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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Gansu Xibeizhiguang Cable Co. has begun producing rare earth and high iron aluminium alloy cables at their Lanzhou city facilities in China, reported industry sources. Rare Earth Elements make the world’s strongest permanent magnets. These magnets are utilized in electric motors to produce greater power and torque. Electric motors that utilize REEs are a key component of hybrid vehicles, which will become increasingly abundant on roads throughout the world in years to come. Most energy efficient lighting (compact fluorescent lamps) and display panels (LEDS, Plasma, LCDs) require the use of REEs as phosphors. Rare Earth Elements are also used in another form of catalyst, commonly referred to as a fluid-cracking catalyst. These are being used increasingly in the oil industry as they enhance...
Norway’s Sapa Group announced Saturday that it has divested itself of metal trading company Cuprochimique NV. Belgian firm European Metal Supplies NV are the new owners of Cuprochimique as of Wednesday, June 22. “Together with Cuprochimque we will strengthen our position in the market by expanding our business range and diversifying our product portfolio,” said majority owner David Tavernier. European Metal Supplies and Cuprochimique join forces as players in the metal trading industry. According to Sapa, Cuprochimique has a yearly turnover of between US$9 million and US$11 million. The firm employs sixteen people at its location in the Flemish port city of Ghent, Belgium. Sapa first acquired Cuprochimique in 2003 as part of its acquisition of Remi Claeys Aluminium. “With the sale of...
Rusal, the world’s second largest aluminium smelter, plans to spend US$600 million to US$700 million annually until 2020 to raise its output capacity of higher value-added aluminium alloy products, as it seeks to raise profit in the face of excess capacity. Rusal also aims to use hydro power to generate all of its electricity needs by 2020, up from 80 per cent currently. The new hydro power capacity will replace coal and natural gas-fired power as the company expects to be subject carbon emission charges in the future, said chief executive Vladislav Soloviev. “I was in Paris two weeks ago where countries are preparing for the [22nd session of the global conference to tackle climate change] ... everybody recognises that a carbon price will be here for sure sooner or later, the question is...
Constellium N.V. announced new sustainability targets for the year 2020 on June 23, as the company looks forward to taking the next step towards unlocking the full value of conducting responsible business. In its Business and Sustainability Performance Report 2015, Constellium evaluates its performance against the original 2012-2015 targets and announces new goals for 2020. Constellium first established its strategic direction for sustainability in 2012 across four key priority areas: people, products, operations and responsible business. Today, the company reports progress on its performance and outlines concrete objectives raising industry standards even higher for the years to come. Constellium’s sustainability agenda for 2020 is the product of a year-long materiality assessment, led...
BAE Systems and IBC Advanced Alloys have signed a joint development agreement to produce components based on the latter company’s beryllium-aluminium alloys. IBC said on June 22, it will initially develop prototype components to demonstrate the characteristics of Beralcast casted products for specific applications at BAE under the deal. David Heinz, IBC president and CEO, said the partnership supports the company’s efforts to introduce its Beralcast technology to the global aerospace market. IBC added it offered Beralcast to another aerospace and defense company for potential use in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The Beralcast suite of beryllium-aluminium alloys is designed to also serve as an alternative for aluminium, magnesium, titanium, metal matrix composites, pure beryllium...
Maxion Wheels, a division of Iochpe Maxion S. A., marked the opening of a new light vehicle aluminium wheel plant in Limeira, São Paulo, Brazil, this week with an inauguration celebration. The new plant, adjacent to the company's existing steel wheel plant, will add two million aluminium wheels per year in capacity and create an additional 500 new jobs by 2020. According to Marcos Oliveira, Iochpe-Maxion's Chief Executive Officer, the new factory will meet the domestic Brazilian market's increasing demand for cars with aluminium wheels. "Brazilian consumers are following the global trend for more sophisticated and stylish vehicles, which includes a growing demand for aluminium wheels on most new car models," Oliveira said. "Besides this investment in Limeira, Maxion Wheels recently...
According to numbers recently released from the People’s Republic of China, aluminium semis exports rose in the month of May by 1.4 per cent month-on-month and 2.9 per cent year-on-year. The rise to 374,000 metric tons of exported semis is attributed to a corresponding rise in flat-rolled products by 5 per cent month-on-month to 155,000 metric tons, and aluminium foil exports by 6 per cent month-on-month to 102,000 metric tons. Extrusions went up as well by 5 per cent year-on-year to 102,000 metric tons. Net exports of aluminium semis have fallen overall between January and May (inclusive) by 8.8 per cent year-on-year to 1,680,000 metric tons, down from 1,814,000 metric tons in January through May of last year. However, when compared to last month, net exports rose slightly, by 0.7 per...
The International Trade Administration (ITA), last week, rescinded the Department of Commerce’s (DOC) request to 124 Chinese extruders to participate in the 2014 Administrative Review. One of the companies which were reached out by the DOC was Zhongwang. The action was customary and a routine process by the DOC. Every year it sends notices and requests to Chinese extruders inviting them to participate in that year’s administrative review. All of those that do not respond to that invitation (or respond in the negative) will have that offer rescinded by a certain date as a matter of protocol. For the DOC this is their way of closing the books on which companies are reviewed. It has no bearing on circumvention or scope cases. The DOC announced its preliminary rates for the afoesaid review....
Global aluminium pigments market was valued at $332.9 million in 2015 and is anticipated to reach $581.9 million by 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 6.4 percent between 2016 and 2024, as per the latest Industry Study. Aluminium pigments are employed widely in paints and coatings, plastics, personal care, printing inks, and construction materials. Consumer preference for high performance aluminium pigments with attractive aesthetic features has been rising significantly of late. Aluminium pigments are widely employed in the formulation of automotive paints & coatings to enhance their aesthetic properties. Automotive OEM coatings, automotive interior coatings, wheel coatings, automotive parts and accessories, and automotive refinishes are the major areas where aluminium pigments are used....
Chalco and Baosteel Group signed a cooperation framework agreement on June 17 over automotive aluminium sheet, the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNIA) said on its website. According to the agreement, both sides will establish a joint venture in the future to jointly develop, produce and sell automotive aluminium sheet. The move will be a win-win for Chalco, which has strong technical strength and rich experience in precision aluminium plate/sheet, strip production, and Baosteel Group, which enjoys big market share in high-end automotive steel sheet.
The government of Foshan City, Guangdong Province, which is home to China’s aluminium extrusion producers, has announced tough measures to curb environmental pollution by local aluminium extrusion producers, Southern Daily reported. It is required that 80 per cent of aluminium extrusion producers in the city shall install clean energy equipment before October 31, 2016 and all aluminium extrusion producers in the city shall do so before June 30, 2017.
Aleris Corporation announced today that it has appointed Jack Govers executive vice president, president of Europe and Global Markets. In this role, Govers will oversee all aspects of the European business as well as the company's global automotive and aerospace strategy. Govers joined Aleris on June 20 and will report directly to Sean Stack, Aleris president and chief executive officer. Govers most recently served as general manager, Global Forms for SABIC, one of the world's leading petrochemical producers. In this capacity, he was leading a global business team focused on serving and innovating with customers in the automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics markets. Jack also previously served as general manager of SABIC's global sheet and film business, during which he also had...
The 4th Automotive Lightweight Supply-Chain Symposium will be kicked off on the 11th of July 2016 in the days leading up to the DIECATING CHINA EXHIBITIONS in Shanghai, China. The symposium offers the perfect setup to interchange with speakers and delegates from Chinese as well as International OEMs and Tiers. The prolific visitors profile' features brands like CHANGAN, SMS GROUP, WEBASTO, BAOSTEEL, JAGUAR LAND ROVER, SHILOH, CHERY, SUMITOMO CORP, KOBELCO, BMW, NOVELIS, STRIKOWESTOFEN, and BODO MÖLLER CHEMIE to name a few. Benefits: (All included in the registration price) • Three days of networking at the five-star Jumeirah Himalaya Hotel • 13+ executive speeches (40 min - 55 min) with simultaneous interpretation from/to English-Chinese • High rate of international participants with 77...
China has banned the export of 40 items to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that could be used to develop nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction. The list of banned products and materials, which adds to a much longer Chinese list of prohibited goods released in 2013, includes metal hydrides, high strength aluminium alloys as well as laser-welding and plasma cutting equipment, state-run news agency Xinhua quoted China's Ministry of Commerce as saying on 14 June. These so-called 'dual-use' products have both civilian and military use. The ministry also said it banned the export of a dozen chemicals that could be used in the production of 'chemical warfare agents'.
According to the data released by The Aluminum Association in their latest edition of Aluminum Highlights, estimated net shipments of Aluminium Sheet and Plate by U.S. and Canadian producers totaled 697.6 million pounds during May 2016, off two-tenths of one percent from the May 2015 total of 699.3 million pounds. Compared to the previous month, shipments were down 1.4 percent from the April 2016 total of 707.2 million pounds. Year-to-date shipments through May 2016 totaled 3,489.3 million pounds, up 1.3 percent over the year-to-date 2015 total of 3,443.0 million pounds. Shipments of Can Stock totaled 350.0 million pounds during May 2016, a rise of six-tenths of one percent over the May 2015 total of 348.1 million pounds, while shipments of Non-heat Treatable Sheet (excluding Can Stock)...
Three months after Sural officials visited T&T to lobby Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to restart its Alutech aluminium downstream project, a board chaired by Prof Ken Julien has been set up to review options for the project which was originally linked to the Alutrint Smelter in La Brea. The Energy sub-committee of Cabinet approved the appointment of government’s energy adviser Julien to head the board. Government officials are confirming that while Alutech is on the cards, the originally planned smelter is “definitely off the table and will not be restarted.” But even as Government is set to launch into the project with Alutech, T&T and Sural (Barbados) Ltd are in a legal battle at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida before Judge K Michael Moore. Sural...
The 4th Automotive Lightweight Supply-Chain Symposium to be focused on automotive lightweighting, supply / process chain and procurement management, will be kicked off on the 11th of July 2016 in the days leading up to the DIECATING CHINA EXHIBITIONS in Shanghai, China. Keynote speaker Mr. Stefan HEIL, Executive Director Vehicle Manufacturing Engineering at SAIC/GM, will focus on how the all new Cadillac CT6 is manufactured and how challenges were mastered designing the car. BMW procurement executive Mr. ZANGERLE is another key speaker this year. His speech will focus on strategic localization of casting suppliers. Focus of Mr. Yao`s presentation, Engineering Manager at Shiloh Industries Asia, is multi-material & multi-process solutions. Mr Gunther HEIM, Deputy Vice President R&D at...
The AACOA plant, a subsidiary of Bonnel Aluminum in Bertrand Township is receiving an $18 million expansion. Bonnell Aluminum is making the investment that includes a new state-of-the-art aluminium extrusion line and more floor space at the site at 2005 Mayflower Road. The company plans to start the new line during the second quarter of 2017. "With continued growing demand from our customers, it is exciting to invest in this additional capacity, knowing that we will satisfy these opportunities with the high-quality products and services that AACOA is known for in the industry," Brook Hamilton, president and general manager for Bonnell Aluminum, said in a statement. "Our facility in Niles is ideally suited for this project, with a well-run operation and a great team in place." AACOA's...
