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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OnePlus 3 smartphone brings in a host of new features and an aluminium body
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...
Base metals looking mixed, aluminium spreads tighten
The base metals were for the most part firmer on Tuesday, June 14, with aluminium closing up 1.6 percent at $1,599.50. In Shanghai, the base metals are for the most part little changed. Equities remain on a back footing as the market gets more cautious ahead of the Brexit vote, the Euro Stoxx 50 was down two percent yesterday and the Dow closed off 0.7 percent. In Asia, the Nikkei is down 1.1 percent, the Hang Seng is off 0.1 percent, the ASX 200 is down 1.9 percent, the Kospi is down 0.4 percent, but the CSI 300 is up 0.1 percent. In FX, the dollar index is last at 94.44 and seems to be consolidating recent gyrations, the euro is at 1.1288, sterling is weak at 1.4182, the yen is extremely strong at 105.91, the high in May was 105.54 and the aussie is edging higher at 0.7402. The yuan...
Japan’s spot aluminium premiums steady at $80-$90/mt in thin trading
Japan’s spot aluminium premiums are steady at $80-$90/mt in thin trading. Platts assessed spot aluminium premiums for imports into Japan at $80-$90/mt plus LME cash CIF Japan Monday, unchanged from May 30 in thin trading against the backdrop of third-quarter contract premium negotiations. An international trader said he has indicated an interest to sell at $80/mt plus LME cash CIF Japan over a week earlier, but prospective buyers have not responded. One Japanese trader said he was interested. A Japanese consumer added that he was approached by several traders if he would be interested in metal sourced from international traders and financial institutions at $80-$90/mt plus LME cash CIF Japan. He declined the offers. “This is not the time to buy. We already bought some spot material...
MCX aluminium resumes short-term uptrend
Since recording a multi-year low at INR 93 per kg in October 2015, the aluminium futures contract traded on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) has been on an intermediate-term uptrend. However, the key resistance at INR 111 which is also 50 per cent Fibonacci retracement level of the prior downtrend, limited the contract’s rally in late February and again in late April this year. Subsequent decline found support at INR 103 in early May and began to move up. On Monday, Jue 13, the contract gained 2 per cent breaking an immediate resistance at INR 106 to settle at INR 107.3. In addition, this rally has breached the contract’s 21 and 50-day moving averages and trade well above them. On Tuesday, June 14, the contract was up by 0.3 to trade at INR 107.7. This recent breakthrough gives traders...
Meridian hopes NZAS will decide to close the energy deal for its Tiwai Point smelter
On a recent investor day at Meridian Energy, the Government-controlled company said it expected ongoing talks with New Zealand Aluminium Smelters, which operates the Tiwai Point smelter. NZAS' financial performance was in line with Meridian expectations and Meridian believed NZAS was cashflow positive at current aluminum prices. But NZAS was facing an electricity price increase on January 1, 2017 and Meridian expected NZAS to try to renegotiate. "Should NZAS decide to close, Meridian has undertaken preliminary work with market participants to quickly formulate contracting arrangements. That said, Meridian maintained its view NZAS was likely to stay around, which is consistent with our view,'' Ms Howe said. The biggest issue facing the electricity sector was the long-term future of the...
Alcoa Inc's EPS forecast increased on back of improved Alumina profits: Rosenblatt
Analyst Chris Olin at Rosenblatt Securities Inc. increased its Earnings per Share (EPS) estimates for Alcoa Inc. The improved EPS estimates reflect an improved profitability outlook for the company’s Alumina segment. The analyst stated that the company appears to be in a better position and could surpass its 2Q EPS forecasts. The better expectation is on the basis of relative strength in spot market pricing of alumina. Secondly, the better estimates are also on back of better expected contribution from its third-party bauxite revenues. Lastly, the incremental gains from Primary Segment productivity would also be a tailwind for the company. As per revised earnings for Alcoa, the new EPS forecasted is of $0.10 per share, which is up by $0.02 per share. The analyst now projects full year...
UK's Webro adds copper-clad aluminium alarm cable range to their portfolio
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 introduces new entrance mat innovation with aluminium-framing
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...
Constellium showcases its innovative aluminium defense solutions at Eurosatory 2016
Constellium N.V. is showcasing its innovative aluminium defense solutions at Eurosatory 2016, the world’s largest exhibition of land and air-land defense and security. The exhibition is currently being held in Paris, France. For the last four years, Constellium has been expanding its global armor portfolio. Thanks to a tireless focus on research and innovation, Constellium now offers an extensive aluminium product range for armored vehicle and turret hulls, appliqué armor kits, underbelly armor kits as well as bridging and pioneering vehicles. As an illustration, the KEIKOR® Suite is, today, the highest performance solution on the market combining extreme protection level and vehicle mobility. In addition, Constellium established a dedicated team of technical armor experts supporting the...
CBIX down 1% to $45.4/dmt over the week
CBIX eased over the week, down 1 per cent (US$0.4) to US$45.4/dmt. This comes on the back of a low ViU-priced cargo from Guinea and lower Malaysian FOB prices, which have pulled back slightly, to US$25.5/dmt for unwashed material FOB and US$34/dmt CIF. Unwashed grades are reportedly 40.5 per cent total alumina and 5 per cent total silica, which is consistent with typical Kuantan export grades. Washed prices is quoted at US$43/dmt CIF. CBIX is "value in use" CFR reference price for a standard gibbsitic bauxite (5 per cent reacting silica, 10 per cent moisture, 50 per cent reacting alumina - 5/10/50) which reflects the market conditions for bauxite imports into China. The Malaysian pull back has been attributed to demand contraction, which has forced trucking and barging costs lower. We...
Worrying signs arise for battered aluminium prices, SMM says
Worrying signs have arisen for aluminum prices, which have retreated from this year’s high of 13,000 yuan/tonne to below 12,000 yuan/tonne, SMM says. China’s aluminium output hit 2.68 million tonnes in May, the highest since November 2015, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed. About 500,000-tpy idled aluminium capacity was brought back online in the first half of this year, SMM statistics showed. SMM estimates some another 400,000-500,000-tpy aluminium capacity to be restarted in June and July. Aluminium stocks in China’s five major markets had fallen all the way from this year’s high seen in the week ending March 4. However, stocks reversed declines in the week ending June 13 by growing 19,000 tonnes from June 8. Although it is still early to say whether the change...
45% Chinese aluminium smelters bearish toward aluminium prices this week
SMM surveyed 44 Chinese aluminium smelters about their opinions over aluminium price outlook. About 45 per cent of them expect SHFE 1608 aluminium to fall below RMB 11,800/mt and LME aluminium below USD 1,560/mt. First, the price spread between SHFE 1606 and 1607 aluminium contracts is as big as RMB 200/mt before upcoming delivery of the former. This left suppliers eager to sell, but trading was poor, especially in south China, where trading was contributed mainly by traders. Second, downstream producers mostly watched from the sidelines, with low buying interest, due to falling orders. Third, aluminium stocks in China’s five major markets grew nearly 20,000 mt as of June 13 compared with June 8. Ongoing capacity restarts will likely allow stocks to continue growing. Fourth, growing...
Market for aluminium shields in the automotive sector to be worth $984.9 mln in 2021
The global market for aluminium shields in the automotive sector will be worth USD 984.9 million in 2021, according to a recently published market research report. The major factors which are driving the demand for aluminium heat shields are the rise in vehicle production, rise in military expenditure, and rising demand for luxury vehicles, the report revealed. The factors which act as restraints in the aluminium heat shield market are the availability of substitutes and the emergence of battery driven vehicles. Advancement in technology due to continuous R&D activities by the major OEMs is the major factors boosting the aluminium heat shield market. An aluminium heat shield is a type of heat shield which is designed to shield a component from absorbing excessive heat either by...
Noranda signs agreement with Gränges AB to serve as "Stalking Horse Bidder" for flat-rolled business
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Gränges AB, under which a subsidiary of Gränges will serve as the "stalking horse" bidder for Noranda's Flat-Rolled Products business in a court-supervised sale process designed to maximize the value of such business. The agreement values the Flat-Rolled Products business at $302.5 million, on a debt-free, cash-free basis. If other qualified bids are submitted, the company will conduct an auction pursuant to section 363 of U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The asset purchase agreement with Gränges sets the floor for the auction, which is designed to achieve the highest or otherwise best offer. A hearing to approve the stalking horse bid is scheduled for June 22, 2016. Upon court approval of the...
WernerCo invests over $100k to facilitate aluminium laser cutting production
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...
Ferrari Franchi launches all-aluminium F60 superyacht
The F60 is a new superyacht concept created by the Ferrari Franchi studio in Italy. The project, crafted from advanced aluminium alloys, measures 60 metres, and spans 11.30 metres across accounting for a total volume of 1000 GT. F60 can accommodate up to 12 guests over six cabins with a full beam master suite with private balcony and a VIP suite located on the upper deck. The aluminium-built superyacht has ample space for accommodating other luxury service areas too, such as an oversized beach club, a spa area, a gym and jet-ski storage areas, an open plan salon, and a touch and go helicopter landing pad in the upper deck entertainment area! The yacht’s all-aluminium construction will allow it to reach a top speed of 20 knots. A total of 12 crew members will live aboard the yacht.
Scholz streamlining its Stockach aluminium recycling business
Germany’s Scholz Group has continued the process of streamlining its portfolio by selling its aluminium recycling business ScholzAlu Stockach GmbH, which is based at Stockach on Lake Constance. All of the shares have been purchased by investors advised by Orlando Management AG. Employing 160 people, ScholzAlu Stockach produces cast and wrought alloys from scrap aluminium and treats salt slag from secondary aluminium production. ‘The parties to the completed transaction have agreed to keep the financial details confidential,’ it has been announced in a statement. With offices in Munich, Zurich and Stockholm, Orlando Management AG advises institutional and private investors on investments in enterprises.
China's aluminium output soars despite trade barriers
China’s aluminium production rose to 2.68 million tonnes last month from 2.57 million tonnes in April, and 2.67 million tonnes a year ago, according to the data. Output declined 1.7 per cent in the first five months to 12.62 million tonnes. Chinese smelters, which had pledged to slash production to bolster prices, are bringing back idled capacity after prices rebounded this year. With most producers in the world’s largest supplier enjoying solid margins, output growth will accelerate to 4 per cent year-on-year in the second half, Goldman Sachs Group Inc said in a report earlier this month. China’s fading infrastructure boom has left it saddled with too much capacity after decades of rapid growth. The nation is exporting its surplus at record rates, drawing the ire of international rivals....
