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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A factory of Coastal Aluminium Ltd. situated at Poole, suddenly shut down last Monday, as reported by the Daily Echo. The company is the main title sponsor of speedway team Poole Pirates and is based in Sterte Close. In 2012, they had signed a six-figure deal worth more than 200,000 pounds. On Friday, the Daily Echo team went to have a chat with the around 30-member staff only to discover that the site situated at the Units 8-9 Sterte Road Industrial Estate, was left abandoned. The neighboring businesses were also unsure about the reason for the factory to shut. An unnamed source from a business based opposite to Coastal Aluminium said that around 25-30 people work there but on Monday all of them came out of the building and left with no explanation. Another source adds that after that...
After the 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, Kaiser Aluminium Corporation (KALU) announced that the board of directors has sanctioned an increase in authorized members from 10 to 11. They have even appointed L. Patrick Hassey to the board. Until his retirement in May 2011, Mr. Hassey served as the CEO and Chairman of Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI), who is a global leader in the field of specialty materials supply for aerospace, chemical as well as oil and gas companies. Jack A. Hockema, President, Chairman and CEO of KALU says they are happy to have ‘Pat’ on the board thanks to the decades of knowledge and experience he has in the metals industry besides his wide arrays of skills “that will be a great asset to the company.” Mr. Hassey acquired the post of CEO in October 2003...
Faulders Studio has completed an overhead sculptural canopy at the main entrance to the Portland State University’s Science, Teaching, and Research Centre. Inspired by light-filtering effects and spatial layering, the ‘Entrium Light Cloud’ comprises of a dynamic arrangement of curving aluminium fins, which have been laser cut into lace-like formations. Architect Thom Faulders describes the resulting patterns as being evocative of “vectorial weather flows, topographical contours, wave oscillations, and amorphous cellular clusters.” The asymmetrical contours of the entrium create open voids in the lightweight canopy, allowing daylight to filter onto the building’s entry platform and stairs. On overcast days the aluminium surface produces a subtle reflective glow, while on sunny days its...
Constellium N.V. announced today that it has joined the Industrial Fracture Consortium established by Professor Tomasz Wierzbicki from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The consortium will engage in research to develop and improve modeling and mathematical simulations software designed to predict the behaviors of the structural components during forming and crash, which are amongst the most important performance evaluation criteria in automotive engineering. “Our collaboration in the Industrial Fracture Consortium is strategic for Constellium in the context of the strong demand for lightweight aluminum solutions for automotive Body-in-White. It will strengthen our modeling and material testing skills and our technical network, with open innovation at stake,” said Bruno Chenal,...
Leading aerospace manufacturer Alcoa has signed a long-term contract to supply aluminum sheet and plate products to Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. The multiyear contract, valued at more than $1 billion, is the largest ever between the two companies. “This historic agreement not only continues the 35-year Alcoa-Boeing partnership, it will take our collaboration on next-generation metallic technologies even further,” said Klaus Kleinfeld, Alcoa Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud that Alcoa's lightweight structural solutions will continue to fly on Boeing’s most advanced aircraft today, and that our metallic science leadership will contribute to the Boeing aircraft of...
Ford Motor is all set to test the aluminium bodied F-150. The car that is going to be released later this year is currently touring 26 cities for demonstration and introducing the sales personnel to the new pick up trucks. This aluminium truck has created a lot of interest in the auto industry since few cars have been made up almost entirely of aluminium and F-150 will be the first pick up truck to do so. The switch to the lighter metal Ford was able to cutback 700 pounds from the nation’s best-selling pick up truck. Although the official fuel saving estimates has not been released yet, analysts are positive that it will be much better than the previous versions. Ford claims that the new 2015 F-150 is not compromising on its sturdiness thanks to the aluminium body and steel chassis...
Fesqua 2014 has turned São Paulo into the world city of fenestration. Sapa’s Brazilian organization is showing its variety of high-end aluminium solutions, including a new window system that offers acoustic reduction performance that leads the market. Fesqua is considered the most important showcase for the glass, window and door industry in Latin America. Organized every second year, the four-day exhibition brings together a wide variety of hardware, fittings and components, all types of equipment – and materials. Window of opportunity at Fesqua 2014“ This is the most important fair for windows in Latin America, and the first for us as the new Sapa,” says Erivam Boff, who leads Sapa’s commercial team in Brazil. “We’re excited about showing the value that our solutions are adding to the...
The cash price of aluminium has risen from $1,725.93 per tonne in January to $2,029.55 per tonne, which is the current price. The overall jump in the LME aluminium prices is recorded at 15% since the beginning of the year. Mintec explains that the price rise is largely due to the falling aluminium stocks on LME since January by 11% to 4.8 million tonnes leading to a situation where the supply is hitting a two year low in the face of a high demand market. The demand now is threatening to exceed the supply by 1.8 million tonnes in 2014 where the majority of the demand is driven by the increased car sales in the US which is at an eight-year high. The car manufacturers are now directly affecting the aluminium market as they are using the metal more and more to produce lighter and more fuel...
An Elkhart firm plans to expand and add 25 new jobs in the next three years. Those intentions came to light Monday, Sept. 8, when representatives of Sapa Extruder Inc., requested a three-year tax abatement from the Elkhart City Council. Sapa Extruder plans to invest $6 million in new construction and equipment as part of expansion that will include a new extrusion press and shipping area at its facility on Reedy Drive, on the city’s north side. The company manufactures aluminum extrusions that are used for numerous industries, including automotive and mass transit. The average hourly wage for the new positions will be $15.85, according to paperwork provided by the city. If approved, the tax abatement would allow the company to save $93,999 in personal property taxes and $152,235 in real...
Jaguar Land Rover is set to launch its much-anticipated Jaguar XE on Monday, a compact car that will help the Tata Motors’ premium division take on the likes of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedez Benz C Class. Jaguar Land Rover has gradually been releasing details of the car — due to be unveiled in a high-profile ceremony in London on Monday evening — which have suggested the company is aiming for a vehicle at a higher price point than most of its competitors. Earlier this year, Jaguar revealed that the car would be built on a light-weight aluminum body (accounting for around three quarters of its chassis) and would be the first car to have the brand’s new four-cylinder turbocharged “Ingenium” engine. It will also include features such as a touch-screen infotainment system, compatible...
Constellium has been named as a national champion for Environmental & Corporate Responsibility by the European Business Awards 2014/15. Sponsored by RSM International, the European Business Awards recognizes and rewards excellence, best practice and innovation in companies across the European Union. “This nomination underlines our achievements in sustainability and encourages us to make further progress. We’re looking forward to participating in the next rounds of the competition,” highlighted Catherine Athènes, Constellium Sustainability Council Leader.
Atlas Copco’s interest in new assembly technologies has been spurred by a trend among car makers to use more aluminium to reduce the weight of their vehicles. Swedish engineer Atlas Copco is investing in new techniques for assembling cars, believing powerful adhesives and new rivets could see a surge in demand as automakers strive to reduce the weight of vehicles to meet emissions targets. After its 2011 purchase of SCA, a maker of adhesives dispensing gear, Atlas Copco last month snapped up Henrob, a specialist in self-pierce riveting, a method of joining one or more sheets of material together without pre-drilled holes. And Mats Rahmstrom, head of Atlas Copco’s Industrial Technique business area, told Reuters it was on the lookout for more acquisitions to add new technologies. “Among...
More and more pieces of equipment used in the industrial sector could be manufactured using aluminium over copper, if the thoughts of a leading French cable producer are anything to go by. In fact, Nexans has acknowledged from its enquires that demand for aluminium cable has increased recently, with the same equipment being made using copper seeing a drop in requests as a result. Research undertaken by the Financial Times could shed more light onto why this change in demand is taking place. According to the publication's study of the London Metal Exchange, the price of copper has jumped from $1,483 a tonne (approximately £878 a tonne) to $7,125 for a three-month delivery in the last 12 years. On the other hand, the price of aluminium has seen nowhere near this change. It has barely moved...
The Italian coach builder, Touring is designing the new Mini Superleggara Vision with handcrafted aluminium bodywork. This car has been designed to create the look of a classic two-seater roadster but integrating it with all the modern technologies. This stunner will debut at the Salob Privé classic and supercar show at the Syon House, in UK. The design features includes Touring’s unbeatable talent of molding large sheets of aluminium into intricate shapes so there are minimal gaps in the body. Other design features include the classic round headlight and hexagonal grill, striking headlights resembling the UK flag and interior door pulls to match. The facia is constructed from a single aluminium sheet which has been left unpainted by Touring to highlight the finesse of the craftsmanship....
The high rise building of Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences in Germany has been refurbished and the central focus in the aluminium façade solution provided by Wicona, the aluminium building systems brand of Sapa; this building has been awarded the prestigious ‘German Façade Prize’ for its aluminium curtain walling. Berlin-based Staab Architekten re-designed this 1960s building which spreads across 16 floors to allow the building to reclaim its iconic status of being the tallest building in the skyline and a distinct landmark. The tower was stripped down to its original concrete structure, the windows were replaced then the aluminium curtain walling by Wicona was used to finish the out exterior which won it the award. The Association for Materials and Components awarded the prize to...
API Group plc (LSE: API), the leading manufacturer of specialist foils and packaging materials, is today providing the following update on trading: As indicated in previous statements, the Group's Foils Americas business unit has been impacted by a drop in demand from customers in the metallic pigment sector, affecting results for the second half of last financial year and continuing into the current financial year. The duration and severity of the down-turn has been greater than expected, albeit a recovery is now getting under way. As a consequence, it is now anticipated that the unit will post a small loss for the year. Elsewhere, Laminates and Foils Europe are trading broadly in line with last year, whilst Holographics has consolidated the breakeven position established in the last...
Attracted by the lower costs, many Chinese companies are carrying out extensive Research and Development (R&D) to try and implement aluminium alloy instead of copper in wires and cables. The SMM’s latest survey however shows that most of the cable producers and taking the ‘wait and watch’ stance for now since the government has not issued any standards for the aluminium alloys for power cables. Zhejiang Wanma Co. was the first company to report producing aluminium power cables. Even Jiangsu Tongguang Electronic Wire & Cable and Hunan Goldcup Electric Apparatus Technology are going full throttle to develop an aluminium alloy power cable. However the pioneer who was supposedly the first to introduce aluminium alloys to cable production has declined to comment on any development from their...
Alcoa, Novelis or Constellium – the leading enterprises of the European aluminium sector have entered their innovations in the competition for the EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM AWARD 2014. Among them are renowned designers, e.g. from Mercedes and BMW. The award will be presented at ALUMINIUM, the world’s leading trade fair held in Düsseldorf from 7 to 9 October, for the ninth time. Out of a total of 83 submitted products from 11 countries, 31 have been nominated. The award presentation at a gala event on 7 October 2014 will be part of the trade fair programme. From laser-welded automotive metal sheets to designer silverware, from stable bridge structures to side impact protection, from long-lasting urns to the shiny wedding dress of the future: the award submissions couldn’t be any more diverse....
