Phinergy and electrical contractor Rosendin Electric have published a second white paper examining how aluminium-air generators (AAGs) could support data centre power needs beyond conventional backup systems. The paper outlines three potential uses, including providing power for AI and cloud facilities, increasing available grid capacity and supporting renewable microgrids. Titled “From Backup Power to Grid Enabler: Use Cases for Aluminum-Air Generator (AAG) in AI-Era Data Centers,” the paper compares aluminium-air generators with diesel generators and lithium-ion battery systems. The report comes amid growing pressure on electricity infrastructure from data centre expansion. In Northern Virginia, more than 9,000 backup diesel generators serve data centres, according to Virginia Mercury....
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed an aluminium-based catalyst that could help make sodium–sulphur batteries last longer. The catalyst addresses a problem that has limited the technology: Sodium polysulphides can dissolve and move away from the cathode, reducing battery life. The research team, led by Professors Wang Hui and Zheng Fangcai at CAS's High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Hefei, changed the atomic structure of aluminium by replacing one oxygen atom with nitrogen. The team wrote in the press release, “This created an asymmetric structure with three oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom around each Al atom.” It is an Al–O3N structure (three oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom surrounding each aluminium atom). Explore AL Circle’s report ALuminium Wires &...
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ZC Technical supplied their flat lock aluminium panels with recess for the exterior of the Cleveland Residence located right on the ocean foreshore. Completed in 2016, the residence was designed by Sprout Architects and built by Healy Homes. ZC Technical became involved in discussions with Sprout Architects, Healy Homes and the client at a very early design stage during which the company’s entire range of panel systems, materials and colours was considered for the home’s exterior. Given that the residence was situated right on the ocean foreshore, with high tide reaching its lower steps, any material specified for the exterior needed to be able to resist the saline environment. A flat lock aluminium panel system with recess from ZC Technical was chosen for its neutral simplicity and the...
The Kew Gardens in London has a novel installation in place - The Hive. A 17 meter-high swarm of aluminium, the structure has been erected in the middle of a wildflower meadow to enable visitors hear a honeybee chorus beamed direct from a hive and see it transformed into a pulsating light display. The Hive built out of aluminium bars started out as the British offering to last year’s world expo in Milan, where more than three million visitors experienced it before it was taken down and shipped back to the UK. From Saturday, June 18, it will be open to the public at Kew Gardens until the end of next year. With the help of engineers Simmonds Studio and architects BDP, it has been constructed out of 169,300 aluminium bars joined at spherical nodes to form abstracted, honeycomb-like hexagons...
Left Hand Brewing Co. is finally cracking into aluminium beverage cans. In anticipation of releasing its first batch of canned beers this year, the venerable Longmont craft brewery has broken ground on a canning facility and has filed label art paperwork with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Left Hand spokeswoman Emily Armstrong said. “We’re humbled; we’ve been so fortunate to have success with our Nitro series,” she said. “We’re glad to have this additional opportunity that we had the means to bring Left Hand cans to reality.” If all goes as planned, the first Left Hand beverage cans — Extrovert IPO, Fade to Black export stout and Milk Stout — could hit shelves this year, she said. Left Hand beer in aluminium cans was a long time coming, but the delay was intentional. A few...
Larson Electronics, a leading manufacturer and distributor of industrial lighting solutions, announces the release of a 60 watt LED work light mounted to a portable frame fabricated from non-sparking aluminium. The WAL-PM-WP60 portable LED work light from Larson Electronics provides a 5,400 lumen floodlight beam and is a direct replacement for hot and fragile 500 watt halogen work lights. This 60 watt LED lamp head consists of six 12.5 watt LEDs concealed within a waterproof aluminium housing powder coated for durability and corrosion resistance. The light assembly is constructed of three boards that help provide a wider spread of light, with a center board and two 45-degree angled boards. The LED boards and reflectors are protected by a scratch and shatter resistant polycarbonate lens...
Airbus’ 3D printed mini plane, THOR, featuring aluminium wings, drew much attention at the ILA Berlin Air Show just a couple weeks ago. The unmanned aircraft, made almost entirely from 3D printed parts (except for its electrical components), was successfully flown this past November and has marked a significant step in the integration of 3D printing for the aerospace industry. More than that, however, Airbus will be using their innovative 3D printed mini aircraft as a testbed for new airplane technologies and low risk experiments. According to the European aircraft manufacturer, they will use THOR to efficiently test different 3D printed structural parts, advanced aerodynamics, and even artificial intelligence. As Airbus explains, the second generation THOR model will be able to...
Global packaging giant Amcor has flagged the likelihood of plant restructures and closures following its recent $450m profit impairment. The company revealed plans to ‘streamline the organisation’ stating it will ‘likely result in the restructuring or closure of several plants in developed markets’. Amcor’s push for global restructure comes soon after its Venezuelan operations cost a profit loss of $350m following its acquisition of flexible packaging firm Alusa, and a loss of $100m from tobacco operational restructures. The packaging company expects to generate a pre-tax return of approximately 35 per cent on the cash invested within three years, delivering a profit before interest and tax benefit of US$40m to US$50m. Amcor chief executive Ron Delia says the plant closures and streamline...
The Burnaby-based West Coast Canning, who packages liqour in aluminium cans for some of the most talked-about craft breweries of Vancouver, has teamed up with Wet Ape Productions to organize CANcity, Vancouver’s first all-canned craft beer and cider sampling event. Wet Ape Productions is the same company behind the Oktoberfest-lite Harvest Haus and Kelowna’s Center of Gravity. Canned beer though not so popular in Vancouver is supposed gain acceptance as the mercury rises across the province, expects West Coast Canning. The benefits of packaging beverage in aluminium cans cannot be denied, especially in the summer. The metal provides excellent barrier protection against sunrays and environmental pollutants while remaining chemically neutral to the liquid inside. “For a long time, people...
A newly formed alliance called ALTec Industrial research R&D Group is consolidating research efforts in the Canadian aluminium sector to develop innovative aluminium products for ground transportation vehicles. As a cost-effective and sustainable material, aluminium is increasingly being used to manufacture components for lightweight vehicles which reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and meet increasingly stringent fuel consumption requirements. "By 2020, the world aluminium market in the transportation sector alone is forecasted to represent more than 65 billion US dollars," says Michel Dumoulin, General Manager of Automotive and Surface Transportation at the National Research Council of Canada. "Canadian businesses include aluminium in the design of their vehicles, but we saw a gap in...
Leading Australian provider of aluminium window and door framing suites, EDGE Architectural has expanded its framing suites with the EDGE Ecosystem, a community of people, organizations, suppliers, processes and elements interacting to create a network of support. This ecosystem includes EDGE Consult for technical and specification consultation; Team EDGE providing quoting, ordering and manufacturing support for the fabricator; extruding with tight process management and strict standards of quality control; surface finishing for the final touch; components suppliers ensuring the highest standards of quality and customer service; innovation through collaboration; and a responsive, reliable, local and supported supply chain. EDGE Architectural partners with some of the best Australian...
Australian energy technology company LWP Technologies has bought a 50 per cent share in a new, graphene-based battery storage technology that the ASX-listed company believes could “change energy markets and the way the world commutes.” The $1.6 million deal, described by LWP on Wednesday as a ”major value-adding step” for the company, will see it enter into a joint venture to commercialise the patent pending aluminium-graphene synthesis and battery technology with its Australian-based inventor. The battery – which comprises an Aluminium-Graphene-Oxygen chemistry – is said to be safer and more stable than lithium-ion batteries, and is shown to have vastly superior energy density. But perhaps even more significant is the patent that describes the chemical synthesis process to manufacture...
Legos have been everywhere on Earth in the sixty-seven years since Denmark’s Ole Kirk Christiansen invented them in 1949, as anyone who has ever stepped on one while barefoot can certainly attest. However, in two years a set of aluminium Legos will travel a total distance of 1.74 billion miles to orbit the largest planet in our Solar System, ultimately dying a fiery death upon entering Jupiter’s atmosphere. Jupiter (left), Juno, and Galileo. Source: NASA Adding the three figurines to the JUpiter Near-polar Orbiter (Juno), one representing seventeenth-century Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, one of the likeness of the Roman god Jupiter, and one of the Roman goddess Juno, was the idea of Juno’s Principal Investigator Scott Bolton. He saw it as an opportunity to connect with and inspire...
Interlocking aluminium cassette panels from ZC Technical were installed on a house as cladding for the structure’s box-shaped elements, creating a very distinctive feature. Built in 2013 based on the owner’s design, the 200-square-metre Western Rivers residence incorporated unique box-shaped elements, which needed to be clad for a finished look. However, it was important to choose a material that didn’t need ongoing maintenance because the areas were difficult to access. Though the owner loved the striking colour of copper, there were concerns that the naturally occurring waviness would take away from its sharpness. ZC Technical offered the option of copper textured painted aluminium, which was found suitable for the project. The interlocking panels provided an impeccably smooth finish...
Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) selected Bahra Advanced Cable Manufacture Co. Ltd as the excellent vendor for 2015. Bahra specializes in the production and distribution of electrical cables, and aims to become the main developer for low, medium, and high voltage cables in Saudi Arabia. The company, as well, plans to expand its range of products with aluminium rods to meet the needs of electricity companies of aluminium conductors and cables, as well as manufacturing of Dry Type Transformers with different capacities in cooperation with the largest international company in this field - Legrand. Bahra accepted the award at the 5th awards ceremony for top vendors of the Saudi Electricity Company suppliers, held recently in Riyadh. On behalf of Bahra Cables, Kareem Talal Idriss, Business...
Mercedes-Benz finally confirmed it is going to revive the inline six-cylinder aluminium engine. First revealed to Drive at the 2015 Geneva motor show, the German brand used a showcase of its alternative powertrain technology in Stuttgart this week to officially confirm the new straight six will headline a new family of engines. The new aluminium engines will be built in both four- and six-cylinder configurations and in both petrol and diesel forms. The four-cylinder is expected to be 2.0-litres in capacity and the six-cylinder will be 3.0-litres. Bernhard Heil, vice president of powertrains for Mercedes-Benz, revealed work began on the new aluminium engine family five years ago with several key targets in mind. "Having in mind that emissions should be one key element, having in mind that...
After the OnePlus One, 2, and X, OnePlus, the leading Chinese smartphone manufacturer, is back with a new flagship, the OnePlus 3 with a suave aluminium body. OnePlus is going for the "bang for your buck" market here with a Snapdragon 820, a whopping 6GB of RAM, and a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display for just $399/€399/£309. The device featuring an aluminium body ships with 64GB of storage, but unlike the OnePlus X, there is no expandable storage option. The battery is also a tad smaller than previous models: 3000mAh. All the other extras here include: NFC, a dual SIM slot, fingerprint reader, and a USB Type-C plug. The camera is 16MP with optical image stabilization, RAW support, and manual controls. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack. The body is aluminum and comes in "Graphite" and...
Webro Cable & Connectors, the high-end electric cable manufacturer based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, has introduced a range of alarm cables to suit all requirements and budgets, including Cabnex Webro's CCA alarm cable. Copper-clad aluminium (or CCA as it is frequently known) has an aluminium conductor with a thin copper coating. Common consensus is that CCA cables, although lighter and cheaper than full copper equivalents, can often give substandard performance when compared to full copper cables. This is because aluminium has a much higher resistance than copper. In an alarm situation, this means that CCA cable could produce more false readings and false alarms than full copper cables. Copper-clad aluminium cables are often less robust than full copper, and can be prone to fatigue at...
Construction Specialties - C/S has added a new designer range to their comprehensive collection of attractive, resilient entrance matting solutions for high traffic spaces. Featuring a sleek, milled aluminium frame and eco-friendly recycled rubber inlays, Floormations entrance matting offers flexible mounting options to suit the project. These include recessed mounting with 12.7mm and 19.05mm recess; and surface mounting with 12.7mm and 19.05mm surface. A slim surface mounting with an integrated bevel-edge frame and 6.35mm surface is also offered. Mounted directly onto the substrate, this product features surface grooves to contain dirt and water, and has no fall-through properties. An established supplier of entrance mats for over 40 years, Construction Specialties has now introduced...
WernerCo, based in the United Kingdom, has invested over $100k in increased nitrogen generation, which is used in the aluminium laser cutting production, making the company self-sufficient in nitrogen generation. In addition the company has also improved external storage, general facilities and parking. Nick Platt of EMEA VP Operations, said: "WernerCo has production facilities all over the world, and it's been great to see the investment in manufacturing in our UK business. "We are looking forward to seeing the results of the investments and improvements at Maldon in terms of quality, speed and efficiency at the plant. We're also investing in global operations, like Vietnam, where we have just installed a new $5m aluminium extrusion machine, predominantly to supply ladders for the UK...
