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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China, the top producer and consumer of base metals, especially aluminium aims to expand aluminium demand by 18 per cent in the next three years. Being one of the top exporters of aluminium, China has been facing a number of allegations regarding unethical export to U.S. and Europe. According to an industry group, as a changing strategy it plans to boost high-end application in transportation and construction industry. China Nonferrous Industry Association says that the country plans to increase consumption by 6 million tons. Beijing Antaike Information Development Co., a researcher affiliated with the CNIA confirms that China consumed 32.5 million tons of aluminium last year. In the month of June, China’s State Council issued guidelines towards revamping of the base-metals industry. Such...
According to the Preliminary estimates from Aluminum Association, aluminium demand in the United States and Canada that includes shipments by domestic producers plus imports were an estimated 13,329 million pounds during H1 2016, an increase of 1.9 per cent over the same period last year. Demand for semi-fabricated or mill products dropped slightly YTD to 9,311 million pounds. Apparent consumption (demand minus exports) in domestic markets totalled an estimated 11,745 million pounds during H1 2016, up seven-tenths of one per cent. U.S. and Canada exported (excluding cross-border trade) 1,584 million pounds of aluminium ingot and mill products during the first six months of 2016 that records a 12 per cent increase over the same period last year. Compared to export, imports were up 20 cent...
According to the estimate of The Aluminum Association, shipments of aluminium products in U.S. and Canada drop YOY and YTD in July 2016. During July 2016, shipments of can stock by domestic producers totalled 350.3 million pounds, a drop of 1.3 per cent over the July 2015 total of 354.9 million pounds. Sequentially, shipments dropped 4.2 per cent from the June 2016 revised total of 365.8 million pounds. YTD shipments through July 2016 were 2,456.4 million pounds which recorded a rise of 1.0 per cent over the same period of 2015. What is to be noted here is that while producer shipments of can stock to U.S. markets decreased 4.7 per cent to 295.1 million pounds in comparison to July 2015, exports recorded a rise of 22.0 per cent to 55.1 million pounds. U.S. and Canadian producers shipped...
Hindalco Industries, an Aditya Birla Group company, will invest INR250 crore in a new wire-rod plant at Dahej in Gujarat. The new facility with a capacity of 2.50 lakh tonnes will take the company’s total wire-rod production capacity to four lakh tonnes from the current 1.50 lakh tonnes. Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries, told BusinessLine that the plant would start production by March 2018. The investment is part of a strategy to enhance the contribution of value-added products to 60 per cent of overall sales from 40 per cent now, he said. The recently commissioned wire-rod mill in Mahan pushed up copper value-added production by 80 per cent in June quarter, he added. Going ahead, Pai said investments will be on the downstream side to enhance capacity and go higher up...
Blue Ridge Community College in Virginia, USA, announced Thursday that it has created Southeastern Advanced Molding Technology Education Center (SAMTEC), which will open its doors within the campus in January 2017. A recent joint venture by the Swiss Company Georg Fischer (GF) and Canada-based Linamar, the job-training initiative taken under the Centre will train the technicians at GF Linamar’s yet-to-open new high pressure die cast facility in Mills River, noted a news release from BRCC. The manufacturing facility will produce light-weight aluminum high pressure die casting parts for power train, driveline and other structural components. This venture will create around 350 jobs in the region. Currently, there are 25 die cast manufacturers in the Southeast region of the country. SAMTEC...
The Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’s Anti-Dumping Commission has officially launched an investigation into the alleged dumping and subsidisation of aluminium extrusions by Malaysian and Vietnamese exporters. Australian aluminium extrusion manufacturer Capral Limited had earlier lodged an application with the commission on June 27, asking for the investigation, reported the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Competition Authority. The application alleged that Malaysia and Vietnam exported the aluminium goods to Australia at prices less than their normal value, which has caused significant economic loss to the Australian aluminium industry in the form of devaluation of domestic products, profit loss and increased stocks. The investigation by the...
Assan, Turkey’s leading flat-rolled aluminium products manufacturer has laid out a major modernization and expansion plan for its two existing furnaces in the country. To finance the same it has approached the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for a loan of $55 million. The IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, confirmed on August 17 that it will provide Assan with the credit amount. “IFC’s investment will help Assan, one of Turkey’s biggest exporters with a 70 percent export rate, refinance a recently acquired scrap recycling plant, modernize two existing furnaces, and install five new furnaces, as well as improve overall plant maintenance and energy efficiencies, “ IFC said in a statement. The IFC has played a crucial role in the Turkish major’s growth since 1994 by extending a...
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is working with the American aluminium industry to change aluminium tariffs in a manner designed to staunch the flow of fake semis from China into the global aluminium market. As previously detailed in these pages, major Chinese firms have been justifiably accused on several occasions of shipping partially-machined aluminium parts to an intermediary country where those aluminium semis are re-melted and sold on the open market. The practice allows those firms to evade export duties and to qualify for VAT tax rebates. According to vice president of policy at the Aluminum Association Charles Johnson, one common item that is shipped out of China as fake semis are aluminium alloy coils. Such coils are classified under the Harmonized Trade Schedule (HTS)...
India based auto components manufacturer Rane Group has announced plans to invest INR50-600 crore for expansion over the next three years. Group Chairman L Ganesh said in a recent interview that he expected the growth to scale 11-12 per this financial year from an annual average of 8-9 per cent over the last three years. The company, headquartered in Chennai, delivered a sales turnover of INR 3,610 crore ($550 million) in FY2015-2016. Rane Group of companies caters to a wide cross-section of end users from the transportation industry. The clientele ranges from passenger car makers to large commercial vehicle manufacturers, both Indian as well as foreign brands with operations in India. They also cater for the manufacturers of farm tractors, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, railways and...
Raufoss Automotive Components Canada, an auto parts making firm, announced that it has kicked off expansion at its auto parts plant in the Montreal suburbs. The company is using US$2 million in federal assistance from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) to fund the multimillion-dollar project which includes installing a new forging line in the plant. Raufoss Automotive plans to invest in advanced high-performance equipment at its Boisbriand facility, to help boost its overall production capacity. The company having expertise in aluminium die-casting manufacturing aims at enhancing output significantly in the coming quarters. “This investment in innovative technology is excellent news for Raufoss in Boisbriand,” said Jean Meredith, CEO, Raufoss Automotive. “It will allow...
In preparation of Gränges acquisition of Noranda’s downstream aluminium rolling operations in the United States, Patrick Lawlor has been appointed President Americas of Gränges, effective 22 August, 2016. He will replace Daniel Daoust, who will take on the role of Vice President Sales & Marketing Automotive for the Americas. Patrick Lawlor will be a member of Gränges Group Management Team reporting to Gränges’ CEO Johan Menckel. “I am very happy to have Patrick Lawlor on board at Gränges. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge to manage our operations in the Americas where Gränges is now entering a new phase as a global player in rolled aluminium”, says Johan Menckel, CEO of Gränges. Patrick Lawlor has extensive experience from the aluminium industry, most recently at Sapa Group,...
The bankruptcy sale of Noranda's Aluminium Foil business to the Swedish rolled aluminium products supplier Granges AB has been approved by St. Louis bankruptcy Judge Barry Schermer on Tuesday. According to the Wall Street Journal, Granges will buy Noranda Aluminium's foil division for US$309.7 million, of which US$7.5 million will go to the latter's unsecured creditors as sale proceeds. The unsecured creditors, as per reports, will also receive 10 per cent of Noranda’s “Primary Aluminium” business sale proceeds. The primary aluminium business which is up for sale presently and will be auctioned off in September includes bauxite mines in St. Ann, Jamaica, a refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana and the now closed smelter in New Madrid, Missouri. Tennessee-based Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp....
According to the estimates by Aluminium Association for the month of July 2016, “Index of Net New Orders of Aluminum Mill Products” dropped 9.9 per cent from the previous month. It reports a drop of 8.3 per cent in orders for flat roll products. Orders for extruded products declined 13.6 per cent and orders for redraw rod dropped 19.4 per cent. In YoY comparison to July 2015, orders dropped 2.5 per cent. On average, orders recorded by domestic producers through the first seven months of 2016 were up slightly over last year. Contrary to the drop in domestic orders, aluminium imports of ingot, scrap and mill products into the U.S. and Canada (excluding cross-border trade) were about 816 million pounds in June 2016. This records a rise of about 62.0 per cent over the June 2015 imports of 503...
Aluminium alloy extrusion products manufacturer for the passenger rail transport segment, Midas Holding posted a significant 61.8 per cent rise in earnings for second quarter of 2016. Total earnings reached at RMB18.7 million (S$3.8 million) from RMB11.6 million same period previous year. The increase was primarily driven by a 2.3 per cent rise in revenue to RMB382.8 million. Aluminium alloy extruded products, the Group's core division, reported a 3.1 per cent jump in revenue to RMB381.4 million in the period under review. Midas Holdings attributed the improved performance to the transport industry demand which upped the contribution for the segment 62.2 per cent in Q2 2016. The power industry and others segment comprising aluminium alloy rods and other specialised profiles for industrial...
Romanian company Alro has won a contract to supply aluminium to Airbus for manufacturing its aircrafts. Alro, a subsidiary of Vimetco group announced the news on Friday. The agreement will continue for a number of years and will be starting in 2017. Commenting on this partnership Alro CEO said, “We are looking forward to starting this partnership with Airbus Gheorghe Dobra, and supplying best quality aluminium plates for the aerospace industry.” “This opportunity is yet another confirmation that the significant investments we made in upgrading our production facilities and extending our portfolio were successful,” he added. Alro will be providing aluminium flat rolled products to Airbus to be used in its aircrafts. It is to be noted that Alro, the largest aluminium producer in Europe...
According to a new market report published by IndexBox Marketing, total imports of aluminium bars, rods, and profiles within the European Union increased steadily over the last three years, amounting to 6,064 million EUR in 2015. As per data concerning the EU trade with non-EU countries the EU remains a net importer of aluminium bars, rods and profiles. In 2015, Germany and France were the largest importers of aluminium bars, rods, and profiles among the EU Member States. Germany contributed 26 per cent and France 14 per cent of the total imports, together comprising 40 per cent of total EU imports. The UK (9 per cent), Belgium (6 per cent), the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands (5 per cent each) followed distantly. The major trade values were conducted between the Member States of the...
Whitehall Industries of Paducah, KY, has selected Granco Clark to supply a Taper Quench and Precision Saw. The taper quench will allow for isothermal extrusion while maintaining extrusion speed throughout the entire extrusion cycle without compromising product quality. Whitehall’s new Precision Saw has exceptionally close tolerances combined with highest levels of productivity, speed, accuracy, safety and ease of use. Founded in 1947, Granco Clark began manufacturing billet furnaces and has evolved into a worldwide, cutting-edge, single-source supplier and leading equipment manufacturer in the aluminum extrusion industry. With a proven track record of manufacturing the most dependable and durable equipment in the business, Granco Clark continually develops groundbreaking technology to...
As a part of the expansion of their aluminium business, Japan-based Kobe Steel Ltd. has announced that they have broken ground on a $46 million extrusion plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The plant will manufacture aluminium extrusions and cater to the automotive sector in the US. The new extrusion business will be put under a company called Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions Inc. (KPEX). According to the update from KPEX , the extrusion plant will facilitate a melt shop and casting line, an extrusion press and two vehicle bumper fabrication lines. It will have an annual output of up to 6,000. KPEX further says that the plant will make materials for car bumpers and frames. They expect the fabrication operations to start in the second half of 2017 and melting and extrusion processes...
