A should-cost analysis of an aluminium tower furnace in India: Comparing the economics of LPG, PNG, and electric energy sources
In precision non-ferrous casting and high-volume die-casting operations, thermal energy conversion represents one of the largest controllable operating expenses. In modern aluminium foundries, where margins are squeezed by primary metal price fluctuations and stringent customer cost breakdowns, even a modest INR 1–2/kg variance in liquid metal melting cost can translate into tens of lakhs of rupees in annual cost differences. A rigorous, transparent should-cost benchmark is therefore essential for procurement teams, foundry managers and strategic sourcing leaders. This analysis examines a baseline should-cost model for a 1,000 kg/hour aluminium shaft or tower furnace in an industrial foundry. It compares liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), piped natural gas (PNG) and electric energy across...
Germany’s construction aluminium demand falls 12%, but 2027 recovery and recycling offer fresh growth prospects
Germany’s construction industry has endured several years of contraction, weighed down by elevated financing costs, expensive building materials and subdued residential investment. The downturn has also affected the country’s aluminium industry, with estimated construction-related aluminium consumption declining by around 12 per cent between 2022 and 2025. However, the outlook is beginning to change. With Germany’s construction industry projected to return to growth in 2026 and accelerate further in 2027, opportunities are emerging for aluminium suppliers across residential construction, transport infrastructure, energy networks and commercial developments. At the same time, efforts to strengthen closed-loop aluminium recycling in buildings could provide an additional avenue for growth....
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Reverse vending machines to be installed to encourage aluminium can recycling in Wyndham
Reverse vending machines will be installed across the municipality to help people go green, Wyndham Council, in Victoria, Australia says. The council said it will be first council to install the machines. The unusual approach will let Wyndham residents deposit plastic bottles and aluminium cans in return for vouchers to Aquapulse and other facilities. Roll out of the machines is part of the council’s environmental and waste reduction strategies. Wyndham council’s director of sustainable development Dean Rochfort said three machines would be installed for a three-year period. “The machines will be installed over the next 12 months with council currently working to determine the most suitable locations for them, based on where they will have the most impact on litter levels,” he said. Cr...
Caution to prevail in SHFE aluminium market
SHFE 1608 aluminium will continue trading in a tight range of RMB 11,860-11,990/mt today on strong market caution. The US dollar will gain favor before referendum on UK exit from the EU. Japan’s trade data for May might be worse than expected. LME aluminium will move at USD 1,605-1,625/mt. In China’s spot aluminium market, spot premiums of RMB 80-120/mt are expected over SHFE 1607 aluminium contract.
LME aluminium may break resistance at $1,624
LME aluminium may break a resistance at $1,624 per tonne and gain further to the next resistance at $1,648, driven by a wave C. This is third wave of a three-wave cycle from the November 23, 2015 low of $1,432.50. A Fibonacci projection analysis on the target of this wave reveals two resistances at $1,624 and $1,648, respectively provided by the 86.4 percent and the 100 percent levels. Support is at $1,607, the 76.4 percent level, a break below which could cause a loss to the 61.8 percent level at $1,582. Use EIKON news "Alerts" to be notified of this report and get it sent to your email box when it is published. Wang Tao is a Reuters market analyst for commodities and energy technicals. The views expressed are his own. No information in this analysis should be considered as being...
Base metals to fall after rising this week, SMM says
Base metal prices are expected to rise at first, and then drop this week, Shanghai Metals Market foresees. “A series of risky events will be released later this week, and risk aversion sentiment will grow as the week progresses,” SMM says. Key Macroeconomic Indicators for Base Metal Prices: Aluminium: 11,860-11,990 yuan per tonne Manufacturing PMIs from western economies for May will come under the spotlight this week. “Black swan” events may occur, including semiannual financial report by US Fed head Janet Yellen and referendum on UK exit from the EU, which will intensify risk aversion. France might be the drag on euro zone’s manufacturing PMI. Manufacturing sector in Italy and Spain, however, has been positive after austerity measures. US building starts and home sales have been largely...
Cita Mineral to produce Indonesia’s first alumina
Indonesian conglomerate Harita Group representative Hidayat Sugiarto (left to right), bauxite miner Cita Mineral Investindo director Robby Irvan, president director Liem Hok Seng, director Yusak Parded, commissioner Harry Tanoto and commissioner Kartiko Sunu prepare for a photograph during a public expose following Cita Mineral Investindo’s annual shareholders meeting in Jakarta on Thursday, June 16. Bauxite mining company Cita Mineral Investindo will become the country’s first alumina producer following the completion of its new smelter. The publicly listed firm, part of natural resources conglomerate Harita Group, will begin the production of smelter grade alumina (SGA) at its smelter in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, within days. CITA president director Liem Hok Seng claimed that Indonesia...
Vedanta eyes bauxite auctions for feeding Lanjigarh refinery
London-listed Vedanta Resources is looking up to auctions of bauxite blocks to clinch long-term raw material security for its alumina refinery at Lanjigarh (Odisha). Vedanta was feeding the refinery by sourcing bauxite from other states as well as importing from countries like Guinea. The refinery operations had become unviable in the absence of local bauxite sources and Vedanta had idled one stream of the refinery’s operations to trim the ballooning losses. As of now, the Lanjigarh refinery is operating at 0.8 million tonne per annum (mtpa) though it has approvals to run at a capacity of up to four mtpa. Idling one stream of the refinery has helped Vedanta cut its daily losses from INR 3.5-4 crore to INR 2 crore presently. But since Vedanta has already initiated capacity ramp up of its...
Guinea's CBG gets $1 bln loan to boost bauxite production
Guinea's Bauxite Company (CBG) has reached an agreement in principle over a $1 billion loan to increase production capacity at the Kamsar treatment plant, the firm's general director told Reuters on Friday. Guinea has around a third of the world's reserves of bauxite, used to make aluminium, although development has been hampered by years of military rule and popular unrest. The West African country produces around 19 million tonnes per year. "We have obtained the agreement in principle of all our financial partners for the loan of $1 billion for the expansion project of the CBG," Namory Conde said, declining to name the backers. He said the loan will support a goal to boost bauxite production at the factory from the current annual output of 14.5 million tonnes to 18.5 million tonnes in...
The Hive in Kew Gardens will bring 17,000 aluminium bars with immersive sound to London
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 finally yields to the aluminium can
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 releases portable LED work light on aluminium frame
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’ 2nd Generation 3D printed mini plane- THOR will feature aluminium wings
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...
Middlebury aluminium processor adds new cutting machine
A new machine at Middlebury's Champagne Metals in the United States is helping the aluminium processor achieve efficiencies and offer new services and should have a nationwide impact on manufacturing, according to a company executive. In March, the cut-to-length machine that can handle rolls of aluminum sheeting up to 111 inches wide went into production. Butech Bliss of Salem, Ohio manufactured the machine for Champagne Metals. “We take coiled aluminum, level it and cut it to length for use in all types of industries,” said Darren Hayes, chief operating officer for the company. He said the company has customers in a variety of industries, including pleasure boats, especially pontoon boat builders, van box truck manufacturers, liquid and dry bulk tankers, dump bodies and other industries....
Amcor flags plant closures as ‘likely’
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...
Voting results from Constellium's 2016 Annual General Meeting
Constellium N.V. has announced results from its 2016 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders which was held yesterday. All voting items were adopted at the meeting except for the proposal to increase the number of shares under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (described in the annual meeting materials). Mr. Jean-Marc Germain was appointed as a new Executive Board Member of the Company and Ms. Martha Brooks as a new Non-Executive Board Member. The following directors were re-appointed: Mr. Pierre Vareille as Executive Board Member and Mr. Richard Evans, Mr. Peter Hartman, Mr. Michiel Brandjes, Mr. Phillippe Guillemot, Mr. John Ormerod and Ms. Lori Walker as Non-Executive Board Members.
MetalMatters to showcase infinite recyclability of aluminium in Luton
In a bid to reduce the amount of metal packaging sent to landfill, MetalMatters campaign supported by Rexam targets 79,355 households. It includes a series of leaflets, online advertising, social media posts and posters have been developed carrying the ‘make your metals matter’ messaging to educate residents on the recycling process. Two infographics will be released in May and July, illustrating metal items suitable for recycling and showcasing the infinite recyclability of aluminium. Alex Constantinides, service director public realm at Luton Borough Council, said: “We’re committed to reducing the amount of waste that is sent to landfill and look forward to working with residents to make this happen. If all 94 million aluminium cans and other metal packaging were recycled, it would...
SHFE aluminium to see range-bound trading as caution prevails
SHFE 1608 aluminium will trade in a tight range of RMB 11,850-12,000/mt today on strong market caution. The US dollar will gain favor before referendum on UK exit from the EU. LME aluminium will face downward pressure and move at USD 1,600-1,625/mt. In China’s spot aluminium market, spot premiums of RMB 70-110/mt are expected over SHFE 1607 aluminium contract.
Aluminium delivery premiums treading a more familiar path
While London Metal Exchange warehouse queues have all but disappeared the even better news is physical delivery premiums have dropped back closer to historically lower levels and more importantly taken on a flat, stable pattern. As analysts point out, the reasons for the unusual spike in physical delivery premiums last year were always contentious and, in reality, multiple in origin but arguably long load-out queues played a part, although we always maintained they were as much symptom as cause of a deeper malaise in the physical aluminium market. Premiums Easing Still, the return to a steady $170-180 per ton level for the Midwest premium and a stable range of $90-120 per metric ton range for Japanese Port premiums is a welcome relief for consumers after the sky high levels of 2014-15...
Risk-on sentiment lifts aluminium to highest since May 5
Aluminium hit its highest level in nearly six weeks on Wednesday and copper also jumped as the dollar dipped and investors bought more risky assets ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting. All the metals on the London Metal Exchange were swept higher, also getting a boost as some speculators closed out bearish positions. Three-month LME aluminium closed 1 percent higher at $1,626 a tonne, the strongest since May 5, building on gains of 0.6 percent on Tuesday, June 14. LME data showed one entity held 40-50 percent of short-term aluminium futures. "The base metals markets seem to be playing along to the tune of risk-on today with equity markets firmer today as well," said Daniel Briesemann at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. European shares rose as expectations of dovish words from the U.S. Federal...
