Australia could turn more of its aluminium and copper resources into higher-value battery components, with a new report from national science agency CSIRO identifying opportunities to strengthen the country's domestic battery manufacturing capabilities. The report, The Future of Australian Battery Manufacturing: Cell Cans and Current Collector Foils, examines how Australia could use its existing industrial expertise, materials and manufacturing capabilities to produce key components for lithium-ion and emerging sodium-ion batteries. Rather than focusing solely on the country's critical mineral resources, the analysis explores practical ways to move further downstream and capture more value through local manufacturing. The opportunity comes as global demand for batteries continues to grow,...
Germany and France share one of Europe’s busiest downstream aluminium corridors, and the metal flows in both directions. In the first seven months of 2026, aluminium flat rolled products (FRP), which cover aluminium plates, sheets and strips (HS code: 7606), as well as aluminium foil (HS code: 7607), crossed the border each way, amounting to a total of around USD 692 million. However, the bilateral trade flow is tilted towards Germany, which remains France’s largest FRP supplier. Nonetheless, the inter-dependence remains as the countries do exchange the same products but engage in cross-border trade of specialised high-value products and alloys, feeding the demand on either side. The trade figures for January–July 2026, as compiled from the International Trade Administration, highlight...
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The Indonesian Cable Manufacturers Association (Apkabel) chairman Noval Jamalullail said Monday that aluminum cable production will increase by 20 percent from 150,000 metric tons to 180,000 tons in 2012. He said the first part of the government’s ambitious 10,000 megawatt power plant program, which was started in 2006, had contributed to the increase. “The program is a big project and it needs to be completed by the end of this year; then we aim to boost the aluminum cable production, which is used for power plant transmissions,” Noval said, after a mini seminar on the upcoming Wire and Tube Fair, which is scheduled to take place in Düsseldorf, Germany, from March 26-30, 2012. The second part of the power plant program will begin in 2012. He added that factory expansion was a part of the...
The future for aluminum demand is looking pretty nice and shiny.Alcoa is certainly betting on higher long-term auto demand, contrary to what some of the auto sector bears are predicting, by expanding an aluminum plant in Iowa. The expansion wouldn’t be complete until 2013, which goes to show Alcoa’s optimism in the future global aluminum market, which is in part due to existing business – it could be based on long-term production agreements such as Novelis’ agreement to supply the metal for Range Rover’s new Evoque. Reuters quotes Helmut Wieser, Alcoa’s executive vice president and group president of Alcoa Global Rolled Products, as saying, “The automotive market has long lead times and much of this expansion we are announcing today is for business already secured. However, we see huge...
Miller (booth 6154), Miller Welding Automation (booth 5954) and ITW Welding North America (booth 5950) are set to introduce the latest welding, cutting and safety technologies for metalworking professionals across a wide range of markets. APPLETON, Wis., - Miller Electric Mfg. Co. will introduce brand new welding equipment and safety products, as well as showcase recent technology advances at FABTECH 2011, held November 14-17, 2011 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Miller (booth 6154), Miller Welding Automation (booth 5954) and ITW Welding North America companies such as Bernard, Hobart Brothers, MAXAL, Tregaskiss, and Weldcraft (booth 5950) will showcase comprehensive welding systems and market-specific solutions designed for manufacturing, fabrication, shipbuilding, construction and...
Guangxi Songchuan Industrial Co., Ltd. started the aluminum alloy wheel hubs project in Fusui County, the investment reaches 0.35 billion Yuan. This project can create production value of 1.5 billion Yuan and profits and taxes of 0.1 billion Yuan per year, and pay 50,000 thousand Yuan for tax revenue.
Stepping off the elevator into the foyer of HudBay Minerals’ new 26,000-square-foot head offices in Toronto, visitors are met with actual ingots of raw zinc on the wall, branded with the HudBay stamp. The ceiling panels are made of recycled spun aluminum that artistically mimics the ceilings of the mines, and some of the walls are made of split-face stone, inspired by company photos of vertical cliffs. The new office is visually stunning, but when HudBay, which discovers, produces and markets base metals in Canada, the U.S. and Central America, chose Toronto-based architects Taylor Smyth to create an office that would extend their brand, there was a real purpose to the redesign. “We wanted to portray the next chapter in HudBay’s development, moving away from the turmoil in the company...
The BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited (BATL) has been contracted to build five prototype airborne launchers of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with its first flight test on a Su-30 MKI aircraft slated to take place by the end of 2012. Designed by BrahMos engineers and approved by the Sukhoi Design Bureau, original makers of Sukhoi, the launcher was indigenously developed by BATL, A. Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Executive Officer of Indo-Russian BrahMos Aerospace, told The Hindu over telephone. Fabricated using high strength aluminium, the 6-metre-long airborne launcher — the largest in the world — weighs 350 kg.
Companhia Brasiliera doe Aluminio (CBA), a unit of Votorantim Metais, pushed aluminium output up 10.4% in August after solving a technical issue that affected operations from the second quarter. Since the opening of its plant in Alumínio, São Paulo state, in 1955, Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio follows a success road, marked by pioneering, technological innovations and social and environmental responsibility. Presenting, over these 51 years, a 10% annual average growth, it is the second largest Brazilian metal producer, with 400 thousand tons/year of primary aluminum. CBA has been preparing itself for a new expansion process, which will enable it to reach the milestone of 470 thousand tons/year in 2007. Positioned among the largest global companies in the industry, it is the largest...
Earlier this month government of Henan Province formally approved that Zhengzhou can become exporting base for deep-processing products. In 2008, Zhengzhou exported $2.8725billion aluminum and aluminum products which increased by 44.4% compared with 2007. Influenced by the 2009 international financial crisis, there was a decline in the export volume. However, with the recovery of the global market last year, foreign trade of Zhengzhou realized recovery growth. The export volume of aluminum and aluminum products reached $2.8005billion, which increased by 239.0% compared with 2009. Now, Zhengzhou has become an important exporting base of aluminum products in Henan province. It has a batch of key enterprises in deep-processing aluminum exporting represented by Mingtai Aluminum, Wanda...
An aluminum profile project of Hengyong Aluminum Co., Ltd has come into construction after being registered successfully recently. The project is estimated to have an annual output of 6000tons. It is an achievement of Ganxian’s effort to forge a strong non-ferrous metal industry. Located in the Hongjin industrial district of Ganxian economic development zone,the project has a total investment of 58.3billion RMB. The implementation of the project will meet the demand of the growing aluminum market. Therefore, it has vast potential for future development.
China Association of Automobile Manufactures released data of automobile production and sales in August. According to the report, the output of automobile in August reaches 1.393million which increases by 6.66% compared with that of July and 8.72% compared with last year. Meanwhile, the sales volume in August is 1.3811million which rises by 8.72% compared with July and 4.15% compared with last year. There is increase in both output and sales compared with last month. Influenced by relevant policies and limited promotion space for consumption, there is an obvious decline in the growing rate of auto consumption compared with last year. Therefore, it has significant effect on the consumption for aluminum casting. This year, many aluminum casting suppliers have complained about the slow...
China's constraints on electricity supplies will help greatly boost United Company Rusal PLC's sales to the country, said a senior company official. "We expect aluminum exports to China will start to increase substantially next year," said Oleg Mukhamedshin, deputy CEO. The gap between demand and supply in China will create an opportunity of 4 million tons a year for the company by 2015, he said. China, the world's largest producer and consumer of aluminum, is currently balanced in terms of aluminum output and use. Rusal's sales to China grew 15 percent in the first half and will continue to increase over the next decade because of the country's fast urbanization and industrialization, Mukhamedshin said. "The construction, automobile and aerospace industries in China are expected to be...
ArmenAl Armenian-Russian foil-rolling plant in Yerevan is set to produce 26,000 tons of foil this year, by 7% more than in 2010, economy minister Tigran Davtian said today after the government adopted a decision to extend the so-called ‘temporary import customs regime’ for the company until September 8, 2012. The privilege is granted to companies that import 300 million drams and more worth equipment or services. In the first six months of this year ArmenAl produced 13,110 tons of foil, by 8.2% more than in the same period last year. It also exported 12,602 tons, by 4% more than in January-June last year.
Holland 1916, a manufacturer of custom stainless steel and aluminum nameplates, data plates, and tagging solutions, expands its product offering to include ColorIn aluminum nameplates. ColorIn aluminum (sometimes referred to as two step color anodizing) is a product that uses cobalt salts to create colored anodized aluminum instead of organic dyes used in traditional colored anodized aluminum processes. Using cobalt salts instead of organic dyes creates a durable product that shows very little color variation when exposed to sunlight. ColorIn is typically used in architectural applications where a durable colored anodized aluminum is required and 20 years of color integrity is expected. Most notably the architects that designed the new Super Dome in New Orleans specified ColorIn aluminum...
Aluminum extruders aren’t rushing to sign their 2012 billet supply contracts with the same fervor as last year, market participants told AMM as the mating season began this week. Aluminum extruders aren’t rushing to sign their 2012 billet supply contracts with the same fervor as last year, market participants told AMM as the mating season began this week. Buyers are slightly more cautious than last year, when they hurried to sign the contracts for fear there wouldn’t be enough supply, and are attempting to negotiate lower premiums as the billet market is perceived to be in oversupply in North America, one billet producer said. "(Extruders) think billet is slightly long and, therefore, should get a break in the price," the billet producer told.
Ducati will take the first step towards toning down the radical design of its Desmosedici MotoGP machine, when Valentino Rossi swaps carbon fibre for an aluminium front-section during this weekend's Aragon round. The seven-time MotoGP champion, who is sixth in the world championship with just one podium from his 13 races for Ducati, will have one bike fitted with aluminium after a positive test with the material on the 2012 bike at Mugello last week. The front part of the bike is a bit different and is aluminium and not carbon fibre like it was before. The Doctor claimed that the change has been made in order to speed up development of the GP11, since aluminium can be modified more quickly. "It's a question of time with regards to the material," he said. "We have to work, to try to...
Alcoa Inc. said, on Thursday, it will spend about $300 million to expand its Davenport, Iowa rolled products plant in order to meet rising demand from the automotive market. The Pittsburgh-based aluminum producer said in a press release that the project will add 150 new permanent jobs in Davenport once the expansion is complete, which is expected by the end of 2013. Total employment will reach more than 2,300 jobs with the added aluminum production. Another 150 workers will be hired for the construction project. Aluminum as a percentage of autos has been increasing over the last 20 years, especially as the U.S. auto industry tries to meet more stringent fuel efficiency standards by using the light-weight metal. For 2012 model cars, Alcoa said, the use of aluminum has reached an all-time...
The continuous cold rolling production line started in 2006 by Southwest Aluminum Co., Ltd(SWA) has been put into trial production recently. This production line is expected to end the long history of China’s dependence on imported high-class aluminum material. Li Fengyi, general manager of SWA said:”Currently 30% can material used for pop-top can production in China was provided by our company. After this new production line goes into operation, we expect the market share of can material produced by us could reach 50% in the next year.” Compared with traditional production lines, cold rolling production line is able to save more than 20% energy, and above 96% of cooling water can be recycled. From July to August, the new production line has produced more than 20000 tons cold rolling...
Two new production lines of Chinalco are expected to be put into operation before the end of this year. Located in Southwest Aluminum Co., Ltd(SWA) and Northeast Light Alloy Co., Ltd(NELA), these two lines have a total investment of one billion. Although the financial crisis has led to temporary reduction in output, these two lines are under construction with high speed. While building up the new production lines, experts of Chinalco also started to develop 7 new aluminum alloy which has covered all the processing projects of large aircrafts. Currently, some products such as thick aluminum sheet produced by SWA and NELA have been delivered for use. The aluminum alloy produced by these two lines is different from the former products.They need to be more long, more wide and more thick in...
