South Asia’s beverage-can manufacturing capacity continues to expand, with Bangladesh preparing to enter the industry through a USD 100 million aluminium beverage can plant while new and expanded facilities advance across India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, the planned Bangladeshi project still faces a key infrastructure hurdle: securing a gas connection before production begins. Chinese-owned Alu Hi-Tech Industries Ltd is developing Bangladesh’s first aluminium beverage can plant at Kaliakoir Hi-Tech Park in Gazipur, north of Dhaka. The facility is designed to produce around 1 billion cans annually, with approximately 90 per cent of its output earmarked for export markets. The company registered with the hi-tech park in 2024, when work on the project began. Construction has...
Europe’s beverage-can market outperformed other regions in the third quarter, prompting Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) to accelerate its investment plans with two new production lines at existing facilities in the UK and Spain. Global beverage can shipments rose 2 per cent year on year in the three months to September 30, while Europe recorded 6 per cent growth, contrasting with a 1 per cent decline across the Americas. AMP announced the expansion alongside third-quarter results that exceeded its own earnings guidance, allowing the company to raise its full-year adjusted EBITDA outlook. Chief executive Oliver Graham said demand remained resilient across the company’s markets, supported by strength in key beverage categories and continued gains for cans within the wider packaging mix. The...
Grow with
AL Circle
From wrapping leftovers to lining baking trays, aluminium foil is one of the most common items found in kitchens. Yet one small detail has puzzled home cooks for years: why does one side look shiny while the other looks dull? The answer isn't a special coating or a hidden cooking trick - it's simply science. It all comes down to the manufacturing process Aluminium foil starts out as large sheets of metal that are rolled repeatedly until they become incredibly thin—typically less than 0.02 millimetres thick. By the final stage, the foil is so delicate that it could tear if rolled on its own. To prevent this, manufacturers roll two sheets together at the same time. The outer surfaces are pressed against highly polished steel rollers, which leave them smooth and shiny. Meanwhile, the two...
Gaming hardware maker Wallhack has revealed its first gaming keyboard, expanding its product portfolio beyond gaming mice with the introduction of the Wallhack K-001. The company shared an early preview of the keyboard through its official X account ahead of its scheduled launch on July 24, 2026, showcasing a design centred on premium aluminium construction and Hall-effect switch technology. CNC aluminium body targets premium gaming market The Wallhack K-001 features a CNC-machined aluminium chassis, offering a rigid build designed to enhance durability and provide a solid typing experience. It has a compact 65 per cent layout, keeping the essential navigation keys while reducing the overall footprint to create additional desk space for mouse movement during gaming. The keyboard also...
Meiji Holdings is exiting its dairy business in China after agreeing to sell its drinking milk, yoghurt and business-to-business (B2B) operations to Shanghai AustAsia Food in a deal worth up to RMB 320 million (USD 47.2 million), marking a strategic shift towards higher-priority businesses, including chocolate. The transaction includes Meiji's dairy operations under Meiji (China) Investment, Meiji Dairies Tianjin and Meiji Dairies Suzhou. Before completion, Meiji will transfer the businesses into a newly established subsidiary, which will then be sold to Shanghai AustAsia Food, leaving the Japanese company with no ownership in the operations. The deal is expected to close on December 31, 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. China losses drive portfolio...
The effects of the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict are now being felt beyond global shipping lanes, reaching supermarket shelves in India through a higher-priced Diet Coke. Supply disruptions affecting aluminium cans have prompted Coca-Cola to change its packaging strategy, illustrating how geopolitical tensions can quickly ripple through consumer goods supply chains. According to a Reuters report, commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for aluminium cans and related raw materials, was disrupted as the conflict intensified. The tighter supply forced Coca-Cola to source larger aluminium cans from Southeast Asia, increasing procurement costs. To manage those costs, the company has reportedly replaced its widely sold 300 ml Diet Coke cans priced at INR 40 with 330 ml...
Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) reported stronger second-quarter earnings, supported by improved profitability in Europe despite a slight decline in global beverage can shipments, and raised its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance. The company posted revenue of USD 1.71 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, up 18 per cent from USD 1.46 billion a year earlier. On a constant currency basis, revenue increased 16 per cent, reflecting higher input cost pass-through to customers and favourable volume and product mix. EBITDA exceeds guidance Adjusted EBITDA increased 14 per cent year on year to USD 240 million, exceeding the company's guidance range of USD 210-220 million. On a constant currency basis, adjusted EBITDA rose 13 per cent, primarily due to improved input cost recovery. Following...
Executive Summary: The component cost crisis: Driven by the explosive demands of Artificial Intelligence data centres, global smartphone memory prices skyrocketed. This pushed flagship Bill of Materials (BOM) costs up by nearly USD 300, forcing smartphone OEMs to cut costs in their structural chassis. The Titanium Reversal: Apple and Samsung abandoned titanium's thermal constraints for their latest flagships. Next-generation AI processors run dangerously hot, and titanium acts as a thermal insulator. The industry was forced to revert to hot-forged 7000-series aluminium to prevent catastrophic thermal throttling. The Upstream Threat: While switching back to aluminium solved the thermal crisis, downstream manufacturers walked into a global supply chain trap. Geopolitical conflicts in the...
Sonoco Products Company reported higher second-quarter sales as gains in its industrial packaging business and improving metal packaging demand helped offset inflationary pressures and softer volumes in parts of its consumer packaging operations. The global packaging producer posted net sales of USD 1.9 billion for the quarter ended June 28, 2026. GAAP net income declined to USD 105 million, or USD 1.05 per diluted share, from USD 493 million, or USD 4.96 per diluted share, in the same period last year, when results included a USD 425 million gain from the sale of its Thermoformed and Flexibles Packaging and Trident businesses. Excluding one-off items, adjusted net income increased 10.6 per cent year on year to USD 151 million, while adjusted diluted EPS rose to USD 1.51. Metal packaging...
Crown Holdings delivered higher second-quarter earnings as growing demand for aluminium beverage cans drove stronger shipment volumes across its global operations, encouraging the packaging manufacturer to upgrade its earnings outlook for 2026. The company reported diluted earnings per share of USD 2.23 for the quarter ended 30 June 2026, compared with USD 1.56 a year earlier. Adjusted diluted earnings per share rose 16 per cent to USD 2.49, while global beverage can volumes increased 5 per cent year on year. Net sales climbed to USD 3.668 billion, up from USD 3.149 billion in the second quarter of 2025. The increase reflected higher beverage can shipments worldwide, the pass-through of USD 395 million in higher material costs and favourable foreign currency movements worth USD 32...
Valkyrie has entered the aluminium gaming keyboard segment with the launch of the Cyber68, a new model that replaces the increasingly popular Hall Effect magnetic switches with analog optical switches while pairing them with a CNC-machined aluminium chassis. The keyboard is scheduled to be showcased in greater detail at ChinaJoy 2026, where the company is expected to announce its remaining specifications. Rather than following the current trend of magnetic switches, Valkyrie has opted for an optical sensing system built around a U-shaped reflective sensor. The company says the setup delivers Rapid Trigger accuracy of up to 0.01 mm, enabling the keyboard to register even the slightest key movement during fast-paced games. Performance is another area Valkyrie is targeting. The Cyber68...
Mountain Dew has unveiled a limited-edition aluminium commemorative can bundle to mark nearly 80 years since the brand was created in Tennessee in 1948. Available exclusively through TikTok Shop, the release celebrates the beverage's heritage while continuing Mountain Dew's long-running use of special-edition aluminium packaging for promotional campaigns and milestone celebrations. The commemorative aluminium can forms part of the brand's "American Original – Tasting Great Since '48" campaign, which highlights Mountain Dew's founding story through a heritage-inspired design printed directly on the can. The bundle is priced at USD 0.05, reflecting the campaign's nostalgic theme. Limited release honours the brand's founding year To commemorate the year of its launch, Mountain Dew is...
Laser Power & Infra Limited announced its first commercial order of advanced transmission conductors from Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL). The order, amounting to USD 436,100, is for a turnkey reconductoring project in the Nalagarh Electrical Division of Himachal Pradesh to improve the reliability of the state’s power supply. The project will utilize Aluminium Encapsulated Carbon Core Conductors (AECC) manufactured by Laser Power & Infra under a licensing agreement signed with TS Conductor Corp., USA, in March 2025. This project will replace traditional conductors with High Temperature Low Sag (HTLS) conductors, enabling increased transmission capacity without the need for new transmission towers or additional right of way. The company noted that this solution is...
SMEL Steel Structural Pvt. Ltd., a step-down subsidiary of Shyam Metalics and Energy Ltd., has commenced commercial production at its aluminium foil facility in Sambalpur, Odisha. The facility has an installed production capacity of 18,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) and is designed to manufacture premium-grade aluminium foil in thicknesses ranging from 6 to 40 microns. The company is investing around INR 800 crore (USD 8.30 million) in its downstream aluminium operations at Sambalpur as it expands its value-added product portfolio. Shyam Metalics also confirmed that its aluminium flat rolled products (FRP) facility remains on track for commercial production by September 2026. The plant will have an annual capacity of 60,000 TPA and will produce flat rolled products in thicknesses ranging from...
PA Resources Bhd has renewed its supply agreement with First Solar Inc, First Solar Malaysia Sdn Bhd and First Solar Vietnam Manufacturing Co Ltd to supply aluminium extrusion profiles used in the production of photovoltaic modules. The new contract is valued at RM1.31 billion (USD 321.22 million) and covers an 18-month period from July 2026 to December 2027. According to the company, it is the fifth supply agreement awarded by First Solar. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, PA Resources said the contract is expected to improve operational efficiency through better production scheduling, material planning, workforce utilisation and logistics coordination. The company also expects the agreement to contribute positively to its earnings and net assets. Explore: The most comprehensive and...
Toyota Vice Chairman Koji Sato is calling for Japanese automakers to work together on common standards for selected vehicle parts as Chinese brands continue to gain ground in key global markets. The proposal would standardise components such as steel, wiring harnesses and plastics across Japan's major carmakers. By reducing the number of component variations, automakers could lower costs, improve efficiency and put more resources into areas that increasingly influence car buyers. The push comes at a difficult time for Japan's auto industry, with Chinese manufacturers steadily taking market share from established Japanese brands in Europe, China, Southeast Asia and Australia. “Unless things change, we will not survive,” Sato said during Toyota’s annual supplier meeting in March, as...
Aluminium foil is gaining attention as a potential passive cooling solution after research found that a reflective layer installed beneath roofs can significantly reduce the amount of heat entering buildings during summer. As temperatures rise, roofs absorb large amounts of solar radiation, increasing indoor temperatures and placing greater demand on air conditioning systems. Researchers have found that installing a thin reflective aluminium layer beneath the roof can help reflect a substantial portion of this radiant heat before it reaches living spaces. A study by Stefano Fantucci and Valentina Serra, published in the journal Energy and Buildings in 2019, found that aluminium foil used as a radiant barrier reduced summer heat gain by 10 per cent to 53 per cent, depending on the...
Global aluminium coffee capsule consumption reached approximately 23–25 billion units in 2025, putting a small, one-gram package at the centre of a rapidly growing coffee market. Rising coffee consumption, particularly in urban areas, is driving demand as consumers increasingly look for coffee that is quick to prepare without compromising on quality. The market numbers reflect this shift. The aluminum coffee capsule with recycle scheme market was valued at USD 2.48 billion in 2025 and is projected to increase to USD 2.68 billion in 2026 and around USD 4.5 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 8.1 per cent during 2026-2033. According to various industry sources, North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America and MEA led the global market in 2025. If we look at regional consumption, Europe...
Aluminium demand is visibly entering another phase of transition. Until a few years ago, the demand used to be largely driven by packaging, transportation and the electrical and electronics sectors. Then came renewable energy, infrastructure, and electric vehicles, adding a fresh layer of demand for the metal. And now, data centres emerge as a new demand engine for the metal. The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital infrastructure is creating an increasing requirement for materials that can support high-performance cooling, reliable power distribution and large-scale structural systems. Since aluminium fits into this equation because of its thermal conductivity, light weight, corrosion resistance, formability and cost advantage over several competing...
TOYOCHEM has announced that a can coating technology developed jointly with Asahi Breweries has received the Invention Award at the 2026 National Invention Awards. The technology is used in Asahi's "Draft Beer Can" ("Nama Jokki Kan"). Two TOYOCHEM engineers who worked on the project attended the award ceremony held on June 15, 2026, at The Okura Tokyo. Interior coatings are widely used in beverage and food cans to prevent corrosion and stop metal ions from coming into contact with the contents, which can affect flavour. TOYOCHEM has supplied these coatings for canned beer for many years using its polymer design technology. The award-winning technology differs from conventional can coatings because it makes use of a phenomenon that has traditionally been treated as a manufacturing defect....
