HexaTech, Inc. has announced the immediate production release of its new 100 mm diameter single-crystal aluminum nitride (AlN) substrate, marking a significant step in the company's efforts to scale up manufacturing of the advanced semiconductor material. The launch builds on its earlier three-inch diameter substrate introduction and strengthens its product portfolio for commercial optoelectronic and high-power radio frequency (RF) applications. The company, which describes itself as the world's leading commercial supplier of single-crystal physical vapour transport (PVT)-grown AlN substrates, said the new product combines material performance with production scale and customer value. 100 mm launch marks another step in substrate development The latest product launch follows a focused...
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....
Grow with
AL Circle
CannaKorp, a start-up based in Stoneham, Massachusetts, is preparing to put a single-use pod-based marijuana vapourizer on the market. Just as the coffee company vertically integrated its distribution system, CannaKorp will produce the vaporizer and partner with legally authorized growers to fill the pods. Each CannaCup contains between 0.25 grams and 0.4 grams of ground cannabis flower and will cost about $5 or $6, depending on the strain. Once the pod is inserted, the vaporizer, called a CannaCloud, heats the marijuana without burning it. Within one minute, the portable canister fills up with vapour, which users can then inhale. The prescribed dose of marijuana is recommended by doctors for the treatment of anxiety related disorders. The company has opted for aluminium pods, making the...
Auto makers are still ordering aluminium for their cars, but not as much as hoped, the chief executive of one of the world’s top aluminium companies said in an interview. “The market got a little bit ahead of itself,” said Steve Fisher, who last year took over as CEO of Novelis, maker of over half the world’s automotive sheet aluminium. The announcement by Ford Motor Co. a couple of years ago that it would make its best-selling F-150 out of the metal had aluminium executives salivating and predicting an avalanche of new orders. But as steelmakers countered with new lightweight steels and lower oil prices lessened the push for lighter cars, auto makers have been hesitant to convert more vehicles to aluminium, and the metal is still niche compared with steel. Instead, said Mr. Fisher,...
Established in 1917, LEONI AG is a global supplier of wires, optical fibers, cables, cable systems and related services for the automotive industry. Based in Nuremberg, Germany, the company operates 24 manufacturing facilities worldwide, and its product offerings range from single-core automotive cables to complete wiring systems. Traditional ultrasonic welding has been performed at select LEONI plants for a few years. However, torsional ultrasonic welding (TUW) is only done at one plant, located in Arad, Romania. There LEONI has been operating a fully automated cell for welding solid aluminium bus bars since early 2014. British automaker Jaguar uses the bus bars, instead of copper cables, to significantly reduce the weight and cost of its F-TYPE sports car. Each bus bar conducts...
Snap lock aluminium roofing panels from ZC Technical were selected by the architect, Jared Poole Design for the Paradise Waters Residence project. The client, who was provided with several roofing options, worked with the architect to select the best fit for the residence. ZC Technical’s high quality snap lock panels were finalised based on the outstanding aesthetics of the roofing solution. The client was also particular about selecting only those materials that met extremely high quality standards. ZC Technical provided a custom roofing solution, working with aluminium to create the 1200m² roof complete with gutter and downpipes to achieve the desired finish expected by the client. The panels were chosen in a matt grey finish to keep the palette neutral, fully complementing the...
CORSAIR, a world leader in enthusiast memory, PC components and high-performance gaming hardware today announced the release of its eagerly anticipated BULLDOG 4K living room PC kit and anodized-aluminium built LAPDOG portable gaming control center. BULLDOG compresses high-end desktop PC performance into a form factor fit for living room experience, supporting liquid cooling for both the processor and graphics card to deliver true 4K performance. LAPDOG is the perfect companion for BULLDOG, elevating precision desktop peripherals to an un-matched comfort level. Together, BULLDOG and LAPDOG deliver the un-rivalled 4K PC Gaming experience for next-generation gamers. Built from anodized, brushed aluminium LAPDOG feels as good as it looks, and with a huge removable memory foam lap cushion is...
A joint project by America’s SERA Architects and Cutler Anderson Architects in association has earned the nation’s highest accolade for sustainability in the built environment, thanks to the use of aluminium reflecting panels and other "green" components and technologies. The architects’ renovation of The Edith Green – Wendell Wyatt Federal Building (EGWW) in Portland, Oregon received the 2016 Top Ten Plus award from the American Institute of Architects, ahead of 10 other exemplar sustainable projects listed on the AIA’s annual ‘Top Ten’ list. The EGWW was a Top Ten award winner back in 2014 but has since improved its ecological footprint through a process of post occupancy studies and refinement of its technologies and performance. The AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE), who...
Electrical engineering group Reunert raised its interim dividend 8 per cent to R1.13, despite flat revenue and a small drop in aftertax profit. Reunert’s revenue grew 2 per cent to R4bn during the six months to end-March, it was noted in Reunert’s interim results statement on Tuesday. Aftertax profit fell 5 per cent to R453m. Increased demand for aluminium rather than copper cables resulted in the revenue of its electrical engineering division falling 7 per cent to R2bn, CEO Alan Dickson said in the results statement. This division was also hurt by delays in awarding key projects, which are now expected to materialise in the second half of its financial year. Revenue in Reunert’s information and communications technology division fell 1 per cent to R1.7bn, but operating profit grew 2 per...
Hyderabad-based Smartron is a startup with big ambitions. They have plans to built an ecosystem of products and IoT services for the global market. Their first product is the t.book a Windows 10 hybrid device. This new device breaks the mould and packs a punch while doing it. The chassis is a Magnesium-Aluminium alloy with a smooth sandblasted finish that resists fingerprints. The tablet section is a uniform thickness of 9.5mm. Up front is the high resolution 12.2-inch display the display glass stretches beyond the display on all four sides, giving the impression of a larger display when switched off. The only other things in front are the capacitive Windows logo/button, a pair of front facing speakers and front camera (flanked by a couple of microphones). The right side only holds the...
The all-new Peugeot 3008 crossover delivers total versatility and brings together upscale comfort and technological equipment. This is the first car done from start to finish on lightweight EMP2 platform and new generation engines. The SUV, decked with suave interiors and technology features, has been delivering high customer value ever since it has been launched by virtue of its being lightweight. Maxime Picat, Peugeot boss says, “The first 3008 was caught between a car and a crossover. The new one has decided which way to go.” So it has come over a lot more assertive and countrified, with more ground clearance and a bolder front. Surrounding the screens are well-turned-out materials – real aluminium for the switchgear under the screen, cloth on the dash, stitched door armrests,...
The global flexible packaging market by material (plastic film, paper, aluminium), printing technology, type, and application is projected to grow from USD 97.97 billion in 2016 to USD 125.66 billion by 2021, at an estimated CAGR of 5.11 per cent, revealed data in a recently published market research report. This growth, according to the study, is due to the increasing demand from various end user industries such as food & beverages, healthcare, cosmetics & toiletries, and others (oil & lubricants, household products, agricultural products, and sporting goods). Factors such as growing consumer preferences towards convenient packaging (like aluminium foils, boxes, cans etc.) ease of use, and its lightweight characteristic is driving the demand for flexible packaging. Manufacturers are...
After years of stagnation, there seems a revival of the construction and housing services sub-sectors in Pakistan. These two sectors reflect the level of development in a country. Construction from the perspective of GDP, broadly speaking, deals with civil engineering work, consisting of new buildings, roads, bridges, railway lines, transmission lines, dams, etc. The share of construction sector is around 2.5 per cent in the GDP statistics and this share seems understated as the last housing census was conducted in 1998. Similarly, the housing services sector is composed of owner-occupied housing, residential and non-residential real estate, cooperative and private housing societies, contributing around 6.75 per cent to the GDP. Both sub-sectors contribute more than 9 per cent to the GDP...
Airbus, the global leader in civil aircraft manufacturing, has made a decidedly different kind of vehicle: a 3D printed motorcycl with a frame made from melted minuscule aluminium alloy particles. Created by Airbus subsidiary APWorks, the vehicle weighs in at just 35kg and is powered by a six kilowatt electric engine that helps it go from zero to 80km/h in a few seconds. The frame itself has been made using a “selective 3D laser printing system” that melted minuscule aluminium alloy particles together. The end product is a series of parts made up of a lot of 60-microns thin layers. APWorks used an algorithm to develop the Light Rider’s optimised structure to keep weight at a minimum while ensuring the motorcycle’s frame was strong enough to handle the weight loads and stresses of everyday...
According to a recently published market research report, the global aluminium foil packaging market is expected to witness a steady stable growth over 2015 - 2023. Increase in both, demand and consumption of consumer goods is expected to drive growth of the market for aluminium foil packaging in the emerging economies. China is expected to account for nearly half of the overall market share in the coming years. The global aluminium foil packaging market is expected to expand within a range of low to moderate CAGR in the coming years. Projected increase in the demand and consumption of consumer goods in emerging countries, such as China, is expected to drive growth of the aluminium foil packaging market over the forecast period, data published in the report indicates. Rise in the...
Amerlux recently supplied 600 Avista LED light engines for part of a major retrofit project in the downtown Los Angeles area. The Bureau of Street Lighting reported that over half of its streetlights have already been retrofitted to LED, including 600 fixtures that now use Amerlux’s Avista light engines. The city of Los Angeles expects that the retrofit project wiill save LA taxpayers almost 80 percent in energy costs. Amerlux said that Avista was the perfect LED light engine for exterior lighting applications throughout downtown LA. The Avista LED Light Engine with a 10kV surge protector features over voltage and short circuit protection. Amerlux constructed the IP66-rated light engine with an anodized aluminum heat sink for exceptional thermal management and stringent efficacy levels....
Karnataka-based aircraft component maker Aequs Aerospace has entered into an agreement with All Metal Services Limited (AMS), a subsidiary of Reliance Steel and Aluminum Company, to manufacture aerospace materials and applications in Belgaum. The facility will provide various metals, including titanium, aluminium and steel, in various forms including plate, sheet and tube and related processing services for aerospace industry applications. It is anticipated that the 35,000 square foot facility will be operational in first quarter of 2017. “AMS are excited to announce establishment of our new facility in India. We look forward to providing the highest quality materials and services to the important and growing Indian aerospace market,” said Terry Stocker, managing director of AMS. Aircraft...
Zesa Holdings of Zimbabwe has said it has lost equipment and infrastructure worth $14.1 million between 2011 and 2015 to vandalism. The national power utility is now taking proactive measures to upgrade its infrastructure and technology, which include replacing copper cables with aluminium cables and other electrical equipment in the near term. "In mitigation, we are replacing all copper cables, conductors with aluminium cables which are better transmission of electricity. The replacement of cables is an on-going exercise in an attempt to curb this vice," Zesa said in a statement. The company said it was also looking at better security mechanism to protect the aluminium cables. "We are looking at new technologies that have come through, which involves new properties in transformer oils,...
A new Australian brand VUUE has produced a collection of furniture designed to be used flexibly for both indoor and outdoor spaces. The design studio of Ceci and Aydin Keyvanloo aims to "defy categorisation" with its range of seating and tables made from aluminium. "Much of the furniture that is on the market still feels like it is intended for a specific category and feels foreign in the others," said Ceci. "Mornington holds up outdoors but its form does not say 'poolside'." Described as suitable for residential, hospitality and office environments, the Mornington collection boasts nine key items customisable in a variety of materials. Sixty of the 96 possible combinations can be used indoors and out. "Making something that works for indoor as well as outdoor isn't easy," Ceci continued....
The Revolution Design has unveiled 4XS Aluminium Chassis, one of the most important option parts for the Carisma 4XS 4WD buggy, a high-end racing car model. The Carisma Racing 4XS is a brand new 1/10th Competition 4WD buggy, and first time, offering from renowned Ready-to-run factory Carisma RC. Designed and engineered by legendary German designer, Michael Vollmer, who has in the past been responsible for cutting edge designs for brands such as Serpent RC, Team Durango, Robitronics, amongst others. The new aluminium chassis improves flex characteristics and makes the car a lot stiffer compared the standard carbon fiber chassis, which helps especially on high-grip surfaces like astroturf or carpet. The high-quality 7075-T6 aluminium chassis also lowers the overall center of gravity, which...
