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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KitSound reveals new Evolution range with aluminium chassis
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 announced a contract extension between Magellan Aerospace UK and Airbus
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...
US scientists develop improved method for bonding aluminium to carbon fiber
Scientists at the United States Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee have developed a new, more cost-effective method for joining carbon fiber composites and aluminium. This new process could make it even easier to utilize these materials in the process of lightweighting consumer cars and trucks. The technique for bonding aluminium and carbon fiber today is laborious, as it involves manually applying abrasives, grit blasting, or applying toxic solvents in order to prepare the surface of the materials to be joined. The scientists in question have developed a method of preparing the surface using lasers, which improves bonding and allows for automation of the process. “Our technique is vastly superior to the conventional surface preparation methods,” said Oak...
Hindalco names Satish Pai as MD, Debu Bhattacharya to continue as non-executive director
Hindalco Industries named Satish Pai, currently deputy managing director, as the managing director. Current Managing Director D Bhattacharya will continue as non-executive director and has also been appointed vice-chairman, Hindalco said in its statement. The aluminium major reported a 123% jump in net profit in the quarter ended March, helped by higher volumes and lower input costs. "D. Bhattacharya, will be demitting office as managing director with effect from 31 July 2016," Hindalco said on BSE on Saturday. Chief financial officer Praveen Kumar Maheshwari has been inducted as the whole-time director on the board of the company for a term of five years. Bhattacharya will play an active role at the Aditya Birla Group level, a person familiar with the matter said. He is likely becoming...
Tumbling Aluminum Inventories to Put Floor under Aluminum Prices, SMM
Aluminum stocks in China’s major markets fell at a much faster pace, and this will lend support to both SHFE and spot aluminum prices , SMM expects. Limited aluminum capacity restarts will support SHFE 1607 aluminum at the 60-day moving average, with price range at 11,950-12,300 yuan per tonne this coming week. Spot aluminum in east China will trade at premiums of 150 yuan per tonne over SHFE 1606 aluminum. Movement of LME aluminum will remain subject to crude oil and US dollar. Market will eye US non-farm payrolls for clues for the US Fed’s policy path and impact on US dollar. LME aluminum should move at $1,530-1,570 per tonne.
Hindalco Q4 net profit more than doubles to Rs 356 crore
Aluminium maker Hindalco today said its standalone net profit more than doubled to Rs 356 crore for the quarter ended March 2016 helped by growth in sales of value-added products as well as cost efficiencies. The flagship firm of the Aditya Birla Group had clocked a net profit of Rs 160 crore in the year-ago period, it said in a regulatory filing. Standalone revenue of the company, however, declined by 7.5 per cent to Rs 8,668 crore in January-March quarter of last fiscal from Rs 9,372 crore during the same quarter of 2014-15 due to decline in realisations from aluminium and copper. The firm said aluminium production rose year-on-year (y-o-y) 27 per cent to 307 kilo tonnes (KT) as well as there were significant cost efficiencies achieved with supportive input costs and decline in coal and...
NALCO posts INR 731 cr net profit in 2015-16
At a time when 70% aluminium companies world over have reported loss, as also reduced production, and the aluminium industry is reeling under heavy pressure due to sluggish international market, National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), a Navratna PSU under Ministry of Mines, Government of India, has remained profitable by successfully handling the market downturn by becoming the lowest cost producer of alumina in the world and focusing on increased bauxite mining and alumina refining, besides effecting several cost reduction measures, particularly in metal production. It may be noted that while the average London Metal Exchange (LME) price per tonne of aluminium in FY14-15 was 1889 USD per tonne, it slumped to an average of 1592 USD in FY 15-16 i.e a fall of 16%. According to the...
Alba Line 6 CAPEX down to around US$ 3 billion
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the Bahrain-based international smelter, announced that the CAPEX associated with Line 6 Expansion Project was brought-down from US$ 3.5 billion to around US$ 3 billion. As per the initial Bankable Feasibility Study, the CAPEX for Line 6 Expansion Project - comprising the construction of a sixth pot line and Power Station 5 - was estimated at US$ 3.5 billion. However, following our on-going review in response to the lower oil prices and commodity market’s soft conditions, the CAPEX has significantly shrinked to approximately US$ 3 billion. Speaking about this development, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Murray said: “We are pleased to arrive at a lower CAPEX as that will reduce the debt burden when financing the construction of the sixth pot line and...
Alcoa launches legal action against Alumina Ltd.
Alcoa has taken the surprise step of launching legal action in the US against Alumina to stop attempts by its Australian partner to derail a historic break-up of the aluminium giant. The action comes amid threats by Melbourne-based Alumina as recently as this week to try to "interfere with the (Alcoa) seperation" to cast "a cloud over the seperation ... and disrupting" the operations of the two partners' Alcoa World and Alumina Chemicals (AWAC) venture, according to court documents filed in the US state of Delaware on Friday night. AWAC, split 60-40 between venture operator Alcoa and Alumina, is one of the world's biggest bauxite and alumina producers and owns world-class mines and refineries in the South West. Alcoa announced its historic split, to separate the upstream operations of...
New report published on Bauxite Cement Market 2015 – 2022
Research Corridor has published a new research study titled “Bauxite Cement Market – Growth, Share, Opportunities, Competitive Analysis and Forecast, 2015 – 2022”. The Bauxite Cement market report studies current as well as future aspects of the Bauxite Cement Market based upon factors such as market dynamics, key ongoing trends and segmentation analysis. Apart from the above elements, the Bauxite Cement Market research report provides a 360-degree view of the Bauxite Cement industry with geographic segmentation, statistical forecast and the competitive landscape. Geographically, the Bauxite Cement Market report comprises dedicated sections centering on the regional market revenue and trends. The Bauxite Cement market has been segmented on the basis of geographic regions into North...
Alcoa schedules more plant layoffs
Another wave of layoffs was announced at the Alcoa Point Comfort plant this week after the company initially hit the brakes on production in November. Notices were given to employees this week at the Point Comfort plant that detailed when the latest round of layoffs will begin. An estimated 60 employees will be laid off and 18 will retire June 27, said Kari Fluegel, spokeswoman for the Point Comfort location of the alumina producer. About 137 employees will be let go July 23. "We will close down production on June 30, and then after that we enter what we call a maintenance and care mode, and that requires some staffing level," Fluegel said. The company initially announced late last year it would cut back locally by about 1.2 million metric tons to save money. In 2015, the aluminum price...
Rexam collaborates with Hofjäger to can First Beer for Chinese market
Rexam, a leading global can maker, has partnered with German beer company Denninghoffs, owner of the brand Hofjäger, to can its Schwarzbier and Weizenbier ranges. The new canned format will launch for the first time in China in May 2016 before being rolled out globally. The iconic aluminium beverage cans use Rexam’s high definition printing to bring to life an image of a traditional Bavarian hunter, set against dark and tan backgrounds to reflect the character of the beers. Speaking about the project, Thomas Kühn, CEO of Denninghoffs GmbH, says, “There is huge demand for German beer in China, which is why we decided to launch in this market first. To mark the occasion, we wanted to innovate and moving to can seemed the perfect option. The design agency, Laut & Schoen, created the design...
HTC 10 and HTC 10 Lifestyle with all-aluminium unibody launched In India
HTC has finally unveiled the much awaited HTC 10 and HTC 10 Lifestyle in India. The company has also unveiled five more devices- The HTC 10 Lifestyle, the new HTC Desire 628, HTC Desire 630 HTC One X9 dual-SIM, HTC Desire 825, and HTC Desire 830, along with the flagship. HTC 10 boasts a 5.2-inch QHD SLCD panel, It comes with an all-aluminium unibody, as seen on every HTC flagship, however this time the chamfered edges to all the way to the back, giving a much premium feel. Under the hood, the device is rocking a Snapdragon 820 SoC. paired with 4GB of RAM. The device comes with 32GB and 64GB storage options, with microSD expandability up to 200GB. For optics, the device features a 12MP (Ultra pixel) rear camera, along with a wide-angle 5MP selfie camera. The device is running Android 6.0...
UBM Information starts CPD Programme on sustainable aluminium window systems
A key element of the UK government’s Construction 2025 strategy is to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment by 50 per cent by 2025. At the same time, it aims to lower costs by 33 per cent, both in the initial construction and over the whole life of built assets. As heating consumes by far the greatest proportion of household energy use, reducing this is one of the most efficient ways to improve buildings’ energy performance. Data from the European Aluminium Association estimates that 40 per cent of the heating energy lost from homes escapes from windows or the gaps around windows. Innovative and high-performance window design is therefore fundamental in reducing the amount of energy used in both the construction and operation of buildings, new and old. UBM Information...
Larson Electronics launches explosion proof 112 Watt LED light with aluminium body
Larson Electronics, a global manufacturer in the field of innovative electronic products has come up with an 112 watt LED light which is not only industrial grade with its low power consumption and water resistance but fully explosion proof as well. The new product, named EPL-HB-11K-LED, is a Class 1 Division 2, Class 2, and Class 3 light. It is simultaneously safe to be used in areas with flammable gases/vapors, combustible dust or in hazardous areas with easily ignitable fibers. Capable of an output of 10,997 lumens of light, this high-quality innovative design is comprised of a powder coated copper free aluminium body for high strength and durability. The lightweight, highly aesthetic compact design specifically designed for 60,000 hours of lifespan with cutting edge heat dissipation...
All-alu E-car bodies get lighter than 200 kg, Hydro
All cars need to lose weight to reduce emissions in safe, reliable ways. This applies to e-cars in particular, due to their heavy battery components. The interdisciplinary “Light E-Body” project of Hydro has investigated several options to reduce car body weight from the 314 kg of a conservative concept in full steel. That project agreed on a multi-material concept with a 248 kg body. Going beyond, Hydro and fka developed a full-aluminium car body that meets the benchmark on safety and stiffness, while reducing the weight to just 199 kg. Further potential lies in lighter aluminium doors, hoods and lids, saving another 37.5 kg – and additional, secondary weight reduction is not even yet considered. The concept developers highlight the similar performance in crash simulation of the...
Use of automotive aluminium sheet to increase significantly
The demand for automotive aluminium sheet will grow at an unprecedented rate, recent studies conducted across major geographies give clear indication of the trend. The years of 2014 and 2015 were recognized as inflection points for the switch from traditional steel to aluminium and other light materials in automobiles, including the replacement of advanced high strength steel (AHSS) with aluminium. In general, the use of aluminium and other light materials will feature predominantly in heavy vehicles, like pick-ups and SUVs, while AHSS will most likely retain its dominance in light and small vehicles, which should lead to a structural weight reduction of approximately 220 lbs (approximately 100kg). This comes in the wake of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) targets getting doubled...
US, Canada aluminium exports shoot up during Jan-March
Exports of aluminium from the US and Canada, excluding cross-border trade, totalled 762 million lb through the first three months of 2016, up 9.3 per cent from the year-ago period, while aluminium imports totalled 1.685 billion lb, up 11.6 per cent, as per the latest figures from the Aluminum Association. US and Canadian aluminium demand, measured by domestic producer shipments plus imports, totalled 6.55 billion lb through March, up 0.7 per cent year on year. Over the same period, apparent consumption -- defined as demand less exports -- in domestic markets totaled 5.788 billion lb, down 0.4 per cent. Demand for semi-fabricated mill products totaled 4.552 billion lb through March, down 1.1 per cent from a year ago.
