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...
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Car market in China continued to recover at a steady pace and is likely to gain growth momentum in May and June. The daily retail sales of passenger vehicles averaged 32,000 units in the first week of May (May 1-10). That was an increase of 12 per cent from the fourth week of April, according to latest data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The daily retail sales of passenger vehicles dropped 7 per cent year-on-year. The Labour Day holiday meets people’s pent-up demand for self-drive tours following the easing of lockdowns. Stimulus measures including subsidising new car buyers and those who trade in their old cars for new ones lifted passenger car consumption, Shanghai Metals Market reported. Separately, CPCA data said that China’s wholesale deliveries of new energy...
For manufacturing ASI aluminium coffee capsule, the Swiss brand Nespresso and Australian packaging company Amcor have reportedly received the Alufoil Trophy in the Resource Efficiency Category from the European Aluminium Foil Association. The award recognised the Nespresso’s and Amcor’s efforts towards the improvement of the sustainability of the product by using ASI-certified aluminium, meaning using the metal that is produced and sourced from mined or recycled source and through each step in the value chain as per ASI’s standards. On winning the award, Gerald Rebitzer, Sustainability Director for Amcor Flexibles, said: “Certification from ASI helps us to deliver more responsible packaging solutions for our customers. Amcor is proud to win this award with our valued partner Nespresso, as...
"American electric vehicle and clean energy company Tesla Inc." had temporarily stop production at its plant on the outskirts of Shanghai, China. The company informed the factory workers who were supposed to resume work after the five-day Labour holidays on last Wednesday, May 6, that their holiday was extended and they would return as soon as May 9. The news came after some people familiar with the matter reported on the condition of anonymity. The reason for such an abrupt halt in production was not very clear at that moment until a Chinese news site reported that it was because of component shortages. Tesla’s only car factory outside the United States was expected delays in receiving parts for its Model 3, while also facing problems with a crucial piece of manufacturing equipment....
Hindalco has announced the reopening of aluminium foil plant in Mouda, near Nagpur, in response to requests from pharmaceutical packaging companies. The pharmaceutical companies are facing an acute shortage of specialised packaging material for Covid treatment drugs. The aluminium foil manufactured in plant is being used for packing Chloroquine Phosphate tablets and Hydroxychloroquine sulphate tables and other critical drugs. Mouda facility, the largest producer of pharmaceutical foil in India, has been exempted from the nation-wide lockdown. Mr. Anantha Bhat, Plant Head, Mouda, said, “The Mouda plant is committed to supporting the nation in its fight against COVID-19. We have re-started plant operations to meet the demand for packaging of critical drugs for COVID treatment. We are...
Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation has won a contract from India’s National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) to build and deliver regional commuter and intracity transit trains with comprehensive maintenance services. The trains will run on Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut semi-high-speed rail corridor under Phase 1 of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). The company will provide 30 regional commuter trainsets of six cars each and 10 intracity mass transit trainsets of three cars each. It will also provide rolling stock maintenance for 15 years. NCRTC can extend the contract for an additional 90 cars and two years of maintenance. Mr. Vinay Kumar Singh, Managing Director at NCRTC said, “Finalization of the Rolling Stock bid process is an important milestone in the...
According to the latest report from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on Monday, May 11, China’s wholesale deliveries of new energy passenger vehicles in April came in at 64,000 units, down 30 per cent from the same period last year but up month-on-month by 14.8 per cent as the business recovered from the fallout from the coronavirus crisis. In March 2020, China’s new energy passenger vehicles wholesale deliveries were 56,000 units, marking a month-on-month rise of nearly three times from February. But compared to the same period last year, it was down by 49.2 per cent, according to CPCA data. This means China’s new energy passenger vehicle sales have been registering a monthly growth over the past few months, despite being down compared to the previous year. In April, wholesale...
The metal and mining giant, Rio Tinto, has joined hands on a project to develop a zero-emission bus made of aluminium that will be tested in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada in 2021. The bus is fully electric and made with aluminium and it is named as the Electrip. Emmanuel Bergeron, Director of regional economic development, Rio Tinto said: “noting that it also offers greater accessibility for people with reduced mobility.” Since 2017, the mining company has come out to support the futuristic project, aligning with its focus on sustainability and combining public transport, low-carbon-footprint materials and renewable energy.
Ball Corporation reported net earnings of $23 million on sales of $2.8 billion in Q1, compared to $117 million net earnings on sales of $2.8 billion in 2019. The company’s comparable net earnings were $202 million, from comparable net earnings of $167 million last year. Ball said the results reflect the 2019 sale of the company's Argentine steel aerosol business and Chinese beverage can assets, and new segment reporting for the company's beverage packaging, EMEA business and other non-reportable results. “Ball is fortunate to have a strong balance sheet, ample liquidity, a "can-do" culture and a business model that has successfully weathered other turbulent economic times over our 140-year history. Our company is humbled by the resiliency with which we are able to execute our strategy,...
The Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Nissan Motor Co., announced on 7 th May’20 that it is extending its production halt for most of the USA manufacturing plants in regards to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision has delivered a negative message to the aluminium components suppliers for their US plants, as their role of the supply chain cannot be ignored. Nissan had begun gradually resuming production operations at its Infiniti powertrain plant in Decherd, Tennessee last week. The company stated that it would evaluate current market demand and supplier readiness before setting a restart date for the remaining plants. Many automakers are expecting to resume the US production starting 18 th May’20 after halting operations in late March’20.
Kempsey Showground is reportedly undergoing a renovation getting some new portable aluminium seating. The Central North Coast National Agricultural Society, one of 122 rural show societies nationally, is sharing $20 million worth of grants to deliver renovation projects to local showgrounds after receiving $58,159 in the latest AgShows grants. The $20 million grants are to be used by each successful show society nationally for a range of infrastructure works, from small-scale upgrades to major overhauls and new builds. "The Kempsey Show is a major drawcard for the town, and it was sadly cancelled this year due to COVID-19," Federal Member for Cowper, Pat Conaghan said. This grant will enable the society to give a facelift to the showgrounds, installing sturdy, portable seating, which will...
Car sales in China continued to inch higher month-on-month. Sales of automobile stood at 2 million units in April, an increase of 39.8 per cent from a month earlier. In March, automobiles sales in China recovered significantly from a month ago and stood at 1.43 million units, rising 361.1%. On a year-on-year basis, sales of automobile inched up 0.9 per cent, according to the flash estimate by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) released Thursday. Sales of car are likely to stand at 5.67 million units for the first four months of 2020, a decrease of 32.1 per cent from the same period the year before. Sales had registered a drop of 42.4 per cent in the January-to-March period.
Aluminium wire in power transmission and distribution applications is still the preferred material today, aluminium conducts electricity safely. Utility companies use aluminium wire for electrical transmission in power grids as it has a cost and weight advantages over copper wires. Aluminium wire is also used for power wiring of some aeroplanes. The aluminium wire export market of France has been showcasing strong and steady during 2017-20. The export volume has been recorded 143,739 tonnes during 2017-19 and revenue generated stood $245.70 million. The projected export for 2020 has been analyzed at 44,431 tonnes and income to be generated might reach to $101.69, the highest figure in revenue generation within the last four years. When the 2020 export volume and revenue gets added with...
The Dutch shipyard Heesen Yachts has reportedly presented the full details of its in-build 50 metre 5000 aluminium superyacht Project Altea. Project Altea is the latest all-aluminium yacht from Heesen and sistership to the 49.8 metre hybrid motor yacht Home . In Frank Laupman’s Omega Architects’ words “Altea features contemporary exterior design characterised by floor-to-ceiling windows.” According to Heesen director of sales and marketing Mark Cavendish, Project Altea’s exterior is one of Heesen’s best, owing to the sheet amount of structural glass. There are floor-to-ceiling windows in the main saloon, the owner’s cabin, and in the upper saloon. Elsewhere, Altea features unique spray rails, a fast displacement aluminium hull form with a shallow draft of 2.15 metres. The yacht features a...
The head of German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) has sent a warning that many of the country’s SME suppliers could run out of business unless Airbus maintains at least half its pre-crisis output over the next two years. Volker Thum, Managing Director of BDLI said: “Germany’s aerospace sector has boomed by riding back of Airbus’s commercial growth, with around a third of its production in the country that is now threatened by the coronavirus outbreak.” <iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PH37muoOlFk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> He also said: “Unless we can guarantee a minimum delivery level for Airbus, a whole industry that has been built over 40 years...
Zhenjiang Shipyard has reportedly completed building two series of pusher and towing tugs for a bauxite mining project in Guinea, Africa, as of May 3, after returning to full production in April following slower production in Q1 2020 due to COVID19 restrictions. In total, Zhenjiang Shipyard in Jiangsu province has completed 11 of those tugs, which are mainly used for bauxite mining in Guinea, part of China’s One Belt and One Road strategy of investment in ports, projects, and shipping. With the delivery of Yi Tuo (Yick Tug) 206 and 207 on May 3, the shipyard completes the COSCO Shipping Bulk Co's tug building project of 11 pusher and towing tugs. During March and April, Zhenjiang also tackled a backlog of five more 37-m pusher tugs Yi Tuo (Yick Tug) 103, 104, 203, 204, 205. Each of these...
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., a leading manufacturer of discrete semiconductors (diodes, MOSFETs, and infrared optoelectronics) and passive electronic components (resistors, inductors, and capacitors), announced the launch of a two new series of Automotive Grade, surface-mount aluminium electrolytic capacitors. It offers useful life up to 6,000 hours for automotive and industrial applications. The aluminium electrolytic capacitor offers high voltages up to 450 V with operating temperatures up to +125 °C. The high voltage range of Vishay BCcomponents 152 CME and 192 CTX series capacitors provides designers with greater design flexibility. “As polarized aluminum electrolytic capacitors with a non-solid electrolyte, the AEC-Q200 qualified devices are suited for smoothing, filtering, and...
Ardagh Group has created a $2million fund to support communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Group has inspired by Ardagh’s employees who have been volunteering in their communities and donating to local charities. Nominated by Ardagh’s local teams, the fund will be allocated to charities providing emergency relief in the communities close to Ardagh’s facilities. Ardagh, employs over 16,000 people, runs 56 metal and glass production facilities across 12 countries. “Our team in Ardagh supports a critical infrastructure for the communities we live in – the essential food and beverage supply chain,” said Paul Coulson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ardagh Group. “In recognition of our community-based purpose and the challenging times we are all in, Ardagh has created this...
The Indian automotive industry has urged the government for permission to restart manufacturing operations, as it has recorded zero sales in the domestic market in the first month of FY2021. According to a report, the industry has been tentatively losing over INR 2,300 crore turnover a day since the nationwide lockdown started on March 24, 2020. So, in the total 55 days of lockdown period, given that it is extended till May 17, the total losses could be accumulated at INR 1,26,500 crore. As companies gear up to restart operations, apex industry bodies, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), and the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations of India (FADA) have jointly written to the government, seeking...
