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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“The world around us has shifted significantly and fast - again. A year ago, we experienced undersupply and record-high aluminium premiums. Shortly after, Chinese oversupply and rising exports pushed aluminium prices to 6-year lows. I am happy to report that Hydro’s improvement efforts has continued independently with undiminished intensity, giving benchmark results and improved ability to stay the course. We have in total delivered NOK 4.5 billion in annual improvements since 2011. That does not mean improvements have come to an end, and we are always seeking the next milestone. On our Capital Markets Day in December we launched a new ambition aiming to realize new annual improvements of another NOK 2.9 billion by 2019,” President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg writes in his letter to...
Trinidad and Tobago’s Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon recently made a final determination that exporters from the People’s Republic of China have been dumping aluminium products in Trinidad and Tobago. As a result, Gopee-Scoon has ordered the Comptroller of Customs and Excise to impose anti-dumping duties on Chinese goods. According to an order dated February 21 and signed by the minister (and reported upon for the first time on Tuesday), Chinese exporters will be assessed duties of six per cent for aluminium bars, rods and profiles, and nine per cent for aluminium tubes and pipes. The duties are effective for five years beginning February 21. “Imports of aluminium extrusions originating in the People’s Republic of China were sold at a dumped price and have caused material...
The amount of light, recyclable aluminium in European cars will rise to 180 kg on average by 2020 as automakers look to cut harmful carbon emissions, a senior metals industry official said. Global targets to curb greenhouse gases are prompting a shift to aluminium away from other, heavier metals such as steel. Aluminium use is expected to rise to 180 kg per car on average from 140 kg in 2012, with long-term growth coming from aluminium rolling sheet and aluminium extrusion components, said Gerd Gotz, director general of industry body European Aluminium, citing a new study confirming forecasts it made in 2012. "This will be the growth engine of the aluminium downstream industry,” Gotz told Reuters at an aluminium conference in Cape Town. Under 2015 European Commission mandatory targets,...
China’s Guangxi province will begin building 20 billion yuan ($3.1 billion) worth of rare earth high-Fe aluminium alloy cable new materials industry base in H1 2016, said a recent industry report. Hebei’s Joy Sense Cable Co., Guangxi’s Zhongma Qinzhou Industry Park Management Commission, and Guangxi Investment Group signed a cooperation agreement on March 6 over joint construction of the industry base in Zhongma Qinzhou Industry Park, Guangxi. Under the agreement, investment for first phase of the project will be about 5 billion yuan, which promises to yield about 20 billion yuan in output value, the report noted. Replacing copper with aluminium in power cable industry will become a trend in the future, which will present great market potential.
Nowadays, “new economy” is always a hot topic of the world. On an executive meeting of the State Council, Premier Li Keqiang re-explained the concept of “new economy”, and highlighted “new energy auto” as a landmark of “new economy”. The meeting also determined the measures of continuing to support new energy auto industry and to promote green development based on structural optimization. Lightweight automobiles driving production of aluminium alloy castings As the development of “new energy auto” is increasingly highlighted, a faster lightweight and energy-conservation development of automobiles has been seen in the world. In recent years, castings of magnesium and aluminium alloys, as the most important factor of lightweight development of automobiles, have achieved rapid development...
Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco) will focus on aluminium applications in transportation and construction sectors, said its chairman Ge Honglin, who is painting a rosy picture of aluminium use in China. Ge was quoted by Wenhua Finance as saying aluminium applications in China is far from the peak period. Chalco has signed cooperation agreement with several automakers over R&D in automotive aluminium alloy new materials. The company hopes to realize mass supply of aluminium parts and components for car use in coming 2-3 years. Chalco will step up R&D in aluminium sidings and scaffold this year and actively develop regional markets, a source from the company said.
A group of leading U.S. manufacturing associations today announced the formation of a new coalition, Manufacturers for Trade Enforcement, to oppose China’s designation as a market economy at the end of 2016. China has claimed that it should be automatically accorded treatment as if it were a market economy after the 15th anniversary of its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 2016. U.S. law requires that the Department of Commerce make a market economy status (MES) determination based on established criteria, which many experts agree that China has not met. “Our industries can compete against any other market-oriented competitors, but we cannot compete against the Chinese government,” said Heidi Brock, President & CEO of the Aluminum Association. “The Chinese...
Bonnell Aluminum plans to invest approximately $18 million in a new aluminium extrusion line at its facility in Niles over the next year, according to a statement released today. The Newnan, Ga.-based manufacturer of soft and medium-strength alloy aluminium extrusions for the construction, automotive, machinery and other markets expects to begin production on the new line in the second quarter of 2017. Bonnell’s new line will include a 16-million-pound capacity extrusion press, supporting equipment and additional floor space for future expansions, according to the statement. The company, a subsidiary of Richmond, VA.-based Tredegar Corp., cites “continued growing demand from our customers,” as a driver for the expansion in Niles, said Brook Hamilton, president and general manager for...
Constellium N.V.has announced that the company intends to offer, subject to market and other conditions, approximately $400 million of senior secured notes due 2021 consisting of U.S. dollar denominated senior secured notes. The Notes will be guaranteed on a senior secured basis by certain of the company’s subsidiaries and secured by certain assets of the company and certain of the company’s subsidiaries. The company intends to use the proceeds from the Offering for general corporate purposes, which may include investments in Wise Metals Intermediate Holdings LLC and its subsidiaries (“Wise Metals”) and the company’s joint venture with UACJ Corporation, capital expenditures, repayment of debt, working capital investments, research and development efforts, or future acquisitions. Upon...
Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry announced that they will be exhibiting at the CastExpo16 to be held in Minneapolis, MN April 16-19, 2016. Key Highlights of this year's Cast Expo: • 450+ Exhibitors showcasing the latest equipment, technology and resources. • Access to the whole supply chain: suppliers, metalcasters and casting buyers. • 4 days of professional development, for all job responsibilities, from executives to plant floor. • Metalcasting classes. • The latest technical research, practical roundtable discussions, and panels from industry experts. • Networking activities. • Real-world solutions to apply back at the job. Established in 1909, Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry has consistently provided the finest quality aluminum and copper based alloy castings for a wide variety of industries....
The dates for the mega trade fair quartet- GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST have been announced. The event combo, the biggest in the metallurgy and automation space covering aluminium industry, will be held at the same four-year interval in Germany's Düsseldorf from June 25-29 in 2019. Requests from industrial exhibitors worldwide have already started pouring in numbers. Messe Düsseldorf Director Joachim Schäfer said: “For some time now, switching to a three-year interval has appeared to us to be necessary, because the innovation cycles in the foundry technology and metallurgy sectors are shortening too. It has proved to be the case that a shortening of the interval would put too much pressure on the corporate exhibitors. Since Messe Düsseldorf always acts in line with its customers’...
Lightweight metals leader Alcoa has unveiled the name, logo and tagline of its future Value-Add company: “Arconic. Innovation, Engineered.” The future Upstream company will operate under the Alcoa name. The company’s separation into two, independent, publicly-traded companies in the second half of 2016 remains on track. The “Arconic” brand represents the future Value-Add company’s iconic heritage and continued commitment to industry-shaping innovation: • The “A” echoes Arconic’s proud Alcoa heritage; • “Arc” represents the arc of progress and the continued pursuit of advancement for customers, employees, shareholders and communities; and • “-conic” speaks to the company’s history of creating iconic products and its constant focus on the next breakthrough innovation. The tagline,...
Foshan City in China’s Guangong Province, which is home to the country’s aluminium extrusion producers, will unveil stricter measures targeting air pollution of local aluminium extrusion producers, according to a recent industry report. Foshan of Environmental Protection Bureau submitted Program on Air Pollution Treatment Targeting Aluminum Extrusion Producers in Foshan 2016-2017 on March 19. The program will target all 157 aluminium extrusion producers in the city. Under the program, those producers that discharge more pollutants than required will be ordered to suspend production for correction. Newly built aluminium extrusion plants must use clean energy, and new facilities not powered by clean energy shall be forbidden.
Excitement is building for the 11th edition of the ALUMINIUM trade fair and conference, to be held in Düsseldorf from September 29 till December 1. Eight months before the fair commences more than 700 exhibitors have registered for the world's largest branch event. So it looks like ALUMINIUM is well on its way to have another record year, like in 2014. The fair is also expected to grow in terms of area, too: Six halls (9 to 14) will be occupied by ALUMINIUM this year. Every two years ALUMINIUM shows off new, pioneering solutions for more efficiency in production and processing - ranging from raw materials to semi-finished products, right to finished products from the application industries, including machines, equipment, accessories and surface treatments. In 2016 the fair will be...
Constellium N.V. has reported results for the full year and fourth quarter ended December 31, 2015. These results include the acquisition of Wise Metals, which closed on January 5, 2015. Key Highlights: • 2015 Shipments of 1.5 million metric tons, up 39 per cent from 1.1 million in 2014 • 2015 Revenue of €5.2 billion, up 41 per cent from €3.7 billion in 2014 • 2015 Adjusted EBITDA of €343 million, up 25 per cent from €275 million in 2014 • Improved year-end leverage to below 5x and liquidity to €733 million from the prior quarter, including €145 million from the revolving credit facility • 2015 Diluted EPS of (€5.27) reflecting substantial impairment charges • Expanding joint venture with UACJ to establish a leadership position in the growing North American Body-in-White market, reducing...
Newly launched Felloe is offering an aluminium rim, hub and spoke production services for brands. The U.K. based firm, named after an old English word for part of a wheel, is committed to servicing partners for all components from the axle to the ground. Sales and marketing specialist Ricki Nethercote is one of the founding members of Felloe. He said, “We are dedicated to not creating a wheel brand, so it's safe for all customers to share IP and secure production space for growing their brands and focusing on what matters most to them - competing in the market.” "The UK particularly has a lot of small start up brands. We’re here to serve them as a trusted partner that can guide them through sourcing and production in Taiwan. This is an area underserved in the market.” Nethercote is joined...
Dutch group Prolyte has opened a new factory in Romania, in Olt conty. The factory will produce light aluminium structures for public events. The group has invested some EUR 4 million in the factory, for which it got EU funds. Local lender Eximbank has financed the company with over EUR 3.5 million until it gets the EU funds disbursed. The Prolyte factory covers 5,000 sqm and will generate up to 500 jobs. The Dutch group has another factory in Slatina, which also produces light aluminium structures. Some 150 people work at that factory. Prolyte is one of the biggest suppliers of structures for events. Last year, it delivered the stages for the Andre Rieu and Robbie Williams concerts in Bucharest. The group plans to gradually transfer its manufacturing operations from the Netherlands to...
Constellium N.V. yesterday announced that the company intends to record an impairment charge of approximately €400 million in the fourth quarter of 2015 against the carrying value of the Wise Metals asset. This charge, which has no impact on cash flows, reflects management’s view of the future expected performance at Muscle Shoals in light of the challenges for the can/packaging business as previously disclosed. The execution of the Company’s Body-in-White (BiW) strategy is progressing as planned, and the Company has today separately announced an expansion of its joint venture with UACJ Corporation to provide automotive BiW sheet in the U.S. Constellium does not intend to make any further comments until its Q4 & FY 2015 Earnings call scheduled for March 15, 2016.
