Ducati has unveiled the Desmo450 SM, a new production supermoto developed from its Desmo450 MX platform, featuring an aluminium twin-spar frame. This is designed to combine low weight, rigidity and strength. The motorcycle made its debut during World Ducati Week and is aimed at competition use. The Desmo450 SM uses the same aluminium frame architecture as the motocross model. Ducati says the frame has also been designed to allow a straighter intake route while maintaining the strength and rigidity needed for high-performance riding. The bike has a fuel capacity of 7.2 litres. The company has also focused on reducing weight in other areas. Its Bartubeless wheel system, for example, removes inner tubes and cuts rotating and unsprung mass by 1.2kg. The motorcycle also features a cast...
China’s aluminum door and window manufacturing sector includes a range of suppliers offering thermal-break systems, customized solutions, OEM/ODM production, and products for international building projects. A recent industry guide highlights Guangdong Dejiyoupin, Guangdong EEHE, Foshan CIVO, Sichuan Yazhixuan, and Sichuan Mingrenju, citing their production capabilities, product portfolios, project experience, customization services, and testing or certification coverage. The companies differ in their areas of focus. Dejiyoupin is highlighted for its production capacity and international certifications, while EEHE is noted for patents and a broad range of project solutions. CIVO focuses on factory-direct customization and climate-oriented systems, while Yazhixuan provides OEM/ODM...
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Aluminium can recycling and upcycling has been given a new dimension by innovative artists, architects and ecycling professionals. Artist Noah Deledda creates Aluminium sculptures that look like they are a work of precise automated machine. However, he creates these by using his thumbs to create dents and creases in the soft can metal. The perfect geometric patterns of these cans look like created by a robotic hand. The Tempa Bay-based artist had to make a video to proof his artistry. He starts the work by removing the printed layer of the can polishing the surface. Then he creates flawless geometric patterns by making dents and creases into the soft metal. Deledda confirmed that he developed his minute technique over several years. Noah Deledda wrote on his website, “Crushing, denting...
One Equity Partners has acquired Netherlands-based aluminium and laminate specialty packaging firm Alltub from Aurora Capital Group’s affiliate Aurora Resurgence. Amsterdam based Alltub offers aluminium and laminate packaging solutions for customers in the cosmetics, pharma, food and industrial end markets. Commenting on the acquisition, Alltub CEO Oliver Hoell said: “The dedication of our skilled workforce will allow us to continue expanding into new markets and delivering customer satisfaction…We look forward to working with One Equity Partners as we enter this new phase in our development and put our ambitious growth plans into action.” Alltub’s packaging product range includes aluminium squeeze tubes, laminate squeeze tubes, aluminium caulking cartridges and aluminium aerosol cans....
Dr. Ali Al Zarouni, Deputy Executive Director of Production, Technology Development and Transfer at Emirates Global Aluminium Company (EGA) has reportedly inked an agreement on behalf of the company with HE Saif Bader Al Qubaisi, General Manager of Abu Dhabi City Municipality to construct a sports stadium at Al Samha. “This agreement epitomises the commitment of the Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities - Abu Dhabi City Municipality to foster partnerships and cooperation with key institutions,” said the General Manager of Abu Dhabi City Municipality. “It also comes in the context of activating the values of communal responsibility, utilising them in community service & development, and building infrastructure & entertainment facilities.” On this occasion, Al Qubaisi has also...
Cleveland-based rolled aluminium firm Aleris International Inc. announced on November 1 that it received the prestigious “Industrial Performance” award from Airbus, an international pioneer in the aerospace industry. The award recognises Aleris for continuous accomplishments in the field of Aerostructures and Materials, highlighting its superior performance in the area of high-quality product delivery and for the strong collaborative business partnership it has developed with Airbus. On receiving this prestigious recognition, Sean Stack, Chairman and CEO of Aleris, said: "We are proud to have received the prestigious Best Performer Award to mark our strategic partnership. This is a great honor and motivation for everybody within Aleris. Our whole team looks forward to future collaboration...
SNSTech, an Austin-based tech firm, has reportedly launched a resealable, 100 per cent aluminium drinks can called SipNShut. It has zero percentage of plastic and is fully recyclable. Designed by Bill Brandell, President of SNSTech, the can is specially made in response to consumer demand with an easy sliding function to open and close ensuring a smooth pour. “We did our homework and without doubt consumers want reclosable cans but the options on the market today are not attractive,” Brandell said. “They mix plastic and metal, don’t work well on canning lines and are awkward for consumers to open. We focused on fixing all of those issues,” he added. While cans have become increasingly popular over the last several years, they have not kept pace with the how and where consumers drink their...
Craft breweries are buying aluminium cans which are 2.5 times larger than the size of a normal beer can because it is helping out their business at a time when cans are scarce. “As soon as we got this machine, our off premise beer sales doubled,” said Willy Truettner, co-owner of Zuni Street Brewing in Denver’s Highlands Neighborhood. According to reports, “Crowlers” are the new 32oz aluminium cans which brewers are now investing in heavily. The cans are cost-effective and helping the breweries sale out beer to new customers faster. Colorado has hundreds of small scale breweries that are feeling the heat due to non-availability of cans. The larger cans are serving as a lifeline to small neighbourhood brewers. They spend most of their marketing costs on bringing more customers to the...
Darley Aluminium reportedly introduces a new trickle ventilation system to its range. The new product, named the Darley Ventient trickle ventilation system, is designed in a way to allow fresh air into a space without the need for operable windows. It can ventilate a space even when doors and windows are closed. Besides, the product has a unique capacity to passively manage airflow in response to changing temperature and does not require the electrical power, sensor or human intervention. It is easy to install into a conventional sub-framing system and can withstand strong storm surges and extreme weather conditions and is tested in accordance with AS2047. Darley Aluminium is an Australian company involved in the manufacture and distribution of aluminium extruded products for commercial,...
Ball Corporation announced third quarter 2018 net earnings attributable to the corporation of $59 million on sales of $2.9 billion compared to $48 million net earnings attributable to the corporation on sales of $2.9 billion in third quarter 2017. During January-September 2018 net earnings attributable to the corporation of $303 million on sales of $8.8 billion compared to $215 million on sales of $8.2 billion during January-September 2017. John A. Hayes, chairman, president and chief executive officer said: "Improved third quarter results were driven by strong operational performance in every one of our businesses, as well as lower corporate costs, and were partially offset by a higher effective tax rate and incrementally higher transportation costs and other start-up costs during the...
The much-awaited winner list of the World Aluminium Aerosol Can Award 2018 is announced. Nivea Body Mousse from Beiersdorf reportedly received a maximum number of votes for its unusual conical shaped can and thus, bagged an award under “cans that are already on the market” category. Another category was “prototype cans” under which Eyeris Fox Can from Ball UK acquired the first position. The winners were announced at this year’s General Assembly meeting of the International Organisation of Aluminium Aerosol Container Manufacturers (AEROBAL), who was also the organiser of the competition. The unusual conical shape of Nivea Body Mousse aerosol cans reportedly impressed the judges in the competition this year in every respect. The can’s very subtle and transition-free colour gradient from...
CanPack, the only aluminium beverage can producer in Romania, has inaugurated a new production line at its Bucharest plant, with an investment of over EUR 50 million. The new line will allow the company to increase its production capacity from 950 million to 1.55 billion cans per annum. The company expects the production of its plant to roll out from February next year. Herman Nicolaas Nusmeier, CEO and chairman of the Board of Directors of Canpack said: “I am very excited to open a new production line at our aluminium factory in Bucharest, which demonstrates our company’s determination to increase its competitiveness on this market and its focus on the long-term sustainable development of our business. We strongly believe in the potential of the Romanian market, which is reflected in the...
Following a three-year Blue Skies initiative released by the provincial government on September 30, Jiangsu province in China is reportedly targeting to put 150,000 new-energy vehicles (NEVs) into use during 2018-2020. The government has vowed to cover 80 per cent of the areas including environmental sanitation, postal delivery, ground transportation, and logistics by the end of 2020 in Jiangsu for the utilisation of NEVs. By the end of 2019, electric buses and other types of clean energy buses will also be introduced across Xuzhou and all Jiangsu cities along the Yangtze River, according to the initiative. In order to execute this initiative as successful as possible, Jiangsu, as per the report, has decided to continue maintaining support for NEVs tax reduction policies for at least next...
Global automotive aluminium alloy wheel market grew year on year with an average sales growth rate of 4.2 per cent. The industry is expected to increase at a high growth rate in the next few years. {newsStudioGallery} According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), the country exported 727,800 tonnes of automotive aluminium alloy wheels during January-September 2018, an increase of 5.8 per cent YoY, compared to 687901tonnes during January-September 2017. China’s CITIC DICASTAL manufactures aluminium alloy wheel and chassis components for the automobile industry. The company provides casting, forging, and spinning services for wheels. Last year, Qinhuangdao SINOLION Investment Holdings and CITIC Dicastal had started operations of their co-invested aluminium alloy...
Last Friday, the Aluminum Association’s Transportation Group (ATG) submitted comments urging the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to pursue data-driven decision making in its final vehicle fuel economy rulemaking. The comments emphasized the proven track record of vehicle mass reduction safety, supported continued year-over-year fuel economy improvements and called on the agencies to maintain One National Program to avoid protracted litigation. The docketed comments are in response to the proposed Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks, Model Years 2021-2026. “The agencies rightly recognized greater use of high strength, low weight materials – especially in larger...
Given the fact that aluminium cables and conductors are largely replacing copper as principal medium for carrying electricity over the last five decades, world aluminium wire rod usage is estimated to have increased 5.87 million tonnes in 2014 to about 6.26 million tonnes in 2017 and further to 6.45 million tonnes in 2018. Aluminium wire rods are used as a raw material for making aluminium cables and overhead conductors that yield excellent mechanical and electrical cable properties. The increasing demand for aluminium cables and overhead conductors is primarily driven by the rapid urbanisation, faster growth of the building and construction sector, electrical transmission, and distribution networks. During this phase of time when the demand and use of aluminium wire rod, wires, and...
Auto suppliers are pitching the U.S. administration on a grace period from tariffs on imported steel and aluminium until enough U.S. capacity is built up. According to them, it will take time to develop more affordable domestic sources of both the metal and they can’t invest in new facilities while getting beaten up by tariffs. "It's difficult, if not impossible, to fund the cost of those tariffs as well as technology development to localize that production," said Ramzi Hermiz, CEO of metal parts maker Shiloh Industries Inc., of Ohio, last week during a discussion here organized by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association. "We need a window of time to ... redefine our supply chain." Hermiz also requested administration to exempt Canada and Mexico from the metal tariffs since they...
Aircraft wheels demand greater durability, robust corrosion resistance, low maintenance and lighter weight. But the wheels get affected from multiple corrosive elements like carbon dust and are susceptible to damage from high impact and fatigue loads. Dutch Kipp, engineering director for Landing Systems at UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) in Troy, Ohio discusses about the company’s R&D into new generation aircraft wheel construction. Kipp reports that the primary structure of an aircraft wheel is constructed with closed-die aluminium forgings made from aluminium alloy 2014. However, it offers poor corrosion protection and the company is working on developing improved aluminium alloys for aircraft wheels. UTAS is pursuing a new silver-based aluminium alloy in collaboration with the OEM’s...
Volkswagen Group has started construction of its electric vehicles plant in a joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp. in Shanghai. The US$2.5 billion factory will start production of electric vehicles based on VW’s MEB platform in 2020. According to the company update, the plant will build EVs and battery systems for the Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda brands, with a full capacity to produce 300,000 vehicles annually. The factory’s first EV will be a Volkswagen-badged SUV to be launched in China in 2020. The new plant will be VW’s second production site for EVs derived from the MEB platform. In June, the Volkswagen Group completed expansion of its plant at south China city of Foshan which it runs with China FAW Group Corp and doubled the factory’s annual production capacity to 600,000 vehicles....
The marine industry on both sides of the border in North America is warning that the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium and the metal trade war are taking a mounting toll on its business. According to the marine business owners, tariffs and counter tariffs are making the products expensive for them. Andy Blenkarn, owner of Desmasdon’s Boat Works in Ontario said the retaliatory tariffs of 10 per cent Canada imposed on U.S.-made boats have made the products expensive and the cost is also being passed on to consumers. Bill Yeargin, CEO of Correct Craft, a Florida-based maker of recreational boats also talked about their manufacturing costs going up due to metal tariffs and this has driven prices for the company’s Canadian dealers. The Canadian government retaliated to US steel and aluminium...
