Golden Aluminum Inc. (GAI) has recently partnered with SMS group to launch the commercial operations of a state-of-the-art aluminium strip, called nexcast®, at its Fort Lupton, Colorado facility. This represents a significant breakthrough in aluminium casting methods, facilitating the production of high-alloy aluminium grades.
What’s important and exciting in this new venture?
Nexcast® is a novel, high-precision continuous casting line that completely converts molten aluminium directly into hot-rolled 36-inch wide coils, which are ready for further processing. Using this, a 40-year-old block caster, which was previously used at the plant, could be replaced.
On July 5, 2025, Nexcast® started producing its first coil, which was just four weeks after it was installed. Within the first month itself, the production line reached its full production capacity and started operations for 60 long hours. During the first production cycle itself, Nexcast® successfully handled the production of alloy switches on the fly, which also included high-magnesium AA5182.
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Design & sustainability benefits of Nexcast®
Why does it matter?
The introduction of Nexcast® gives Golden Aluminum the capacity to broaden its range of advanced aluminium products, especially high-alloy sheets serving automotive, packaging, and construction markets. For the aluminium industry, it straightaway gives cleaner, more energy-efficient, and faster production methods. For customers, the benefits translate into reduced costs, quicker turnaround times, and access to a wider selection of alloys.
To know the market forecast for aluminium flat rolled products, read our report: Aluminium Flat Rolled Products: Insights & Forecast to 2030
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