India-based KEC International Limited is pushing ahead with Phase II of its aluminium conductor capacity expansion, even as a difficult second quarter dragged consolidated profit down. The Q2 FY27 investor presentation, dated November 2, lists the expansion as underway in its Cables & Conductors business, one of the few segments that grew in the quarter. The update comes over a year after KEC’s commissioning of the first phase of the plant in Vadodara in February 2025, marking an investment of about INR 600 million (USD 6.33 million). The company has not disclosed the capacity to be added, the investment or a completion date. Explore AL Circle’s report ALuminium Wires & Cables - Insights & Forecast to 2030 for insights into aluminium applications, industry developments and opportunities...
Canadian aluminum fencing supplier PrimeAlux has appointed Shapes Unlimited, Inc. as its authorised US distributor, giving American contractors, fence dealers and builders a local channel to access its aluminum fence panels, gates and privacy screens. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, PrimeAlux said Shapes Unlimited, based in North Jackson, Ohio, will manage pricing, orders and customer support for its products across the US. The arrangement allows buyers to source the company's aluminum fencing systems through a domestic distributor rather than importing them independently. Shapes Unlimited is a privately held fabricator and wholesale distributor of aluminum building products that has served the trade since 1996. Under the agreement, the company will make PrimeAlux's product range...
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Rockman Industries, a Hero Group company, and one of the largest suppliers of aluminium die casting, two-wheeler alloy wheels and chain in India, has targeted a turnover of INR 5,000 crore by 2020. According to company officials, revenue grew by 20 percent YoY during FY 2014-15 when its turnover stood around INR 1,850 crore. For the ongoing financial year, the company expects to cross the INR 2,300 crore turnover mark, thereby growing by 24 percent. Talking to Autocar Professional on the sidelines of the 2016 Auto Expo – Components Show, Prashant K Gupta, AVP – sales and marketing, Rockman Industries, said: “Our 2020 target is to achieve a turnover of INR 5,000 crore, and this could be realised via organic and inorganic growth.” “Close to 80 percent of our operations cater to the...
JVM Castings has announced the appointment of Bob Freeman as the new Group Sales Manager. Bob, who brings with him 32 years of experience in the castings and automotive industries, will help JVM meet and exceed its growth targets over the next few years. In recent years, Bob has served important Sales & Purchase Management roles at King Automotive Systems Ltd and Sarginsons Industries Plc. His background in aluminium castings for the automotive, construction and civil engineering sectors made him a natural choice for JVM Castings. As Group Sales Manager at JVM, Bob will be responsible for enhancing the development of the company throughout its existing customer base, ensuring current clients receive the maximum value and support as well as seeking opportunities across new markets. Bob...
Karsten Lundgaard is leaving his role as president of Sapa's aluminium building systems business area to seek new opportunities outside the Sapa group. He had been responsible for the operations since July 2014. As of Monday, February 15, Salvador Biosca will assume the role as business area president in Sapa Building Systems (SBS). Biosca has extensive international experience within the industry and Sapa, from several line positions in both aluminium extrusion and tubing. In 2013, he became president of Sapa's Precision Tubing business area. "SBS has been through a tremendous turnaround over the past two years, and the performance in safety, productivity and profitability has been considerably improved. I'm a strong believer in the further potential and future of SBS, and I am very...
Aluminium Co of Malaysia Bhd (Alcom) is on track to return to the black for the financial year ending March 31, 2016 after three years of losses. The aluminium sheet and foil producer told Bursa Malaysia that it made a net profit of RM3.11mil in the third quarter ended December 31, 2015 compared with a loss of RM1.65mil a year earlier. “The improved revenue per metric tonne, especially for the export sales, and a tight rein on direct costs were the main contributory factors for this improved result,” the company said. The better third-quarter performance led the Klang-based company to swing to a net profit of RM2.14mil for the nine-month financial period ended December 31, 2015, from a loss of RM3.93mil in the previous corresponding period. Revenue for the financial year to-date grew 3.9%...
With the rapid development of consumer electronics, with shorter life cycles and less time between upgrades, metal is increasingly replacing plastic as the shell material of choice, reducing costs and providing a lighter, slimmer and more environment friendly alternative. A look at some of the latest mobile phones in 2016 including LG’s curve screen, the Sony Xperia Z6 and HTC X9, along with Chinese brands such as LeTV Max Pro, Huawei Mate 8 and Lenovo K4, shows that they all have one feature in common, a metal shell. Traditionally, metal shells for consumer electronics were made mainly of aluminium-magnesium alloy or stainless steel. However, with complicated processing technologies and high costs, aluminium alloy is now replacing aluminium-magnesium, offering a superior safety record...
Full Year 2015 Results and Business Highlights: • Net Sales $1.4 Billion; Value Added Revenue Up 8% to $790 Million • Operating Loss $346 Million; Adjusted EBITDA $183 Million; EBITDA Margin 23% • Record Shipments of Heat Treat Plate and Automotive Extrusions • Expanded Sales Margins - Improved Pricing and Lower Contained Metal Costs • Continued Investments For Further Growth, Enhanced Efficiency and Quality • Returned ~$77 Million to Shareholders Through Quarterly Dividends and Share Repurchases Kaiser Aluminum Corporation reported a net loss of $237 million, or $13.76 loss per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2015, including the previously announced $307 million after-tax, non-run-rate charge associated with the termination of defined benefit accounting and the removal of...
Argentina informed China’s Ministry of Commerce on February 4 that it has received written application from its domestic industry requesting anti-dumping investigation into certain aluminium alloy wheel rims originated from China. The aluminium alloy wheel rims that Argentina’s domestic industry requested to be investigated are those whose diameters are at or greater than 14 inches but no greater than 18 inches.
Aluminium company Novelis has awarded Desalitech a contract to supply a high efficiency ultrapure water treatment system for a production facility in Changzhou, China. The Changzhou plant is Novelis’ first aluminum automotive sheet manufacturing facility in China with a set requirement for a new zero liquid discharge (ZLD) wastewater treatment installation. The Novelis facility provides customers in China and abroad with automotive sheet for use in lightweight structures and body panels. Water is used in multiple processes throughout the manufacturing plant, producing wastewater streams that are collected and treated with biological, chemical and membrane filtration followed by reverse osmosis. The supplies system is designed to help Novelis comply with a local ordinance requiring...
National Aluminium Products Company SAOG (NAPCO) has entered into a partnership with Profils Systemes Gulf FZCO for Saraya Bandar Jissah project in Oman. Under the terms of the agreement, NAPCO will be the official aluminium extruder for doors and windows for the luxury beachfront development. The mixed-use project, located on the natural Bandar Jissah beach, features upscale villas, hotels, a spa, a heritage village built around an archaeological site, a recreational centre with restaurants, retail outlets, social club and sports amenities. Robert Holtkamp, CEO, NAPCO, said: "In a landmark deal, Profils Systemes has sub-contracted us to be the aluminium extruder for the Saraya Bandar Jissah development in Oman.
Accuride Corp. has announced that it has added two new lightweight aluminum wheels to its product offering. Re-engineered to reduce weight by 5-7%, the new aluminum wheels are both standard type 22.5 x 9.0 wheels produced at the company’s aluminum wheel production facility in Erie, Pa., according to Accuride. The new wheels will be available starting in March. Specifications for the new wheels are as follows: • 41730 wheel: replaces previous part number 29730 and features a reduced weight of four lbs. (total weight per wheel: 58 lbs.). • 41012 wheel: replaces previous part number 40012 and features a reduced weight of three lbs. (total weight per wheel: 51 lbs.). “As our customers seek to optimize the total weight, fuel economy and emissions of their equipment, we continue to refine our...
City officials say they have not heard from the president of the Mojave Aluminum Company since September. Shen proposed almost a year ago to build a $120 million, 500,000-square-foot aluminum remelt and casting house plant in Lenwood. Shen said the plant would employ up to 450 people. The plant was a scaled-down version of one the City Council approved in March 2014. That $1.5 billion, 3 million-square-foot aluminum manufacturing complex also was proposed for the Lenwood area on property that was once Sun & Sky golf Course. It was projected to employ 2,000 workers until Shen pulled the plug on it, blaming the high cost of electricity in California for its downfall. City officials said an Environmental Impact Report on the smaller project was expected to be released in November. City...
Aluminium major Norsk Hydro announced the fourth quarter 2015 results of its joint venture with Sapa. Compared to the previous quarter, underlying EBIT for Sapa declined mainly due to seasonally lower demand. Underlying EBIT for Sapa increased compared to the same quarter of the previous year mainly due to the effects of the improvement programs, continued growth in North American demand and increased added value operations. Underlying EBIT for the fourth quarter was negatively affected by Sapa's measures to address, and consequences of, unsanctioned quality testing practices in North America. The restructuring program initiated in 2013, targeting annual synergies of around NOK one billion by the end of 2016, reached its target in 2015, one year ahead of time. In addition to the factors...
Novelis, the world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, yesterday reported net income of $6 million for the third quarter of fiscal year 2016. Excluding tax-effected special items, the company reported net income of $32 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 compared to $54 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2015. Excluding the impact of metal price lag in both quarters, Adjusted EBITDA was $238 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2016, up four percent compared to $228 million in the prior year. The increase was driven by higher shipments of automotive and beverage can sheet, partially offset by less favorable recycling benefits due to depressed aluminium prices as compared to the prior year. Current year results also reflect higher fixed costs associated with new...
ITT Corporation’s Cannon brand receives European Standard Certification (EN3645) for its aluminium and composite Circular Series III connectors, certified in the United States under MIL-DTL-38999. The certification followed rigorous testing, site audits and data collection by the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe - Standardization (ASD-STAN). It makes these ITT Cannon connectors available for the first time to a wide range of customers in the European commercial aerospace market and supply chain. ITT’s D38999 Circular Series III aluminium and composite connectors provide reliable passage of radio frequency, data and power signals. Created for use in fuselage cable harnesses, electrical systems and avionics equipment, these connectors have performed reliably for years...
According to a recently published market research report, global high purity aluminium production market was 149K million tonnes (mt) in 2015 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.93% from 2016 to 2021. High purity aluminium mainly covers product types- 4N High Purity Aluminium, 4N5 High Purity Aluminium, 5N High Purity Aluminium, 5N5 High Purity Aluminium, 6N High Purity Aluminium, and 6N8 High Purity Aluminium. The main application areas include electrolytic capacitor foil, plates for flat panel display industry, semiconductor industry, bonding wire, sputtering targets, thin films, chemical industry, and high purity alloys. High purity aluminium is used to produce computer hard drives and aluminium foil capacitors. China is the largest market of high purity aluminium in the world in...
The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) commends the U.S. House of Representatives for supporting American manufacturing by voting to approve the conference report to H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015. AEC has asked the U.S. Senate take up this important issue and approve the bill when it comes to the floor, which is likely to happen this week. The final conference report creates new procedures at U.S. Customs and Border Protection to effectively address the evasion of antidumping and countervailing duty orders within set deadlines. “The relief our industry has enjoyed from unfairly traded Chinese imports has been threatened by the efforts of Chinese producers like Zhongwang and others to circumvent and evade duties,” said Jeff Henderson, AEC Director of...
Commercial truck fleets looking to increase fuel efficiency, haul more freight and retain more drivers can look to lightweighting as a key enabler, according to a recent Confidence Report on Lightweighting by Trucking Efficiency. The report found that investing in lightweighting is an attractive and economical alternative to adding expensive new equipment – potentially saving fleets nearly $1 million over five years. Trucking Efficiency is an initiative of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) and the Carbon War Room (CWR) that aims to double the efficiency of the North American trucking fleet. “When lightweighting is looked at not only in terms of better fuel economy but also improved freight efficiency, it makes sense in a wide variety of applications,” said Mike...
Can-Pack Romania, the only producer of aluminium cans in Romania, plans to invest 200,000 Euro in order to install during this year 21 intelligent collection devices of aluminium can waste that will be implemented in the Auchan hypermarket network, according to Adina Magsi, the general manager of Alucro. Alucro, a non-profit association, was founded in 2008 by Can-Pack Romania and EAA (European Aluminium Association) in order to the promote the collection-recycling system of aluminium cans on the local market. The organization will carry out information campaigns in order to determine the population to use these devices to recover the waste and avoid disposing of the aluminium cans in inappropriate places. "We have far more ambitious plans for 2016 that we want to achieve as we planned,"...
