Bahrain’s aluminium wire exports continued to gain momentum in the second quarter of 2026, with shipments rising significantly compared with the corresponding periods of 2025 and 2024. The country exported 80,895 tonnes of aluminium wire in Q2 2026, taking its total shipments during the first half of the year to 143,518 tonnes. The export data covers aluminium wire under HS code 7605, excluding stranded wire, cables, plaited bands and similar products, electrically insulated wires and strings for musical instruments. Export volume registers strong Y-o-Y growth Comparing the quarterly figures, Bahrain’s aluminium wire export volume increased by 23.76 per cent Y-o-Y in Q2 2026, against 65,366 tonnes shipped during Q2 2025. The latest quarterly volume also marked a considerable rise from Q2...
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...
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Strange Engineering, the US based autoparts manufacturer with a rich racing heritage, has introduced their all new range of Adjustable Aluminum Shocks. These lightweight shocks make tuning your suspension easy and are available in both single and double adjustable configurations. Strange Engineering aluminum bolt-in shocks are based on the proven coil-over technology that has been relied on by racers for years. The lightweight aluminum construction make tuning the suspension easy by locating the adjuster knob(s) at the bottom of the shock body. The wide range of valving allows each shock to be utilized in street, strip and road race applications and comes with high quality mounting hardware to handle the most demanding of applications. Strange Engineering aluminum bodied bolt-in shocks...
Pfaff Autoworks hosted its annual insurance open house last week. The event provided a chance for those in the insurance industry to become familiar with new trends in the collision repair space. The emergence of aluminum as a more common material in new cars took centre stage at the Pfaff Autoworks event. There has already been a load of speculation about the rise of aluminum. Some facility owners have taken the plunge, but others are holding off of on the installation of a dedicated aluminum room or curtained bay. But there is no lack of evidence that a big shift is coming. Major aluminum producers like Alcoa are rapidly expanding production and reorganizing their corporate structure to get ready for new demand from the auto sector. Alcoa recently announced it is splitting in two as a...
According to a recently published report, the new Rolls-Royce Phantom will ride on all new aluminium platform, which will also underpin future vehicles from the British marque. The next-generation Phantom, which could debut as early as next year, will be the first car to utilise a new aluminium architecture that’s being developed for Rolls-Royce by BMW. The move to aluminium will allow the brand to shed kilos, improve performance and increase fuel economy, as well as have bragging rights over some of its competition. As is the rage throughout the industry, Rolls-Royce’s new architecture is modular and flexible, and can be scaled up or down for a variety of different vehicles. For instance, the brand’s first ever SUV, currently being developed under the title Project Cullinan, will use the...
Ball has allegedly received a statement of objections (SO) from competition watchdogs over its deal with Rexam, warning it may increase the price of aluminum cans and bottles. Ball agreed to buy Rexam for $6.7bn in February this year, which is one of the biggest takeovers in metal and glass packaging, according to Bloomberg. It has to get regulatory clearances to close the deal during the first half of 2016. Acquisition to close in 2016 In response, Ball confirmed it had taken note of the European Commission's provisional objections and concerns as outlined in the SO. "Ball values the insight which the SO brings on the on-going EU regulatory process,” Ball said in a statement to FE Investegate. “It is the view of Ball the concerns raised in the SO allow the parties to develop the...
The $150 million Constellium/UACJ Corp. joint venture under construction at the 4,000-acre Kentucky Transpark is 80 percent complete and on schedule, said Markus Wild, chief executive officer. The first 300-meter-long production line at the 225,000-square foot aluminum facility should be operational by mid-2016, Wild told the Daily News on Friday. Employment at the site is currently about 40 workers, and that number is expected to increase to 80 at full production. There could be 70 employees within several months. The number of employees could expand even more if a second line locates here. Constellium, a Netherlands company that is partnering with Japanese aluminum company UACJ, is looking to establish a second production line in the United States. That expansion has a good chance of...
One of the quieter, more subtle reveals of the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, the A8 L Security sedan debuted as Audi's most secure car ever. It leaps two levels beyond its predecessor and packs enough reinforcements to survive armor-piercing assault rifle fire and hand grenade explosions. Last year, Mercedes introduced its VR9-certified Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard, and now Audi is meeting the same benchmark with its luxury flagship. The black A8 makes an appropriately stately but low-profile platform for an armored package. Audi has built the unitary occupant safety cell up from lightweight but high-strength materials including aramide fabric, special aluminum alloys and hot-formed armor steel. That gives it full VR9-level protection, which in layman's terms, means it can withstand fire from...
UK-based aluminium structures manufacturer Boldman and AJAR-tec have successfully installed the UK's largest outdoor advertising screens for advertising at Heathrow Terminal 2. Deployed at the Terminal 2 building facade, at departure level, the screens are used for advertising to 55,000 passengers travelling through the terminal each day. The screens were manufactured and installed by Boldman and AJAR-tec is the contractor responsible for project management and electrical works at the airport. The 11.5m by 4.8m screens weigh 4.8t each and were constructed out of a lightweight aluminium profile system comprising of 180 individual panels separately mounted to the aluminium frame. As part of the structural installation criteria, weight and wind tolerances were calculated and tested before...
Sapa Group President & CEO Egil Hogna has had his first look at the company's operations in China, the largest aluminium extrusion market in the world. The focus on quality as well as on employee safety left its mark on Sapa’s new chief executive. Hogna visited the fabrication plant north of Shanghai, the extrusion and aluminium facility in Suzhou, and the 50/50 joint venture company Sapa Chalco Aluminium Products, which is located in Chongqing. “Global companies prefer to deal with us because they know we deliver higher quality and that we have the highest standards when it comes to safety, human resources policy and compliance,” says Hogna, referring to Sapa’s work in China. As an example, he points out that the Shanghai plant has an injury rate of 1.9 per million hours worked – a...
November 2015 sees Rexam return to Brau Beviale (Hall 4A - Stand 115) to showcase our latest innovations. With new products on show and an interactive corner for exploring the recently expanded Graphics & Design Centre; customer collaboration, innovation and sustainability will be the key themes on the Rexam stand this year. For the third consecutive year, Rexam will be the headline sponsor of the World Beverage Innovation Awards, further highlighting the can makers dedication and support of innovation. Iain Percival, Sector Director for Rexam Europe, will address guests at the annual prize giving ceremony, held at the show. Commenting on Rexam’s presence at Brau, Percival says, “All good relationships are founded on trust, and at Rexam it’s a key component in our partnerships with...
Ford's launching of the new aluminum-bodied F-150 stands to be a game-changer in its own right, but it's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The F-150's aluminum construction has already to a new Super Duty and soon to a new Raptor, but a new Expedition looks to be in the works, as well. Tipped to debut alongside a new Lincoln Navigator sometime in 2017 as a 2018 model, the new Expedition is anticipated to borrow heavily from the F-150 on which it's based. Combine that with EcoBoost engines and the new Expedition, as large as it will be, stands to offer serious fuel economy savings over the outgoing model, and allow for more hauling capability in the process. The styling looks set to take its cues from the F-150 and Super Duty, but with a four-door, squared-off body style. The new...
Ball Corporation today opened an aluminum aerosol can plant in India, located in the northwest city of Ahmedabad. With this new plant, Ball will meet the region's increasing demand, and continue the company's Drive for 10 vision of entering into new geographic regions and remaining close to customers. Multiple sales contracts are in place with local customers in Ahmedabad and the surrounding region. "With our strong foundation in aluminum aerosol manufacturing, this new plant allows us to enter the rapidly expanding India market and meet the needs of regional customers, as well as our existing global customers," said Michael Feldser, senior vice president, Ball Corporation and chief operating officer, Global Metal Food & Household Products Packaging. The global leader in metal packaging,...
The first meeting of ALFED's recently-formed Alutomotive Group took place in September at Morgan Cars in Malvern. The meeting, which featured presentations by Professor David Bailey of Aston University and Patrik Ragnarsson of European Aluminium, was attended by more than 20 Members and guests. The meeting was followed by a factory tour and the opportunity to drive Morgan Cars.
The market for aluminium in the global automotive industry is likely to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% over 2015-2020, a recently published market report data reveals. A high demand for lightweight vehicles will catalyse the growth across major economies of the world. The demand of lightweight vehicles is highly influenced by factors such as high fuel price, government regulations (CAFÉ and Euro emission standards), and environmental impacts (carbon footprint). Aluminium is the fastest growing material in the automotive industry, as it offers the cost-effective way to boost fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions. Asia Pacific (APAC) has been identified as the the top region in terms of total automotive aluminium consumption, followed by North America, Europe, and Rest of the World (ROW) in...
Sumitomo Electric Industries has developed an automotive wire harness from a special aluminum alloy that is strong enough and skinny enough to replace around 70% of all copper wire harnesses now used in a car, including in the engine compartment and doors. The average modern car with all its electronic control systems is equipped with around 1,000 wire harnesses. Typically made from copper, they collectively add around 20-30kg to a vehicle's weight. The new aluminum harness weighs half as much as a conventional harness, enabling automakers to trim the added weight to 10-20kg. The Japanese autoparts maker said it has already received unofficial orders from some leading Japanese automakers and plans to begin mass production at the factory of a subsidiary in Japan this year. By 2017, it also...
StrikoWestofen, the market leader for melting, holding and dosing furnaces for lightweight metal casting presented dozens of innovations at GIFA 2015, Düsseldorf. The new “Westomat Plus+” with its optimized technology and its revised design as well as the pneumatic transport and filling system “Schnorkle” were two special highlights. Managing Director Rudi Riedel was very gratified by the reactions of those visiting the booth: “The large sums we have invested in research and development since the last GIFA four years ago were the right strategy. Now we can offer our customers products which meet the considerably higher demands of foundries in an optimum way.” The GIFA 2015 in Düsseldorf focused on the subjects of energy efficiency and the careful handling of resources – the core...
Jinfei Holding Group Co. Ltd recently signed an agreement with the government of Fuyuan County, Yunnan to build aluminum alloy wheel project there.The 1 billion yuan ($157.4 million) project is designed to have a capacity of 5 million pieces of aluminum alloy wheels per annum. Headquartered in the Development Zone of Jinhua City, Jinfei Group excels in making auto parts and high-end technology devices. The production scale of "Jinfei" brand motorcycle wheels, auto wheels and e-bike wheels rank the second, the third and the first in China respectively. The three major products from the company's product portfolio, namely auto wheels, motorcycle wheels and e-bike wheels are supplied to famous domestic OEMs such as Indian Honda, Bajaj, Japan Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, France Peugeot, Italian...
A Louisiana manufacturer has created a metal memorial for fallen Franklin Parish Patriot football player Tyrell Cameron. Sapa, an aluminum manufacturer and the largest private employer in the Louisiana Delta, molded an aluminum jersey with Cameron’s name and his number 48 on a Patriot blue background. “It just an effort to show we have an awareness and heart for our community,” said Ron Ballman, Sapa’s general manager for the company’s extrusion and fabricating plants in Delhi. “We wanted to use the tools and material we had to commemorate his life — something permanent and beautiful that might in some small way help the family and community heal.” Cameron, who was a freshman, died after suffering a fatal injury during a Sept. 4 game. Ballman said Sapa employee Michael Joe Spann, the...
Granco Clark, a world leading extrusion equipment manufacturer, will be exhibiting at the ET'16 show at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, May 2-6, 2016. The team with its array of exhibits will be there at ET'16 show at booth 403. From ideas to manufacturing processes to delivering a final product to consumers, innovation makes Granco a leader as a “single source” supplier to extruders. The company works closely with its customers to understand their needs and provide solutions suited to their particular processes. Some of the best-selling brands from Granco Clark's product basket incliude Log Table/Pusher, Log Washer, Hot-Jet Furnace, Hot Saw, FusionBond®, Billet Taper Quench, High-Pressure Spray Quench, Double Pullers, Stretchers, and complete Heating and Handling Equipment.
