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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Dajcor Aluminum Ltd. a leading Canadian supplier of extruded, fabricated/machined and anodized aluminium components, received multi-million dollar federal investment on Monday at the Dajcor facility. The government announced the company will receive $2.48 million in FedDev Ontario funding in order to increase production and employment opportunities. Peter Fragiskatos, MP for London North Centre toured Dajcor Aluminum with company’s president Mike Kilby on Monday. Fragiskatos commented: “I was blown away, They’re doing everything under one roof – it’s one of the reasons they were recognized certainly by the Chatham-Kent chamber of commerce but especially with the Government of Canada.” The company provides aluminium components for many sectors including automotive, light rail transit, and...
According to the Product Complexity Index (PCI), aluminium foil is the 275th most traded product and the 281st most complex product. Due to its versatility and multiple uses, aluminium foil turns out to become one of the most consumed aluminium products across the world. Since, aluminium foils are mostly used in packaging applications, developed economies are the top consumers of foil. The top importers of aluminium foils are Germany ($1.09B), the United States ($1.02B), France ($560M), the United Kingdom ($527M) and Italy ($481M). {newsStudioGallery} As shown by figures released by EAFA, the European Aluminium Foil Association, increasing competition from aluminium foil producers outside Europe continues to put pressure on sales from European suppliers. We are analysing the last three...
The year 2016 is marked by a continued slowdown in primary aluminium sector in the west and a distinct shift towards value added applications in aluminium. Aluminium producers around the world fought out to find ways and means to survive the slump in the commodity market. Cost cutting, energy efficiency and value added applications became the priorities for aluminium makers. Despite the bearish metal market, aluminium demand situation remained buoyant, especially because of the growing automotive and aerospace market. Downstream sector was characterised by a number of significant expansion, divestment and merger. Controversy, allegations and investigations created ripples in the aluminium downstream market in the east and west. Let us look back and analyse how these various developments...
On a further update on Lochabar aluminium smelter acquisition, Liberty House and SIMEC, the new owners of the smelter, are set to invest 120 million pounds ($149.76 million) in the project to make aluminium wheels for the car industry. “Liberty aims to protect the existing 170 jobs in Lochaber and progressively expand metal manufacturing and downstream engineering there," the companies said on Monday. Both the companies plan to create 2,000 direct and supply-chain jobs in the heart of the Scottish Highlands and bring about 1 billion pound revenues to the local economy over the next decade. Liberty and Simec - both members of the GFG Alliance now own the hydro power plants at Fort William and Kinlochleven and more than 100,000 acres of land. The Scottish government is guarantees the power...
Novelis, the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, published its fiscal year 2016 sustainability report today, detailing significant progress toward increasing the use of recycled aluminum and minimizing the use of natural resources. Recycling aluminum produces 95 percent fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and requires 95 percent less energy than primary aluminum production, enabling Novelis to achieve lower GHG emissions despite increasing global production capacity. At the end of fiscal 2016, Novelis achieved an average of 53 percent recycled aluminum inputs, up 23 percentage points from the baseline averages of fiscal years 2007-2009. Novelis also reduced its GHG emissions by 19 percent for the same baseline years. Significant gains were also made in fiscal 2016 as it...
Angul Aluminium Park, a joint venture between Navratna firm National Aluminium Company (Nalco) and state-owned Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), stopped construction of the proposed park when the villagers of Tulasipal, Languliabeda and Kangula protested the proposal of INR 500 crore aluminium park. The villagers demanded fulfilment of their demands, including adequate compensation for their land and employment in the aluminium park. The district administration assured villagers to clear hurdle after assessing the situation. Collector Anil Kumar Samal discussed with the villagers on Thursday to sort out the issues. Samal commented: “We assured the villagers that all their legitimate demands will be fulfilled as per rule. While the issue of land rate will be...
The historic Lochabar aluminium smelter by Rio Tinto which was sold to Liberty House Group will soon see the new owner taking over its operations. The new owners plan to produce car parts in the plant and create new job opportunities in Lochaber. The Press and Journal states that the Liberty House Group wants the Alcan plant in Fort William to diversify into alloys and hubcaps for the automotive industry. According to sources, the Liberty House bosses have briefed workers at the plant on plans to create new car parts products. Currently, this smelter produces about 40,000 tonnes of aluminium each year, generally cast in 10 tonne blocks. A spokesman for the company stated: “We hope to complete the acquisition very soon. At that point we will be happy to discuss details.” Ross, Skye and...
Neckarsulm-based KS HUAYU AluTech GmbH plans to invest in new die- casters and other equipment at the Neckarsulm location. Order influx for die castings in aluminium is such that KS HUAYU plans to expand its capacities. This castings specialist is venturing into new types of products without neglecting traditional engine block business. At present, KS HUAYU generates 12% of sale by component outside the power train; plans are for the proportion to triple over the next decade. The orders for other parts in aluminium, e.g. suspension-strut mounts have been booked besides the original addition to the portfolio of lightweight components. Lothar Schneider, in charge of the castings business at Rheinmetall Automotive, comments: "While expanding its business in engine block castings, KS HUAYU...
Arconic Inc. today announced its levers for value creation and three-year financial targets through 2019 at its inaugural Investor Day event in New York. Arconic is focused on driving shareholder value. The Company has substantially improved its portfolio and margins since 2008, and today holds strong market positions across the sectors it serves, with 70 percent of revenues derived from number one or two market positions. Arconic is well-positioned to capture secular growth tailwinds in aerospace and automotive, and achieve margin expansion through cost reductions and share gains across all segments, driven by differentiated technology. The Company’s $1.2 billion1 retained interest (19.9 percent) in Alcoa Corporation provides further financial flexibility and Arconic plans to monetize...
Alumat Almax Matrex Group, one of the leading suppliers in the market of aluminium extrusion dies and tools, has reduced the machining time while improving accuracy through the introduction of laser measurement and touch probes at its machining centres. Through the continuous investment in research, development and cutting edge facilities, as well as through the selection of right partners, the enterprise has become a pioneering manufacturer of aluminium extrusion tools in the international marketplace. Emanuele Astolfi, manager at Alumat said, “Reducing lead times has become a fundamental component of our strategy. It is what differentiates us from our competitors. From planning to completion, a tool will undergo up to 15 production steps that we currently realise in about six days This...
United Arab Emirates is the global leader in export of aluminium alloys. The country has doubled its export capabilities in the last 5 years. Global Aluminium (EGA) which was formed by the merger of EMAL and DUBAL is the major producer of aluminium alloys in UAE. {newsStudioGallery} Most of EGA's annual production is value-added products, with about 90 per cent of total production being exported across the world. Alloy billets make up 46 per cent of EGA’s total production. A large proportion of the annual production is cast in highly extrudable 6063 alloy. The two operations of EGA at Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah manufacture high purity aluminium in the form of ingots for high-precision use in the electronics and aerospace industries. They also produce a range of alloys for automotive...
Global technology, engineering and advanced manufacturing leader Arconic has signed more than $450 million in long term agreements over the past year with customers in North America , South America, Europe and Asia for its forged aluminum wheels. The largest is a long-term agreement with PACCAR, a global leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Arconic will supply forged aluminum Alcoa® wheels for PACCAR trucks under the Kenworth and Peterbilt nameplates. “This new agreement builds on our decades-long partnership with PACCAR to deliver premium performance wheels to PACCAR customers,” said Merrick Murphy, President of Arconic Wheel and Transportation Products. “Our forged aluminum truck wheels are the lightest commercial...
According to the preliminary data released by the General Administration of Customs, China's exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium semis were 380,000 mt in November, with YTD exports from January to November at 4200,000 mt, down 3.1 per cent year-over-year. If we look at the year-over-year trend of aluminium semis exports, we can see a rise in shipment volume in 2015 from 2014. In 2016, however, the trend has reversed and an overall decline in the figure is estimated. The earnings from aluminium bar rods, and profiles export have also shown a similar trend- rising YoY in 2015 and declining again in 2016 being faced by international trade violation challenges. {newsStudioGallery} In 2014, China exported a total volume of 0.86 million mt aluminium bar rods, and profiles, which soared...
Aluminium is a ubiquitous part of our modern age, but it’s hard to produce alloys for it without putting up with significant waste from bad mixtures. Over the past three years, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) assistant professor of metallurgy Antoine Allanore and his student Samuel R. Wagstaff have been studying how aluminium alloys harden and have come up with a ways to use jets to produce more even distributions of copper and manganese in castings. Industrial aluminium slabs are typically produced by blending small amounts of copper or manganese in a reservoir of molten aluminium that is rapidly cooled, a process known as direct-chill casting. It is very effective process, though it may have some patches often aren’t visible on the surface of the ingot, resulting weaker...
Chennai based Super Auto Forge, a pioneer in forging of ferrous and non-ferrous materials like aluminium and copper, is hoping to cross INR500 crore with a growth of up to 15% by the end of this financial year. The company has three production facilities in Chennai, with a capacity of 2,000 tonnes of steel and 300 tonnes of aluminium per month. Muralishankar Sambasivam, Joint Managing Director of Super Auto Forge said, ““In the last financial year, our turnover was Rs 440 crore. This year, we are targeting to cross INR500 crore. We are eyeing 15-20% growth for the current fiscal, and looking for similar growth in the next financial year.” He further stated, “From past three years, we are investing INR40-50 crore every year in new equipment, and in modernising our plants. We are a...
The largest flat-rolled aluminium producer of Turkey, Assan Alüminyum, a subsidiary of Kibar Holding, is planning to grow over the short and medium term through remarkable new in-vestments. One of the major investment plans is the first modern and high-width aluminium hot rolling facility in Turkey. It stands for the vision of producing semi-finished goods for a wide range of sectors: aerospace, defense, aviation, transportation and flexible packaging. Assan Alüminyum considers this to be the key factor to become one of the world’s leading brands in the aluminium industry. After completion Assan Alüminyum will be capable of producing first-class aluminium alloys, which are currently not in the company’s product range. While Assan Alüminyum will become the only hot rolling mill operator in...
Odisha- India's mineral-rich state in the east coast stands a great chance to become the country's most sought-after manufacturing hub, said Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, CMD of the State-run National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco). Dr. Chand was attending the Business Standard Odisha Round Table – 2016 at Bhubaneswar on 7th December 2016. While participating in the panel discussion on ‘Attracting investment – Challenges and Opportunities’ in the state, he said, Odisha has immense potential in its mining and mineral base, the entire value chain mining, mineral, metal, downstream – upstream, manufacturing – but what it lags is the absence of proper marketing initiatives. Marketing needs to be maximized in/and for the state to have more MSMEs and more employment generating avenues. “While there...
Dr. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago told Parliament on Friday that “there still remains an opportunities for an aluminium downstream industry” even after abandoning such plans six years ago. According to him, a major stakeholder in the original plan is still seeking US$208 million in compensation for the deal. The project was scuttled at that time by a High Court judge over concerns that the appropriate environmental due diligence had not been carried out. He further stated that a Memorandum of understanding about the development of a downstream industry was carried out in 2005 between the National Energy Corporation (NEC), Venezuelan aluminium downstream firm Sural, Alcoa, and China Machinery Engineering Company (CEMEC). The government has signed an agreement with...
