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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Kobe Steel today announced that the company’s Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) certification has been suspended at its Moka aluminium and aluminium alloy plant. The company is unable to sell concerned products displayed with the JIS mark. However, they can supply products that are equivalent to JIS in terms of performance. The company said that they will take corrective steps based on the findings of the certification body and work to restore its JIS certification as early as possible. “In regard to the improper conduct in the Kobe Steel Group, we underwent an examination by JIS certification bodies. As problems were found in the quality management system at Kobe Steel’s Moka Plant, Kobe Steel received today a suspension notice of its Japan Industrial Standards (JIS) certification for...
The Aluminum Association has released the latest edition of its Aluminum Statistical Review, which shows that aluminium demand in the U.S. and Canada increased 2.6% YoY to stand at 26.4 billion pounds in 2016, registering the seventh straight year of consecutive demand growth. Aluminum demand is up 41% since 2009, almost reaching the record levels of mid-2000s. The continued demand increases was driven by faster automotive growth in the region. Aluminum shipments for use in passenger vehicles totalled 5.9 billion pounds in 2016, which is the second year of record shipments since 1967. While demand growth was a positive development, the report also showed an unprecedented growth of imports by nearly 33% in 2016 to a record 7.3 billion pounds. “We are pleased to see demand growth continue...
Constellium N.V. announced today that it has strengthened its long-term partnership with Audi to supply aluminium Automotive Body Sheet as well as structural components for the new Audi A7 Sportback. Produced at the Audi Neckarsulm, Germany, plant, the new Audi A7 embodies Audi’s new design language with particularly dynamic lines and a sporty character. Constellium will be the primary supplier of aluminium Automotive Body Sheet for this new Audi A7 providing the coils to be used for the outer design applications such as the doors, hood, fenders and deck lids which incorporate large surfaces, sharp edges and taut lines. Design and forms are achieved with Constellium’s Surfalex with high surface quality and specific hemming and roping properties, which allow three-dimensional shapes and is...
SAF (Southern Aluminum Finishing Co.) announced the rollout of SAF Enterprise, the company’s new, fully integrated ERP system. SAF Enterprise will give SAF a strategic advantage by streamlining the company’s operations for aluminium distribution, anodizing, paint, engineered architectural products, and custom metal fabrication services. “Depending on individual customer requirements, SAF can more rapidly shift production efforts from one product to another and dramatically reduce product concept-to-production timing.” “An important customer portal into SAF Enterprise is the SAF Aluminum Extrusions & Sheet store (https://www.saf.com/aluminum-quote-mgr.php), where aluminium buyers will experience more intimate, detailed interactions with order acknowledgments, packing tickets, invoices, and...
Henan Mingtai Aluminum , one of China’s biggest aluminium sheet manufacturers, on Tuesday said it expected its production and sales to keep growing in 2018 despite the launch of U.S. trade probes into imports of the product from China. Mingtai, with a production capacity of 650,000 tonnes per year of semi-finished aluminium products, is the first Chinese firm to make a public statement about the twin anti-subsidy and anti-dumping probes into Chinese aluminum alloy sheet announced by Washington last month. China’s Ministry of Commerce has already expressed “strong disatisfaction” over the action amid rising trade friction between the Trump administration and Beijing. While pledging to cooperate with the investigations, Mingtai said that any allegations that Chinese aluminium sheet was...
Kobe Steel Ltd’s Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) certification has been temporarily suspended at its aluminium extrusion plant in Chofu, western Japan, the company said in a statement on Tuesday, in the latest blow to the embattled steelmaker. Kobe Steel earlier had the certifications at its Hatano plant revoked for seamless copper pipe products used for air conditioning and refrigerators as well as for insulated copper tubing. Japan’s third-largest steelmaker, which supplies the manufacturers of cars, planes, trains and other industrial products across the world, has said that about 500 of its customers had received products with falsified specifications, in one of Japan’s biggest industrial scandals. The latest suspension would last until the aluminium plant improves its quality...
Austria, the 31st largest exporter in the world, exported US$152.2 billion worth of goods in 2016. The country witnessed an increased in exports of aluminium foil in 2016. According to the Product Complexity Index (PCI), aluminium Foil is the 273rd most traded product and the 433rd most complex product. In 2016, Germany imported substantial amount of aluminium foil from the country. Austria exported an estimated 33700 tonnes of aluminium foil to Germany. Other notable importers of this commodity are Netherlands, Sweden, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the USA and many more. According to global trade data, Austria exported 118874 tonnes of aluminium foil in 2015. The total export was valued at US$730 million. In 2016, Austria exported an estimated 148021 tonnes of...
Aluminium alloy prices in major markets of China increased by RMB 50 per tonne after A00 aluminium ingot rose higher by RMB 18- per tonne on Tuesday, December 5. The rise in aluminium product prices in the primary and downstream sectors can be attributed to China’s Caixin PMI of service industry which showed 51.9 in November, setting new high since August, Shanghai Metals Market updated. The previous Caixin PMI of China’s service industry was 51.2. Caixin composite PMI shows 51.6 in November against the earlier figure of 51. Except Aluminium Alloy (West) price which remains unchanged at RMB 15,550 per tonne, all other categories across markets have increased. As updated by SMM, the average prices and price ranges of aluminium alloys in major China domestic markets are as follows: Unit:...
Novelis Inc., the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, today announced a $4.5 million manufacturing investment at its facility in Warren, Ohio. The investment in state-of-the-art technology provides greater versatility for pretreatments, improves operational efficiency and reduces costs over time. Novelis’ Warren facility has 75 employees dedicated to applying coating to rolled aluminum sheet. The sheet is then used for production of lids for the tops of aluminum beverage cans, producing enough for more than one billion beverage can lids each month. “We are thrilled to announce this local investment,” said Paul Nelson, Plant Manager. “Due to a steady U.S. can market and Novelis’ strong financial performance across the globe, we are making the investments necessary to sustain...
TWI has recently showcased the world’s largest Linear Friction Welded (LFW) component – an aluminium wing rib for commercial aircraft. Comprising 22 rib feet joined to a 2.5 metre long baseplate, the wing rib is designed to strengthen an aircraft’s wings, and TWI’s use of LFW has opened up a new manufacturing route for these components. The LFW process also opens up potential for improved part performance and reduced production costs for the aviation industry. A prototype was originally developed by TWI as part of the ‘STeM’ programme funded by Innovate UK and GKN Aerospace and the wing rib first exhibited at the Farnborough air show in 2015. However, the innovative new design was more recently shown, in a part-machined condition, at the Advanced Engineering Show at the NEC in Birmingham...
Aluminium alloy prices in major markets of China improved slightly after 4-days of consecutive decline since November 27. From RMB 16,150 per tonne on Monday, the average aluminium alloy price has declined to RMB 15,850 per tonne, as on November 30. Today, Aluminium Alloys (ADC12) price has increased by RMB 50 to stand at RMB 15,900 per tonne. As updated by Shanghai Metals Market on December 1, the price ranges, average prices and change in prices of aluminium alloys in major regional markets of China are as follows: A00 Aluminium Ingot price is ranging at RMB 14,290-14.330 per tonne with the average price at RMB 14,310 per tonne, up by RMB 150 from the earlier price. Premium and discount in aluminium spot market is moving within the range of RMB -190~-150 per tonne, as on December 1. In...
The Aluminum Association applauds the United States Department of Commerce’s decision today to self-initiate antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on imports of common alloy sheet from the People’s Republic of China. The Commerce Department will now conduct investigations of whether imports of common alloy sheet from China are being sold in the United States at unfairly low prices, as well as whether Chinese producers of common alloy sheet are receiving actionable subsidies from the Government of China. “The Aluminum Association and its members enthusiastically support the decision announced today by the Department of Commerce and Secretary Wilbur Ross to self-initiate unfair trade investigations concerning imports of common alloy sheet from China,” stated Heidi Brock,...
China expressed dissatisfaction after the U.S. initiated antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations of imports of alloy aluminium sheet from China. China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said that it would take necessary measures to safeguard the legal interests of Chinese companies. "This practice by the US side is very rare in the history of international trade,” Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. "China expresses strong dissatisfaction towards the tendency of trade protectionism displayed by the US." On Tuesday, the US Commerce Department launched investigations into Chinese common alloy aluminium sheet. In 2016, imports of common alloy sheet from China were valued at an estimated $603.6 million. Secretary Wilbur Ross said: “We are self-initiating the first trade case...
Aluminium alloy prices in major markets of China kept moving down as A00 aluminium ingot fell by RMB 270 per tonne on Thursday, November 30. With the average price of A00 aluminium ingot standing at RMB 14,160 per tonne, aluminium alloys (ADC12) is unable to draw any support from raw material sector; further, downstream buying has also slowed down. Resultantly, Aluminium Alloys (ADC12) price fell by RMB 100 per tonne to range at RMB 15,750-15,950 per tonne. The average Aluminium Alloys (ADC12) price is standing at RMB 15,850 per tonne. Source: www.metal.com The average prices of Aluminium Alloy - East, Aluminium Alloy - South, and Aluminium Alloy (A380) have dropped by RMB 100 per tonne to stand at RMB 15,850, RMB 15,700, and RMB 16,600 per tonne respectively. The price fall in Aluminium...
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) CMD and Aluminium Association of India (AAI) Chairman Tapan Kumar Chand yesterday met the Italian Industry delegation at Bhubaneswar for a talk over prospective collaboration between Aluminium Industries of India and Italy. The Italian delegation was led by Consul General of Italy Mr. Damiano Francovigh along with other officials. Italy’s aluminium association ASSOMET & AMAFOND will sign MoU for investing in joint venture in the upcoming Aluminium Park in Odisha. The MoU is likely to be signed during the next visit of the Italian Industry delegation in January 2018. India’s Jiwanram Sheoduttrai Group owned Uniseven Engineering & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd will play a crucial role in the development. Angul Aluminium Park is a joint venture between...
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the self-initiation of antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of common alloy aluminum sheet (common alloy sheet) from the People’s Republic of China (China). These historic investigations, the first in over a quarter century, were self-initiated pursuant to the authority granted to the Secretary under the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. “President Trump made it clear from day one that unfair trade practices will not be tolerated under this administration, and today we take one more step in fulfilling that promise,” said Secretary Ross. “We are self-initiating the first trade case in over a quarter century, showing once again that we stand in constant vigilance in support of free, fair, and reciprocal...
China’s aluminium semi-finished product export is fairly back on track. After registering decline for two consecutive months, export increased by 2.6 per cent reaching 310,000 tonnes in October 2017, revealed data released by the General Administration of Customs of China. The country exported 360,000 tonnes and 320,000 tonnes of aluminium semi-finished products in August and September respectively. The monthly export growth rate dropped in August with respect to 390,000 tonnes in July 2017. Of all the categories of aluminium semis exported by China, aluminium bar, rod, and profile has registered a month-over-month drop in export for the past three months. In October, aluminium bar, rod, and profile export by China totalled 63,167 tonnes, down 18.66 per cent from September this year...
APWORKS and TOYAL have announced a partnership for the further development, production and distribution of Scalmalloy, an aluminium-magnesium-scandium alloy. TOYAL will create and distribute aluminium alloy Scalmalloy through its distribution network. Sven Lauxmann, Head of Sales and Marketing at APWORKS, commented: “We are convinced that TOYAL is a cooperation partner with whom we can ensure a continuous development of the material composition and the production process of our unique material for our customers.” Scalmalloy, developed and patented by APWORKS, is the world’s first material specifically developed for additive manufacturing. The material is best suited for aerospace, transportation and defence applications, among many others. “The close collaboration creates an excellent...
