Two recent Tesla stories sit at opposite ends of the range. Tesla Model 3 is set to benefit from cost-focused Cybercab inverter technology, announced on November 1 2026. The flying car, Tesla Roadster, uses aluminum in its battery cells and underbody protection, reinforcing power delivery, thermal management and lightweight construction. The two models reveal how aluminum can serve very different engineering priorities, from making electric vehicles (EVs) more affordable to helping them deliver extraordinary performance. Tesla Model 3: the everyday car gets Cybercab hardware Nick Verzini, Tesla’s Head of Drive Unit Engineering, mentioned on a Munro Live factory tour that a new printed circuit board assembly and power stage from the Cybercab’s inverter will enter Model 3 production in...
Aluminum foil is getting a seasonal makeover as Reynolds Wrap introduces its limited-edition Snowflakes Fun Foil, bringing decorative appeal to everyday kitchen tasks ahead of the holiday season. Featuring an embossed snowflake pattern, the product combines the familiar functionality of aluminum foil with a festive appearance suited to food wrapping, holiday entertaining and homemade gifts. The new design allows consumers to use Reynolds Wrap foil for more than routine food storage, adding a decorative touch to meal preparation and presentation. Its winter-inspired pattern makes it suitable for covering dishes, preserving leftovers, packaging baked treats and creating festive crafts. Despite its seasonal appearance, Snowflakes Fun Foil retains the practical functionality of conventional...
Grow with
AL Circle
Craft beer company Belching Beaver, based in San Diego, has extended its product portfolio with the launch of a unique hard seltzer made of 100% real fruit. The new range is available in Ardagh Group 12 oz. cans. Belching Beaver Hard Seltzer comes in three flavours (Raspberry & Blackberry, Pineapple & Mango, Passionfruit & Guava). Belching Beaver Brewmaster Troy Smith said: “Our hard seltzer is absolutely unique with real fruit, real taste that consumers will recognise as something different". “By giving consumers the choice of real fruit in their hard seltzer, we hope to gain some traction as we build our brand in a crowded marketplace. Going forward, we expect the seltzer line to be a great addition to our lineup of beers. And like we say, open the can, take a sip, close your eyes and...
It’s now been over a year since IAG Cargo, the cargo handling division of International Airlines Group took delivery of the A350-1000, the latest reprisal of the future-facing, wide-body aircraft from Airbus. The aircraft A350-1000 made from a combination of carbon composites, titanium and aluminium alloys, offers lower fuel burn and less carbon dioxide emissions than other aircraft, with its nitrogen oxide emissions nearly a third below the current industry standard. The aircraft features the most powerful engine within the Airbus fleet with 97,000 pounds of thrust on take-off, and, at over 240 feet long, measures close to the length of a football field. The additional payload capability and range means that the A350-1000 can manage long-haul IAG Cargo routes such as to Austin, Dubai,...
Born from a passion for the sea, Tankoa Yachts embodies the concept of “thinking big” and this time it has floated a highly anticipated 50m all-aluminium superyacht M/Y Olokun. The third hull of Tankoa’s S501 features exquisite exterior design by Francesco Paszkowsk and interiors by Casadio Miami/London. Floated this weekend from the boutique yard in Genoa, the S501 series has been fine-tuned and perfected to a new standard of technical and aesthetic prowess on M/Y Olokun. With a semi-displacement hull, Olokun is powered by conventional diesel propulsion to reach top speeds of 17.5 knots and cruising speeds of 14 knots. It features a similar layout to the existing launches in the range, including fold-down balconies in the owner’s suite on the forward main deck, a side-loading tender...
Thyssenkrupp Elevator, one of the global leaders of elevator technology, has collaborated with Amplus Solar, a member of the Petronas Group to layout an onsite solar power unit at their Pune facility in Western India. Thyssenkrupp Elevator (India) has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Amplus Solar to procure 820 kWp of solar power for 20 years. Amplus Solar, headquartered in Gurgaon, India lately commissioned the 820 kWp solar power plant at the facility which includes 755 kWp of rooftop solar and a 65 kWp carport. The carport is unique in its construction, made up entirely of low weight, high strength Aluminium and has a premium design to match the aesthetic requirements of thyssenkrupp Elevator. Through this initiative, thyssenkrupp Elevator (India) will generate 1,067 MWh of...
Fun Wine, the Miami-based low alcohol flavoured wine drink firm rolls-out Monk fruit wine collection range in single-serve aluminium bottles bound for Australia. The monk fruit range features six flavours, including Peach Passion Moscato, Cappuccino Chardonnay and espresso Cabernet. Fine Wine uses 330ml recyclable aluminium bottles which it proclaims to handle the chemical characteristics of the wine. The bottles feature artworks designed by renowned Miami graffiti and pop artist, Miguel Paredes. The brand aims to distribute the new collection in the US and key global markets. Joe Peleg, Founder and CEO at Fun Wine, said: “In addition to our US expansion, we are on a fast track to growing overseas, where we are continuing to nurture relationships with key importers, distributors, and...
Crossing through the “Corona crisis”, governments are seeking businesses to engage in a "green recovery" whereby sustainability is prioritised and put at the centre of the rebuilding of global economies. With businesses and individuals re-assessing their attitudes to the risks faced by global threats such as climate change, there is indeed no better time to convert words into actions by building and delivering new infrastructure in a way which kick-starts and supports the low-carbon transition. These examples are still only a minority however and more must be done. That is where low-carbon aluminium comes in. Construction carbon specialists, Bionova, published that: “Low-carbon Aluminium: Solution for sustainable construction and renovation, which welcomes low-carbon aluminium as an...
Lotte Aluminium Co. announced plans to boost its production capacity of its production lines for cathode foil, a key material in making EV batteries, at the company’s Ansan facility in Seoul. This would meet growing demand for electric vehicle batteries amid the global race for zero-emissions cars. The expansion plan would increase the annual production capacity of cathode foil to 12,000 tons from the previous 3,000 tons. The company also announced its plan to complete its plant with a capacity of 18,000 tons of cathode foil in Tatabanya Industrial Park in Hungary in 2021. Lotte Aluminium targets to sell its cathode foil to South Korean manufacturers of EV batteries. The company did not reveal any further information. Note to readers: AlCircle brings two-day event for aluminium industry...
Thyssenkrupp Carbon Components and Hyundai have led a 19-inch wheel rim in CFRP-aluminium construction to series production. On a further note due to its low weight, it has reduced rolling noise. Developed jointly by Thyssenkrupp Carbon Components and the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre (HMTEC), the forged wheel comprised of an aluminium wheel spider and the rim base made of carbon using braiding technology is attached to it. As stated by the manufacturers, to fully certify the new type of construction, besides the usual tests for wheel trials, additional tests specifically tailored to the material CFRP were required. On test stands and in real vehicle tests, the developers have shown that they have increased acceleration, shorter braking distances and significantly reduced road...
The Government of Uganda has publicized June 2021 as the date for the start of manufacture of electric cars in Uganda, however, failed to hit the deadline in 2018. Kiira Motors on social media conveyed: “Expect us to start manufacturing Ugandan made vehicles from our Vehicle Plant by June 2021.” On a further note to confirm their plans, the company declared its commitment to source most of their raw materials from local manufacturers. Kiira Motors: “We are on the move to gather all the necessary components to deliver all things Made in Uganda. Our first stop is at G Das Industrial Ltd, a company located in Jinja known for smelting Aluminium and manufacture Aluminium profiles.” Kiira Motors Director Production, Albert Akovuku and Director Product Development Richard Madanda piloted the...
Foreign automakers are reportedly seeking delays and exemptions to India’s new quality rules for imported auto parts. According to them, regulations on imported auto parts will increase the costs of finished products, hurt sales, and disrupt the overall supply chains, said the sources with direct knowledge of the matter. India’s Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen to implement new planned regulations to curb imports and boost local manufacturing in line with his self-reliance programme. However, the move is primarily aimed at slashing the amount of lower-quality imports from China. "There is short term pain but there is long term gain," Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told an auto convention last week, saying India has become a dumping ground for low-quality goods by not having...
The Chicago headquartered Motorola Inc. rolls-out its highly-awaited new foldable smartphone the Motorola Razr 5G. The flip phone comes with a 6.2-inch display with 21:9 aspect ratio while the secondary display is 2.7 inch. Motorola Razr 5G runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor. The device has a 48 MP camera with Quad Pixel technology that provides 4x the low light sensitivity. The selfie camera is of 20 MP and comes handy for video calls, offering a high-quality immersive experience. The rear side of the phone’s plastic body is replaced by 7000 series aluminium with polished 3D glass, which delivers an eminent, eye-catching look. The smartphone comes in three colours options - Polished Graphite, Liquid Mercury and Blush Gold. It has a tapered chin, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor...
Australian mineral water brand Calm & Stormy has reportedly introduced aluminium can packaging as an alternative option to single-use plastic bottles. According to the report, the company’s aluminium can packaging contains 70 per cent recycled content. Calm & Stormy believes aluminium cans are the most sustainable packaging option as the metal never degrades. “I’ve noticed a significant increase in people’s awareness of the issue,” said Murray Raeburn, co-founder of Calm & Stormy. “I’m inspired to see Australians taking action, as they seek out more sustainable alternatives.” Calm & Stormy is a member of the 1 per cent for the Planet organisation, committing 1 per cent of the company’s gross sales to the fight to reduce ocean plastic waste. The brand offers mineral water sourced from a...
Kazakhstan has a mixed economic system which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Kazakhstan is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. Kazakhstan's economy and society have undergone deep transformations since the country declared independence in 1991. Kazakhstan has set itself the goal of becoming one of the 30 most developed countries in the world by 2050. The Central Asian nation’s import of aluminium wires during 2018-19 has been recorded with rapid growth, as the import volume stood at 14,318 tonnes, which occurred with an expenditure of $31.17 million. The estimated import for 2020 has been marked at 12,056 tonnes and revenue expenditure to be standing at $22.67 million. However, when the import volume and...
Beverage brand SKYE Energy has teamed up with Ardagh Group to launch new set of cans in the international markets. The new cans come in format variety of 500ml standard, 330ml sleek, 150ml slim and a 250ml slim can with special gold tone effect. The updated SKYE Energy cans embody the brand’s slogan ‘Feel the Victory’. The company has worked with Ardagh’s Graphics team bring them the ambitious vision of a dynamic, multi-screened print with perfect contrast and colour fidelity. The vibrant red, orange and dark red printed can body, with electric blue-glow highlights, delivers a dramatic visual jolt. Alexis Stavrianos, General Manager of SKYE Energy, said: “We worked very closely with Ardagh’s Graphics team to finalise specific elements of the updated SKYE Energy cans. They made it easy to...
Mpac Group plc, a global leader in high speed packaging and automation solutions, has purchased Switchback Group, Inc., a USA based supplier of packaging machinery and automation solutions to the food, beverage and healthcare markets. The initial price is $13.0 million, payable in cash, with a further earn-out consideration of up to $2.0 million. Mpac aims to become a market leader in the provision of full-line packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and food and beverage sectors. Switchback, founded in 2006, is a provider of packaging machinery that benefitted from the shift towards increased use of recyclables, aluminium cans, and cardboard packaging. The President of Switchback, Dave Shepherd, will remain with the business to continue the next phase of its growth...
The world is celebrating its first-ever 'World EV Day' on September 9, and to commemorate the occasion, Nissan has announced a major milestone of producing its 500,000 th Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market 100 per cent electric car. With half billion LEAF built globally, customers around the world continue to embrace the pioneering zero-emission vehicle. The 500,000th LEAF is being built at Nissan’s plant in Sunderland, England, which so far has built more than 175,000 LEAF cars since it began producing the model in 2013. Continued to be crafted with the highest standards to ensure the car embodies the same innovation, the 500,000 LEAF has found its happy owner Maria Jansen from Norway. The Nissan Australia Casting Plant (NCAP) continues to produce 2.5 million metal casting per...
The SPF Institute for Solar Technology at the University of Applied Sciences in Eastern Switzerland (Ost) received the innovation prize from the "Stiftung Futur" for the development of electricity and heat production using aluminium as fuel. For two years now, the researchers at the SPF have been working on behalf of the Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) on electricity and heat production from aluminium and want to make heating oil and natural gas superfluous in buildings. "In addition to the buildings' heat requirements in winter, aluminium can also supply electrical energy," says Rapperswil. Together with the solar power generation on the roof and a heat pump, even buildings that are not connected to a heat or natural gas network can be completely heated and supplied with electricity in...
HCP has announced the acquisition of the remaining 50% shares of Hetian Packaging (Huai'an) Co., Ltd. The company is now a wholly owned subsidiary of HCP Group. “With this 100% ownership, HCP now have direct control of manufacturing and development capabilities of aluminium which is becoming more and more important to the cosmetic market. This adds to an already strong plastic cosmetic container manufacturing capability of HCP and forms a complete supply chain,” HCP said. Hetian Packaging is among the biggest aluminium parts forming and anodizing factories in China. The company has been an aluminium parts supplier to the HCP group since its establishment in 2013. HCP will plan to invest in its’ manufacturing capacity and new product development and innovation. HCP now has 10 manufacturing...
