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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Government of Canada has awarded a repayable of $17 million to the Astrex Inc. of Lakeshore for installing North America’s first-of-its-kind aluminium automotive parts facility. The Federal Economic Development Agency’s (FedDev Ontario) Advanced Manufacturing Fund will grant the fund to the company. Astrex is a manufacturer of auto parts and a newly joint venture of Ontario-based CanArt Aluminium Extrusion Inc. and the Netherlands-based Constellium N.V. CanArt is a manufacturer of a variety of aluminium products while Constellium is a leading producer of aluminium products for the automotive industry. The facility will manufacture lightweight, high-strength aluminium auto part components that would reduce carbon emissions as well as consumption of fuel. Mark Blackmore, General Manager of...
Aleris Corporation today reported results for the Fourth Quarter and the full year ended December 31, 2016. Fourth Quarter Aleris reported a net loss of $35 million in Q4 2016 compared to $13 million in Q4 2015. The adjusted EBITDA increases to $43 million from $39 million in Q4 2015. The improved EBITDA is driven by improved rolling margins, stronger building and construction demand and stable global automotive volumes. Favourable metal spreads increased adjusted EBITDA approximately $3 million. Positive currency movements and the positive results from annual physical inventories increased Adjusted EBITDA approximately $3 million. Weak distribution demand, an unfavourable mix of products and softening aerospace demand impacted the results negatively. Asia Pacific results are benefitted...
The global aluminium master alloy market is growing at a steady pace. With the area of applications widening, the key driver being aerospace, defence, and lightweight vehicles, the industry is expected to grow at an exponential rate over the next five years. Going by metallurgy, a master alloy is a base metal combined with a high percentage of other element/s; aluminium master alloys are alloys that are added to the molten primary metal to obtain a specific composition and/or influence the as-cast structure for attaining the desired level of castability, strength, ductility, maleability, electrical conductivity ad surface finish. Aluminium master alloys, or for that matter, any metal master alloy can be categorised into two varieties: concentrated binary master alloys and grain-refining...
Liberty British Aluminium, the new owners of UK's last remaining aluminium smelter at Lochaber near Fort William, has proposed to construct alloy wheel plant and a "huge" automotive manufacturing plant at the location. The company has also planned to construct a new rolling mill for this project. The project involves a £450m investment. The first meeting for the investment plan of Lochaber Delivery Group is scheduled to take place today, February 3. Rural Economy Minister Fergus Ewing will switch on newly-installed bio-fuel generating units within a hydro-power station. The units will make Lochaber Smelter “the greenest metal-producing facility in the UK”, the company claims. Liberty British Aluminium has already presented its plan proposal to the Highland Council regarding the new...
Arconic Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has appointed David P. Hess, former Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer, Aerospace, of United Technologies Corporation (UTC), to serve as an independent director on the Board, effective March 10, 2017. Mr. Hess has nearly 40 years of experience in the aerospace industry, including as President of Pratt & Whitney, a division of UTC, from 2009 to 2014, where he was responsible for global operations in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines for commercial and military aircraft. Prior to his time at Pratt & Whitney, Mr. Hess served as President of Hamilton Sundstrand, an aerospace and industrial product manufacturer and another division of UTC, where he began his professional career in 1979. Sir Martin Sorrell...
Scandium International Mining Corp. (SCY) has announced that the company has entered into a MoU with Weston Aluminium Pty Ltd of Chatswood, NSW, Australia, for manufacturing aluminium-scandium master alloy. Under the MoU, the companies will develop the capability to provide Nyngan Project aluminium alloy customers scandium in form of Al-Sc Master Alloy. Weston Aluminium claims that it establishes world-class techniques for manufacturing scandium Master Alloy. The company can provide upgraded product to aluminium alloy customers. Weston is a well-known secondary aluminium and industrial services company. George Putnam, CEO of Scandium International Mining Corp. said, “This Alliance allows SCY to apply and expand our know-how in this area immediately, while working with Weston, an...
Aluminium plates and sheets are the fabricated aluminium products. The aluminium plates are produced when the aluminium is passed between rolls under pressure and then it changes into thinner and longer. The aluminium sheet is produced when slab is again rolled through a continuous mill in order to diminish its thickness and then wound into a coil at the end of the line. Aluminium plates and sheets are used in food and beverage, building and construction, automotive and transportation, aerospace and other end users segment. It offers a unique properties like weight advantage, durability and highly formable. It does not discolour products and is reflective to both heat and light. It can be coated with a wide variety of surface finishes and welded and formed according to the preference. Let...
Aisin Light Metals of Marion IL. has selected Granco Clark to supply a Billet Taper Quench and Billet Transveyor. The billet transveyor will accept the cut billet from discharge cradle and proceed to the press with a brief stop at the Billet Taper Quench. The Billet Taper Quench unit provides a uniform billet quench and/or a longitudinal taper cooling in billets prior to the extrusion process. True isothermal extrusion¬–maintaining a constant exit temperature over the entire extrusion cycle. With a proven track record of manufacturing the most dependable and durable equipment in the business, Granco Clark continually develops groundbreaking technology to improve its products – ranging from billet log furnaces, hot log saws, FusionBond® to age ovens and stacking equipment.
UACJ of Ludington, MI, has selected Granco Clark to supply log processing/heating and extrusion handling systems. The scope of supply includes; log table/pusher, high efficiency log furnace, hot billet saw, FusionBond, taper quench, high velocity/high impact spray quench, cut on the fly double puller, complete belt/conveyor transfer system, under table cooling, stretcher, auto saw gauge system, off-line precision saw and age oven with powered roll conveyors. UACJ’s FusionBond system process eliminates ALL two-piece billets. The taper quench unit provides a uniform billet quench and or a longitudinal taper cooling in billets prior to the extrusion process. UACJ’s new Precision Saw has exceptionally close tolerances combined with highest levels of productivity, speed, accuracy, safety and...
Midas Holdings Limited, the leading manufacturer of aluminium alloy extruded products for the passenger rail transportation sector in China has reported a 76.3 per cent YOY rise in profit after tax for 2016 to 100.8 million yuan (US$20.5 million). The profit was primarily driven by the aluminium stretched plates division following its acquisition in July 2016 and also by a rise in other income by 72.2% per cent to 40.9 million yuan supported by government subsidies. Other than that, income was boosted by other interests and sale of scrap from the aluminium alloy extruded products division. The total revenue in FY16 dropped 1.8 per cent to 1.49 billion yuan, attributed to lower revenue realization from group's core aluminium alloy extruded products division, which makes up 87 per cent of...
Press Metal Bhd’s results for FY 2016 have beaten analysts’ forecast by reporting a nearly threefold increase of profit before tax (PBT) from RM232 million to RM689.4 million. Analysts are positive on the group’s prospects for first quarter of 2017 (1Q17). Press Metal’s FY16 core net profit (CNP) of RM430 million exceeded the RM343 million forecast of the research arm of Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd (Kenanga Research). The improved profit was driven by higher aluminium prices and better-than-expected margins after the ramp-up of its Samalaju Phase 2 plant. Kenanga Research is optimistic on the group’s prospects in Q12017 as LME aluminium prices have continued rising to an YTD average of US$1,818 per tonne. “Meanwhile, management noted the positive sentiment for commodities thanks to fiscal...
Due to its versatility and multiple uses, aluminium foil turns out to become one of the most consumed aluminium products across the world. {newsStudioGallery} The 4 digit HS92 product is traded around the world to be used in food package, consumer perishable packaging, medicine packaging, flexible package, electric package industries, etc. India, one of the fasted growing economies in the world is seeing a steady GDP growth in recent years. Owing to strong economic growth and increasing middle class with growing disposable income, consumption of aluminium foil is growing fast in India. The change in life style which includes changed food habits has led to increased demand for foil packaging. Growing demand for ready to eat confectionaries and pharmaceutical products is another major...
Laminazione Sottile, a major producer of aluminum, located in Caserta, Italy, has just placed an order for a new OPTIFOIL® HeavySlit foil slitting machine, type HGS 18/08 with Achenbach Buschhütten. The objective of this investment is to expand production in the field of finstock products and flexible water pipes. In order to guarantee the known to be first-class quality of Laminazione Sottile’s products the decision was made in favor of Achenbach OPTIFOIL® technology and in particular relating to the innovative single contact roller technology which grant both, the reduction of scrap (loose side slits) and a better winding quality of narrow finished rolls. The new foil slitting machine will slit aluminum strip of different alloys, strip widths of up to 1,700 mm and strip thicknesses...
The state of Kentucky has approved a grant of about $1 million to Hansens Aluminum, a South African aluminum company that plans to open a plant in Henderson. The Kentucky Department for Local Government has approved the funding to Hansens Aluminum under Community Development Block Grant programme for the purchase and lease of equipment in order to develop a 75,000-square-foot facility within the Henderson Riverport industrial area. The CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) program provides assistance to communities for use in developing neighbourhoods, expanding affordable housing and economic opportunities, providing infrastructure or improving community facilities and services. The total investment for the project will be $18.3 million which will include acquisition of 10.3 acres of...
Malaysian-based aluminium company Press Metal Bhd is proposing to invest worth RM100mil for the production of new aluminium products in 2017. The company is planning to manufacture higher margins aluminium products like billets and to expand export facility in the European market. Group chief executive officer of the largest aluminium smelter in South-East Asia, Datuk Paul Koon Poh Keong, said, “We are seeing growing demand from automotive players that are shifting into aluminium in vehicles production. In addition, China is also going to use more aluminium for its high speed rail projects.” Post company’s shareholders meeting, Koon stated that the firm produces 30 per cent “value added” aluminium products. He said, “Our target is to increase our production in ‘value added’ products to...
Hulamin, a leading aluminium product and beverage can maker released full year 2016 results on Monday and reported record sales volumes and double profit after tax. The company was ridden by irregular electricity supply from Eskom and gas supply problems during the last year. However, the group managed to get over the bottlenecks and achieve record production and sales volumes during 2016, CEO Richard Jacob said. Hulamin failed to pay any dividend in 2015 after paying a 25c dividend in 2014. The group declared a final dividend of 15c and 8c interim dividend to make it a total of 23c. According to the results statement the group’s turnover grew 20% to R10bn and its profit after tax grew 135% to R385m. Higher aluminium prices in 2016 helped Hulamin book a "metal price lag profit" of R50m...
According to Preliminary estimates, aluminium demand in the United States and Canada that include shipments by domestic producers plus imports totalled an estimated 13 million tons in 2016, up 2.0 per cent over 2015. Demand for semi-fabricated (mill) products totalled 9.1 million tons, slightly up YOY. Apparent consumption (demand less exports) in domestic markets totalled an estimated 11.5 million tons, up 1.2 per cent YOY. Demand for aluminium semi-fabricated (mill) products in the United States and Canada including shipments by domestic producers plus imports remains flat YOY at an estimated 6,71,000 tons in December. Shipments of aluminium sheet and plate stood at 3,90,500 tons in December. Extruded product shipments were off 3.3 per cent YOY to 1,83,000 tons. Estimated shipments of...
The eleventh METEF, to be held at VeronaFiere from 21 st to 24 th June 2017 , is the world’s reference event for the aluminium, innovative metals, foundry equipment and solutions sector, and the automotive and transport division is the driver for all the industrial induced activities. The countdown of the show already marks out the data that validates METEF as a must-go event for international operators: over 400 exhibitors (30% from abroad) and a very large number of professional visitors (over 10,000 in 2014, 35% from foreign countries). “METEF has gone through the deep structural evolution of the global economy, in particular for what concerns the foundry and aluminium sector, and has adapted to the market development by updating its contents and communication strategies in order to...
