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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According to an Aluminum Association estimate, aluminium net shipments (including exports) by domestic facilities from U.S. and Canada facilities stood at 1,752 million pounds during July, which dropped 5.8 per cent from the July 2015 total of 1,860 million pounds. Shipments of aluminium mill products also dropped 5.8 per cent YOY to 1,264 million pounds. Shipments of aluminium ingot for castings, exports and other destructive uses dropped by a similar 5.8 per cent YOY totaling 488 million pounds. Preliminary producer shipments through July 2016 totalled 13,643 million pounds, up 1.4 percent over the July 2015. July aluminium inventory levels stood at an estimated 2,973 million pounds, up 2.2 per cent over the previous month and down 3.0 per cent YOY.
Southfield, Michigan based Metaldyne Performance Group Inc. (MPG) has announced the acquisition of Brillion Iron Works, a business unit of Accuride Corporation. MPG is a leading provider of cutting-edge lightweight components used in powertrain and suspension applications for the global light, as well as commercial and industrial vehicles. The firm's manufacturing technologies and processes include aluminium die casting, forging, and powder metal forming in addition to advanced machining and assembly. Brillion Iron Works specializes in the casting design and production of ferrous metals. Its acquisition by MPG, to be effective September 2, 2016, is expected to improve upon the latter's existing aluminium and other metal casting business and capacity. "MPG has completed 10 acquisitions...
For Constellium aluminium is more than a metal. Over the decades they have built upon their expertise in the light metal technology and come up with innovations that have set benchmarks for the industry at large. One such innovation is Constellium’s Aeral™ solution for the production of aluminium aerosol containers. The technology allows manufacturers to the right high-performing yet light solution for their aerosol can production. Constellium has now launched a video on Aeral™ to define the novel aluminium solution for the next-gen aerosols. Constellium created Aeral™ through a combination of high-end research at C-TEC and strong engineering capabilities at their rolling mill in Neuf-Brisach, Germany, where a wide range of light-weighting products, including aluminium beverage cans, has...
Sapa is investing in new machinery offering super-large and light products for the offshore and maritime industry with equipment that can produce panels up to 18 meters long and 3.5 meters wide. “Our ability to join thin-walled lightweight designs into large panels will make a big difference for customers in the marine and offshore industries, where such sizes are best suited, and where cost savings are key. Reducing lead time significantly is another benefit,” says John Thuestad, executive vice president responsible for Sapa’s extrusion organization in Europe. Sapa has installed a new large-scale friction stir welding machine in Sweden offering single-sided and double-sided welding of aluminium profiles with material thicknesses up to 16 mm, produced as 18 x 3.5-meter panels. The panels...
Asia's largest aluminium extrusion product manufacturer, China Zhongwang Holdings reports that the first production line of its Tianjin plant will be operational by the end 2016. The strategy behind this plant is to leverage upon the growing lightweight automotive demand. The USD 4.79 billion project with an annual capacity of 1.8 million tonnes aims to produce aluminium flat rolled products for the transportation and aerospace industries. Commenting on the project, Lu Changqing, Zhongwang executive director and president said, "In the future, we will upgrade from a supplier of aluminium products to a supplier of comprehensive lightweight solutions. The high-end products will account for 80 percent of our revenue in five to eight years." According to a report from the Ministry of Industry...
Saudi Arabian asset management group Sedco Capital acquired a strategic minority stake in Nedec, one of the top manufacturers of die-casting and machining products. A South Korean company established in 1985, Nedec's products are used in storage devices, automobile components and precision motors. Other than their manufacturing facilities in Korea they also operate from China, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico and the US. Commenting on the acquisition Hasan Al-Jabri, chief executive officer of Sedco Capital, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with one of the leading manufacturers of die-casting internationally. This transaction is in-line with our strategy to grow our assets under management regionally and globally while seeking new acquisition opportunities to create valuable...
Aluminium alloy exports of China fell in both volume and value in July, revealed data published by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). Aluminium alloy export volumes stood at 66,700 tonnes in July. Valued at $327 million, the figure is down 8.3 per cent from the corresponding period previous year. Export prices of the downstream aluminium products used in automobile manufacturing were US$4.91/kg. During the first seven months of the current financial year, exports totalled 450,400 tonnes, valued at US$2.25 billion. In terms of value of products shipped, the US was the top destination for China during January-July period. Total shipment value to the country accounted for 55.86 per cent of total export value. According to the statistics made by CAAM, the auto export...
The ET Foundation, the educational and scientific organization devoted to promoting and advancing aluminum extrusion processes and technologies, and Bonnell Aluminum are seeking entries for the 2017 International Aluminum Extrusion Student Design Competition. Scholarships in the form of cash awards will be presented to the top designs. Bonnell Aluminum will be the sole sponsor for the cash awards, totaling $8,500. This is the third year Bonnell Aluminum is sponsoring the Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition. The ET Foundation will accept entries for the 2017 International Aluminum Extrusion Student Design Competition through March 27, 2017. Entry in the competition is free and judging will take place following the entry deadline. Scholarships will be presented as cash awards to the top...
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India Mines Minister Piyush Goyal made it clear that he is favour of imposing minimum import price (MIP) on aluminium to safeguard Indian aluminium industry from the onslaughts of subsidized aluminium imports that are being shipped in excess quantity from China and the Middle East. "My personal view is that an MIP on aluminium products should be imposed as I would like to protect the domestic aluminium industry. There is a strong case that dumping is happening and we need to correct it," Goyal said in a recent press conference. The minister opined the MIP on aluminium should be at par with the one imposed by the Indian government on steel, which too has been suffering from similar dumping related market atrocities. Goyal said that India cannot be allowed to become the dumping ground of...
Toyo Aluminium KK, one of the biggest aluminium paste manufacturers of Japan, has invested in an expansive industrial venture in Vidarbha, India. The Japanese firm has joined hands with Bhandara-based MMP Industries to start a new aluminium paste manufacturing facility at Butibori, an industrial hub in Nagpur. The JV will see the Indian company with significant share in the domestic market shifting its paste manufacturing business to the new unit with the Japanese partner. The newly formed company named Toyal MMP India Pvt Ltd has been formed at a total investment of INR45 crore with Toyo Aluminium and MMP Industries each holding 74 per cent and 26 per cent shares respectively. The plant, expected to be the biggest in India, with 3,000 tonnes per annum of aluminium paste making capacity...
In a press release on August 29, Aleris Corporation, a global aluminium rolled products producer, announced that it has entered into an agreement with Zhongwang USA LLC, a company majority-owned and led by Mr.Liu Zhongtian, founder of China Zhongwang Holdings Limited. According to the agreement, Aleris will be acquired By Zhongwang USA LLC. The aggregate value of Aleris stands at USD 2.33 billion, including $1.11 billion in cash for the equity which would be paid by Zhongwang USA, plus $1.22 billion in net debt. Notwithstanding the acquisition, Aleris will be headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, USA and will be operated as an independent company. Aleris will be operated by the original management team and continue to support Aleris employees and customers. This will also not affect the...
After about two years of partial closure and capacity cut, Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) has resumed its operations stage by stage in all its facilities. Now all the operations are running in full swing and Balco aims to produce nearly six lakh tonnes of Aluminium per annum in Chhattisgarh. In August last year, the sheet rolling shop (SRS) at the Korba facility was shut down as it was running at loss due to the slowdown in commodity price especially the falling LME aluminium price and cheap import from China flooding the market. They restarted the operation in the first week of August after the required maintenance work and minor modernization. This has brought a relief to a large number of workers in the plant and has brought the metal major back in rolling products business...
Future Die Cast and Engineering (FDCA), an aluminium casting and machining company in the privately-held Shelby Township of Michigan, has acquired Clarksville's Smithfield Manufacturing (SMI) and Conner Engineering, along with the local SMI facilities and operations on Kraft Street, said a news release. The acquisition makes the Midwest company one of the largest full-service aluminium casting groups in the region. Consolidation and M&As have been the order of the day for quite some now. Actually, they always were; and it is imperative that enterprises, especially the small and medium-to-small sized ones, integrate horizontally to spread the risk and buffer themselves against volatilities in the macro economy. Manufacturing is one sector that has witnessed some big time volatility in the...
Weldaloy Products Company has been on an expansion spree. The company has been adding to its seamless rolled ring capabilities, and in line with these recent upgrades, it has added a new low-temperature aluminium aging oven at its plant that will increase its aluminium heat-treating capacity. The U.S. based leading manufacturer of custom aluminium and other non-ferrous forgings Weldaloy serves a wide cross section of industries including Aerospace, Electronics, Oil and Gas, and others. The company’s vertically integrated capabilities serve as a one-stop source for custom-made forged aluminium and other machined metal products for its global customers. The ovens that are created specifically for aging of aluminium substantially reduce cycle time thereby increasing productivity through...
On August 22, Hydro celebrates the centenary of its aluminium site in Grevenbroich, Germany. The foundation stone for the Erftwerk smelter was laid on August 22, 1916, which started the long journey of its aluminium site in Grevenbroich. Today, after a century, more than 2000 employees work in this site for Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products division and work on building its future. The centenary was celebrated with a warm welcome onsite for 27 new apprentices joining the rolling plant. Grevenbroich Plant Manager Christoph Budde of Rolled Products along with City Mayor Klaus Krützen and High Purity Managing Director Berthold Lukat welcomed them as "Centennial Apprentices". The Erftwerk aluminium smelter was commissioned on December 12, 1917 and it was in operation until September 2, 1980,...
Jilin Midas Aluminium Industries (Jilin Midas), a subsidiary of Midas Holdings, has bagged two supply contracts valued at RMB53.8m (US$8m) for high-speed trains and metro train projects in China. One supply contract for aluminium alloy extrusion profiles and fabricated parts totalling RMB34.6m ($5.2m) has been awarded by CRRC Tangshan. The aluminium downstream products will be used for manufacturing the CRH380B high-speed trains. Jilin Midas will be completing the delivery of these components by this year end. The second contract worth RMB19.2m ($2.9m), will see the Chinese aluminium products maker provide aluminium-alloy extrusion profiles for the Haerbin Metro Line 1. The delivery for this project is scheduled between 2016 and 2017. "The latest high-speed rail and metro train contract...
Swedish aluminium company Gränges AB has completed the purchase of Noranda downstream aluminium rolling business in the United States. The company won the court supervised auction to acquire Noranda Aluminum assets in July this year. Gränges CEO Johan Menckel said, "“We are very happy to be the owner of the Noranda downstream business, specifically here, the operation in Huntingdon.” It was indeed a milestone moment for the company. Menckel along with his other colleagues made it to the Carroll County to celebrate the moment. They said they were excited to be setting up their first plants in North America. “It’s a very well-run business — well-managed, very skilful workforce, competent people in a strong business position in North America,” Menckel said. “And of course, it’s a major...
According to the recently published report by IndexBox Marketing on EU aluminium tubes, pipes and tube or pipe fittings, exports in the sector are still struggling to reach the pre-crisis level despite a healthy growth in the last three years. Increasing shipments outside the EU have till date comprised the major portion of the aluminium tubes and pipes export volume, while intra-EU trade has remained flat in the recent years. The volume of export to Japan has soared significantly, though the U.S. and Turkey too remain major foreign markets for the EU. The EU Member States have recorded accelerated exports of aluminium tubes and fittings over the last three years with total valued at 978 million EUR in 2015. About 28 per cent of the total exports were sent outside the EU. The extra-EU...
