Novelis has supplied approximately 100,000 m² of aluminium façade materials for six construction projects across the UK, highlighting the metal's growing role in architectural design, infrastructure modernisation and urban regeneration. The materials have been used across developments in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London, covering applications ranging from transport infrastructure and residential refurbishment to commercial and mixed-use buildings. The projects demonstrate the versatility of aluminium in modern building envelopes, with Novelis supplying architectural materials designed to combine durability, aesthetic flexibility and performance. Aluminium supports diverse architectural applications Commenting on the projects, Michael Hahne, Vice President Commercial of Novelis...
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...
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Alphastrut, responsible for creating engineered aluminium extrusions and fabricated brackets, has recently concluded a seven-figure contract with BP, saving the giant 54 tonnes in weight. The company creates support frames using the extrusions and brackets that can be used for a variety of functions including load-bearing raised access floors, ceiling grids and bulkhead. The same technology was applied to create the BP Clair Ridge accommodation module which had both raised access flooring and ceiling cable containment support. Situated 75 km west of the Shetland Islands, the platform’s construction consists of two bridge-linked platforms with a 3500-tonne worth accommodation module. The reduction in the weight has been a key benefit for the operators and contractors as the light weight...
Constellium N.V. announced its support for the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s (ASI) new global sustainability standard for the aluminium industry. Constellium joined ASI since its inception and contributed to expand its membership. Constellium has also participated actively in the development of the comprehensive new aluminium standard together with industry experts and key stakeholders under the leadership of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). “Constellium applauds this important step toward a more sustainable future for the aluminium industry and is proud of its contribution to the development of the ASI standard,” said Catherine Athènes, Constellium’s Sustainability Council Leader. “We believe this standard is truly groundbreaking as it brings together...
Sapa’s Jack C. Pell is one of five new persons elected to the U.S. Aluminum Association’s Board of Directors. Pell leads the commercial organization for Sapa’s Extrusion Americas business area, which is responsible for the company’s general extrusion activities in North and South America. He started his career in the aluminium extrusion industry in 1998 with Wells Aluminum before moving to Hydro, following its acquisition of Wells in 2000. Pell has served on Sapa’s Americas management team since September 2013, following the merger of the extrusion businesses of Hydro and Sapa. Rutt appointed In addition, Sapa’s J.D. Rutt has been appointed as chairman of the Aluminum Association’s recently constituted Heavy Truck Working Group. The working group is being organized to promote aluminum as...
Vista Metals of Adairsville with a corporate headquarters in California was created in 2009 to meet the growing demands of an aircraft industry customer in North Georgia and is ready to take a significant expansion on line within the next week. Vista produces aluminum billets and delicate, hard aluminum alloys. Its core customer in Canton is in the aerospace industry. “They take the billets that we make, put it into a press, and extrude it out into parts,” Stewart said. Those lightweight, yet super-strong aluminum parts are used throughout airplane fuselages. Stewart came to Bartow County with half a dozen employees to start up the plant. He added some eight new employees and took them to California for training before production started at the Adairsville plant late in 2010. Over the...
Ford Motor Co has shipped thousands of aluminium-bodied F-150 pickups, and their introduction isn’t being delayed by extra quality inspections for the re-engineered model, the company said. “We’ve shipped more than 5,000 all-new F-150s to dealers across North America, and we’re shipping more each day,” Kristina Adamski, a Ford spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement. “We are on plan to be at full production at Dearborn Truck Plant by the end of this month.” Additional inspections have led the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker to park hundreds of finished trucks in lots around Detroit. While automakers sometimes stockpile models that need repairs, Adamski said that isn’t the case with the new F-150, which is lighter and more fuel efficient. Ford is taking special care to ensure its top...
China’s aluminum alloy consumption will grow in 2014 due to robust demand from wheel manufacturers, Shanghai Metals Market foresees. Strong exports of China’s aluminum alloy wheels will support aluminum alloy consumption. China exported 71,500 tonnes of aluminum alloy wheels in October, up 13.0% year-on-year. Year-to-date exports through October also grew 12.5% on the year to 660,100 tonnes, customs data showed. The average operating rate at major Chinese A356 aluminum alloy producers changed little from October at 67.35% in November, SMM’s survey of 15 A356 aluminum alloy producers showed. Output at the surveyed producers totaled 114,500 tonnes in November, basically flat with October’s level. Processing fees stayed around RMB 700 yuan ($114) per tonne for delivery to factory.
The European Union threatened to widen tariffs on heavy rolls of aluminum foil from China, highlighting the Chinese challenge to manufacturers in Europe. The EU began an inquiry into whether Chinese exporters of aluminum foil in rolls weighing more than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and with a thickness of less than 0.021 millimeter sell the wrapping in the bloc below cost, a practice known as dumping. The EU already applies anti-dumping duties on aluminum foil from China in rolls weighing more than 10 kilograms and as wide as 650 millimeters (25.6 inches), with a thickness between 0.008 millimeter and 0.018 millimeter. This foil is excluded from the probe announced today. The investigation will determine whether rolls from China weighing more than 10 kilograms and with a thickness of less...
A material substitution project by Panasonic’s air-conditioning business unit led to an aluminium solution from Sapa that saved costs and struck gold for outstanding performance. Aluminium is replacing copper tubing in industrial A/C units because the solutions can offer more competitive costs and better heat transfer performance. At the same time, the change requires careful planning, material selection and design of the new system. Consequently, Panasonic’s A/C business unit turned to Sapa to acquire the best support available. Panasonic’s project team selected the most advanced round tube developed by Sapa, the zinc-coated helical inner-grooved tube. The inner grooving increases surface area and thereby heat transfer potential, and the zinc coating improves the corrosion performance of...
Rexam, a global leader in the beverage can manufacturing has secured the contract with Carlsberg to launch a limited edition can for the Christmas season. Carlsberg has brewed special beer for the winter season named Tuborg Pilsner and they want Rexam’s special 1 litre and 750ml King Cans to launch the product. The 1 litre variety is the largest two-piece aluminium can available in the global market and thus it will create a stand-out effect on the shelves which is essential for a new launch. Speaking about the partnership, Dr. Linda Boos, Director of Corporate Communications and CSR Carlsberg Germany GmbH says: "Working with Rexam last year was a fantastic success. Rexam's King Can allows for large 360° branding, giving us maximum visual impact at point of sale, which is particularly...
Innovative Technology Improves Jet Engine Fuel Efficiency • $16.7 million expansion in coating capabilities to improve performance of blades and vanes in hot section of bestselling, next-generation jet engines • Construction to begin this month, production expected in 2016 • Investment supported by customer agreements • Supports Company’s strategy to grow aerospace business, capture demand for advanced jet engine parts Alcoa Power and Propulsion, a unit of lightweight, high-performance metals leader Alcoa (NYSE: AA), is doubling its high-technology coating capacity at its Whitehall, Michigan facility. The $16.7 million investment will position the Company to further capture growing demand for advanced jet engine parts. The 7,700 sq. ft. building expansion will be located at the Company’s...
In 2016, a team of engineers will attempt to smash the land speed record by reaching more than 1,000mph in their Bloodhound supersonic car (SSC). The project has been seven years in the making and has been a dream of former RAF pilot Andy Green since he set the current record in 1997. Now, it has moved a step closer to reality - with the hybrid rocket engine the car will use being fired for the first time. The upper chassis is made of strong, but lightweight aluminium, onto which titanium stringers and titanium skin will be fixed using glue and 1,400 aircraft specification rivets. The lower chassis, below the jet, is made of aluminium and steel, and houses the Nammo hybrid rocket. The pencil-shaped car will be 44ft (13.4m) long, 6ft (183cm) in diameter, and weigh 7.5 tonnes when...
Oldcastle Building Envelope of Terrell, Texas has selected Granco Clark to upgrade the log cutting systems on both of their existing press lines. They purchased (2) Model HBCS 69 Hot Log Saws to replace the existing shears. Transport equipment to deliver the billet to the press is also included. This upgrade will offer accurate and consistent length billets to the extrusion press.The use of the saw eliminates the deformation of the existing ‘90s era log shear design.The system also provides a “no-scrap” cycle which will utilize the entire log by making twopiece billets at the log junctions.
Jeep has made it clear that the next-generation Wrangler will be built with aluminium, like how it is for the upcoming Ford F-150. This will surely make the future Wrangler lighter than before, thus optimizing fuel economy and power output at the same time. Despite that fact, the changes revolving around the production of the future Wrangler is going to be really subtle. This is after Jeep rubbishes the rumours where the vehicle will be built at a new facility instead of the Toledo plant. The American carmaker reiterated that the Wrangler will continue to be developed at Toledo, even if it is coming with aluminium. On the downside of things, Jeep admitted that the cost is going to be massive if they wish to upgrade the facility to be aluminium compatible.
The Mozal aluminium foundry is once again the largest company in Mozambique, a position it has held for more than a decade, according to the list of Mozambique’s 100 Largest Companies in Mozambique by auditing firm KPMG Mozambique. Based on the results for 2013, the KPMG study shows that Mozal posted turnover of 32.3 billion meticais (US$997 million), a decrease of 6.8 percent. Oil company Petróleos de Moçambique (Petromoc) is in second place with turnover of 18.8 billion meticais. Also according to the report, state power company Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) rose from seventh place in the previous edition of the study to fourth place in 2013, the beer maker Cervejas de Moçambique fell from fourth to fifth place and the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric facility (HCB) remained in sixth...
Rusal, a leading global aluminium producer, announces plans to invest over USD10 million in the modernization of silicon production in 2015. The investment program will enable RUSAL to increase production of high quality grades of silicon needed for production of aluminum alloys to 23,820 tonnes per year. Modernization of production sites will also reduce the Company’s dependence on silicon imports. The Company will deliver a major overhaul and equipment upgrade at SUAL-Kremniy-Ural LLC and Kremniy CJSC, which will reduce the plants’ emissions. The comprehensive investment programme includes an optimization of production processes; a phased introduction of a refining process at SUAL-Kremniy-Ural and a change in technology of silicon’s casting in moulds. In addition, pilot works to start...
The new Jaguar XF might be unveiled at the 2015 New York Motor Show before going on sale later next year. The new car is expected to carry styling cues inspired by the younger sibling XE and a lightweight aluminium chassis that is bound to make it more efficient and dynamically better than the outgoing model. According to a source, the XF will now get sharper styling cues and lively body creases and its dimensions will be made to mimic the XE’s coupe like silhouette. The new XF like will be underpinned by the company’s new aluminium-intense iQ[Al] platform on which the smaller XE sits. This new chassis will help keep the weight down despite the size of the car going up to generate additional space at the rear and the boot. It seems like Jaguar is preparing the XF to be the sportiest sedan...
HULAMIN said in a revised trading statement that it will see significantly higher earnings per share (EPS) and headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the year to end-December. The aluminium manufacturer said on Tuesday it had earlier expected a more than 20% improvement from the year-earlier period, but now expected EPS, HEPS and normalised EPS of between 110c and 121c, 112c and 123c and 109c and 120c, respectively. The range of increase across the board was between 73% and 129%. The latest forecast had not been reviewed and reported on by the company’s external auditors. Hulamin reported a loss per share of 422c last year after taking account of a net impairment charge of R1.5bn, or 479c per share. The group said on Tuesday it could not comment further on the "significant jump" reported...
Lexus, which is the luxury arm of the Toyota brand, is all set to launch a new-look RX SUV later in 2015, as a part of the company’s 2016 line-up. There will be two new models from the RX line called RX350 and RX 450. The unique thing about these SUVs is their light weight, despite being from the same platform as the Toyota Highlander and this has been achieved through the use of aluminium. Aluminium has been used in the hood, tailgate and closures in both the RX350 and RX450 models. Although the use might not seem to be much, it does a good deal to cut down a big percentage of the weight of the vehicle. The use of aluminium in a luxury line like Lexus could start a trend as future vehicles from the company could see more use of the lightweight metal. Lexus, however is not alone in...
