supported by the Aditya Birla Group to maintain the group's leadership position in the global metals sector and its ongoing commitment to serve both upstream and downstream customers," said Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of...
According to latest report from Aluminum Association, shipments of Aluminum Extruded Products (extruded shapes, pipe & tube, and rod & bar) by U.S. and Canadian producers totalled an estimated 358.0 million pounds during December 2017, up 4.8 per cent over the December 2016 total of 341.7 million pounds. Compared to the previous month, shipments decreased 16.9 per cent from the November 2017 revised total of 430.7 million pounds. Preliminary shipments for the full year 2017 stood at 5,312.8 million pounds, up 2.7 per cent over the same period of 2016. Estimated shipments of Aluminum Forgings and Impacts by U.S. and Canadian producers stood at 27 million pounds during December 2017, an increase of 15.8 per cent over the December 2016 total of 23.3 million pounds. Compared to the previous...
