“The aluminium industry in 2024 is expected to be shaped by decarbonisation efforts, with China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region being significant players in the global market”, Dr Matthias Irle, Executive Vice President - Business Unit Metals at EMG Automation GmbH.

Dr Matthias Irle is a highly accomplished Electrical Engineer specialising in Automation Engineering. He holds a Dipl. Ing. Elektrotechnik from Universität-Gesamthochschule Siegen, Germany, and a Doctorate in Engineering. With over two decades at EMG Automation GmbH, he has held key positions including Head of Quality Assurance Systems and Technical Director. Since January 2021, he has served as Executive Vice President, leading the Business Unit Metals, showcasing his dedication, expertise, and leadership in the field.

ALCircle: How do you envision the global aluminium industry in 2024? Which manufacturing industry will be the key demand driver for aluminium?

Dr Matthias Irle: In general, the aluminium industry in 2024 is expected to be shaped by decarbonisation efforts, with China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region being significant players in the global market. The manufacturing industry, particularly in transportation, construction, packaging, and electrical sectors, is anticipated to be the key demand driver for aluminium in 2024. In the aluminium flat-rolled products market, the target market of EMG’s Metals Business Unit, the trend is towards the production of lightweight and high-strength materials for use in the automotive and aerospace industries, as well as the increasing use of aluminium in the packaging industry due to its excellent barrier properties and recyclability.

AL Circle: How does EMG’s premium-quality strip guiding system contribute to ensuring the safe and precise processing of aluminium strips in various production processes?

Dr Matthias Irle: The key to success in producing aluminium strip material is reliable and trouble-free strip guidance through all the various processing and finishing steps. The combination of EMG sensors, software, electronics, hydraulic valves, and units, as well as electromechanical drives has been ensuring this for more than 75 years all over the world.

AL Circle: Can you elaborate on the key features distinguishing EMG's strip guiding systems and their role in preventing damage to products or production equipment? In what ways does EMG tailor its strip guiding control solutions to meet the specific requirements of different production steps in the aluminium industry?

Dr Matthias Irle: With EMG's wide range of sensors - from inductive solutions to optical sensors - the strip position can be precisely determined in all process steps. Together with the actuators and electronics also supplied by EMG, reliable strip guiding control is therefore ensured. This also includes the associated recoiling and uncoiling processes and, of course, all finishing processes. The ability to select a wide variety of sensor and control components in a solution-oriented manner - and to supply these from a single source - is a unique selling point of EMG's range of services. EMG supplies solutions and not just components with which the user is left on his own in the worst case.

AL Circle: As the demand for new materials rises, how do EMG's innovative quality assurance systems address the challenges of ensuring process reliability in producing aluminium strips?

Dr Matthias Irle: Although EMG already covers a significant part of quality assurance via the quality assurance systems described below, there are, of course, challenges for the online measurement technology of surface and material properties. Particular attention is paid to aluminium's strength values. EMG is working intensively on new technological developments for future use in production.

AL Circle: Could you provide insights into how EMG's quality assurance systems contribute to continuously optimising manufacturing processes and product quality for aluminium manufacturers and processors?

Dr Matthias Irle: With a complete range of thickness and width measuring systems (EMG iCAM^® and EMG iTiM) for the entire process chain, EMG's quality assurance systems are necessary for process reliability and quality throughout the various processing stages. In both cases, different technological solutions are available. For example, the expansion of EMG's product portfolio to include all thickness measurement methods currently used in the industry (X-ray, isotopes, laser) and the associated design and software know-how opens up completely new possibilities for the user when using the EMG iTiM family of thickness measurement systems. The portfolio is supplemented by measuring systems for determining the oil layer or for measuring coatings on strip material, based on infrared spectroscopy and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (EMG SOLID^®), as well as an online roughness measuring system EMG SORM^® .

AL Circle: Can you explain what your Metals business unit offers regarding complete system solutions for strip guiding and QA solutions, including turnkey solutions?

Dr Matthias Irle: EMG's scope of delivery includes not only the technical solutions, components, and systems but also the required service and consultancy.

The EMG service team, with deep knowledge in strip guiding and quality assurance solutions, provides customers in flat metal production and processing with a broad range of benefits. With our global presence, spare parts delivery, and consultancy services, the EMG team can offer specialised expertise in revamps and modernisations, as well as turnkey projects that help companies improve their processes and increase their profitability.

AL Circle: What part of your offering is covered by in-house development and production? How high is the vertical integration of your production? What does this mean for control electronics, sensor hardware and software, control software and mechanical design?

Dr Matthias Irle: EMG's in-house production traditionally achieves a very high level of vertical integration. All assembly and design work are carried out at EMG, and EMG also has its own hydraulic and mechanical production facilities. This is complemented by electronics production, for example for the EMG iCON® control electronics utilised in the strip guiding and QA solutions. EMG is therefore able to respond to special customer requirements and orders at any time.

AL Circle: How does EMG provide competent application advice to customers regarding implementing and utilising the strip guiding and QA solutions?

Dr Matthias Irle: Based on more than 75 years of experience in strip guiding of metal strips and more than two decades of solution knowledge in quality assurance and associated sensor technology, competent service and advice is a key promise for our customers. EMG is known as a partner you can rely on!