
Spanish racing driverFernando Alonso has added a one-off Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse to his growing collection of rare cars. Known as chassis 8.100, the car is distinguished by bespoke aluminium bodywork that required more than 20 tonnes of aluminium to produce, along with dedicated CAD programmes developed by Bugatti. Its history is equally distinctive, being produced after an original customer pushed Bugatti to create something it had initially considered too expensive. For Alonso, the automobile fits closely with an approach to luxury he outlined in 2024 about choosing manufacturers that treat individual customers differently rather than simply producing cars in larger numbers. To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the transportation sector, explore our report "Global...
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...
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Of the most popular duos in history, Aluminium and Carbon Fiber have to be 2 of the most famous of all time in racing circles. JConcepts introduces the Peanut Butter and Jelly of R/C accessories with the release of the Aluminium and Carbon Fiber setting board. First, a flat panel of woven 2.5mm Carbon Fiber has been machined to size with corner radius and countersunk. Four separate Aluminium trim pieces are custom machined, anodized in either blue or black and etched with JConcepts.net logo for authenticity. Four trim pieces are attached together using heavy-duty 3mm hardware from the top and corners forming the frame for the setting board. The flat panel Carbon material is dropped into place and secured with hefty flat head fasteners. The final product shows like an exotic race car while...

Pioneering development work at Ardagh Group’s specialist aluminium can plant in Cuxhaven, north Germany has resulted in the production of the world’s lightest aluminium seafood can. The shaped seafood can, referred to in the industry as a “dingley”, has been designed with a conical wall thickness of only 0.170 mm, a significant advance over its nearest competitor at 0.215mm. This impressive innovation was achieved by technicians at the Cuxhaven plant supported by Ardagh’s R&D Centre in Crosmieres, France. Together they applied their in-depth knowledge of beading – the ridges, which come in many shapes and sizes, built into the can to give its body strength and stability. The development involved detailed testing, which established the most suitable shape and size of the beads as well as...

Market-Research-Reports.com adds “Global (US, China, Japan) Aluminium Foil Tape Industry 2016 Analysis and Forecast to 2021 Market Research Report” reports to its database. The report contains 8 Company Profile and List of figures providing key statistics on the state of the industry and more details. The Global Aluminium Foil Tape Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Aluminium Foil Tape Industry. Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Aluminium Foil Tape Market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions' development status....

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," Ceci told Dezeen. "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...

The Pakistani government might include financial incentives for LED lights and solar panels in its annual federal budget 2016-2017, as the government aims to slash energy consumption while turning to alternative energy sources, according to a report by local media Business Recorder. Globally, the LED lighting market is projected to grow 45% per year throughout to 2020, and LED lights produced is expected to reach $63.1 billion from the existing $13.6 billion, the report added. Markets will move towards 100% replacing incandescent and traditional lights with LED bulbs, due to declining prices and increased interest from market channels to promote LEDs to consumers. There are four local LED manufacturers that are making 5.5W to 500W LED streetlights, LED tube lights, LED downlights, LED...

Avasarala Technologies Ltd, the city-based tier-1 supplier of critical components to strategic sectors, has secured more orders to supply heat pipes for Indian satellites, a top official said on Thursday. "We have got additional orders from ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) to supply heat pipes for satellites it launches for various applications," Avasarala chief executive T.T. Mani told reporters here at an event. As an import-substitute component, the pipes are used in satellites to collect heat generated by electronic devices and release it in space to keep them cool. "Made of light-weight aluminium, heat pipes keep spacecraft cool and stabilise inside temperature, as thermal uniformity is critical for orbiting satellites under adverse solar heating," said Mani. The company...

Aluminum consumption in China’s automobile industry grew 4.4% year-on-year in April, but is expected to drop slightly in May, cmn.com reported. China’s automobile production and sales used to fall back in May in years past, and this year will be no exception. Car dealers were facing heavy inventory pressure. As such, aluminum use in automobile industry will take a hit. Aluminum use in domestic automobile industry was 277,000 tonnes in April, down 13.9% from March. Year-to-date use through April totaled 1.12 million tonnes, up 5.8% from a year ago, with the growth up nearly 2 percentage points. Positive impact from purchasing tax cut for passenger vehicles with engines at or below 1.6L is fading. However, new energy vehicle production and sales remained strong.

Jaguar has imported its all-new XF model to Indian shores. Currently, the British-based automobile manufacturer has imported two units of the XF. Two variants have been imported from the United Kingdom which are the Portfolio and Prestige variants. Powering the 2016 Jaguar XF is a 2.0-litre diesel engine in two state of tunes. On offer will be a 163bhp and 180bhp tune options, and both engines will be mated only to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Internationally, the XF also gets a manual transmission, which will not be offered in India. The 2016-edition of the Jaguar XF is currently in its second generation avatar. The all-new XF is based on the company's iQ platform. Extensive use of aluminium will be used in the construction of 2016 Jaguar XF model. Overall the luxury sedan will lose...

A Southland international student, keen to improve his technical skills, has built a drone from scratch. Central Southland College year 13 student Adrian Burkard, from Switzerland,? began work on his quadcopter drone last year. "The first time I flew it, I crashed it," he said. The mishap, which happened in December, meant Burkard had to go back and figure out what went wrong. He did just that - and was able to successfully fly the drone to a height of 250 metres during a flight in May. Burkard said he had always been fascinated by flying machines, and wanted to build a drone because it would be a good challenge and would improve his technical knowledge. Everything was built from scratch, which he said made him appreciate the process more. The aluminium-frame drone has four propellers...

Ekurhuleni-based Vitrex designed and supplied unique 'twisted' vitreous enamel cladding for the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower at Muscat International Airport in the Sultanate of Oman. Vitraclad heavy gauge panels, exported by Vitrex to cover around 4000m2 of the fins of the Tower, were installed by the project's main contractor, Carillion Alawi LLC. Cristian Cottino, Sales & Marketing Director of Vitrex, says the company developed the cladding system for the challenging, complex design in close collaboration with Quality Architectural Systems LLC (QAS) (Dubai) and QFS B.V. of The Netherlands. "The use of flat, rectangular panels also enabled Vitrex to substantially reduce the number of panel types required. These panels were ‘twisted’ when secured to purpose-made, adjustable brackets...

BURNDY, a leading manufacturer and provider of connector, grounding and tooling solutions to multiple markets, announces new additions to their grounding product line. The new aluminum lay-in lugs are most suitable for solar panel applications. The connectors are for use with frames with a maximum thickness of 1/4 inch. They may also be used for cable to bus or cable to steel connections where the lay-in feature is necessary. Manufactured using high strength aluminum alloy, these connectors have the versatility to be used with aluminum and copper conductors. The serrations are provided to establish better contact and cut through oxidation, ensuring low contact resistance and high conductivity. The anodization on aluminum rails is nonconductive and electrical current cannot pass through...

Aluminium louvres are similar to shutters or blinds but with horizontal slats that may be adjusted to let in light and air but keep out direct sun or rain. Aluminium louvres provide excellent insulation and added privacy because the slats can be closed to keep out the rain or cold as well as the outdoor noise. Besides providing insulation and privacy to your home, aluminium louvres also allow for maximum ventilation, keeping the house cool and in turn reducing your air-conditioning costs. When the louvre blades or slats are fully open in the horizontal position, they let in maximum air and light in the room. This not only allows the fresh air to circulate in the room but also keeps your house a few degrees cooler during the summer months. During the cold winter months, the slats can be...

HELUKABEL, a leading cable manufacturer, will be highlighting its medium-voltage aluminum and fiber-optic cable capabilities at WINDPOWER 2016 being held in New Orleans, LA on May 23 to 26. This show brings together wind industry innovators, thought leaders, and policy makers from all over the world to chart wind energy’s course into the future. The American Wind Energy Association, which organizes the show, maintains that by 2030 wind energy has the ability to generate 20% of U.S.’s energy supply, and that it will be a major solution for states implementing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Power Plan. In order for the power to be used it must be transferred to the grid by means of medium-voltage cables — such as HELUKABEL’s MV-90/MV-105 ALUMINUM. The company’s shielded...

The first phase of trials for the Spanish-made high-speed Talgo coaches was successfully conducted on the Bareilly-Moradabad route here on Sunday morning. Nine of the lightweight coaches were hauled by a 4,500 HP diesel engine from Bareilly to Moradabad at a speed of 115 kilometres per hour (kmph). According to officials, the train which left Bareilly Junction at 9.05am reached Moradabad by 10.15am and later returned to its point of origin. "The trial was successfully conducted and no problems of a technical nature or otherwise were reported during it," said Rajendra Singh, public relations officer, NE Railway, Izzatnagar division. The team of Research Designs and Standard Organisation (RDSO) and the Spanish team of Talgo travelled in the train to make observations during the trial....

Actor Keanu Reeves, famous for his roles in action movies Speed, Point Break and The Matrix trilogy, teamed up with self-taught engineer, designer and fabricator Gard Hollinger to produce the Arch KRGT-1. Powered by an S&S Cycle 2,032 cc V-twin, built specifically for Arch Motorcycles, the mill has two-cylinders set at a 45-degree angle, and fuelled by EFI. A six-speed custom-built Arch gearbox puts the claimed 126 hp and 165 Nm of torque to the ground via chain-drive and an eight-inch wide rear wheel. Billet aluminium is used extensively throughout the KRGT-1, including the fuel tank, which is machined out of 242 kg to produce two separate 9 kg fuel cells that are then joined together, providing a space in middle for the Arch down-draft air intake. This attention to detail is carried...

Ecolodge Construction to launch a new homes scheme, Limetree Hall, right in the heart of Maynooth town in north Co Kildare with high levels of energy efficiency. Customers can choose from between six finishes, and a selection of both modern and contemporary options. The Carlson Windows' aluminium-clad timber frames are a particular point of pride for Bradbica, who says: "I absolutely hate PVC windows. The [Carlson Windows] look nicer, and you can paint them any colour you want on the inside. They have a slimmer profile, which allows more light in and looks more elegant." Each house is surrounded by granite paving, and granite is used again for the window sills in all units. The roof trimmings - such as gutters and fascias - are all made from metal, rather than PVC. The bathrooms are fully...

KitSound is excited to reveal the new Evolution range, a collection of products that have been developing for outstanding audio quality and stunning design. From sound systems to small Bluetooth speakers, over-ear headphones to sports earphones, the Evolution range has the product that can transform your listening experience, with the height of technology finely tuned inside each one. The Boom Evolution has over 100 Watts of intense power that creates room filling sound, and each one is assembled by hand from high quality chosen wood. The Pocket Hive is crafted with a passive bass radiator and 5 Watts of powerful sound to maximise the ergonomic design, and comes with a hard shell carry case. The Outrun Evolution headphones are Bluetooth and calibrated for sport, pushing you on further –...

Magellan Aerospace earlier this month announced a contract extension between Magellan Aerospace UK and Airbus for the supply of aluminium and titanium structural wing components. The contract, valued at about C$700 million, includes precision machined details and assemblies for use in the Airbus A320 and A330 families, and the A380 programme. Magellan was also awarded an approximately C$20 million contract to supply certain wing ribs for the A380. This was followed by a deal with GKN Aerospace for a contract extension to deliver aluminium and titanium components and assemblies to GKN Aerospace’s Filton, UK, facility where wing structures are manufactured and assembled for the A320, A330 and A380 aircraft programmes. This contract, and another to supply A350 outboard flap precision machine...