Japan imported 1.36 million tonnes of downstream aluminium products in January–August 2026, down 6.2 per cent from 1.45 million tonnes in the same period of 2025. The latest figures show lower overall imports, with shipments from the UAE seeing the biggest decline among the five leading exporters listed, while imports from Australia also fell. Japan’s total imports decline Japan’s downstream aluminium imports stood at 1.36 million tonnes through August 2026, a drop of around 90,000 tonnes, compared to shipments in 2025 during the same period. However, annual imports remained broadly stable over the previous three years, rising from 2.11 million tonnes in 2023 to 2.12 million tonnes in 2024, an increase of 0.3 per cent. In 2025, imports edged up by a further 0.1 per cent to 2.12 million...
Alumil India, the fully-owned Indian subsidiary of Alumil Group, has successfully delivered advanced fenestration solutions for NICMAR University in Pune, transforming a precast campus vision into a functional, durable and future facing learning environment. The project required approximately three hundred windows within a tight timeline which was successfully delivered by Alumil India. The project deployed Alumil’s top-hung window systems combined with sleek mullions and glazing. “NICMAR University presented an opportunity to demonstrate how fenestration can become an integral part of both a building’s architecture and its performance. The project required us to respond to large openings, intensive daily usage, acoustic and weather considerations, safety, and the specific challenges of...
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The downstream sector plays a crucial role in the aluminium industry's profitability and overall contribution to the global economy, and as a result, it is regarded as the most important in the aluminium industry because it adds significant value to the raw aluminium produced in the upstream stage. It is during this phase that aluminium is transformed into semi-finished or finished products, such as automotive parts, construction materials, aerospace components, and even consumer goods. These downstream products have a wide range of applications across industries, making aluminium a versatile and sought-after material. Moreover, the downstream sector involves extensive manufacturing, fabrication, and customization processes, creating numerous jobs and driving economic growth in regions...
Background: Progesys is a leading company specializing in project management that helps project owners worldwide deliver successful projects with more than two decades of experience in the aluminium industry. The company has recognized the importance of integrating various project phases, from feasibility to execution, including operational readiness. This case study explores how Progesys has implemented strategies to optimize project execution and ensure the seamless transition from construction to operation. Challenge: In the world of project management, teams working on project feasibility and execution often focus on engineering and construction, leaving out crucial phases and activities like commissioning and operational readiness. The lack of integration between these phases can...
Guangdong Enterprise Federation and Guangdong Entrepreneurs Association recently announced the "2023 Guangdong Top 500 Enterprises" list, and Hesheng Shares was honoured for the second year in a row. Hesheng, a technology-driven firm specialising in integrating new materials and new energy, has consistently endeavoured to advance the utilisation of high-end industrial aluminium alloy materials within the domains of new energy vehicles and consumer electronics. Hesheng Shares has once again emerged as the top contender in the list of Guangdong Top 500 firms, effectively showcasing its complete prowess in several domains, such as brand reputation, organisational size, financial performance, social responsibility, and other pertinent factors. Additionally, this achievement underscores the...
Aluminium cables for high-current applications in electric vehicles can not only lower cost and weight but also improve the durability of the overall cable system and electric vehicle harness. So why haven't they been widely adopted? This article discusses the need for aluminium cables, what the industry has done so far, and how a new key welding technology from Innovative Weld Solutions LLC (IWSL) can enable the widespread use of aluminium cables for high-current applications in electric vehicles and their charging stations. Stranded-wire aluminium cables would be much less expensive and significantly lighter than the copper cables being used presently. Unfortunately, industry efforts in trying to join them to connectors reliably have not been successful. Several methods, such as:...
Aluminium components have gained significant attention in the aerospace sector as manufacturers look for ways to leverage the benefits of 3D printing. Airbus Helicopters, for instance, has inaugurated its 3D printing centre in Donauwörth, where it has installed TRUMPF systems to enhance its in-house capacity for this innovative process. The centre has three machines for components made of titanium, four for plastic parts, and a new machine that produces aluminium components. This has enabled Airbus to reap the advantages of additive manufacturing, including resource efficiency, high flexibility, and the ability to produce complex structures with ease. The aerospace industry is increasingly using 3D printing for both prototyping and serial production. This process allows the production of...
The CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST), situated in Kerala, will work with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), Bengaluru, to indigenise the country's aerospace and military industries. In this respect, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in Bengaluru on November 2, 2023. The MoU calls for creating aeronautical quality aluminium alloy casting and magnesium utilising the low-pressure casting (LPC) technology, as well as filler materials for salvage welding of aluminium and magnesium alloy castings and other research fields. It will make it easier for CSIR and NIIST to cooperate on human resource utilisation, facility optimisation, technological support services, consulting services, and collaborative research in light alloys, as well as the...
Tower Alloys Industries Limited, a Nigeria-based producer of a wide range of quality aluminium cookware, roofing, and extrusion profiles, has reportedly increased its shareholding in Aluminum Extrusion Industries Plc to 67.55 per cent by recently acquiring a majority stake in the company. Aluminium Extrusion Industries is a leading manufacturing company in Nigeria engaged in producing and marketing extruded aluminium products. The acquisition of the stake in Aluminum Extrusion Industries followed changes to the shareholding of the company. The news came after a notice was published - “This is to inform the public and our stakeholders that Aluminum Extrusion Industries Plc received a notification from the majority shareholder, Tower Aluminum Nigeria Plc (In Receivership), that Tower Alloys...
Chennai-based Wheels India, a leading aluminium alloy wheels maker, has announced its decision to open fully-owned subsidiaries in Europe and the US. This is quite big news for the auto components manufacturer as the move will be fundamental for its growth internationally, strengthening its supply chains. The Managing Director of Wheels India , Srivats Ram, asserted, "The emerging business potential in the US and Europe is giving us the reason for having people on the ground." "We have started supplying aluminium wheels to the first OEM, and the production has more than doubled to around 24,000 per month when compared to the same period last year. We expect the second OEM in the cast aluminium segment in the first quarter of next year," he concluded. The expansion would primarily look at...
Baowu Aluminium Company collected a batch of ABS car plate orders from a local independent brand automobile leading engine manufacturing in the fall of 2023. Looking back on the cooperation between Baowu Aluminium and the automobile main engine factory, it can be said that the automobile main engine factory witnessed the rapid development of Baowu Aluminum's aluminium plate from the ground up, and Baowu Aluminium also actively participated in the entire process of developing new energy vehicles in the automobile main engine factory. In 2020, Baowu Aluminium Company debuted the manufacturing line and equipment for preparing aluminium plates for vehicles, as well as a thorough understanding of the aluminium demand and plans for new models of the automotive main engine plant. The air cushion...
On October 26th, Guizhou Gui Aluminium New Materials organised an event to commemorate the completion of their 5# rolling mill ribbon project, a part of their aluminium foil project with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tonnes. The event also included the delivery of the first order. The project undertaken by Guizhou Gui Aluminium New Materials, which involves the yearly manufacture of 30,000 tonnes of ultra-thin and power battery aluminium foil, has significant importance as a major industrial initiative in Guiyang City aimed at fostering new industries. This project is a fundamental initiative aimed at constructing, enhancing, expanding, and fortifying pivotal industries. Additionally, it is important for Guizhou Province's entry into the high-end manufacturing sector.
Aluminium is increasingly being used in additive manufacturing due to its unique properties and benefits in the production of high-performance components. Ricoh, a leading technology company has recently announced its innovative Binder Jetting Technology (BJT), which aims to revolutionise the production of end-use metal parts using 3D printing technology. To maximise the efficiency of its aluminium BJT technology, Ricoh has partnered with Siemens Digital Industries Software and its Additive Manufacturing Network capabilities for production preparation, planning, scheduling, and production management. This collaboration will enable Ricoh and its future users to assess designs, optimise critical properties, manage digital inventories, manage quotes, and track orders while also being able to...
Proterial, in partnership with the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), has successfully reached a significant achievement by creating 'ADMUSTERL61P,' an advanced metal additive manufacturing powder. As per reports, this innovative development is specifically designed for utilisation with the aluminium alloy Al6061, showcasing remarkable characteristics in terms of its superior strength and resistance to corrosion. The primary goal of this achievement is to accelerate the implementation of this revolutionary aluminium alloy powder across numerous sectors, with a particular focus on aerospace, automotive, and semiconductor production equipment. Al6061 distinguishes itself as an aluminium alloy due to its superior mechanical qualities and simplicity of production. The...
On the eve of October 27, a few leading Chinese aluminium companies announced their third-quarter results, revealing a year-on-year drop in revenues and net profits. For instance, Shandong Nanshan Aluminium earned RMB 21.69 billion in revenue in the first three quarters of 2023, down by 18.24 per cent annually. The net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies was also 24.81 per cent less year-on-year to RMB 2.142 billion. The basic earnings per share during the said period was RMB 0.18, reflecting a Y-o-Y decrease of 25 per cent. Shandong Nanshan Aluminium is principally engaged in the manufacture and distribution of alumina powder, electrolytic aluminium, alloy ingots, aluminium profiles, hot-rolled products, cold-rolled products, and aluminium foils. Jiangsu Lidao New...
EOS is introducing upgraded version of its EOS M 300-4 metal additive manufacturing equipment with four 1kW lasers. The EOS M 300-4 1kW has been specifically designed to fulfil the production demands of many applications using aluminium and copper materials. These applications include the manufacturing of brackets, holders, antennas, and components related to e-mobility. The M 300-4 system by EOS was introduced onto the market a few years ago and has been used by several companies, such as Material Solutions, Incodema3D, and Rennscot MFG. EOS has successfully included 1kW lasers into their quad-laser metal technology, resulting in a significant increase in productivity compared to the conventional M 300-4 model that employs four 400W lasers. "The EOS M 300-4 has already proven to be a...
Avon Metals, one of the privately owned UK-based manufacturers of aluminium casting alloys and a multi-award-winning metal recycling company with a turnover of £100 m, has recently completed 50 glorious years of business. The UK-based company, which includes subsidiary Avon Specialty Metals, employs 86 people at three facilities in Gloucester, right off the main Bristol Road. "As a Gloucester-based company, we are proud to celebrate this important milestone of 50 years in business. Gloucester has proven to be a great place for our business to flourish," said Managing Director Richard Lewis, who has been with the business for 15 years. Recycling is at the heart of all Avon business divisions, which run on continuous 24-hour shift schedules to keep up with demand. Avon Metals has received...
The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has made a revolutionary discovery that could completely alter the field of additive manufacturing. TII's Advanced Materials Research Center (AMRC) has developed a new aluminium alloy powder called AMALLOY-HT, specifically designed for use in Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) machines. This is the first metal alloy to be developed in the Middle East that is suitable for this kind of additive manufacturing. Dr Nesma Aboulkhair, Director of Additive Manufacturing at TII, commented: "While there have been several examples of new materials for Additive Manufacturing emerging from laboratories in the US, Europe, and Australia, this is the first time the UAE has joined the elite list of countries with sovereign capabilities in this domain." "We are...
Aluminium has emerged as a critical element in the ever-evolving technology landscape, playing an essential role in various technological domains, including the thriving world of cryptocurrency. Its versatility and adaptability have made it indispensable in shaping the digital age. This article delves into the multifaceted uses of aluminium in the crypto industry and its broader implications in technology. Some of aluminium's inseparable properties that make it a perfect raw material for the cryptocurrency mining industry are: Lightweight characteristics Heat-resistant and thermal conductivity Corrosion-resistant High endurability Heat management is crucial in cryptocurrency mining, which demands significant computational power, leading to the generation of substantial heat within mining...
The aluminium downstream sector plays a critical role in the processing and utilization of aluminium, a versatile and lightweight metal with a wide range of applications. The downstream activities cater to diverse industries, such as automotive, aerospace, construction, packaging, and electrical, offering customized solutions to meet specific demands. The sector's growth is driven by innovation, sustainability, and the increasing demand for lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and eco-friendly materials in modern manufacturing. At an aluminium conference in Barcelona, a senior executive from Hindalco Industries stated that India is currently the world's second-largest aluminium producer. Furthermore, he highlighted the projection of India's aluminium consumption demand doubling in the coming...
