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TI Cycles setting up aluminium bikes facility
TI Cycles is setting up a facility to make aluminium frame bicycles, as it seeks to beef up its performance product range. The company primarily makes carbon steel bicycles, which are starter bikes representing the lowest end of the value chain. Aluminium bikes, which are lighter and used by amateur bikers, are in the mid-range in terms of price and performance.
Last year, TI Cycles entered the high-end with the launch of Montra, a range of lightweight carbon frame and alloy high-performance bicycles. The aluminium bicycle facility, on which Rs 6 crore will be invested, will come up at TI Cycles' existing plant in Ambattur, Chennai. It is expected to be ready in nine months. This, the company hopes, will also give it a toehold in the export market.
“We have identified technologists who will work with us to set up the facility. We will start making aluminium bicycles for the local market. Once we showcase our capability, we will get export opportunities,” said Mr L. Ramkumar, Managing Director, Tube Investments. “A large number of cycles are sold in supermarkets in Europe and America at price points as low as $40-50 — we cannot make money in this space, which is dominated by the Chinese.
“We were in this market many years back and got out. The next level involves independent bike dealers who are extremely knowledgeable. If we can put a bicycle in these shops, we will get a better price.” Mr Ramkumar also said that a few international players have expressed interest to buy the bicycles under a private label, if they meet expectations.
The aluminium bicycles could be priced in the mid range — between Rs 7,000 and Rs 25,000. Meanwhile, TI Cycles is also looking to acquire niche companies making alloy and carbon bicycles. It is looking at opportunities in Western Europe and America to boost its mid- to high-end offerings. “We are looking at acquisition opportunities in aluminium, titanium and carbon. They could be even small companies in the developed world but they have to add value in terms of the technology we aspire to have… We have seen a couple of them,” said Mr L. Ramkumar, Managing Director, Tube Investments.
TI Cycles is a division of the Murugappa group company Tube Investments.
Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/article2893083.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home
Vehicle lightweighting coalition targets mixed use of plastics, aluminum, steel
The Center for Automotive Research (Ann Arbor, MI) has launched the Coalition of Automotive Lightweighting Materials (CALM) to support efforts by auto manufacturers to aggressively down-weight vehicles to improve performance, fuel economy and safety. Founding members include including 3M, Altair, BASF, and Plastic Omnium.
CALM is reportedly the first known organization of its kind to coalesce the strengths and knowledge of the aluminum and plastics/composites industries with technology providers in design, fabrication and joining to accelerate the implementation of mixed-material solutions that will reduce vehicle mass. "The aluminum and plastics/composites industries are developing advanced materials to help auto makers design lighter and safer cars. Leading technology companies are also developing weight-saving solutions that include these materials along with steel for new applications. By working together we can accelerate the application of these progressive materials and solutions," says Jay Baron, CAR's president and the director of CALM.
CALM's aim is to support the cost-effective integration of mixed materials to achieve significant reductions in weight through the collaborative efforts of technology providers with automakers. CALM is supported by The Aluminum Association's Aluminum Transportation Group and the American Chemistry Council.
Vehicle fuel economy remains one of the nation's critical policy concerns. The recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish vehicle corporate average fuel economy standards at 54.5 mpg in 2025 is in response to these concerns. Reducing vehicle mass is uniformly recognized as one of the key enabling technologies necessary to help achieve these fuel economy targets, as well as to reduce related tailpipe emissions. Historically, automakers have steadily increased the amount of aluminum, plastics/composites and high strength steel in cars, but the new fuel economy targets will require further acceleration in the rate of implementation.
"Lightweight materials are one of the key technologies needed to produce more fuel efficient cars for the 21st century. Partnerships like CALM will help automotive companies utilize plastics, composites and other lightweight materials to meet these goals," said Steve Russell Vice President of Plastics at the American Chemistry Council.
"As automakers rapidly transition to low weight, high strength materials, multi-materials solutions will be vital to boosting fuel economy and cutting emissions. Through individual company efforts and through the new CALM partnership, the aluminum industry is committed to working with our customers and other suppliers to further accelerate and ease the adoption of advanced materials options," says Randall Scheps, chairman of the Aluminum Association's Aluminum Transportation Group (ATG) and marketing director at Alcoa Inc. (New York).
Integrating advanced low-weight materials can present challenges with the design, joining, and structural validation. By working collaboratively with automakers, CALM aims to overcome these challenges through precompetitive efforts that will accelerate the adoption of down-weighting technologies and the overall benefits they offer automakers and ultimately consumers.
"One of the first tasks for CALM will be to meet with the engineering groups at the automakers to understand their mass reduction strategies and challenges so the supplier industries can develop and apply their technology solutions with each auto company,"
Lighter, faster Audi R8 for 2014
Audi plans to catapult its second-generation R8 firmly into the thick end of the supercar ranks alongside competition from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche. In its bid, the new R8 will bring together some of Audi’s most advanced construction techniques, driveline engineering, aerodynamics and electronics.
Already under intense development at Audi’s headquarters in Ingolstadt, the new R8 will go on sale in coupé guise in the UK during the third quarter of 2014, with a roadster version due during the second quarter of 2015.
Once again, Audi is planning a two-model line-up, with a base 4.2-litre V8 and range-topping 5.2-litre V10. Both models receive updated versions of the first-generation R8’s engines, optimised for greater power and fuel economy. The V10 is said to develop about 550bhp and return 25.7mpg in combination with a new seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox that is set to underpin changes on a facelifted version of today’s model, due to make its public debut at the Moscow motor show in August.
A follow-up to the limited-production GT is planned, too. It will run an even more powerful, 580bhp version of Audi’s 5.2-litre V10 and a lightweight body. It will be aimed at the upcoming Ferrari 458 Scuderia, next-gen Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera and new Porsche 911 GT3, although it isn’t planned to see the light of day until 2016.
New look
As well as acting as a technological figurehead for the rest of the Audi line-up, the next R8 has been earmarked to usher in a new generation of exterior design. Elements of that will begin to appear on the upcoming all-electric E-Tron - a car that is set to share a large part of its structural architecture with the new R8 coupé and roadster. Conceptually, the new Audi retains the same fundamentals as today’s model, with a predominantly aluminium structure, long (by supercar standards) wheelbase, roomy two-seat cabin, a mid-engined layout and four-wheel drive.
Despite the apparent similarities, though, essential elements of the new car already seen by Autocar reveal the new R8, known internally under the codename AU724, is a clean-sheet design. It shares only its driveline architecture with the existing model, which has been on sale in the UK since 2007.
Weight loss
Key among the developments destined for the new R8 is a weight reduction programme that sets out to bring the base model in at under 1500kg. That’s a reduction of at least 60kg on today’s R8, despite the inclusion of greater levels of both passive and active safety measures, including radar controlled anti-collision technology. The new mid-engined Audi is once again being twinned with sister company Lamborghini’s successor to the Gallardo, codenamed LB724 and due to appear almost a year before the R8, in 2013.
Both cars have been conceived around a modular construction process. This will allow them to share vital components, including selected parts of a new lightweight carbonfibre and aluminium monocoque that, Autocar can confirm, weighs 198kg. That’s 24kg less than the all-aluminium structure used by today’s R8. All up, Audi has included 28.1kg of carbonfibre in the new R8’s structure, including the transmission tunnel, floor, rear bulkhead and B-pillars. The remaining 169.9kg consists of aluminium and a patented bonding epoxy resin used to join the individual elements together. By comparison, Audi’s measuring methods put the steel structure of today’s 911 Turbo at 324kg.
Despite using a similar structure, the R8 and Gallardo have different wheelbases. The R8’s is 30mm longer than the Gallardo’s for greater levels of interior accommodation, including stowage space behind the seats. By using a shorter wheelbase than the Audi, the structure of the new Lamborghini is a further 3kg lighter, at just 195kg.
Improved engines
Power for the new R8 will come from updated versions of today’s naturally aspirated, 90deg 4.2-litre V8 and 5.2-litre V10. Insiders at Audi’s quattro operation describe these engines as having the potential to conform to forthcoming EU6 emissions standards, despite concerns over the levels of particulates without the inclusion of a separate filter or complex exhaust gas recycling treatment. Detailed internal modifications — including an altered variable inlet chamber and a more efficient direct injection process boasting greater injection pressure — will aim to liberate greater reserves.
Nothing is official, but Autocar has been told to expect somewhere in the region of 450bhp for the V8 and up to 550bhp for the V10 in standard guise — up some 20bhp and 25bhp on today’s units. Other new features, such as cylinder deactivation on part-throttle loads, should help boost economy. And in line with other recent new Audi models, the R8 is expected to receive a further host of fuel saving measures. These will include automatic stop-start, brake energy recuperation and a sailing function, similar to that adopted by Porsche on the 911, that idles the engine during prolonged periods of trailing throttle or downhill running.
The retention of naturally aspirated engines rather than adopting turbocharged units stems from a decision to provide the R8 with what one key Audi insider describes as a highly strung nature. “It is important to retain the engine qualities which have made the current model so successful,” the insider said. “We want to keep the throttle response, the soaring nature of the delivery and the inherent sound. It is what sets our car apart from the competition, many of which are now adopting forced induction.”
Mohanty takes charge as Nalco director
Bhubaneswar, Feb 1:
Mr N.R. Mohanty today joined as Nalco Director (Projects & Technical). Mr Mohanty, who was General Manager (Smelter) in National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco) at Angul, took charge as Director on superannuation of Mr P.K. Padhi, company sources said.
Mr Mohanty has rich and varied experiences of more than 30 years in aluminium industry. He has been conferred with several awards and recognitions throughout his professional career.
NALCO and SAIL gets top exporter award
BL reported that customs chief commissioner Mr PK Jain presenting top exporter award to National Aluminium Company at Customs Day celebrations conducted in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
National Aluminium Company and Steel Authority of India Ltd were respectively given the top exporter and the top importer awards at a function conducted by Visakhapatnam Customs House on Thursday. The awards were presented on the occasion of Customs Day celebrations.
The Visakhapatnam Customs House also gave away appreciation certificates and mementos to customs house agent firm Merylin Shipping & Transport Ltd and Srivalli Shipping & Transport Private Ltd. The theme for International Customs Day this year is ‘Borders divide, customs connect.’
Vedanta Resources updates aluminum production for Q3 2011
Aluminum production in Q3 was 170,000 tonnes which includes production of 107,000 tonnes at VAL Jharsuguda and 63,000 tonnes at BALCO. The Lanjigarh refinery has ramped up well and the alumina production at Lanjigarh was a record 236,000 tonnes and 687,000 tonnes during Q3 and the 9 month period respectively.
Cost performance at VAL Jharsuguda improved over Q2 which previously had higher costs due to the pot outage in Q1 and a heavy monsoon in the coal mining areas during Q2. COP of hot metal produced at VAL Jharsuguda was INR 103,130 per tonne as compared with INR 117,045 per tonne in the preceding quarter. COP of hot metal produced at BALCO was stable in Rupee terms at INR 96,170 per tonne as compared with INR 97,588 per tonne in the preceding quarter.
EBITDA in Q3 was USD 3.6 million, significantly lower than the USD 76.3 million in the corresponding prior quarter, primarily due to lower LME prices and mark to market losses on foreign currency borrowings for working capital on account of the depreciation of the Indian Rupee.
The first metal tapping from the 325 kilo tonne per annum aluminum smelter at Korba is now scheduled for Q2 FY 2012 to 2013. The first unit of the 4x300 MW captive power plant at BALCO will be synchronized in Q1 FY 2012 to 2013. The 211 MT coal block at BALCO received approval from the Environment Appraisal Committee in November 2011 and we continue to work towards obtaining the remaining approvals.
Source: http://www.steelguru.com/metals_news/Vedanta_Resources_updates_aluminum_production_for_Q3_2011/248538.html
Alba supporting key aluminium sector initiatives
MANAMA: Alba's role as a strategic partner representing the aluminium sector at the Gulf Industry Fair 2012 underscores the company's commitment to support initiatives that showcase Bahrain's aluminium sector as well as highlight Bahrain's attractiveness as an investor-friendly destination.
The aluminium sector not only includes aluminium production as represented by Alba but also provides opportunities for downstream companies to promote their products and services such as accessories and fittings, bars, billets, cables, ceiling and wall panels, coated coils, automobile parts, extrusion profiles, foils, grills, pastes, posers, rods, slugs, tubes, wheels, windows, floors and kitchens.
Present at the opening day of the trade event was Alba chairman Mahmood Al Kooheji, chief executive Laurent Schmitt, chief supply chain officer and acting chief operating officer Isa Al Ansari, chief marketing officer Jean Baptiste Lucas, Mena region manager Aziz Al Daylami, investor and public relations manager Eline Hilal, and other officials.
"Alba's pioneering role as the first aluminium smelter in the Middle East and its status as one of the largest smelters in the world provided the right platform for the company to be the strategic partner representing the aluminium sector at the Gulf Industry Fair 2012," Mr Schmitt said.
"In the 40 years since the company commenced operations in 1971, Alba has been instrumental in transforming the local aluminium industry into a global powerhouse. "We are proud to be associated with the Gulf Industry Fair 2012 and recognise its importance in showcasing Bahrain's attractiveness to international investors," he said.
"We look forward to meeting peers in the industry, networking with associates, pursuing business leads and learning of new technologies and innovations," he added.
Gulf Industry Fair 2012 will be covering the key industrial segments like aluminium, machine tools, industrial equipment, automation, steel, energy, logistics and manufacturing.
It will also provide a unique opportunity for the operators of industrial areas, ports and free zones to meet an interested market of decision makers in the manufacturing and distribution sectors.
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Secondary aluminum alloy makers raise scrap purchase price
Secondary alloyed aluminum makers around Tokyo agreed with aluminum scrap suppliers to increase the scrap purchase price for H1 of February which is the first increase in around a year. The price increases by averaged JPY 5 per kilogram for high grade scrap and by JPY 3 for lower grade scrap.
The alloy makers around Osaka increased the scrap purchase price by JPY 2 to JPY 5 which is the first increase since H1 of March 2011. The makers around Tokyo allowed JPY 6 to JPY 7 per kilogram higher price for used beverage can scrap for H1 of February. The price increases for the first time since H2 of August 2011. The makers accepted higher scrap price but slow domestic demand impacted on the talk.
The new high grade scrap price is JPY 150 per kilogram to JPY 155 per kilogram for new cutting and 63S grade scrap around Tokyo. The price is JPY 152 to JPY 157 for aluminum printing plate scrap. The lower grade scrap price is JPY 122 to JPY 127 for machinery casting scrap JPY 100 to JPY 105 for alloy turning scrap and JPY 125 to JPY 130 for sash scrap with screw. Used beverage can scrap price is JPY 103 to JPY 108.
The makers around Osaka increased the high grace scrap purchase price by around JPY 5 per kilogram. They pay JPY 148 per kilogram to JPY 154 per kilogram for new cutting scrap, JPY 125 to JPY 132 for pressed sash scrap and JPY 104 to JPY 109 for used beverage can scrap. The makers increase the lower grade scrap purchase price by JPY 2 to JPY 3.
The scrap suppliers tried to increase the scrap price by JPY 10 per kilogram for high grade scrap by more than JPY 5 for low grade scrap and by near JPY 10 for used beverage can scrap around Tokyo. However, the alloy makers reduced the increase citing availability of cheap import.
National Aluminium Q3 Profit Soars
(RTTNews.com) - National Aluminium Co. Ltd. reported third-quarter net profit of Rs.51.22 crore or Re.0.20 per share, compared with Rs.255.95 crore or Re.0.99 per share in the third-quarter of last year, reflecting a 80 percent decline.
Its quarterly net revenue amounted to Rs.1,430.02 crore, marginally up from the Rs.1,425.02 crore in the year-ago quarter, while other operating income was Rs.18.60 crore, compared with Rs.18.10 crore in the year-go quarter.
For nine months, the company's net profit was Rs.567.40 crore, down by 26 percent from the Rs.764.04 crore for nine months ended December 31 last year. Total revenue, including other operating income, was Rs.4,825.08 crore, higher by 14 percent than the Rs.4,230.36 crore for the comparable period a year-ago. At the BSE, National Aluminium closed Monday's trading at Rs.61.90, down by 2.90 percent from the previous close.
Aluminium Recycling - Benefit For Environment, Economy And Community
Recycling aluminium is beneficial in many terms, but very few of us are aware of types of benefits it actual provides. This is beneficial in many terms, that is, economy, environment and community. Let us get face to face with them in detail.
Advantages for Economy
- Aluminum cans today are considered to the most valuable container to recycle and the most recycled consumer product.
- Annually, an aluminum industry pays hundreds of million dollars for empty or used aluminum cans. This somewhere helps economy to get balance. Money earned from recycling cans, even a small chunk can help people manage their economic shortage.
- Owing to technological advancement aluminium recycling have become much cheaper, faster and energy-efficient than ever before.
- Recycled aluminium is cheaper to buy compared to buying freshly extracted metal from the ground.
- It is not just can, but there are many other metallic waste materials, which can return you some value such as gutters, siding, car components, storm window frames, lawn furniture and many more.
- This metal has higher market value and keeps on providing economic incentive on every round of recycling.
Advantage s for Environment
- Mostly aluminum cans are recycled that saves valuable natural resources like, energy, money and time.
- Aluminum cans are easy to recycle as within 60 days, it can be recycled, turned into a new can and brought back on the shelves of store.
- This metal being sustainable can be recycled as many times as required.
- According to an estimate, recycling 54 billion cans can save the energy equivalent of 15 million barrels of crude oil.
Advantages for Community
- Reutilizing this metal in can or in different form helps non-profit organizations like charity firm and groups to raise funds for local projects. It can raise millions of money that in turn can help to improve their programs, communities and lift living standard. Several camps are organized time to time to drive money for school improvements and to help others in various means.
- Aluminium recycling for cans have become so popular that this program has been named as 'Cans for Habitat'. In this program fund is raised by a network of NGOs and used that fund to build decent and affordable housing for needy or low income group families.
Aluminium recycling not only helps surrounding keep clean, but also provides resource to help mankind who are needy. Getting into this activity is a win-win for every individual having concern for community, business or environment.
This article is shared by Anne Mehla for Highett Metal. Highett Metal is one of the recognised scrap metal dealers in Melbounre. For high quality scrap metal and machining bars of aluminium in Melbounre, contact HIghett Metal.
Source: http://www.sooperarticles.com/business-articles/aluminium-recycling-benefit-environment-economy-community-806340.html
Japan aluminum alloy import hits record from China in 2011
According to Ministry of Finance, Japanese alloyed aluminum import increased by 5% to 1.071 million tonnes in 2011 from 2010.
The import increased by 18% to 446,134 tonnes from China and the import hit the record under historical high yen rate. Japanese minor alloyed aluminum makers' order receipt apparently decreases under higher import.
Japanese trading firm source sees around 80% of imported alloyed aluminum is material for die casting. Japanese automotive parts makers are main user of the material and the makers would increase the material use more.
Japanese molten aluminum maker source sees the makers apparently increased Chinese alloyed aluminum in the past 2 years. The makers mainly use Russian base metal with AK5M2 grade but the base metal price increased in recent years. The price gap narrowed between Russian and Chinese material.
Ministry of Finance said that Chinese alloyed aluminum average price was JPY 191 per kilogram in 2011. The price is much lower than price of Japanese products.
Source: http://www.steelguru.com/metals_news/Japan_aluminum_alloy_import_hits_record_from_China_in_2011/248540.html
European aluminium premiums increase on positive market sentiment
London (Platts)--2Feb2012/1202 pm EST/1702 GMT
The European physical aluminium market has continued to see more optimistic sentiment develop on the back of tighter supply for some grades and increased spot business.
"It's moving up," one European trader said. "Everyone is offering higher. It's the closure of plants and the lack of good-quality material in the market. Even producers are looking for material."
A consumer agreed, saying premiums were higher this week but that he was seeing hesitation from some buyers. "I think the higher premiums see buyers more cautious, there is no rush to buy," he said.
A producer source noted that the production cuts were now having an impact on premiums but that some end-users were still carrying stocks from the end of last year.
"I'm looking towards the end of March," he said. "We shall see how it shapes up in the next quarter."
A second producer was confident that the market was now in better shape than last year. "We are very optimistic and positive," he said. "The market is looking good, the aluminium industry isn't suffering from the eurozone crisis. There is no particular slowdown in the market."
The producer noted that certain end-use sectors were healthy and that only construction was lagging. "It's not the boom period of 2006, but it's no way as bad as 2008 and 2009," he added.
The first producer said that he had recently sold 2,000 mt split between a trader and an end-user and had achieved premiums of $180-182/mt duty-paid in-warehouse Rotterdam.
"Some people are saying $190/mt but I'm not seeing it," he said.
The consumer said that premiums for duty-paid were being achieved at around the $180/mt level but that initial offers were $10-$15 higher, adding he was seeing premiums for duty-unpaid at the $115/mt level. However, other sources said premiums for duty-unpaid were higher at $125/mt.
The first producer believed that there would be further production cuts in the European market. Some smelters were still under pressure, he said. Although the producer was unsure to what extent they were struggling, he expected further announcements to be made, he said.
However, with prices in their current range he said that operations at his company were no longer under pressure.
"At $2,200/mt we are not that bad any more," he said. While he was optimistic on the market going forward, the producer highlighted that market conditions were still difficult.
"Times are a lot more challenging than they used to be," he said.
Platts assessment for duty-paid Good Western, in-warehouse Rotterdam was up Wednesday to $175-$185/mt from $170-$180/mt plus LME cash. Duty-unpaid Good Western was up at $115-$125/mt from $110-$120/mt plus LME cash, in-warehouse Rotterdam. A7E was also up at $115-$125/mt from $110-$120/mt plus LME cash, duty-unpaid in-warehouse Rotterdam.
Effective January 1, 2012, Vishal Seth is appointed Managing Director - Alcoa India Private Limited (succeeding M. K. (Prem) Premkumar).
In his new role, Vishal will lead Alcoa India Private Limited (which comprises of Alcoa’s Global Business Services, Primary Sales, Building & Construction Systems, Fastening Systems, Wheels, and Rolled Products), with the objective of growing Alcoa’s market presence in a rapidly growing economy.
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Sterlite's exposure in Vedanta Aluminium up
Sterlite Industries has increased debt funding to Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) by Rs 674 crore, or by 8 per cent, in the third quarter on a sequential basis. With this, the total debt of Sterlite in VAL has reached close to Rs 10,000 crore.
Sterlite said that the inter-corporate deposits (ICDs) to Vedanta Aluminium, in the third quarter, rose by Rs 674 crore and have now reached a total of Rs 9,612 crore. The number was at Rs 8,939 crore at the end of second quarter of the current fiscal. Apart from this, Sterlite has an equity investment of Rs 563 crore in VAL.
Sterlite has 29.5 per cent stake in VAL and the rest 70.5 per cent is held by Vedanta Resources. Vedanta Resources has an equity investment of Rs 1,391 crore in VAL. Of the total loan of Rs 4,586 crore from Vedanta Resources, VAL repaid debt totalling Rs 2,287 crore in the third quarter, thereby cutting its debt exposure from the parent by half.
Sterlite said the Rs 674-crore funding is short-term, and VAL will return the money in the current quarter itself. It also said some portion of the Rs 9,612-crore loan would be converted into equity in such a way that it did not change its 29.5 per cent shareholding in VAL. For this, the company would go ahead with capital restructuring to reduce the debt to equity ratio to 2:3 from the current 14:1. According to Giriraj Daga and Sagar Karkhanis of Nirmal Bang, Sterlite might convert loans worth Rs 3,000 crore into equity to achieve this target.
Sterlite’s profits for the third quarter, which reported earlier this week, fell by 17 per cent to Rs 914 crore. The third quarter ended December 31, 2011, has been the worst one for VAL in the current fiscal despite a fall in the cost of production. Sterlite accounted for VAL’s loss to the tune of Rs 264 crore in the third quarter, as against Rs 102 crore in the same quarter last year and Rs 243 crore sequentially.
Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sterlites-exposure-in-vedanta-aluminium-up/462858/
Vedanta offers to buy govt stake in group firms
Metal and mining firm Vedanta Resources has offered to buy out the government’s residual minority stake in its group firms Bharat Aluminium Co. Ltd and (Balco) Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL), according to an official familiar with the development.
“They have written a letter. They have given us an offer,” the official examining the proposal said on condition of anonymity. “Various proposals have been put up which we have to analyze.”
The official did not give further details and did not disclose the price and 29.5% Vedanta has offered for buying the government’s 49% stake in Balco stake in HZL.
Roongta, managing director at Vedanta Aluminium Ltd, declined to S. K. comment.
for The government had sold a 51% stake in Balco Rs.551 crore in 2001 and 64% in Hindustan Zinc (HZL) for over Rs.750 crore in 2003 to Vedanta as part of its disinvestment programme.
A long drawn out arbitration process had prevented Vedanta from acquiring the government’s residual stake in Balco in the past few years.
An arbitration panel in January 2011 allowed the government to sell its residual 49% stake in Balco as it deems fit, striking down Vedanta unit Sterlite Industries’ call option to acquire the balance 49% stake as invalid.
The ministries concerned are discussing Vedanta’s offer but there there was no deadline for a final decision on the matter, the official said. “The proposals are for both companies, each is valued differently,” is a slightly different case.” is not listed but HZL official said. “Balco The acquisition of the residual equity in the two companies is crucial for Vedanta’s overall corporate restructuring programme into a commodity-focused vertical. Vedanta intends to use the cash reserves of Balco to fund its expansion plans once its buys out the government stake. and HZL “The subsidiaries based in India are restricted from guaranteeing the debts of the UK-based parent,” a report from Moody’s Investor Service in November said.
“The most profitable subsidiary—HZL—is restricted from using its money outside of the HZL operation and a similar arrangement applies at Balco, where the government of India is also a significant shareholder.” Aluminium is key to growth for the company that has invested heavily in its Orissa refinery and smelter, but has been barred from expansion under environment norms and does not own a captive bauxite mine either.“We will seek the permission of the ministry of environment and forests said for allowing us to expand our refinery,” Mukesh Kumar, president of Vedanta Aluminium Ltd in Orissa.
Aluminum Outlook Turning More Positive - Goldman
LONDON – Optimism over the outlook for aluminum prices is growing, with the metal's demand prospects turning increasingly positive at a time when production capacity is being reined in, Goldman Sachs (GS) said Tuesday.
Market participants are hopeful of better demand from the aerospace industry, with growth of around 10% expected on a global basis this year, while they also appear mildly bullish on demand from the U.S. automotive sector, which is forecast to grow by 5%-10%, the U.S. investment bank wrote in a note.
There is also cautious optimism over the outlook for consumption by the U.S. construction sector, which is "no longer expected to be a drag on aluminum demand," the bank said.
"Short term order books for the first quarter [are] generally full, although visibility beyond [that] is low," Goldman Sachs said.
The price of aluminum on the London Metal Exchange has been rebounding this month after sliding to a 17-month low in December. At 1522 GMT, though, the metal traded down 0.6% at $2,226 a metric ton. The bank has forecast the price to rise to $2,300/ton on a three-month horizon, and to $2,400/ton over the next six months.
Its expectations of rising demand come as global aluminum output trends lower. Production has fallen 3.6% since September, with a drop in Chinese output "the major driver," Goldman Sachs said. Earlier this month, Alcoa Inc. (AA), the largest U.S. aluminum producer, also said it intends to close or curtail around 531,000 tons, or 12% of its global smelting capacity, in order to lower its position on the cost curve after a steep decline in metal prices last year.
The bank expects around 2% of global aluminum supply to be lost this year, largely in the first half. This should tighten market conditions and help to push up the metal's price. "Our recent meetings and the latest global aluminum production data for December are consistent with our mildly bullish first-half view on aluminum prices. If anything, the way the production data is panning out, it looks like there are increasing downside risks to our circa 800,000-ton surplus forecast for 2012," it said.
Norsk Hydro : Hydro Green Aluminium Award
Students, researchers and others can compete for a $35,000 prize in the Hydro Green Metal Award for improving the climate footprint of aluminium production.
We need to be smarter about how we use our resources, and aluminum is part of the solution.
With its light weight, it contributes to more fuel-efficient modes of transportation and less energy demanding buildings. Also, it's remarkable recycling abilities gives it a long life - of all the aluminium produced since the birth of the industry more than 100 years ago, 75 percent is still in use.
Still, Hydro recognizes that there is more potential for improving the climate footprint of aluminium production and has therefore established the Hydro Green Metal Award in cooperation with Technoport, a Norwegian organization that fosters dialog on science with business and policymakers.
This prize will give tribute to researchers or students that contribute to:
• a solution for more energy-efficient processes and production of aluminum
• new applications of aluminum products with a significant benefit to the climate
The jury is led by Hydro President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg and includes Prof. Mark E. Schlesinger, Missouri University of Science and Technology, U.S.; Prof. Jim Metson, University of Auckland, New Zealand; and Prof. Arne Bredesen, NTNU, Norway.
Nominations may be sent to Trond Furu in Hydro (trond.furu@hydro.com) no later than February 20, 2012. Submissions should be in PowerPoint or similar format.
The winner will be announced at Technoport Awards 2012 in Trondheim on April 17. In addition to the $35,000, the winner will receive a work of art at the ceremony.
US partners India on aluminium trade
HYDERABAD: The Aluminium Association of India and its US counterpart, The Aluminium Association, on Thursday, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the last day of the sixth International Conference on Aluminium (INCAL 2011) held here. KSS Murthy, honorary general secretary, Aluminium Association of India (AAI) and Charles D Johnson, junior vice-president (environment, health and safety), TAA signed the MoU.
“The aluminium industries of the US and India are dedicated to promoting the benefits of the metal in three major markets – transportation; packaging and building and construction. A key benefit is aluminium’s sustainability and recyclability. The two associations are also committed to developing and improving the end-use market demand information, and health and safety best practices,” said Murthy.
The MoU would facilitate exchange of information on effective recycling programmes in the transportation, packaging and building and construction markets; and promote aluminium as sustainable material in the three markets.In addition, there would be exchange of information on end use demand in transportation, packaging and building and construction markets; data gathering techniques to improve the timeliness and accuracy of reports; information on health and safety programs to promote and improve best practices.
The US is one of the largest markets for aluminium. It is the fourth largest producer of aluminium and second largest consumer. In comparison, India is the eighth largest producer of aluminium and fifth largest consumer. The gap, however, is very wide in terms per person consumption of aluminium. While per capita consumption of aluminium in the US is 22.3 kg, the same for India is a dismal 1.8 kg.
“The MoU will help increase the per person consumption of aluminium in India over the next few years, as several sectors are driving the growth. In the process, sustainability assumes paramount importance where the US can guide the Indian Aluminium industry,” observed Murthy.
According to the AAI, India has tremendous scope for enhancing aluminium production to meet local demands as well as exports market. “We have the fifth largest deposits of high quality bauxite; there are plenty of coal deposits for power requirements; the cost of producing Aluminium is low. We have to take advantage of these factors and emerge as a global player using the framework of the MoU,” Murthy said.Participants from top aluminium markets like USA, China and Japan participated in the event.
Govt finalising Mission Plan on aluminium
(From left) Mr B. L. Bagra, CMD, National Aluminium Company Ltd, Mr S. K. Roongta, MD, Vedanta, Mr D. Bhattacharya, President, Aluminium Association of India, and Mr Vishwapati Trivedi, Secretary, Ministry of Mines at the International Conference on Aluminium in Hyderabad on Tuesday . — P.V. Sivakumar
The Government is in the advanced stages of finalising a ‘Mission Plan' for aluminium to enhance per capita consumption of the metal in India and facilitate better exploitation of bauxite and coal resources.
Mr Vishwapati Trivedi, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, said the Mission Plan, when finalised, will also help the Government evolve a national policy for well planned growth of the Indian aluminium sector. “The plan will not only be relevant for the aluminium industry but strategic planning of the metal industry as a whole will revolve round it in the coming decades,” he said while inaugurating the Sixth International Conference on Aluminium (INCAL), here on Tuesday. He said the Department of Science and Technology is actively involved with the Aluminium Association of India (AAI) to prepare a document on technology roadmap for Indian aluminium industry. Mr G. Srinivas, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Mines, pointed out that India's per capita aluminium consumption was about 1.5 kg, while that in Germany was 38 kg, Japan 30 kg and China 12 kg. He felt that India and China will dictate prices and production of the metal by 2030, contributing about 44 per cent of the world production. “Faster clearances of mining leases and allocation of coal blocks for the aluminium sector will determine the pace of growth of this sector,” he pointed out.
Mr D. Bhattacharya, Managing Director of Hindalco and Honorary President of AAI, said the aluminium value chain in India was changing, with the transport and packaging sector set to consume more quantities of the metal. While electrical industry accounts for 41 per cent of the aluminium consumption in the country, the transport sector has a share of 17 per cent at present. While the contribution of secondary aluminium in total production is to the extent of 20 per cent in India, that in the US was 57 per cent and Germany 61 per cent. “If one kg of aluminium replaces conventional material in vehicles, it will eliminate 20 kg of carbon dioxide. Railway wagons can use up to five tonnes of the metal per wagon,” he said.
Hindalco to invest Rs 25,700 cr more
The Aditya Birla Group’s Hindalco Industries will be making an additional investment, equal to the $5-billion (Rs 25,700 crore) capex under way, to more than double its aluminium production capacity by 2016, D Bhattacharya, managing director, said here on Tuesday.
He said the pace of the expansion would largely depend on early clearances for captive coal blocks, as smelter projects are not viable without captive power. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the sixth international conference and exhibition on aluminium (INCAL 2011), organised by the Aluminium Association of India for which he is the honorary president, Bhattacharya said Hindalco’s new 360,000-tonne project would start production in the next three to five weeks.
The company is still awaiting forest clearances for the captive coal block intended to meet this project’s requirement and will be buying coal till such time as the captive coal becomes available, he said. Hindalco already operates aluminium plants with a 500,000-tonne capacity. It expects to reach 1.5 million tonnes once it completes the ongoing expansion projects, in the near term. It is partly reusing the plant and machinery of Novelis’ UK plant that had been mothballed. He said the investment required for the capacity expansion was in the range of Rs 1,53,000 per tonne, one of the lowest in India. If natural resources were not made available to industry in time, the growing consumption meant dependence on imports, he said.
“For example, we have copper reserves sufficient for the next 200 years, but we import. That is the irony,” he said. On these and like issues faced by the aluminum industry, such as delay in coal and bauxite ore clearances and Chinese dumping of goods, Bhattacharya said it was for the government to address all this.
Vedanta Aluminium says coal imports make no sense
Vedanta Aluminium on Tuesday said it was neither in the interest of any company, nor in the interest of the country, to depend on imported coal when there were ample coal reserves at home, with extraction cost as low as Rs 510 per tonne for open cast and less than Rs 2,040 for underground mining. “Imported coal is, at best, a fallback option. Government should at least make arrangements to meet the coal needs of hinterland projects. Coal needs should be met only from the local sources,” said S K Roongta, managing director of Vedanta Aluminium.
The government is looking at policy options such as auctioning new captive coal blocks and Vedanta was ready to bid for those once the policy was in place, he said on the sidelines of a three-day international aluminium conference which began here on Tuesday. Vendanta is currently implementing plans to scale up the group's total aluminium production capacity to 2.5 million tonnes. Roongta says the company expects to achieve the total intended capacity in less than two years from now. An investment of Rs 60,000 crore had been readied on capacity expansion, including captive power projects, and 75 per cent of the capex had already been made, Roongta said.
The aluminum industry depends extensively on captive power generation. There has been poor progres on a captive coal block jointly given to five companies, including Vedanta, at Rampia in Odisha.It is also looking forward to early clearances for bauxite reserve leases, since the company is presently buying aluminum ore from mining companies in Gujarat and elsewhere.
Aluminium ideal for automobile sector
In developed countries, aluminium is widely used in the automobile industry. But, India lags behind in this aspect. “Use of aluminium in automobiles will not only save fuel, but also reduce emissions,” Prof KSS Murthy, Honourary General Secretary, Aluminium Association of India (AAI), tells
What are the challenges that aluminium industry is facing in the country?
Like many other sectors, capital or investments are not a problem for this sector. The two main challenges are mining and environmental clearances. However, the new mining policy, which is currently under preparation will address most of the issues. However, government is keen on expanding consumption of aluminium in the country. We also need to popularize use of the metal in various applications. The common man’s conception is that this metal is used only for utensils and suchlike. There is also a perception in the country that aluminium is a weak metal. We have got to change this notion. Besides, usage of the metal in automobile manufacturing should also be increased.
Do you expect automobile sector to drive aluminium industry growth in India?
Unlike in the developed countries, Indian automakers are not using aluminium, which is a lightweight metal. Over ninety per cent of metal used in aircraft making is aluminium. When the aircrafts are safe to fly, why can’t the metal be used in automobiles? Use of aluminium for vehicles will reduce their weight significantly. This will not only save fuel, but also bring down emissions. However, we have to educate automakers in the country who are reluctant to invest in the equipment required for using aluminium in their manufacturing process. Country can save a lot of fuel if aluminium is used in the transportation sector.
How much aluminium the Indian auto sector is consuming now?
It’s very negligible, indeed. Just eight per cent of the aluminium manufactured in country is used in the automotive industry. Automakers here use just 15 to 20 kg per car as against global average of 200 kg. Therefore, we have are so many gas-guzzling cars in India. So are also the buses. It will do a world of good for India if aluminium is used in manufacturing of buses.
Which sector is the largest consumer of aluminium?
Power segment consumes largest chunk of the metal produced in the country. But this has to change. Globally, the metal is used widely for food packaging, but not so in India. Entry of global retail giants would spur the use of aluminium in food packaging, though I don’t want to comment on whether the FDI should be allowed in the multi-brand retail or not. Moreover, aluminium can replace heavier metals in several other applications like spinning mills.
Which are the main sectors that will drive the industry’s growth?
All the fast growing sectors in the country will increase the usage of aluminium, be it transportation, infrastructure or processed foods. In total, the production of aluminium touched 1.8 million tonne a year in the country, but we have to focus on recycling. Currently, recycling of aluminium is not done in organized sector, so efforts should be made to invent new technologies. The central government has agreed to fund research activities of AAI for the development of new technologies for recycling. The government is expected to give Rs 25 crore for this activity during the 12th plan.
Vedanta Aluminium Limited wins prestigious 'National Energy Conservation Award 2011'
Report by OrissaDiary.com bureau; New Delhi: On the occasion of ‘National Energy Conservation Day’, the Captive Power Plant (CPP) of Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL), Jharsuguda was conferred with the second prize by theBureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) at the 20th National Energy Conservation Awards Function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
The National Energy Conservation Awards acknowledge innovation and achievements in energy conservation in different sectors viz. aluminum, steel, textiles, cement, thermal power stations etc. The award committee is headed by the Chairperson of the Central Electricity Authority for deciding among approx. 600 odd commercial and industrial units nominated in various categories.
These annual awards are presented to select Industrial units who have made systematic and serious attempts for efficient utilization and conservation of energy. VAL received this award in the Thermal Power Station category by achieving a total annual energy saving worth Rs. 147.44 crores with an investment of Rs. 18.675 lakhs through various energy saving projects implemented throughout the plant. Mr. S. K. Roongta, Managing Director, Vedanta Aluminium Limited, received the award from Shri. Sushil Kumar Shinde, Hon'ble Union Minister for Power.
Nalco Smelter bags National Energy Conservation Award
Bhubaneswar, Dec 16 (PTI) Smelter Plant of Navaratna PSU National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has bagged the prestigious National Energy Conservation Award for 2011. NALCO’s smelter received the award for its contribution in energy conservation, primarily in reduction of DC energy and HFO consumption in Potlines and Baking Oven, company sources said here today. The company has also taken up some green initiatives to harness unconventional energy sources. In this line, NALCO is setting up a 50 MW Wind Power Plant in Andhra Pradesh with an investment of Rs.274 crore and is developing Kakarpar – 3 & 4 nuclear power project in Gujarat jointly with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) at an estimated project cost of Rs 11,450 crore.
Hindalco to seek coal linkage for Mahan project
Hindalco Industries will apply for a ‘coal tapering linkage licence' to feed its 359,000-tonne greenfield aluminium smelter project at Mahan, Madhya Pradesh.
The smelter plant has a 750 MW captive power plant catering to its requirement. A tapering licence from the Government assures coal supply from other sources till such time the allotted coal block becomes operational. The quantity of supply starts tapering to extent of the mine output. The Government had allotted the Mahan coal block at Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh to Essar Power and Hindalco for their 1,200-MW and 750-MW projects.
Eco clearance
Mr D. Bhattacharya, Managing Director, Hindalco, said the Government earlier threatened to cancel the coal block allotment if work was not expedited. Now, the project is nearing commissioning, while the environment clearance for the mine has not been given.
The coal mine was allocated in 2006, for which environment clearance was given in December 2008. Development work was halted after the area was declared a no-go zone in January 2010. The Forest Advisory Committee considered the proposal four times between July 2008 and December 2009, but it could not arrive at a final decision “given the complexity of the issues involved.”
“We will apply for tapering licence to ensure adequate supply at least for the first phase of 200,000 tonnes, which will go on stream by early next year,” he said.
Short supply
Many power projects with assured coal linkage through the country's largest producer Coal India are suffering from short supply. This has led to large-scale coal imports at a much higher price. The rupee depreciation against dollar has further added to their woes.
Essar has an offtake agreement for 60 per cent or 5.4 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of coal from the Mahan block to feed its power plant. Hindalco was to get the remaining 3.6 mtpa. The mine has proven reserves of 150 million tonnes of coal.
Raising concern over the spurt in coal prices, Mr Bhattacharya said despite crude prices falling globally, coal in India continues to move up defying all logic. Aluminium production is more dependent on power and alumina, which together account for about 70 per cent of cost.
Hindalco plans to invest Rs 10,500 crore in the Mahan smelter project. It has tied up Rs 7,800-crore debt and drawn Rs 4,400 crore as of the September quarter. The company has a debt of Rs 12,400 crore.
Jindal Aluminium to spend Rs 800 cr for Karnataka plants
Jindal Aluminium will invest Rs 800 crore to set up two plants to make aluminium sheets and foils, and produce powder coated and anodised materials. "We are setting both the plants in Karnataka. Work on the first plant, near Bangalore, for manufacturing of aluminium sheet and foils has already started. We are investing Rs 500 crore outlay," Jindal Aluminium CMD Sitaram Jindal told PTI.
The second plant would also come up near Bangalore for production of powder coated and anodised materials with an investment of Rs 300 crore. However, the ground work on the plant would start only after the first plant gets operational in April next year. While aluminium sheet and foils are used for packaging applications, including food and beverage containers; powder coating is a durable method of providing a decorative finish to metals. Anodising is an electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts.
Jindal Aluminium claims to be the largest manufacturer of aluminium extrusion profiles in India commanding around 25% market share. It has 70,000 tonnes per annum installed capacity at its lone plant in Bangalore. However, due to poor demand, the company could only produce 55,000 tonnes aluminium extrusion profiles last fiscal. Jindal said that the aluminium sheet and foil plant would have the capacity to produce 50,000 tonnes a year and provide direct jobs to 700 people. Jindal Aluminium would spend Rs 300 crore from internal accruals and the remaining from a foreign bank to fund the project.
It would not require any funding requirement from outside for the plant to produce powder coated and anodised materials, he said, adding that cash generated from its existing business would take care of that. "We have land in possession for the second plant. It will likely to go on stream by June-July, 2013," he said, adding that there was a huge demand for such products overseas.
Jindal said the company had clocked Rs 800 crore turnover last fiscal and after the operationalisation of these plants, its topline would likely to go past Rs 2,000 crore by the end of 2013-14 fiscal.
Nalco expects 3-fold rise in exports
Expecting a three-fold increase in alumina exports to about 3 million tonne per annum (MTPA) in the next three years, state-run NALCO is set to revamp its port handling facility at Visakhapatnam. "We expect alumina exports to attain a peak of 2.7 MTPA by 2014-15 and will soon revamp the existing facility. For this, we have already invited expression of interest (EOI) from reputed global players by January 15, 2012, for replacement of ship loader," a National Aluminium Company (NALCO) official said.
The existing alumina handling capacity at NALCO's Port facility at Visakhapatnam is 1 MTPA.
The system including alumina ship loader was commissioned in 1987 and is inadequate to handle higher capacity vessels, the official said. "The existing system has been handling Handy max class of vessels in the inner harbour of Visakhapatnam Port. The port Authorities have now deepened the inner harbour so as to handle higher capacity Panamax Class of Vessels," he said.
Also, the new system after installation is likely to improve the dust mitigation measures for meeting the emission norms provided by Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board. The official said that NALCO has engaged Howe (India) Private Limited (HIPL), New Delhi as consultant for the replacement of ship loader.
The design, engineering, supply and installation of ship loader shall be carried out on a lumpsum turnkey basis and tenders would soon be invited for it.
NALCO owns and operates a large integrated Mines-Alumina- Aluminium Complex in the country with multi-locational operations including Mines and Alumina Refinery at Damanjodi, Orissa, aluminium smelter and Captive Power Plant at Angul, Orissa and Port Facilities at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
The Orissa-headquartered company had posted a profit after tax of Rs 1,069 crore in 2010-11. Its sales revenue grew 18% to Rs 5,959 crore during the last fiscal.
Hindalco Q2 net up 15.84 pc at Rs 502 cr
Mumbai, Nov 10 (PTI) Aditya Birla Group firm Hindalco Industries today reported a growth of 15.84 per cent in net profit to Rs 502.52 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2011, on the back of higher realisation from its aluminium and copper businesses. The company had reported a net profit of Rs 433.81 crore for the corresponding quarter last fiscal.
Net sales of the company rose by a little over 7 per cent to Rs 6,271.87 crore during the quarter under review from Rs 5,859.94 crore in the July-September quarter of FY''11, it said in a statement. Revenues from the aluminium business rose by 16 per cent to Rs 2,213 crore during the quarter from Rs 1,911 crore in the Q2 of FY''11 due to "higher volumes and better prices on the London Metals Exchange (LME)", the statement added.
In the case of Hindalco Industries'' copper business, revenues improved to Rs 4,062 crore during the second quarter of FY''12 from Rs 3,951 crore in the corresponding quarter of 2010-11 on the back of higher LME prices and by-product credits, the statement said.
However, production of aluminium and copper were lower on an annual basis during the quarter due to constrained supplies of bauxite, sluggish domestic demand and an extended shutdown of one of the smelters at the Dahej plant, it added. In addition, operations at the company''s Hirakud plant were affected during the quarter due to "unprecedented rains and the flood situation in September", which disrupted coal supplies to the plant, the statement further said, adding that operations have since been normalised. Providing an outlook for the remaining six months of the fiscal, the company said that it will be "difficult due to global uncertainties, falling LME prices and persisting cost pressures".
However, the company expects to sail through the period due to various initiatives like assets sweating, cost optimisation and commissioning of expansion projects during the period.
The company expects to commission its Hirakud smelter expansion project by early 2012, which will increase its capacity to 213 kilo tonnes per annum (KTPA) from 161 KTPA and captive power generation capacity by 100 MW, the statement said. The company also said that forest clearance for its Mahan coal block is pending approval by a Group of Ministers, which is looking into the issues related to environmental clearances for coal blocks.
"Pending a favourable disposition, arrangements for alternate sources of coal are being pursued," the statement said, adding that the Mahan Aluminium project is expected to be commissioned by the end of this fiscal.
Rio Tinto Lynemouth move signals aluminum ailing health
Reuters reported that global miner Rio Tinto's decision this week to close its Lynemouth aluminium smelter in Britain has highlighted the poor health of an industry pinched by lower metals prices and high costs.
Mr Nikos Kavalis analyst of RBS said that "We have been arguing for some time that aluminium prices are well into the cost curve and that eventually this will result in production cutbacks and closures."
He said that current price levels made more than 40 of aluminum producers unprofitable. Benchmark aluminium prices were around USD 2,111 down almost 25% from USD 2,803 hit in March its highest since August 2008. As such it comes as no surprise that a relatively high cost operation like Lynemouth is being closed.
In October Rio Tinto, one of the world's top producers of aluminium, put up for sale an estimated USD 8 billion worth of facilities across 6 countries, including Lynemouth, only 4 years after buying aluminium giant Alcan.
The speed with which it has decided to close Lynemouth has raised some eyebrows and suggests it may struggle to find buyers for the other operations. But it is fair to say that the plant in northeast England had been under review for some time. The decision to sell the selected assets in the first place is a clear sign of the rising costs facing this industry as the company chose to focus on its lower cost hydro powered plants in Canada.
Mr Daniel Smith analyst of Standard Chartered said that "The fact that they decided to sell aluminum assets is reflecting recent cost pressures in the industry. It's becoming more difficult for companies to produce aluminum profitably."
Hydro to Promote End of Life Recycling Rate for Aluminium Recycling
Roland Scharf-Bergmann, head of Hydro's Recycling unit, cautioned in a lecture at a Metal Bulletin meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, that a producer supporting recycled content over 90% is 'greenwashing' its metal.
Anxiety to global warming in recent years has led policymakers and consumers to request information regarding recyclability measures in commodities made out of aluminium. Roland Scharf-Bergmann said that two indicators, namely end of life recycling rate and recycled content, are essentially used in the industry today.
Roland Scharf-Bergmann, at the 19th Recycled Aluminium Conference in Istanbul, pointed out that incorrect recycling may cause greenwashing of aluminium. Recycled content examines the amount of recycled material used in the creation of a new product, while the end of life recycling rate, also called the EoL rate, makes comparison between the original amount of metals received from recycling and the amount of metals available in theory at the end of the life of the metal. For instance, the end of life recycling rate of aluminium in facilities is 96%.in Europe. Hydro has determined to support end of life recycling rate as the suitable measure for aluminium recycling. The International Aluminium Institute and a small number of aluminium producers and recyclers have also supported Hydro’s view regarding end of life recycling rate. However, still there are companies that promote recycled content when selling their products to customers.
Estimates reveal that 10.6 million Mt of aluminium was amassed globally and recycled after use in 2010. In the same year, global production surpassed 41 million Mt.
Scharf-Bergmann said that since the necessity for aluminium is increasing each year and that aluminium products have extended lifetime expectancy, there is a requirement to launch more primary metal into aluminium.
Aluminum Association applauds passage of Senate Resolution 251
The Aluminum Association applauded the US Senate for its passage, by unanimous consent of Senate Resolution 251, a resolution expressing support for improvement in the collection, processing and consumption of recyclable materials throughout the United States.
Ms Heidi Brock president of the Aluminum Association said that "The aluminum industry commends US Sens. Tom Carper and Olympia Snowe for introducing this resolution and to the US Senate for its unanimous endorsement of it. Recycled aluminum provides an essential feedstock to the aluminum industry and we strongly support efforts to encourage and expand recycling of aluminum and other high value materials particularly among consumers.”
The Aluminum Association joined fellow members of the Recycling Roundtable the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the Steel Recycling Institute, the Solid Waste Association of North America, the National Solid Waste Management Association, the American Forest and Paper Association and the Paper Recycling Coalition to develop and promote the resolution which was introduced into the Senate in early August.
Ms Brock said that "In addition to its economic value, recycled aluminum is a great benefit to the environment. Recycled aluminum uses only 5 percent of the energy and generates only 5% of the emissions, associated with the manufacture of primary aluminum."
She said that the Aluminum Association will continue to work with our industry partners and with downstream users of our metal to educate the public as to the sustainable nature of aluminum and its value to society.
Nalco may partner GMDC for Rs 15,000-cr project
National Aluminium Company (Nalco), the Orissa-headquartered and central government-owned company, has turned out to be the sole final bidder for Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation’s (GMDC) Rs 15,000-crore aluminium project in Kutch, Gujarat.
V S Gadhvi, managing director of GMDC, which is owned by the government of Gujarat, told Business Standard, “Two months earlier, we had asked the four shortlisted companies for financial terms. Only Nalco has responded. More or less, the joint venture will be with Nalco for the project,” cautiously adding, “subject to detailed scrutiny”. The company would take a fortnight to evaluate Nalco’s financial terms and then put the matter before its board of directors. “By December, the board should be able to finalise and then the project will be sent to the government for its approval,” he said.
The project is for a million-tonne alumina and 500,000- tonne aluminium smelter and GMDC will supply bauxite from its mines in Kutch. The total project cost is expected to be around Rs 15,000 crore. The nine companies that had shown interest through Expression of Interest (EoI) letters were Hindalco Industries, Gujarat Foils, JSW Aluminium, Nalco, Aluchem (USA), Dubai Aluminium, Jaiprakash Associates, Adani Group and Jindal Steel and Power. Gujarat Foils had partnered with Rusal of Russia, the world's largest aluminium maker, to bid.
An official from one of the bidding companies said the bauxite quality at GMDC's mines in Kutch was not very good. "The bauxite is of low quality and that will increase the cost of production of alumina and aluminium,” he said.
An official from another major aluminium maker said, "The project was not feasible for us. While we would have made all the investments, GMDC would own a significant minority stake because it was supplying the raw material."
Vedanta Aluminium did not even put in its EoI on the grounds the bauxite deposits in the state are very less and an investment of that size would be unfeasible in the long run. GMDC's mines to support the plant has bauxite reserves of 25-30 years.
The project has been mired with delays from the beginning. Ashapura Minechem, a bauxite miner and exporter was supposed to set up the plant earlier with GMDC. However, the company could not execute the project and the MoU expired and GMDC invited fresh EoIs.
Even shortlisting of the project was delayed by close to a year. GMDC had announced the project last calendar year and was supposed to shortlist companies by January 2011. However, consistent delays in evaluation, coupled with other administrative issues, forced the company to go slow on the process.
The last date for giving EoIs was extended twice, as GMDC failed to get favourable responses. November 29 last year was the final deadline and nine companies had responded. Of the nine, GMDC shortlisted four companies by January.
Mercedes-Benz will show everyone a newer, more lightweight SL which is made of aluminum. It is said to be weighing 140 kilograms less than its predecessor. Well, it’s about time that a new SL will be on the showrooms as the last update was released in 2008.
Before the year is out, Mercedes-Benz will present a completely redeveloped SL Roadster made for the first time almost entirely from aluminium. The full aluminium bodyshell of this newly developed vehicle weighs around 110 kilograms less than a comparable bodyshell constructed with the technology used for its predecessor. It thus reduces the overall weight of the new SL by 140 kilograms compared to its predecessor. At the same time, the new generation of this luxury sport car can be converted into an open or a closed concert hall. This is thanks to the new bodyshell structure which makes possible the FrontBass system, unique in the world and also celebrating its debut. As a further world first.
Mercedes-Benz is also presenting the highly effective MAGIC VISION CONTROL adaptive windscreen wipe/wash system. It delivers water requirement-based and depending on the direction of wipe, directly to the wiper blade; neither a water jet nor a film of water can be seen, and yet the windscreen stays perfectly clean for the driver and passenger.
The new-generation Mercedes-Benz SL takes the meaning of the letters “SL” – sporty, lightweight – very seriously. Consistent weight reduction is one of the most outstanding design results in the new SL as was the case in its namesake, the original SL of 1954. For the first time Mercedes-Benz implements a full aluminium bodyshell in large series production. Only very few components are made from other materials. The designers use the even lighter magnesium for the rear panel. High-strength steel tubing is integrated in the A-pillars.
The newly developed car weighs around 110 kilograms less than a comparable bodyshell constructed in analogous manner to the previous technology. “The effect is rather as if a heavyweight-class passenger had got out of the car and taken his heavy flight luggage, too” says Dr Thomas Rudlaff, responsible for the aluminium bodyshell at Mercedes-Benz. “The result is perceptible and measurable. Less weight means more dynamism and less consumption. In other words: the motoring enjoyment increases and the environmental burden sinks.”
In terms of rigidity, safety and comfort, the aluminium structure proves superior to the predecessor’s steel construction. This is achieved thanks, among other things, to its intelligent lightweight construction with components optimised for their specific task. Thus, diverse processes are used to make different kinds of aluminium depending on the use the component is to be given: the parts are made by chill casting or vacuum die casting, worked into extruded aluminium sections or into aluminium plates of different thicknesses. The result: high rigidity, high safety levels and low resonance and vibrations.
The parts are assembled using diverse load-adequate joining methods, some of which are innovative processes. Secure joints are ensured for example, by MIG welding, hemming, bonding, flow hole bolting, self-piercing rivets or friction stir welding.
With two further innovations, the new SL remains true to its tradition as
technological trend setter:
MAGIC VISION CONTROL is a new intelligent, high-efficiency windscreen wiper/washer system. Its system of channels supplies water to the windscreen just in front of the wiper blade lip in the direction the wiper is moving. As a result, when spraying one no longer sees a water splash on the windscreen to disrupt one’s visibility, and yet the windscreen is kept perfectly clean.
The likewise unique FrontBass system uses the free spaces in the
aluminium structures in front of the footwell as resonance spaces for the bass loudspeakers. As a result the new SL features clear, crisp bass sounds that make possible a concert hall ambience even with the top down.
Both innovations are part of the extensive standard equipment of the new SL.
Aluminium–air battery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aluminium–air batteries or Al–air batteries produce electricity from the reaction of oxygen in the air with aluminium. They have one of the highest energy densities of all batteries, but they are not widely used because of previous problems with cost, shelf-life, start-up time, and byproduct removal, which have restricted their use to mainly military applications. An electric vehicle with aluminium batteries has potential for ten to fifteen times the range of lead–acid batteries with a far smaller total weight,[1] at the cost of substantially increased system complexity.
Aluminium–air batteries are primary cells, i.e., non-rechargeable. Once the aluminium anode is consumed by its reaction with atmospheric oxygen at a cathode immersed in a water-based electrolyte to form hydrated aluminium oxide, the battery will no longer produce electricity. However, it may be possible to mechanically recharge the battery with new aluminium anodes made from recycling the hydrated aluminium oxide. Such recycling will be essential if aluminium–air batteries are to be widely adopted
Electrochemistry
The cathode reduction half-reaction is O2 + 2H2O + 4e− → 4OH− +0.40 V.
The total reaction is 4Al + 3O2 + 6H2O → 4Al(OH)3 + 2.71 V.
About 1.2 volts potential difference is created by these reactions, and is achievable in practice when potassium hydroxide is used as the electrolyte. Saltwater electrolyte achieves approximately 0.7 volts per cell.
Commercialization Issues
Aluminium as a "fuel" for vehicles has been studied by Yang and Knickle.[1] They concluded the following:
The Al/air battery system can generate enough energy and power for driving ranges and acceleration similar to gasoline powered cars...the cost of aluminum as an anode can be as low as US$ 1.1/kg as long as the reaction product is recycled. The total fuel efficiency during the cycle process in Al/air electric vehicles (EVs) can be 15% (present stage) or 20% (projected), comparable to that of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEs) (13%). The design battery energy density is 1300 Wh/kg (present) or 2000 Wh/kg (projected). The cost of battery system chosen to evaluate is US$ 30/kW (present) or US$ 29/kW (projected). Al/air EVs life-cycle analysis was conducted and compared to lead/acid and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) EVs. Only the Al/air EVs can be projected to have a travel range comparable to ICEs. From this analysis, Al/air EVs are the most promising candidates compared to ICEs in terms of travel range, purchase price, fuel cost, and life-cycle cost.
There are some technical problems still to solve, however, in order to make Al–air batteries suitable for powering electric vehicles. Anodes made of pure aluminium are corroded by the electrolyte, so the aluminium is usually alloyed with tin or other elements. The hydrated alumina that is created by the cell reaction forms a gel-like substance at the anode and reduces the electricity output. This is an issue being addressed in the development work on Al–air cells. For example, additives that form the alumina as a powder rather than a gel have been developed. Also, alloys have been found to form less of the gel than pure aluminium.
Modern air cathodes consist of a reactive layer of carbon with a nickel-grid current collector, a catalyst (e.g., cobalt), and a porous hydrophobic PTFE film that prevents electrolyte leakage. The oxygen in the air passes through the PTFE then reacts with the water to create hydroxide ions. These cathodes work well but they can be expensive.
Traditional Al–air batteries had a limited shelf life[2] because the aluminium reacted with the electrolyte and produced hydrogen when the battery was not in use – although this is no longer the case with modern designs. The problem can be avoided by storing the electrolyte in a tank outside the battery and transferring it to the battery when it is required for use.
Aluminium based batteries
Different types of aluminium batteries had been investigated:
Aluminium-chlorine battery was patented by United States Air Force in the 1970s and designed mostly for military applications. They use aluminium anodes and chlorine on graphite substrate cathodes. Required elevated temperatures to be operational.
Aluminium-sulfur batteries worked on by American researchers with great claims, although it seems that they are still far from mass production. It is unknown as to whether they are rechargeable.
Al–Fe–O, Al–Cu–O and Al–Fe–OH batteries were proposed by some researchers for military hybrid vehicles. Corresponding practical energy densities claimed are 455, 440, and 380 Wh/kg[3]
International Aluminium Institute Launches Aluminium Packaging Website
http://packaging.world-aluminium.org
November 15, 2011, Muscat, Oman. Press Dispensary. The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) Chairman Svein Richard Brandtzæg today welcomed the launch of the latest in the series of product-related sustainability websites from IAI, highlighting the advantages of the use of aluminium in packaging. Recognising the demand from customers, consumers and policymakers around the world for up-to-date and easy to access information, the IAI has developed the site to demonstrate the economic, social and environmental benefits of aluminium packaging solutions.
Launched today at the Arab International Aluminium Conference 2011 (ARABAL), the website features interactive content based on the IAI’s lifecycle research and examples of the full range of aluminium packaging applications.
It also provides credible and accurate life cycle data, which underpins and supports the aluminium industry’s sustainability strategy of reducing the environmental impact of its facilities, increasing the use of aluminium in energy saving applications and maximising the recycling of products at the end of their useful life.
Commenting on the website, Mr. Brandtzæg said “Through its light-weight, formability, barrier properties and recyclability, aluminium is a material that is increasingly being employed in protective and safe packaging applications. Providing consumers and the community with information on the sustainability performance of such applications is essential for them to make informed material choices – this website is a one-stop-shop for such information and for real life examples of packaging solutions that are already saving valuable food, pharmaceutical and fuel resources.”
The website has been created by Interstruct Berlin(http://www.interstruct.com ) for the International Aluminium Institute, in cooperation with national and regional aluminium associations around the world.
This website has been designed for the general public, public policymakers and the customers of the aluminium industry. The user will find credible and accurate data, which underpin and support the aluminium industry’s sustainability and the sustainability of its products.
Protective
Aluminium foil packaging is the lightest material to offer a complete barrier to light, gases and moisture and can help to extend the life of products. By enabling products to be preserved for long periods without the need for refrigeration, aluminium packaging helps to prevent spoilage and can provide large energy savings.
Resource Saving
Aluminium in packaging applications saves more resources than are needed in its production. Various Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) show that aluminium packaging contributes less than 10% of the environmental impact in a product‘s lifecycle, yet prevent spoilage and therefore save the resources that went into farming, transporting and preparing the contents.
Decorative
Aluminium's diverse range of finishes plus its compatibility with all printing technologies provides designers with enormous scope to create packaging with stunning graphic design, shelf presence and brand identity.
Conductive
Aluminium has a thermal conductivity at the top of the range for metallic alloys, making it ideal for applications that minimise heating and chilling times and energies, such as a cold drink can or a ready meal foil tray.
Lightweight
Lightweight aluminium packaging helps save resources during the transport and storage of the protected product and the packaging itself, both to the consumer and at the end of the packaging life.
Formable
The formability of aluminium allows for the manufacture of shape holding foil applications, eye catching aerosol containers and branded drinks cans. The metal’s malleability also means that aluminium foil can be easily deformed without losing its barrier integrity.
Recyclable
The aluminium drinks can is the most recycled beverage container in the world and most aluminium foil applications are fully recyclable as well. Aluminium foil applications that are not recycled can be incinerated for energy recovery and the metal even recovered from incinerator bottom ash.
Hygienic & Safe
Aluminium foil is completely sterile thanks to the high temperature annealing production process. It is safe for use in contact with foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals and doesn’t harbour or promote the growth of bacteria.
Chinese challenge dumping duties
Capral's sales suffered notably. Photo: Simon Zo
THE sensitive issue of Australian manufacturers being put under pressure from dumped Chinese imports is set to be heard in the Federal Court, as two Chinese aluminium manufacturers challenge the Australian government's decision to impose dumping duties.
The case stretches to government relations, given submissions by the Chinese government against the dumping conclusions reached by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. The Chinese government has argued that it considers state-owned enterprises to be commercial bodies and should not be defined as public bodies under the anti-dumping laws.
Customs, however, has found that regardless of ownership, ''the level of control and regulation by the Chinese government in the aluminium industry in China is so significant that primary aluminium producers and suppliers are in fact responding to the Chinese government's industrial development policy''.
PanAsia Aluminium (China) Ltd and Tai Shan City Kam Kiu Aluminium Extrusion Co Ltd have lodged documents in the Federal Court, seeking to quash a decision of Attorney-General Robert McClelland, who recently reaffirmed the dumping finding. PanAsia has had a countervailing duty of up to 13.6 per cent imposed on its imports into Australia, and Tai Shan of up to 7.4 per cent.
In court documents, PanAsia says the dumping duty notice, and the countervailing duties, adversely affect its commercial position in the Australian market. The decision involved errors of law, and was an improper exercise of power, it claims. In the Kam Kiu case, the government has been asked to provide all documents on which customs based its dumping determination.
The aluminium saga began in May 2009 when ASX-listed company Capral, which had about half the Australian market for aluminium extruded product - such as bars, tubes, pipes, doors and window frames - notified the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service of alleged dumping.
During its investigation customs identified more than 300 importers of Chinese aluminium products. PanAsia and Kam Kui were identified in a group of seven importers, which accounted for more than half the goods imported. The Australian market involves about 195,000 tonnes of goods sold a year.
Customs found that the subsidisation and dumping of the Chinese aluminium had caused ''material damage'' to the local industry. Customs had determined that a range of Chinese imported aluminium products were priced at below normal value, and had used as a guide prices on the London Metal Exchange.
It found the Chinese products had been dumped with margins ranging from 2.7 to 25.7 per cent, and subsidised with margins from 3.8 to 18.4 per cent. Capral had suffered a notable fall in sales and had been forced to lower its price to try to match the Chinese prices.
As a result of this investigation, the Australian government published a dumping notice and imposed countervailing duties on the Chinese companies in October 2010. In April, the Attorney-General asked customs to reinvestigate some of its findings. Those findings were delivered, and in August Mr McClelland reaffirmed the dumping notice, and duties.
At its half-year results in August, Capral managing director Phil Jobe said the industry ''continues to strongly press for increased measures and a level playing field''. The Attorney-General has yet to respond to the PanAsia action.
Government ends safeguard probe on aluminium imports from China
NEW DELHI: The Revenue Department has terminated review of safeguard duty on import of certain aluminium products from China, as the domestic industry did not press for continuation of the levy. "The review safeguard investigation...concerning imports of aluminium flat rolled products and aluminium foil into India from China is hereby terminated," a Finance Ministry notification said. The review investigation started in February 2011 was terminated as the applicants, including, the Aluminium Association of India, sought end of the probe.
The Directorate General of Safeguard in the Revenue Department said the investigation has become "infructuous" upon request for withdrawal of the probe application. The government had imposed safeguard duty of 12-14 per cent on aluminium flat rolled products and at 25-30 per cent on aluminium foil for two-years ending March 2011.
However in February, the domestic industry moved the Directorate seeking review for continued imposition of the duty for another two-years saying the imports were causing 'market disruption'. In the application, the industry said the expiry of safeguard duty would cause damage to the domestic industry and also submitted evidences of continued imports and threat to market disruption in support of their claim.
The aluminium flat rolled products and aluminium foil import from China increased by 28.87 per cent and 28.36 per cent in 2010-11 against 2009-10 even during the period of imposition of safeguard duty.
A country imposes safeguard duty to give temporary relief to domestic producers while they adjust to the pricing tactics of competitive foreign players.
Bud aluminium lights range from ISM Objects
ISM Objects presents their range of bud aluminium lights that are available as ceiling lightings or pendant lamps. The bud aluminium lights range is manufactured from spun aluminium with a brushed texture and a clear lacquer finish. The ceiling lightings fixes to a standard ceiling batten and feature a brushed aluminium lampshade. The pendant lamps come with a flex cable suspension and can be covered in a choice of a brushed aluminium canopy or lampshade.
The cable suspension is also available in its own range of colours including black, white or clear. The bud aluminium pendant lamps can also be attached to a fixed anodised aluminium rod that is adjustable upon installation. The bud aluminium lights range can fit energy saver halogen BC lamp or compact fluorescent BC Lamp light bulbs.
For more lighting fixtures or lighting products, visit ISM Objects website for the complete range.
01.11.2011
NASA rovers carried World Trade Center aluminum to Mars
The offices of Honeybee Robotics were located less than a mile from the World Trade Center in 2001. In September of that year, the company was building grinding tools for NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, the employees of Honeybee struggled to find a way to offer help or a tribute as they were weighed down by the necessarily-firm NASA deadlines required for equipment testing. But eventually Honeybee found the perfect opportunity.
The design of the grinders called for a plain aluminum shield to cover the tool’s control cables. Working with New York City mayor’s office, a metal-working shop in Texas and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, Honeybee decided to fabricate the shields out of aluminum recovered from the World Trade Center towers. With images of American flags attached, both shields now serve as a permanent tribute on Mars. On the photo of Spirit above, the shield is the dull metal piece at top left.
The Spirit rover was launched all the way back in June 2003, with Opportunity launched that July. By January of 2004 they’d both landed safely on Mars. Their primary missions were both completed three months later. The grinders designed by Honeybee were used initially in rock sampling; they allowed both rovers to cut through the crust on Martian rocks to analyze their contents.
Interestingly, it wasn’t until the end of 2004 that anyone from Honeybee spoke publicly about where the shields’ aluminum had come from. That November, in a profile of Honeybee by the New York Times, Honeybee CEO Stephen Gorevan spoke of the shields.
“It was intended to be a quiet tribute,” he said. “Enough time has passed. We want the families to know.”
The rovers continued their work long after that. Opportunity is actually still active, while Spirit quit communications in spring of last year. During that span both rovers have used their penchant for geological study to vastly increase our knowledge about ancient Mars’ wet environments and their potential for supporting life.
After Opportunity goes silent, both rovers will remain in good condition for years to come thanks to Mars’ dry, cold environment. Even when they’re nonoperational, the rovers will continue carrying out their mission as the only interplanetary tribute to September 11.
Aluminum use to double
AUTOMOTIVE . The use of aluminum by the automotive industry should more than double in four years, said Tadeu Nardocci, president of European operations at Novelis Inc.
Novelis, which turns aluminum into products for Coca-Cola Co., and Ford Motor Co., expects global demand from cars to grow at a combined rate of 25 per cent a year over the next five years, Nardocci said. At that rate "you can imagine that in four years you'll just have more than 100 per cent growth," he said at a Metal Bulletin conference in Paris.
Novelis supplies more than half of all flat-rolled aluminum products used by the automotive sector to make parts such as doors and roofs, it said.
The transportation industry accounts for about 26 per cent of aluminum consumption, according to the London Metal Exchange. Carmakers are using more aluminum because of "a combination of new legislation in Europe and the U.S., and new wealth across the globe," Nardocci said, referring to emerging markets.
Novelis Expands Presence in Asia with Opening of Shanghai Office, Appoints Managing Director, Novelis China
Novelis, the world's largest producer of rolled aluminum, today announced the opening of a new office in the Shanghai World Financial Center to expand the company's presence in Asia. To lead the company's business development in China, Novelis has appointed James Liu as Managing Director, Novelis China, and Director, Sales and Marketing, Automotive Asia.
Development of Recycling-Friendly Aluminium Alloys Using Mathematical Models
Norwegian researchers are working on a five-year project that aims to develop more customized and recycling-friendly aluminium alloys using mathematical models.
scientist Yanjun Li studies the microstructure of
aluminium alloys using an electron microscope.
They are focusing on developing technical production methods to re-materialize aluminium scrap into high quality consumer products such as foils and window frames.
Aluminium recycling needs just 5% of the energy used in new aluminium production. This reveals that there will be 95% reduction in greenhouse gases associated with production process. But, when aluminium is recycled, several alloy elements such as zinc, silicon and iron and trace elements such as lead and sodium get accumulated in the final material. This has led to restrictions on the usage of recycled aluminium.
Mechanical characteristics of the recycled material get affected due to the accumulation of impurities in aluminium via continues recycling. This can be overcome by changing the composition of the alloy and temperature conditions and the speed of the homogenisation process.
Till now, recycled aluminium has been utilized in cast products ranging from car wheel rims to engine blocks. But, the increased availability of recycled aluminium requires opening of new paths to the market. This means that rolling and extruding facilities need to be tailored to accept higher quantities of recycled material.
MOREAL is a special project started to produce recycled aluminium as a raw material for rolling and extrusion plants. NTNU and SINTEF lead the project along with Sapa Technology and Hydro Aluminium.
Researchers desired to use mathematical models for developing recycling-friendly aluminium alloys. MOREAL project is working on advanced mathematical models to make the alloy development inexpensive and less time-consuming.
Researchers have performed physical experiments with an aluminium alloy that belongs to the “3xxx family”, a commonly used group, which features manganese as an additive. The additive offers high corrosion resistance, enhanced tensile strength and excellent malleability. With the use of mathematical modelling, the team has described that output of the alloy can be increased by 50% by altering the homogenisation process. This means that the alloy can tolerate extremely high bending before it breaks.
ALCOA : Named to World and North American Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes
For the tenth consecutive year, Alcoa (NYSE:AA) has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI), one of the most highly recognized and long-standing global sustainability indexes. Alcoa was named to both the World and the North American Indexes and was named the Industry Leader for the Aluminum Sector.
The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) comprises the leading companies in terms of sustainability around the world. It captures the top 10 percent based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria out of the world's largest companies. The Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America) captures the leading 20 percent in terms of sustainability out of the largest North American companies.
The indexes follow a best-in-class approach and include sustainability leaders from industries worldwide, serving as an important guide for investors to assess a company's sustainability portfolio. Selection to the DJSI is based on an in-depth analysis of a company's economic, environmental and social aspects with a focus on long-term development of corporate value.
"We've spent the last decade as a component of this world-renowned sustainability index and that is something we are extraordinarily proud of as a company," said Kevin Anton, Alcoa's Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer. "By the very nature of aluminum - high strength, light weight and recyclable - it is a truly sustainable product that offers significant advantages to our customers."
The company reported solid progress on its sustainability efforts in 2010 and 2011, including the following:
Safety and Health: 82 percent of Alcoa locations worldwide had zero lost work day incidents and 48 percent had zero recordable injuries in 2010.
Products: Developed a new set of aluminum alloys that will make airplanes lighter and more efficient while improving durability. These technological advancements allow for a 12 percent increase in fuel efficiency and provide up to 10 percent in weight savings over composite-intensive planes. Launched Reynobond® with EcoClean?, the first coil-coated architectural panel that helps clean itself and the air around it. It is an economically viable self-cleaning technology that reduces maintenance costs and helps with the decomposition of smog and other pollutants, from dirt to diesel fumes, which cling to building surfaces. In fact, 10,000 square feet of Reynobond with EcoClean has the approximate air cleansing power of 80 trees.
Climate Change: Reduced the greenhouse gas footprint of the Company's operations. Alcoa Global Primary Products lowered its CO2 intensity by 7 percent over 2009 levels and achieved a 22 percent reduction over 2005 levels, exceeding the Company's 2020 goal of a 20 percent reduction. These reductions are the result of strategic efforts to reposition operations to take advantage of clean hydroelectric power, quickly share best practices to reduce process emission, and drive energy efficiency at every location.
Hydro Celebrate 25 Years in the Aluminium Business
A very successful merger. This is how most people would characterize the new company - Hydro Aluminium - born in Norway 25 years ago, on September 1, after the merger with ÅSV. It was the day that brought to life a Norwegian aluminium giant with a strong base in the European market.
Hydro's aluminium business has developed significantly over the past 25 years, since the ÅSV merger in 1986, through acquisitions, partnerships and growth. Hydro is today a focused aluminium company with operations throughout the value chain, from bauxite mining to the sale of aluminium products.
An interesting story lies behind the creation of Hydro Aluminium AS in 1986.
In truth, there were not two, but three partners who joined forces in 1986. Just prior to the merger between Årdal og Sunndal Verk (ÅSV) and Norsk Hydro's Aluminium Division, Hydro acquired five extrusion plants in Europe from Alcan. It was from these various pieces that a new Hydro Aluminium culture was created.
These were companies that completed each other. ÅSV had extensive knowledge in electrolysis technology. Hydro had a more commercial organization that also invested heavily downstream. The acquisition of the Alcan plants virtually doubled Hydro's extrusion operation and gave the new company a solid foothold in the European extrusion industry.
Politics and industry
Hydro and ÅSV had been talking together for a long time - years - before the merger became fact. In 1982, stuck with rock-bottom metal prices, many aluminium producers suffered a crisis year. One was ÅSV, the Norwegian state-owned company that lost share capital and needed an injection of new money from its owner. Two years later, however, producers experienced a golden year with top prices. The fluctuations were enormous.
At the same time, many in Norway's political environment were voicing their desire to see the domestic aluminium industry come together in a larger and more powerful unit.
ÅSV's challenge was to secure market access. As a result, its board of directors decided in December 1985 to look into a solution that would achieve a certain level of ownership integration with West Germany's Vereinigte Aluminium-Werke (VAW). Such a solution would provide ÅSV with solid footing in the emerging European Federation and create a powerful industrial company in Europe. But the scheme attracted no great enthusiasm in some of the political camps in Norway.
A group of union officials then stepped in, taking the initiative for Norway's Minister of Industry, demanding a last attempt with Hydro to achieve a Norwegian solution. Håkon Sandvold of ÅSV and Torvild Aakvaag of Hydro - the top executives of the two companies -had been in contact with each other the whole way. Sandvold also sat on Hydro's board of directors.
The Industry Minister contacted the companies, and, in early 1986, things started happening fast. When the matter came up in Norway's Parliament the same spring, there was broad political agreement regarding a merger between ÅSV and Hydro's Aluminium Division.
The agreement was approved. Hydro's Aluminium Division was merged debt-free into ÅSV. This gave Hydro an interest of 70 percent in Hydro Aluminium AS, with the state owning the remaining 30 percent. At the same time, the state owned 51 percent of Hydro.
Later, Hydro used its option to buy the remaining shares from the state, thereby making Hydro Aluminium AS into a wholly owned subsidiary.
Vedanta Aluminium bagged the Think Odisha Leadership Award 2011
Report by OrissaDiary.com correspondent; Bhubaneswar: Vedanta Aluminium Limited was the proud recipient of the Think Odisha Leadership Award for “Child Development and Employment Generation” at the recently concluded 4th Interface Asia Corporate Social Responsibility Forum-2011, hosted by Frame CSR, a joint initiative by The Times of India Group and Tefla’s.
The award was given in recognition of VAL’s ongoing efforts in creating opportunities and building a better future for children in the peripheral areas as well as providing support for employment generation activities among the local people in and around its area of operations.
The Interface Asia Corporate Social Responsibility Forum is an ideal platform to showcase services and strategic initiatives that have enhanced business competitiveness and built up communities by Public Sector Bodies, Non-Government Organizations and Corporates during Asia’s most exciting and comprehensive event on CSR, to a large number of participants from diverse groups.
Mr. Ajit K. Samal, Senior Vice President, VAL, received the award on behalf of Vedanta Aluminium from the Chief Minister, Shri Naveen Pattnaik in a colorful events participated by many celebrities & dignitaries from the state. During the presentation Dr. Mukesh Kumar, COO, VAL has explained the VAL CSR initiative in great details as he was one of the guest panelist in Business session titled “Challenges of Sustainable CSR Initiatives by Corporate in Odisha”, chaired by Shri B.K. Pattnaik the Chief Secretary of Orissa .
The event saw the participation by diverse Group of business leaders, Activists, NGOs, Corporate Houses, Government Bodies and Academics who came together to share their views and experiences on several fronts of the Corporate Social Responsibility movement.
NALCO plans to invest Rs 57,903 cr on expansion by 2020
NEW DELHI: State-owned aluminium producer NALCO plans to invest Rs 57,903 crore by 2020 on expansion, including the setting up of two large aluminium smelters in India and abroad.
The Navratna firm would invest Rs 16,500 crore in Indonesia for setting up a 5 million tonnes (MT) smelter, with 1,250 MW power plant, a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal and Steel said.
It added that the other smelter of the same size would be built in Western Orissa in two phases, with 1,260 MW power plant at an estimated investment of Rs 16,345 crore
Micro-explosion reveals new super-dense aluminium
(PhysOrg.com) -- Although materials scientists have theorized for years that a form of super-dense aluminum exists under the extreme pressures found inside a planet’s core, no one had ever actually seen it. Until now.
A team including researcher Arturas Vailionis of SLAC and Stanford blasted tiny bits of sapphire with a new table-top laser device that penetrates crystals and sets off micro-explosions inside them, creating powerful shock waves that compress the surrounding material. Under these extreme conditions – terapascals of pressure and temperatures of 100,000 Kelvin – warm dense matter forms, the state of matter between a solid and a plasma.
Because sapphire is a form of aluminum oxide, or alumina, researchers expected to find evidence of various phases of high-pressure alumina inside the gem. Instead, they observed minuscule amounts of a surprisingly stable, highly-compressed form of elemental aluminum called body-centered cubic aluminum.
Their results appear in yesterday’s edition of Nature Communications. The team included scientists from Australia, Japan, and the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Vailionis, a researcher with the Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Sciences, examined the interior of the sapphire and found the novel form of aluminum with a beam of X-ray light from the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. The laser experiment itself was performed at Shizuoka University in Japan.
“High pressure experiments generally are done either with big equipment or with a diamond anvil cell where two diamonds are squeezing a tiny bit of material, but even diamond gives up at a certain point with those pressures,” Vailionis said. “But this very short pulse of laser light actually ionizes all the material within a very small volume over a short time and creates a plasma which is under enormous pressure and temperature” without fracturing the outer shell of the sapphire.
Of particular note, the paper says, is that the team “demonstrated that high energy density produced in a simple tabletop experiment makes it possible to form an exotic high-density material phase which could not be produced by other means.” While scientists long have predicted that new classes of materials with unusual combinations of physical properties should exist under extreme pressure and temperature conditions, only hcp-Al, the hexagonal close-packed aluminum phase, had been observed previously. The form made in this experiment is bcc-Al, or body-centered cubic aluminum.
Vailionis said he doesn’t expect the research to result in production of new materials in large quantities any time soon, but he believes the equipment used in the experiment offers a new strategy for synthesizing nanoscale amounts of new materials in the laboratory, and opens new possibilities for tabletop research into warm dense matter – the state of matter between a solid and a plasma. Such work could bring scientists a step closer to understanding Earth’s early history.
“Now we’re thinking about different materials we could use to recreate some of the environments that existed deep in the Earth’s core when the planet was forming,” he said.
The nanoscale secret to stronger alloys
Scientists at Berkeley Lab find nanoparticle size is readily controlled to make stronger aluminum alloys
Long before they knew they were doing it – as long ago as the Wright Brother's first airplane engine – metallurgists were incorporating nanoparticles in aluminum to make a strong, hard, heat-resistant alloy. The process is called solid-state precipitation, in which, after the melt has been quickly cooled, atoms of alloying metals migrate through a solid matrix and gather themselves in dispersed particles measured in billionths of a meter, only a few-score atoms wide.
Key to the strength of these precipitation-hardened alloys is the size, shape, and uniformity of the nanoparticles and how stable they are when heated. One alloy with a highly successful combination of properties is a particular formulation of aluminum, scandium, and lithium, whose precipitates are all nearly the same size. It was first made at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) in 2006 by a team led by Velimir Radmilović and Ulrich Dahmen of the Materials Sciences Division.
These scientists and their colleagues have now combined atomic-scale observations with the powerful TEAM microscope at Berkeley Lab's National Center for Electron Microscopy (NCEM) with atom-probe tomography and other experimental techniques, and with theoretical calculations, to reveal how nanoparticles consisting of cores rich in scandium and surrounded by lithium-rich shells can disperse in remarkably uniform sizes throughout a pure aluminum matrix.
"With the TEAM microscope we were able to study the core-shell structure of these nanoprecipitates and how they form spheres that are nearly the same in diameter," says Dahmen, the director of NCEM and an author of the Nature Materials paper describing the new studies. "What's more, these particles don't change size over time, as most precipitates do. Typically, small particles get smaller and large particles get larger, a process called ripening or coarsening, which eventually weakens the alloys. But these uniform core-shell nanoprecipitates resist change."
When aluminum is alloyed with the right proportions of scandium and
lithium through a simple series of heat treatments, nanoparticle inclusions
form in the aluminum matrix (dark background) whose cores,
Evolution of an alloy
In the aluminum-scandium-lithium system the researchers found that, after the initial melt, a simple two-step heating process creates first the scandium-rich cores and then the lithium-rich shells of the spherical particles. The spheres self-limit their growth to achieve the same outer dimensions, yielding a lightweight, potentially heat- and corrosion-resistant, superstrong alloy.
"Scandium is the most potent strengthener for aluminum," says NCEM's Radmilović, who is also a professor of metallurgy at the University of Belgrade, Serbia, and an author of the Nature Materials paper. "Adding less than one percent scandium can make a dramatic difference in mechanical strength, fracture resistance, corrosion resistance – all kinds of properties." Because scandium diffuses very slowly through the solid aluminum matrix, the solid mix must be heated to a high temperature (short of melting) before scandium will precipitate.
Lithium is the lightest of all metals (only hydrogen and helium are lighter) and brings not only lightness to an aluminum alloy but, potentially, strength as well. Lithium diffuses much more rapidly than scandium, at much lower temperature. "The problem is that, by itself, lithium may not live up to its promise," says Dahmen, a long-time collaborator with Radmilović. "The trick is to convince the lithium to take on a useful crystalline structure, namely L12."
The L12 unit cell resembles a face-centered cubic cell, among the simplest and most symmetric of crystal structures. Atoms occupy each corner of an imaginary cube and are centered in the cube's six faces; in the L12 structure, the kinds of atoms at the corners may differ from those at the centers of the faces. For alloy inclusions it's one of the strongest and stablest of structures because, as Dahmen explains, "once atoms are in place in L12, it's difficult for them to move."
Dahmen credits Radmilović with the "intuition" to alloy both scandium and lithium with aluminum, heating and cooling the material in a specific series of steps. That intuition was based on Radmilović's long experience with the separate properties of aluminum-lithium and aluminum-scandium alloys and a deep understanding of how they were likely to interact. He drew up a recipe for the proportions of ingredients in the initial melt and how to cool and rewarm them.
The key to the process was to use lithium as a kind of catalyst to force a "burst of nucleation" in the scandium. After the three metals are mixed, melted, and quickly cooled or quenched, lithium serves to lower the heating needed to coax scandium to form dense core structures – although the solid mix must still be heated to 450 degrees Celsius (842 Fahrenheit) for 18 hours to form these cores, made of aluminum, lithium, and scandium. The cores average a little over nine nanometers in diameter but are not uniform in size.
Next the alloy is heated again, this time to 190˚ Celsius (374˚ F) for four hours. At the lower temperature the scandium is immobile; the freely-moving lithium forms a shell around the scandium-rich cores, much as water in a cloud crystallizes around a speck of dust to make a snowflake. The shells average about 10.5 nanometers in thickness, but their thickness is not uniform.
What's remarkable, though, is that when a core is thicker than the average, the shell is thinner than the average, and vice versa: the smaller the core, the faster the shell grows. Core size and shell size are "anticorrelated" and the result is "size focused." Whole spheres still vary somewhat, but the differences are much less than among the cores alone or the shells alone. The structure of the cores and shells embedded in aluminum seems equally remarkable. Pure aluminum itself has a face-centered-cubic structure, and this structure is seamlessly repeated by the L12 structure of both the cores and the shells, perfectly joined with no dislocations at the interfaces between core, shell, and matrix.
Dahmen says, "It's the scandium-rich cores that convince the lithium to take on the useful L12 structure."
Joining experiment with theory
The L12 structure is shown at lower left, with aluminum atoms in gray
and scandium or lithium atoms reddish green. In images of a core-shell
nanoparticle made by NCEM’s TEAM..
Using the TEAM microscope and a special imaging technique to look down at the tops of the regular rows of columns of atoms, the L12 structure reveals itself in groups of interlocking squares, with four columns of atoms at the corners and five columns of atoms at the lined-up centers of the faces. In pure aluminum, all the dots are the same brightness. In the shells and cores, however, the corner columns and the face-centered columns differ in contrast – the face-centered columns are pure aluminum but the corner columns are mixed. By supplementing the high-resolution TEAM images with data from other experimental techniques it was possible to use brightness and contrast to calculate the kinds of atoms in each column.
By employing first-principles calculations, team members Colin Ophus and Mark Asta were able to model the effect of lithium on the solid-state precipitation of scandium, stimulating a sudden burst of nucleation, and also to understand why, because of the thermodynamic properties of the two metals interacting with aluminum and with each other, the precipitates are so uniform and stable.
Radmilović says, "Colin and Mark showed that lithium and scandium like each other. They also showed that by using the aluminum columns as a standard, we can calculate the intensity of the scandium and lithium by the brightness of the spot." In the shells, the corner columns contain aluminum and about 10 percent lithium. In the cores, the corner columns contain all three metals.
Dahmen says, "In recent years there has been a rapid increase in the use of 'integrative microscopy' - using a variety of techniques such as high-angular annular dark-field imaging, high-resolution phase contrast, and energy-filtered imaging and spectroscopy to attack a single problem. The TEAM microscope, which is corrected for both chromatic and spherical aberration, is unique in its ability to do all these techniques with high resolution. Understanding why nanoinclusions in aluminum-scandium-lithium are uniform is one of the best examples for the need to use integrative microscopy."
As good an alloy as aluminum-scandium-lithium is, its use may be limited by the cost of rare scandium, presently ten times the price of gold. By understanding how the alloy achieves its remarkable characteristics, the researchers fully expect that other systems with core-shell precipitates can be controlled by the same mechanisms, leading to new kinds of alloys with a range of desirable properties.
"Highly monodisperse core-shell particles created by solid-state reactions," by Velimir Radmilović, Colin Ophus, Emmanuelle Marquis, Marta-Dacil Rossell, Alfredo Tolley, Abhay Gautam, Mark Asta, and Ulrich Dahmen, appears in Nature Materials at http://www.nature.com/nmat/index.html. Radmilović, Ophus, Rossell, Gautam, Asta, and Dahmen are presently or formerly with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division; Radmilović is also with the University of Belgrade, Marquis with the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Rossell with ETH Zurich, Tolley with Argentina's Comisión Nacional de Energia Atómica, and Asta with the University of California at Berkeley. This work was principally supported by DOE's Office of Science.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 12 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit www.lbl.gov.
Use an Aluminum Can as a Wi-Fi Extender
If you happen to have an old can of soda or beer lying around the house and you're struggling to get a good Wi-Fi signal on your computer, The Chive has a guide to cutting out a parabolic reflector out of the can.
Using nothing more than an aluminum can, a utility knife, scissors, and some adhesive putty, they've built a remarkably easy and effective Wi-Fi extender that only takes a few very simple steps to complete. If you're not interested in using aluminum foil, you don't want to solder a tin can, or you just want to broadcast your good taste in beer, this is a solid trick that works surprisingly well.
Metallurgical Arc-joining of Steel and Aluminium to Make Hybrid Sheets
An impressive innovation has shifted the limits of welding still further: Whereas steel and aluminium were once thought to be incapable of thermal joining, this is now perfectly feasible in actual practice. The revolutionary solution has made the visions of material experts, design engineers and production engineers come true. Not to mention the long-held wish of automobile industry managers for dependable high-load thermal joins between solid steel and lightweight aluminium, as required by the loading sequence in the component. This is particularly advantageous for the automobile industry, faced as it is with the need to reduce vehicle weight (and thus fuel consumption and CO2 emissions) and to meet the EU emissions limit of 130 g/km CO2 by 2012. In other sectors, too - ranging from designer objects to factory roofs to wind-power installations - lightweight constructions also deliver huge benefits.
Welding textbook opinion has it that metals which differ so greatly in terms of physical properties such as their fusing temperatures (1500°C versus 590°C), coefficients of expansion (1.2 mm versus 2.3 mm/100°C) or electrochemical potential cannot be joined by arc welding. For over 20 years, Fronius had been rising to the challenge presented by this welding-engineering bottleneck, making the first reproducible joints even before it arrived at the CMT (Cold Metal Transfer) solution. From 2003 onwards, a viable technology crystallised out of Fronius' collaboration with voestalpine. The many trials conducted since then have proved the industrial suitability of this process and of its applications. On the aluminium side there is a welded join, while the steel sheet exhibits a brazed join. Fronius and voestalpine have been granted several patents for this solution. Together, they have developed high-formability hybrid sheets. Used as semi-finished products, these can be formed into profiles or crash-absorbers in processes such as folding, rolling and deep-drawing.
Some technical boundary conditions: The steel sheets must be galvanised (as is usual in automotive manufacturing), the aluminium sheets must be made from materials of the AW5xxx or 6xxx series, and AlSi3Mn1 must be used as the welding/brazing filler metal. The zinc layer on the steel sheet acts as a flux, wetting the steel. The crucial factor is the intermetallic phase (IMP). This should be as thin as possible, and no more than 10 µm. The strength of the joint is then so great that in tensile tests, the seam itself remains intact and the break takes place in the aluminium sheet. Since then, multi-year tests on shaped hybrid sheets have proved that neither intercrystalline nor stress or crevice corrosion occur; only minor surface corrosion has been detected. The ideal welding systems for the hybrid sheets have proved to be ones that use the CMT process to vertically braze-weld both sides 'in sync' from top to bottom. The know-how from voest- alpine relates to weld-preparation in terms of the seam-geometry, while the patented filler metal and the modifications to the (also patented) CMT system are the fruits of Fronius' R&D effort.
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Akril introduces new aluminium door systems
The new Akril aluminium door systems are available in a wide range of options to suit specific requirements.
In addition to four different flap options, Akril aluminium door systems are available with bi-fold doors, drawer fronts and hinged doors featuring standard hinges or push function combined with five profile types. The brushed aluminium frames are available in widths of 23mm, 28mm, 38mm curved and flat as well as a 45mm frame with lip.
Released at DesignEX in Melbourne, Akril’s new aluminium door systems now allow kitchen cupboards and bathroom vanities to be matched to Akril splashbacks. Akril aluminium door systems are available in 10 colours in a frost and gloss finish.
The lightweight Akril door systems are built for safety. Akril is also an environment-friendly product.
Showa Denko (SDK) to Strengthen High-Purity Aluminum Foils Business
Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) has decided to expand its capacity to produce high-purity aluminum foils for electrolytic capacitors at Sakai Plant, increasing aluminum refining capacity, modifying rolling processes, and installing additional annealing facilities by the end of 2013.
SDK has also decided to establish a final processing site in China for start-up in the second quarter of 2013. The site will finish rolled foils supplied from Sakai Plant and provide final products to customers in China.
As a result of the expansion at Sakai Plant and establishment of the new site in China, the Showa Denko Group's ability to provide high-purity aluminum foils will increase by stages from 2,000 tons a month at present to 3,000 tons a month by the end of 2013. The capacity expansion will involve capital investment of around 4.5 billion yen in total.
Aluminum electrolytic capacitors are now used widely in electric appliances, including LCD TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators, and LED lighting. They are also used in energy-saving devices for inverters; PCs and other IT equipment; parts for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid cars; and in the area of renewable energies, such as wind energy and photovoltaic power generation. Since demand is also increasing in China and other emerging economies, the global market for aluminum electrolytic capacitors is expected to grow around 10% a year through 2015. In particular, demand is expected to grow rapidly for high-voltage aluminum electrolytic capacitors used in environment-friendly cars and in the area of renewable energies.
Unlike commodity aluminum foils for packaging, high-purity aluminum foils for electrolytic capacitors need to be produced by rolling aluminum slabs with purity as high as 99.99%. SDK is currently producing high-purity aluminum foils at Sakai Plant, covering the whole stages from refining, rolling and finishing. The expansion work at the plant will enable SDK to meet growing demand for high-purity aluminum foils used in high-voltage electrolytic capacitors for automotive and renewable energy applications.
SDK is strengthening its high-purity aluminum foils business, considering the product as one of its core product items in the domain of "Electronics." With the establishment of the new production site in China, SDK aims to meet growing demand for high-performance products, centering on high-purity aluminum foils used in high-voltage aluminum electrolytic capacitors.
World’s First Round Standard Aluminium Enclosures For Industrial Equipment
ROLEC has launched its new aluDISC range – the world’s first standard round diecast aluminium enclosures for industrial electronics and electrical equipment. This new range of diecast enclosures has a unique round shape designed to integrate both visually and functionally with industrial applications where everything is circular: pipes, tanks, lamps, displays etc. Typical applications will include process control equipment, monitoring and detection systems, flow metering and other industrial measuring devices. As standard, the aluDISC housings are specified as IP66 enclosures but ROLEC can also fit high performance gaskets and supply them as IP67 enclosures or IP69K enclosures. Manufactured in diecast aluminium and powder painted light grey RAL 7035, the aluDISC enclosures have external dimensions of 150 x 139 x 80mm. Three further sizes are planned for introduction before the end of 2011.
The attractive design features clip-in lid cover trims moulded in black POM plastic. These hide all of the assembly and mounting screws, giving a clean and very modern appearance when assembled. ROLEC’s aluDISC electronic enclosures can be mounted to a wall, machine or other equipment while still assembled. There is no need to remove the lid, avoiding any possible damage to the components or sealing gasket. The clip-in trims are simply snapped into place after the unit is mounted.
A round recessed area in the lid is designed for mounting membrane keypads, display modules, controls or product labels. A separate model is also available pre-fitted with a transparent hinged cover for extra protection of the controls. The cover is opened and closed using a quarter turn fastener. Rather than having a completely round housing, ROLEC designers used the wristwatch as inspiration when designing the aluDISC electrical enclosures.
As a result, they included two flat areas on either side of the circular face for mounting cable glands, connectors and controls. Threaded screw bosses are provided inside for mounting PCBs, mounting plates, earth leads and other components. Mounting screws are included in the kit. Prices for the aluDISC start at around £60. Accessories for aluDISC include unique replacement lid assembly screws which include moulded retaining straps for keeping the lid in situ during installation and servicing.
ROLEC offers a full customising service on these metal enclosures with CNC milling, drilling, silk-screen printing, assembly of cable glands and terminals and much more, providing a fully finished housing ready for fitting the components.
ROLEC electronics enclosures are marketed in the UK by OKW Enclosures Ltd of Fareham, Hampshire. OKW Sales and Marketing Director Robert Cox said: “For the first time design engineers will be able to house their equipment in a standard round enclosure that looks pre-designed for the industrial environment, rather than in a simple rectangular box.”
Features of aluDISC:
· First round standard aluminium enclosures for industrial electronics and electrical equipment
· Unique shape visually integrates with industrial equipment and pipework
· Can be installed anywhere – walls, bulkheads, machines
· Lid recess for fitting a round membrane keypad or product label
· Clip-on lid cover trims hide all the fixing and mounting screws
· Enclosure can be mounted while closed
· Available with hinged transparent lid cover
· Internal screw bosses for mounting PCBs, mounting plates and assemblies
· Options include lid hinge/support, transparent cover, IP67 or IP69K protection, EMC shielding, high temperature gasket, corrosion-proof paint.
Synergy Design to distribute all-aluminum liftgates
THOMASVILLE, N.C. -- Synergy Design and Production has announced it has inked a deal to become the exclusive distributor of AHT all-aluminum liftgates in Canada and the US.
Synergy builds lightweight medium-duty trucks including its SynergyLite Green Truck. Austrian company AHT claims to be the world's only manufacturer of lightweight, all-aluminum liftgates as well as a manufacturer of hydraulic equipment. It constructs its liftgates of high-tensile aluminum alloy.
"AHT is the only company in the world that manufactures an all-aluminum liftgate. Our partnership with Synergy Design & Production is the perfect combination of their lightweighting strategies and our liftgates. We are proud that they will be our exclusive, authorized distributor in the United States and Canada," announced AHT president Walter Weber.
"We have been using AHT's liftgates for many years on our patent pending SynergyLite Green Trucks, and coupled with our lightweighting strategies utilizing aluminum and recycled composite materials, AHT liftgates have saved our customers a substantial amount of unneeded weight on their vehicles," added Ralph Haire, managing partner, Synergy Design. "Compared with steel liftgates you typically see on trucks, AHT's all-aluminum liftgates help us significantly reduce the weight of the vehicles while still keeping the payloads high, which has saved our customers millions of dollars in fuel costs and other ancillary areas such as eliminating DoT fees. The life-cycle of these trucks is also longer because aluminum does not rust or corrode like steel and wood which also translates to faster ROIs."
Aluminium Celmet, developed in Japan, could make rechargeable batteries last three times longer
Sumitomo Electric Industries has developed a porous aluminium substance that it says can increase the capacity of rechargeable batteries by up to three times.
The material, called Aluminium-Celmet (or Aluminum-Celmet), builds on Sumitomo’s previous work on a porous metal called Celmet, which is made from nickel or nickel-chrome alloy and has been adopted for use in the nickel-hydrogen batteries used in hybrid vehicles.
High porosity
Many abttery improvements are focused on increasing the active surface area within the battery. Celmet does this with high porosity – up to 98 percent – which Sumitomo said is considerably higher than other porous metals such as nonwoven metal fabric and foam metal. The material has a three-dimensional mesh-like structure that forms interconnected, open and spherical pores. The structure of Celmet improves batteries’ filling, retaining and current-collecting performance, Sumitomo said.Other approaches to increasing surface area in battery components have included the use of tobacco mosaic virus, and nanotubes.
The Celmet material is produced by applying an electro-conductive coating to plastic foam, which is then nickel-plated, following which a heat treatment is used to remove the plastic foam.
Aluminium-Celmet is produced via a similar process and has the same high porosity of Celmet, but is also about one-third the weight of nickel, offers greater electrical conductivity and is corrosion-resistant.
That makes it suitable for use in lithium-ion and other rechargeable batteries, the company said. It can also be used in current collectors in capacitors.
Replacing the aluminium foil in a conventional lithium-ion battery with Aluminium-Celmet increases the amount of positive active material per unit area and thus increases battery capacity, Sumitomo said.
It estimated that in the case of the batteries used in electric vehicles batteries based on the new material would have 1.5 to 3 times greater capacity.
Storage batteries
Alternatively, the volume of batteries with the same capacity could be reduced by one-third to two-thirds, which could be useful for instance in batteries used to store solar power in the home.Sumitomo said it has set up a small-scale production line for Aluminium-Celmet and is working towards mass production of the material.
A number of battery manufacturers are working to dramatically extend capacity for the batteries used with laptops, with Lenovo, Sony, Dell and HP recently claiming battery life of between 10 and 32 hours in a clutch of laptop releases.
One enabler of the long battery life is the introduction of Intel’s Sandy Bridge family of processors with integral graphics capabilities, or 2nd Generation Core processors as they are now known, but better power management and innovative battery arrays also play their part.
Greater capacity
Lenovo’s T420 includes a nine-cell battery that offers 15 hours of battery life, and can be docked with a second battery to offer 30 hours of battery life.
Last year researchers from the University of Maryland discovered a way to vastly improve the capacity of lithium-ion batteries using the Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). A biological virus, TMV is widely known for its destructive effects on tobacco, tomatoes, peppers and other plants. Its rigid rod-like shape, and its ability to bind to metal, enabled researchers to use it to increase the surface area of electrodes in a battery.
The resulting batteries have an up to ten-fold increase in energy capacity over standard lithium-ion batteries.Researchers have also recently proposed using the energy from typing to help increase battery life.
Aluminium Wall Cladding with Style and Substance
All too often architects and designers have had to choose between style and substance. Now there is no need to compromise as, aluminium wall cladding is fast becoming a design staple for contemporary commercial interiors. Gooding Aluminium's wall cladding systems are frequently the answer to a number of problems that occur with refurbishment projects
Interior architects and designers are using wall cladding systems in exciting an innovative ways to add a touch of style. Aluminium is fast becoming the material of choice when panel flatness and ease of fitting is a must.
Aluminium as a constructional metal fits in well with today's requirements of sustainable design and technologically efficient materials. There aren't many alternatives that can compete with aluminium's long list of desirable qualities. These positive characteristics offer an; advanced, aesthetically pleasing, durable, hygienic, lightweight, low maintenance and 100% recyclable, form of wall construction that maintains high levels of service performance.
Gooding Aluminium's wall cladding systems are frequently the answer to a number of problems that occur with refurbishment projects. For example existing partitions and walls that are coming to the end of their decorative service life can be concealed behind attractive lightweight aluminium 'secret -fix' cladding.
On projects where effective acoustic control is required Gooding Aluminium has an extensive range of perforated sheet patterns that, formed into cladding trays, can be combined with sound absorbing materials.
'Gooding Aluminium's wall cladding systems are the perfect blend of form and function, not to mention the most cost effective and easy fit solution for new build or refurbishment projects. The integration of an interior cladding system into a building's design allows less expensive and quicker construction methods and materials to be used for the core structure.
The architectural community widely acknowledges the many qualities of aluminium including its strength, durability, substance and style!
"A key strength of Gooding Aluminium's high quality wall cladding is its ability to meet an immense array of interior design specifications in terms of panel size, surface finish and choice of pattern. As wall cladding is one of the most visible elements of any building, most specifications will start with the aesthetics. By visiting our aluminium sheet pages you can view the myriad of patterns and textures that are among the available choices.
The Gooding Aluminium service also efficiently fabricates other widely used architectural elements to the highest quality standards.Products include; Balustrade Panels, Perforated Sheet, Suspended Ceiling Panels, and Wall Cladding.
Aluminium awareness information Key Facts:
• Aluminium is great for incorporating into environmentally sensitive applications.
• Environmentally friendly aluminium is the only recyclable material that more than pays for its own re-cycling costs!
• Re-cycling aluminium into new forms only requires 5% of the energy that originally produced it.
• All manufactured aluminium is effectively a stored energy bank for future generations.
• Aluminium is only 1/3rd the weight of steel.
• Aluminium's surface has a self generating and repairing oxide coating which makes it corrosion resistant and therefore less expensive to maintain than steel and other corrodible metals.
Rio Tinto Alcan boosting Quebec plant's alloy production to be used on CSeries
A Bombardier CRJ900 branded is shown in this 2011 composite image. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Bombardier Aerospace
MONTREAL - Rio Tinto Alcan is boosting production at a Quebec plant that will make a lightweight aluminum-lithium alloy to be used extensively in Bombardier's new CSeries airliners. The Montreal-based division of global miner Rio Tinto is spending $3 million to increase production by more than 50 per cent at its plant in Dubuc, Que..
Rio Tinto Alcan declined to disclose details about production or sales of its Airware products for competitive reasons. The Airware technology creates a strong yet lightweight material used by NASA that will soon be taking flight on Bombardier's (TSX:BBD.B) CSeries and the Airbus A350 XWB.
The production increase comes after it signed a contract with Constellium, a former subsidiary sold earlier this year, which is the exclusive supplier to the CSeries.
About 50 jobs will be created on top of the 70 who already work at the facility in the Saguenay region of Quebec, said Rio Tinto Alcan spokeswoman Claudine Gagnon. Construction is already underway to add 495 square metres to the 5,900-square-metre facility.Production is expected to increase by the end of July.
"The agreement with Dubuc Works clearly demonstrates the need for our facilities to adapt to market demands and respond to client requirements and standards," said Rio Tinto Alcan vice-president Etienne Jacques.
Constellium president Christophe Villemin said increased production will help the company meet "soaring demand" for the Airware technology.In addition to being 25 per cent lighter than other materials, Constellium claims Airware reduces assembly and maintenance costs and has a lower overall environmental footprint.
Airware offers a range of aircraft products, including the fuselage, wings and tail fins.The parts are more durable and have greater resistance to fatigue and corrosion. Like all aluminum products, they are 100 per cent recyclable.
Bombardier said the Airware technology will provide the primary structure for the CSeries and will comprise more than 20 per cent of all materials used on the 110- to 149-seat plane.The technology, which is based on the mastering of low density alloys, will allow Bombardier to develop a fuselage by "combining sheets and extrusions to manufacture fuselage skins, stringers, frames and floor beams."Constellium recently displayed a fuselage panel of the CSeries made using the Airware process at the Paris Air Show.
The plane, which is made from advanced materials and powered by a new Pratt & Whitney engine, promises a 15 per cent reduction in cash operating costs and a 20 per cent reduction in fuel costs.Airbus will use Airware metal sheets and forged parts for key structural elements of the wings on the new A350 wide-body aircraft.
Constellium, formerly Alcan Engineered Products, makes a variety of aluminum products for the aerospace, mass transportation, automotive, packaging, energy and construction sectors.The Paris-based company employs nearly to 9,500 employees in 26 countries, including 3,400 in the aerospace division.
In addition to Quebec, Airware products are made in Ravenswood, Calif., and Issoire, France.
Rio Tinto completed the sale of the division in January to a group headed by New York's Apollo Management. Rio Tinto maintains a 39 per cent ownership along with 10 per cent held by a French government fund.
Novelis Tells a Bright Story of Aluminum’s Future
Now that the dust has settled from last week’s Harbor Aluminum Conference in Chicago, I find it hard to conclude anything other than a bright rosy future for aluminum (particularly if you are a producer or supplier). Rest assured, I didn’t drink the Kool-Aid, but when one looks at the factors driving aluminum prices and the six-ways from Sunday that the team at Harbor develops its price forecasts, it becomes hard to come to any other conclusion than aluminum prices face far more upward price risk than downside price risk. Of course global economic meltdown, raw material supply constraints, warehousing games and hijinks played by the Big 3 triumvirate of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Glencore (The Wall Street Journal has an excellent primer on the subject right here) along with the dumping of 60m barrels of oil not withstanding, the picture painted by Novelis at the conference bodes well for aluminum consumption.
Nobody tells a story quite like Erwin Mayr SVP, Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer of Novelis. We’ve selected a few of the most interesting trends noted by Mayr:
Aluminum use has grown faster at 5% than other metals including nickel, copper and steel at three percent and zinc and lead at two percent By 2015, Asia will represent 50% of the global FRP (flat rolled products) market
Eleven million tons of new FRP demand between 2010 – 2020 (moving up to 30m tons beyond that)
Mayr goes on to specifically call out the market trends that banks find the most interesting with regard to the future of the aluminum market.
He specifically points to the following:
Increasing urbanization – and the need for better infrastructure and transportation
Sustainability as a response to rising demand and depleting resources – wind mills (e.g. housings are made of aluminum), cars with aluminum, solar panels etc
Emerging markets create a multi-polar world – new large growth markets spreading wealth globally; global logistics development – airplane flying, fuel energy markets – LNG carriers, commercial containers
The ascent of the young consumer and social media – global electronics – over 100,000 tons in electronics markets
The on-going struggle between protectionism and globalization – in particular, increased tariffs, restrictive quotas and harmonization
At last year’s Harbor Conference, Mayr offered up several “what-if” scenarios driving aluminum demand (we reported on those then) we have re-posted some of those here as well as added new ones Mayr presented last week:
What if every Brazilian consumes as many cans as US citizens do? That would equate to an additional 1m tons of aluminum (can sheet)
What if all car hoods are made of aluminum not just 20% for luxury cars? In addition 50% of all car doors are made of aluminum – what if they are all made of aluminum auto sheet? Aluminum demand will increase to 140m car doors
What if by substitution all steel cans (e.g. tinplate) switch to aluminum? We’d see an additional 4000-5000 kt of aluminum sheets
What if solar applications globally replicated Germany’s current usage? FRP demand would increase by almost 10%
What if Chinese per capital aluminum FRP demand equaled the level of Germany’s demand? Global FRP demand would double
L&T Plans To Invest Rs 85000 Cr In Orissa
The company said that the said amount will be invested in aluminium, power and steel segments.
At the sideline of ASSOCHAM's investors meet, L&T's president Sailendra Roy stated, "We have already given proposals to the state government. The company will proceed as soon as the state government clears the proposals."
Mr. Roy said that out of the said amount, around Rs 30,000 crore would be spent to establish an aluminium facility. The said plant would be set up in affiliation with Dubai based Dubal.In addition, L&T was also eyeing to establish two thermal power stations with a capacitance of 2,000 mega watts each.
One of the company's power station would be established at Dhamra in Bhadrak region, whereas the site for another power station is not decided yet. Mr. Roy added that a plan to set up steel plant was also forwarded to the state administration.
Moreover, Larsen & Toubro has pocketed deals worth Rs 1,610 crore from clients comprising Tata Steel and Indiabulls Power since the month of April.
As per reports, L&T's Metallurgical and Material Handling Independent Company bagged the said orders.
On June 24, the stock of the company closed at Rs 1739 after surging 4% on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
The share price has seen a 52-week high of Rs 2212 and a low of Rs 1484.70 on BSE.
Current EPS & P/E ratio stood at 59.54 and 29.21 respectively.
Heineken recently launched the new STR Bottle in New York and Los Angeles. dBOD used state-of-the-art techniques to create a spectacular surprise revealed by UV light. We applied this cutting-edge technique on a new aluminium bottle for Heineken, which was introduced in nightclubs. The trendy, minimalist design on the aluminium bottle emphasises the broad position that Heineken occupies. The UV-sensitive ink illuminates under black lights, revealing a sky filled with shooting stars and making club connoisseurs the star of the evening. The STR bottle has become an excellent accessory!
The illustration used in the UV-sensitive image was provided by Pascal Duval from Iris-Amsterdam
Hold Hindalco; target of Rs 193: Sushil Finance
Sushil Finance has recommended hold rating on Hindalco with a target of Rs 193, in its June 24, 2011 research report.
“Hindalco one of the largest aluminum producing company, is likely to post encouraging numbers going ahead on the back of huge expansion plans. The company’s Indian operations fetch in far higher margins than its overseas operations. Thus additional capacity in India, would result in higher profitability margins on a consolidated basis. Hindalco, the industry leader in aluminum is on an expansion spree to capture further market share. The company has huge expansion plans, doubling its domestic aluminum smelting capacity to 1.29MTPA (current 5LTPA), and tripling its domestic refining capacity to 4.5MTPA (current 1.5MTPA). This expansion is likely to be completed by FY15 in a phased manner at a cost of ~Rs.43,580Crs. By FY12 the company is likely to see a smelting capacity of 917,000 TPA. It is also expanding its global operations by increasing Novelis capacity from the current 3MTPA to 4MTPA. This is likely to be commissioned in a phased manner by FY16 at a cost of $1.5bn. The company is thus likely to post robust numbers going ahead on the back of strong volume growth.”
“According to the general observation, economies witness a strong metal consumption growth pattern once the GDP per capita on a PPP basis reaches a level of ~$3000. This trend was observed with China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. After China’s GDP per capita PPP reached $3195 in 2004, its aluminum consumption grew at a very rapid pace for the first 4-5 years. We therefore believe that India will not be an exception to this thumb rule, and is likely to witness stupendous growth in metal consumption as it has just crossed $3000 mark in 2010 according to IMF estimates.”
“Novelis which has its presence in the four most strategically placed locations like North and South America, Europe and Asia, has posted good set of numbers for the fourth quarter of FY11. The company has witnessed rise in the volumes, the Shipments of flat-rolled aluminum products increased by 7% on a YoY basis to 771 KT. For the full year its shipments have increased by 8.5% YoY to 3097,000 tonnes. The Sales and EBITDA are up by 21% & 22% YoY to $3bn and $280mn respectively. Its EBITDA/tonne has also stabilized at above $300 levels. We therefore believe that with the expansion, restructuring and debottlenecking activities taken up by Novelis, it is likely to post encouraging numbers going ahead.”
“Secondly India being a developing country having aggressive infrastructure & power plans, is likely to have higher demand. It will thus have a margin of safety- “a protective shield” from its Indian operations in next metal down cycle. Its standalone revenue and PAT is likely to grow at a CAGR of 12.2% and 14.6% respectively for the next two years, while consolidated is likely to grow at 6% and 20% respectively. Considering the growth potential we have a positive stance on the company and recommend “HOLD” with a target price of Rs 193. We have valued the domestic business at 7x FY13E earnings, and Novelis at 6x FY13E EV/EBITDA,” says Sushil Finance research report.
Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management.Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Alumina's migration to indexed pricing
Prices traditionally derived from the rates at which the white metal is sold on LME.
Braving stiff opposition from steelmakers in China in particular and also of the steel industry in the rest of the world, leading miners like BHP, Vale and Rio last year dispensed with annually negotiated long-term contracts in favour of first quarterly arrangements and now for even shorter-period contracts. Some miners, BHP in particular are booking an increasing proportion of their iron ore business on monthly contract basis so that the prices “faithfully” capture the often rapidly shifting market dynamics. India, a major exporter of iron ore to China, is selling the mineral on monthly contracts or at spot prices.
No doubt, producers of alumina, an intermediate chemical derived from bauxite and fed into smelters to make aluminium, have drawn inspiration from new methods of selling iron ore to evolve ground breaking rules for pricing alumina contracts. Like for iron ore, metal makers had reservations about index-based alumina pricing when was proposed in 2010. But as the proceedings of a recent alumina summit in the US will confirm, the new system is gaining traction. Even then as an official of Aluminium Bahrain says, a “big concern or challenge is that the spot market (for alumina) is small, which can create a lack of liquidity in the indices. We (therefore) still prefer LME-linked contracts due to the hedge and the correlation between the two (alumina and aluminium.)”
Alumina prices traditionally are derived from the rates at which the white metal is sold on LME. The chemical has been fetching 11 to 14 per cent of aluminium prices. But in a practice like this what is not reflected in alumina prices are costs on account of caustic soda, energy and shipments. For new alumina capacity to be built, it is essential that chemical prices in all situations should prove to be rewarding for producers. Often in the past, alumina makers were deterred from making investments in new capacity building as the returns from chemical sales were not proving adequate. A Rio Tinto Alcan official is hopeful that index-based pricing will “give a good signal that alumina prices should be linked to potential investments because somewhere along the line, there will be a shortage.”
Hydro, the Norwegian aluminium group, has in a recent research paper forecast that a likely significant world demand growth for the metal will push the metal use to rise from 41 million tonnes in 2010 to 74 million tonnes in 2020. Incidentally, China, the powerhouse for all metals, will, according to Hydro findings, account for half the world demand for aluminium in 2020. As two units of alumina are needed to make a unit of the metal, the world will need a supply of at least 148 million tonnes of the chemical in 2020.
There are two issues here. First, the integrated metal enterprises, as also the stand alone alumina makers will be engaged in an increasingly fierce contest to get access to bauxite deposits. Second, both the groups have seen merits in moving away from alumina contract prices based on relative to LME metal rates to index-based pricing. As in the case of iron ore, alumina sellers have got quite a few indices to refer to in order to arrive at contract prices. The migration to the new index-based pricing of alumina began in the second half of last year, with most major producers referring to an index or a basket of indices for selling the material, including long-term contracts.
Alcoa, the world’s largest third-party seller of alumina and the biggest producer of the metal in the US, is using a basket of indexes to get as close to the underlying costs of making the chemical as possible and also in order not to be seen as favouring one index over the other. Indices produced by Platts, Metal Bulletin and CRU have become the principal reference points for arriving at alumina prices.
Alcoa is making contracts using a monthly average of a basket of published alumina prices. As this practice is taken forward, there should be fine tuning of it to address concerns like “there is much more frequent repricing of the percentages (alumina vis a vis the metal) as a result of new indices” voiced by Aluminium Bahrain.
We have to see how our own National Aluminium Company (Nalco) is going to react to the decoupling of alumina prices from the metal prices. After all, Nalco, the country’s best integrated aluminium group, is a major exporter of alumina after meeting the full requirements of its 460,000 tonne smelter in Orissa.
Nalco’s alumina exports, however, fell to 686,000 tonnes in 2010-11 from 702,554 tonnes in the previous year because of growing own requirements. There is no reason why Nalco will not respond positively to the maturing indexed pricing of alumina, which in all situations will more than defray production costs on all heads, irrespective of how aluminium behaves on LME. In the next few years, however, as the company builds a second smelter in Orissa and also puts up a 500,000-tonne smelter in Indonesia, it will not be left with any surplus alumina for exports.
Schreder Unveils Outdoor Lighting Solutions in Aluminum Housing
John Camp, General Manager of Schreder Lighting announced the launch of Piano, a series of outdoor architectural lighting solutions. The Piano lighting solutions come in an aluminum housing that optimizes the cooling of electronic ballasts and LEDs.
The aluminum housing features the ThermiX thermal management solution that maintains 80% of lumen output for a minimum time of 60,000 hours and has surge protection with 90% efficiency of electronic power supply. The aluminum housing features the ThermiX thermal management solution that maintains 80% of lumen output for a minimum time of 60,000 hours and has surge protection with 90% efficiency of electronic power supply.
The thermal management solution incorporates thermal coupling of LEDs and an exterior surface design to enhance the thermal exchange properties of the LEDs. The lighting solutions feature LEDSafe that closes the optical compartment completely to an IP66-rating specification. The luminaires also come with a LensoFlex photometric engine that suits an array of photometric distributions.
The lighting solutions come in two versions, namely Piano 1 and Piano 2. The Piano 1 luminaire uses 56 LEDs to offer type 2 distribution whereas the Piano 2 luminaire uses 112 LED to offer 5, 4, 3, and 2 distribution types. They also deliver a maximum performance of 84 IM/W. The Piano 2 luminaire has a width of 11.7”, a length of 39.1”, and a height of 3.6” whereas the Piano 1 luminaire has a width of 10.9”, a length of 26.8” and 3.4” height.
The company’s brackets, poles, and luminaires have a polyester powder coating and its chemical composition offers a salt spray and a UV resistant finish and is compliant with ASTM.B117 specifications and humidity proof according to the ASTM.D2247 standard. The company provides the lights in five colors namely smooth aluminum, textured bronze, textured white, textured gray, and textured black. The company also provides a thermal management solution, which aids in examining the street lighting.
Alcoa unveils 3rd generation aluminium lithium alloys and technologies
Alcoa has announced new aluminium-lithium alloy and structural technologies enabling airframers to "build dramatically lighter and lower-cost" short-haul aircraft "at significantly lower production risk than composite-intensive planes".
"The decisions made in the past decade to build the first composite-intensive aircraft was a huge wake-up call for us," said Mick Wallis, president of Alcoa North American rolled products, referring to the development of Boeing's majority-composite 787.
The announcement comes as Boeing is deliberating about whether or not build a new small aircraft (NSA) to replace the Next Generation 737 or re-engine the company's best seller.Further, the decision is also surrounded by deliberations over material selection and whether or not the aircraft would have a primary structure that is a majority aluminium or composite or a hybrid of the two.
"No decisions have been made on what those materials will be on future products," said John Byrne, Boeing director of aircraft materials and structures, "But we are delighted to hear about the investments and advances Alcoa and other raw-material suppliers are making. "However, Alcoa is working with Boeing to evaluate the potential for the third generation alloys and how to apply them for future products.
"That's the discussion we're having with [Boeing] right now and its up to us to show what have developed can actually work," says Kevin Lowery, director, communications, Alcoa global rolled products.
Lowery says the new alloys and manufacturing technologies are at the highest levels of readiness for commercial implementation: "We are ready to go."
Alcoa touts a 10% comparable weight savings of the lower density third generation aluminium-lithium alloys versus "composite-intensive" aircraft, citing the need for lightning and bird strike protection in a carbon fibre airframe, while delivering up to 30% cost savings to manufacture, operate and repair over the material lifecycle.
Further, a 6% reduction in skin friction drag, along with damage tolerance 10 times higher than conventional alloys deliver a 12% fuel efficiency improvement due to the lower weight and aerodynamic properties, says Eric Roegner, president of Alcoa forgings and extrusions.
"When customers fly the plane, the lower weight and aerodynamic technologies will increase fuel efficiency by up to 12% on their own and up to 27% when new engines are factored in," said Roegner.
Alcoa says the new aluminium-lithium alloys and the manufacturing technologies allow for larger passenger windows and higher cabin humidity.
Further, the new alloys can work within today's existing aluminium infrastructure, aiming to cut down on the initial non-recurring capital expenditure to industrialise a new aircraft programme.
Alcoa and Spirit AeroSystems partnered to validate manufacturing techniques and will display a joint manufactured demonstration panel at the upcoming Paris air show.
Aluminium enclosures protect from dust and water
A new series of aluminium enclosures from Deltron provide a high standard of protection against dust and water, and will withstand prolonged immersion in water.
These waterproof enclosures are rated at IP67 and IP68.
The new Deltron 480 and 483 series of enclosures are rated at IP67 and IP68, as defined in the IEC standard 60529.
IP68 is the highest grade of protection defined in this standard.
Deltron IP67 enclosures will withstand immersion in water to depths of up to 1m for 30min.
The IP68 enclosures can handle depths of up to 5m for 1hr.
All are certified to BS EN60529 1992.
They are suitable for systems exposed to the most demanding environmental conditions in marine, industrial, food preparation, transportation and leisure. They can be supplied plain, powder coated or nylon coated, or can be machined and finished to exact specifications.
Nano Scale Origami: Nanoboxes With Optoelectronic Properties
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University are now a day playing with nano-scale origami. They have succeeded in creating a hollow box of aluminum oxide patterning it with Gold. The new optoelectronic device can serve as a 3D split ring resonator. The structure can now be used in metamaterials. The new Split ring resonator is expected to give a better performance as compared to its 2D version. The research now presents us with an opportunity of creating 3D shapes at a nano level as per the given conditions. The team at Johns Hopkins University was headed by David Gracias.
The team worked on an exothermic process by using silicon as a substrate. It was then deposited with a layer of polymethylmethacrylate (C5O2H8) n. polymethylmethacrylate is a transparent thermoplastic which is used as an alternative for glass. The team then prepared a mould a six side cube shaped cruciform using electron beam lithography. The approach adopted by researchers was a top down approach. The polymer is once again deposited after the mould is filled with Aluminum Oxide and then the portions of polymer at the meeting point of individual panels are etched out. The tin is made to form the hinges for the box. The polymer is removed completely and the silicon substrate is etched with activated Fluorine. The method very well uses the exothermic nature of the process. As the tin melts due to heat generated, it creates a twisting force. The force makes Alumina panels (the sides) to fold inwards which creates the box.
A normal Split ring resonator is used in a negative index metamaterials (NIM). They are non magnetic structures and are made from non-magnetic materials like Copper. These resonators find a wide scope in Acoustic and Terahertz metamaterials. The resonator is so named because its design is of two center-split closed loops. The structure developed will have great applications in fields ranging from Medicine to computers.
The development of 2D to 3D though a great achievement, still the process is expensive and the ways of mass production are yet to be found out. The new structure, being a new research, there is still a lot to be done.
New Research Enables Creation of Long-Range Perfect Glass
A study conducted by Geophysical Laboratory at the Carnegie Institution for Science has revealed that there is possibility to develop a metallic glass that is ordered at a large scale.
Researchers have identified glasses that exhibit order among their closest neighboring atoms termed as short-range order and a little wider distance termed as medium-range order. Many studies have been carried out to create a long-range order glass, but none of them have been successful.
Ho-Kwang (Dave) Mao from Carnegie and other scientists are conducting research on metallic glass produced from aluminum and cerium. The research on metallic glasses has become popular as it is more elastic than normal metals and less fragile than ordinary glasses. The team created a single crystal by applying 25 GPa of pressure to the cerium-aluminum glass and the new order formed is preserved even when the glass is restored to ambient pressure.
Researchers have used simulations and x-ray techniques to analyze the cerium and aluminum elements. They have found that at normal pressures, the elements’ atomic structures do not allow the glass to attain the highly ordered state. However, under 25 GPa of intense pressure, an electron shift takes place in the cerium element resulting in the formation of the crystalline structure. According to Mao, these results show that pressurized cerium-aluminum could lead to invention of the long-range perfect glass.
Metals Firms Unveil Smog-Eating Buildings, Recycling Goals
Novelis has committed to make 80 percent of its products from recycled metal by 2020, up from 34 percent today – as fellow metals company Alcoa has unveiled “air cleaning” architectural panels. Novelis, an $8.7 billion-sales aluminum rolling company, estimated that meeting its recycled content goal would prevent the release of ten million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the aluminium product value chain.
The company said it is planning major expansions of its recycling and remelting capacity around the world, and will expand buy-back opportunities for aluminum scrap. Novelis said that it also intends to increase post-consumer recycling through expansion of recycling facility infrastructure, by investing in the development of recycling technology, and through consumer education.
The aluminum firm said it is also accelerating research and development of new products. This includes products for sustainable applications, and partnership activities with customers to target the “next generation” of aluminum alloys, which the company said will enable increased use of post-consumer recycled metal. The Novelis initiative follows similar announcements by metals giant Alcoa, which has set a goal increase the recycling rate of aluminum cans in the U.S. to 75 percent by the year 2015. This goal, if met, would save the industry the electricity equivalent of two average-size coal-fired power plants and prevent nearly 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year, the company said.
Yesterday Alcoa made its own sustainability announcement: it launched Reynobond with EcoClean, a coil-coated architectural panel that, according to the manufacturer, “helps clean itself and the air around it”. The aluminum panel, developed with Japanese manufacturer TOTO, has a titanium dioxide coating that reduces maintenance costs. When exposed to sunlight, the coating acts as a catalyst to help break down smog, dirt, diesel fumes and other pollutants into harmless matter that is then washed away by rainwater, Alcoa says. (The picture above shows one step in the chemical process. Alcoa offers a more detailed explanation here.)
Alcoa adds that 10,000 square feet of the panels has the approximate air cleansing power of 80 trees. As part of its recycling announcement, Novelis has also revealed that it will release its first public sustainability report this July, and that it is forming an external sustainability advisory board to monitor performance. The sustainability commitment is being led by John Gardner, a long-time Novelis executive who was appointed vice president and chief sustainability officer beginning January 1 of this year. Gardner reports directly to president and CEO Phil Martens and works closely with Derek Prichett, who was recently appointed to the newly created position of vice president of recycling.
“I encourage all of our stakeholders – from customers to suppliers to partners and employees – to take good look at the commitment we are making today,” Gardner said. “I think you will find that it is an aggressive, yet attainable bar to set for the sustainable operation of our business.” Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, one of Asia’s largest integrated producers of aluminum and a leading copper producer. Hindalco is a company of the Indian conglomerate Aditya Birla Group.
Catering Supplies News: Speedwrap Dispenser Cling Film and Aluminium Foil for Foodservice in Economic Refill Packs
Prowrap now offers economic refill packs, containing three rolls of cling film or aluminium foil, for its Speedwrap dispenser. Speedwrap refill packs of cling film and aluminium foil are the ideal partner for the Speedwrap catering dispensers from Prowrap. Now they are available in economic packs containing three refill rolls. The refill rolls are supplied on easyfit cores, making them simple to load and allowing the cling film or foil to pull out very smoothly.
The Speedwrap dispenser is designed to be the best way to store and dispense both cling film and aluminium foil quickly and without fuss. Once inside the dispenser, the refill roll of cling film or foil is protected from knocks and food spills, ensuring good standards of hygiene are maintained. By eliminating scrunching and ensuring the whole length of the roll can be used, the Speedwrap system minimises wastage and saves money.
Speedwrap refill rolls are supplied in both 300 and 450mm widths. The cling film comes in 300m rolls, the foil in 90m rolls. The Speedwrap three-roll refill packs are available through catering distributors and cash and carry stores. Prowrap is the catering division of Wrapex Limited. The Prowrap range is marketed exclusively to the foodservice sector and includes cling film, aluminium foil, baking parchment and accessories.
Rippa Dippa Launch a Rip-Roaring Success with Chadwicks
The launch of a new lunchbox staple has been a rip-roaring success with the help of high quality aluminium lids from Chadwicks.
A world leader in pre-cut lid manufacture Chadwicks has produced UV flexo printed aluminium lids with a special coextruded sealing layer, which enables an easier peel suitable for the new children’s snack, Rippa Dippa.Rippa Dippa, part of the Mattessons brand from Kerry Foods, is a portion of 100 per cent chicken breast bites with reduced salt ketchup dip for the perfect quick and delicious snack.
Chadwicks is part of the Performance Films and Foils business unit of the Flexible Packaging Division of the global Clondalkin Group, and works with sister company Nyco in Switzerland to deliver expert packaging solutions to its customers. Derek Benjamin, sales manager at Chadwicks, said: “Working on the designs and production of a product aimed primarily at children allowed us to unleash both our creative side and industry expertise in order to create a fantastic, fun, yet functional lid for our customer.
“We have been working with Kerry Foods for a number of years and continue to build on the great working relationship we have established. We have now made another great addition to our lids portfolio, which has provided Rippa Dippa with enhanced shelf presence and impact at the point-of-sale.”
Part of the Clondalkin Group, Chadwicks works with its sister company Nyco, a shrink sleeve manufacturer based in Switzerland, to provide a joint service to multi-site European buyers, meaning Chadwicks, together with Nyco, can provide a wider range of print processes including UV flexo, gravure and offset litho.
John Williams, new product development manager at Kerry Foods, said: “Chadwicks always works closely with us to ensure that the designs for each of our product lids are optimised for print. Chadwicks continues to impress our new product development team and has provided us with a quality, easy peel lid that is perfect for the children’s market. ”Chadwicks is a world leader in supplying lids to the food and beverage markets. Aluminium based lidding is a standard product for sealing to all container types, including PS, PP, PE and PET. Ideal for products with an extended shelf life, aluminium provides an effective barrier against water vapour, oxygen, light and aromas. The metallic appearance of aluminium can also be used as part of the lid design and is an ideal material for additional features such as embossing and special applications.
Portable tech to provide water, electricity?
Washington: Coming soon: A new mobile technology that would convert non-potable water into drinking water while also extracting hydrogen to generate electricity, say scientists. A team, led by Jerry Woodall at Purdue University, has developed an aluminum alloy which they claim could be used in the new mobile technology to provide power and drinking water to villages and also for military operations. The alloy contains aluminum, gallium, indium and tin. Immersing the alloy in freshwater or saltwater causes a spontaneous reaction, splitting the water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules; the hydrogen could then be fed to a fuel cell to generate electricity, producing water in the form of steam as a byproduct, said Woodall.
"The steam would kill any bacteria contained in the water, and then it would condense to purified water. So, you are converting undrinkable water to drinking water," he said. Because the technology works with saltwater, it might have marine applications, such as powering boats and robotic underwater vehicles. It can also be used to desalinate water, said Woodall.
The team envisions a new portable technology for regions that aren't connected to a power grid such as villages in Africa and other remote areas. "There is a big need for this sort of technology in places lacking connectivity to a power grid and where potable water is in short supply. Because aluminum is a low-cost, non-hazardous metal that's the third-most abundant metal on Earth, this technology promises to enable a globalscale potable water and power technology specially for remote locations," he said.
The potable water could be produced for about US dollars one per gallon, and electricity could be generated for about 35 cents per kilowatt hour of energy. "There is no other technology to compare it against, economically, but it's obvious that 34 cents per kilowatt hour is cheap compared to building a power plant and installing power lines, specially in remote areas," Woodall said.
Orissa govt okays project with investment of Rs 1,36,000 cr
Orissa government today approved nine new projects, including coal-to-liquid (CTL), steel and aluminium units involving investment of Rs 1,36,000 crore.The projects got the final nod at a meeting of the high-level clearance authority chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Industries secretary T Ramachandru said. Apart from two CTL, two steel and one aluminium units, the approved projects included a power plant, one textile unit, a paper plant and an aluminium park, he said.Among the major proposals was the Rs 42,000 CTL project of Jindal Symflex Ltd to be set up at Durgapur in Angul district using German Lurgi technology, he said adding its capacity would be 80,000 barrels per day. Requiring 4,000 acre of land, the project would have an 1100 mw captive power plant. Set to provide 6500 direct employment, it would use 90 cusec water from river Mahanadi.
Another CTL project is proposed to be set up by Strategic Energy Technology Systems Pvt Ltd, a joint venture of Tata and Saso, at an investment of Rs 35,000 crore at Gudiakateni in Dhenkanal district. With a capacity of 80,000 barrels per day, the project requiring 4,000 acre land would have 1100 mw generation facility. It would generate 6700 direct employment while drawing 90 cusec water from river mahanadi.An aluminium project is proposed to be set up by a joint venture of L & T and Dubal at an investment of Rs 30,000 crore over an area of 4000 acre in Rayagada district. Its refinery would have 3 mtpa capacity and smelter 1.5 mtpa. It would draw 60 cusec water from river Nagavali. Seeking to further raise energy production, the HLCA cleared a proposal of Lanco Dabandh Power Ltd to have another 1320 mw unit at an investment of Rs 5000 crore in addition to its earlier plant of same capacity in Dhenkanal district .In textile sector, Andhra Pradesh based NSL Textiles Ltd would set up an integrated textile plant at an investment of Rs 1500 crore with a promise to provide 5000 jobs and steps to encourage one lakh farmers to grow cotton over an area of 2.25 lakh hectares of land.
Laminated Aluminum Foil for Flexible Circuits and Much More
LAF stands for Laminated Aluminum Foil. I call it LAF because that is exactly what it is- household aluminum foil that is laminated with regular packing tape. It is strong, durable, and tear-resistant. It is flexible, conductive, easily cut, shaped, folded or printed on. It is cheap and easily made. It can be used for countless purposes: flexible circuits with buttons, slim durable wallets, keychains, and even origami.
In this Instructable I will show how to make LAF, and how to use it for many different purposes, especially for making flexible electronics. The example I will be giving for LAF's usefulness in flexible electronics is how to make a fully functioning flexible membrane computer numpad.
I discovered LAF's usefulness almost by accident. I was searching for a material to make a wallet out of and I stumbled upon LAF. Later I began to explore it's possibilities and saw that it had great potential in a many fields and tons of possible applications. I hope that you will also find it as useful as I have, especially because it extremely cheap and easy to make.
X2 LIfting Columns for Medical and Industrial Applications
The best combination of variety
X2 technology is a swedish company manufacturing telescopic columns and positioning systems. Our customers are high end quality user all over the world. Our key know-how in guided aluminium profiles enables us to develop products on our own, in close cooperation with our customers. In this way we can meet individual requirements. Among our customers we count leading companies like Siemens Medical and ABB who use our products in the medical, ergonomic and industrial fields.
Technology
X2's columns are built on extremely stiff aluminium tubes and long life sliding pads, combined with a very tight tolerance assembly - where others squeeze – we fit. The columns perform a stable, reliable and maintenance free guiding system without any play. Our columns are available with or without a built-in drive. One can use tubes from our standard size range or we can develop special dimensions for your specific needs. We have two section, three section as well as five section versions for various offset load and extension needs. The tubes run easily, without the enormous friction resistance seen in similar products from competitors. This, of course, reduces wear and tear and increases life span.
Tubes our solid square tubes are made of finest extrusion of aluminium to our specifications and designed to take great side loads – up to 3.000 Nm. The surface is anodised and treated for lowest possible friction, so the tubes can run without any play and have a Sliding Pads and Shims using maintenance free sliding pads with very low friction and shims as thin as 0.05 mm enable us to assemble columns without any play. The results is a “smooth ride” unrivalled in t he market. Why is this important? Well, friction and resistance is basically the same as unnecessary wear on the entire unit and will decrease the life span.
Patented Drive our unique drive using dual screws and one motor features a combination of minimum retracted height and large stroke length – retracted height = half stroke + 160mm. Due to our choice of top of the line components the drive presents the best performance regarding force, speed and noise of columns with dual screws on the market.
Medical
X2's columns are used in X-ray equipments as well as other medical equipment. The X2 components satisfy medical standards such as EN 60601, UL 2601 and the Medical Product Ordinance. Safety features are considered part of standard requirements. Siemens Medical (Manufacturer of medical equipment) AXIOM Aristos FX – is the digital X-ray system with an unobstructed stroke of 1800 mm, due to X2's column examinations may be performed from head to toe. Arcoma (Manufacturer of X-ray equipment) Arco Comb A chest-stand system ergonomically designed for the hospital staff. To avoid heavy lifting, the movement is motorised along an X2 column. The large stroke of 1400 mm makes it possible to do examinations from knee to head.
Ergonomics
For best functionality and to achieve ergonomic work positions, X2's columns are ideal to make workstations height adjustable. The workstations are made with a standalone column or two or more parallel run columns. CGM – Creative Grafiska Mobler (Manufacturer of operator tables for 24 hours work) Cergo: This is a very carefully designed operator desk systems, confirming to feature demands on ergonomics and function today. One important feature is that Cergo can be equipped with two parallel run X2 columns based on X2's new patent drive, for quick and easy height adjustment from 650 to 1300 mm.
Industrial
X2's columns have become an integrated part in many industrial applications. Our columns are often used as a complete system together with control units and accessories. AB Industrial Assemble (A contract manufacturer) AB industrial Assemble is specialised in the assembling of mechanical and electromechanical equipment. Their investment in height adjustable assemble stations have saved staff physical efforts as well as shortened assembly time, reduced fault and increased quality.
National Aluminium Seeks to Buy 24% of Indonesian Coal Mine
National Aluminium Co., seeking to build a smelter and a power plant in Indonesia, is in talks with two coal companies to buy a stake of as much as 24 percent in one of their mines, Chairman B.L. Bagra said.
MEC Coal and Bumi Murau Coal have offered stakes and supplies for National Aluminium’s planned projects in East Kalimantan province, Bagra said today in an interview in New Delhi. The company expects to complete the valuation of the mines before the end of the month, he said.
National Aluminium, India’s second-biggest aluminum producer, plans to spend $4 billion in Indonesia as it seeks new overseas markets and raw material sources. Demand for the lightweight metal is rising Indonesia, where economic growth this year is forecast to reach as much as 6.5 percent, the upper end of the central bank’s target.
“In two to three weeks, we hope to take one of the offers to our board,” Bagra said.
National Aluminium plans to import 800,000 metric tons of coal in the year that began April 1, 45 percent more than the previous year, after increasing its refining capacity by about one-third last month. The company has invited offers for importing 300,000 tons of coal, Bagra said. The company is likely to start production at its Orissa coal mine by the end of 2012, producing 2 million tons annually. National Aluminium needs about 7 million tons of coal annually to produce electricity for its plants in India.
The state-run aluminum maker plans to spend 3 billion rupees ($68 million) to build a 50-megawatt wind power plant in India and expects to award contracts in about two months, Bagra said. The company, which is also considering investing in independent power projects, plans to hire advisors to help bid for large power projects of 4,000 megawatt capacity that the Indian government is offering.
The company is in talks with iron ore miner NMDC Ltd. (NMDC), Neyveli Lignite Corp. Ltd. and power-equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) to form a consortium to bid for these projects. National Aluminium will also form a venture with Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd. to set up a 1,400 megawatt nuclear plant at Kakrapar near Surat in Gujarat, Bagra said.
Aluminium to get a boost on consumer electronics growth
NEW YORK (Commodity Online):Rapid growth of consumer electronics industry augurs well for aluminium as the industry looks forward to meet sustainability challenges, according to Randall Scheps, Alcoa's Director of Consumer Electronics Market Development.
Addressing the recent GreenInfoTech Summit in Atlanta said that aluminium can be recycled without downcycling. He addressed senior IT executives and corporate sustainability policy makers on aluminum’s role in the future of sustainable design.
“Alcoa recognizes that rapid growth in the consumer electronics market creates sustainability challenges, and aluminum is part of the solution,” said Scheps. “Not only can aluminum be recycled infinitely without the need for downcycling, the metal’s light weight, durability, heat conductivity and limitless surface finishes are making it a preferred choice over plastics by designers, manufacturers and consumers.“
Consumer electronics represents a fast-growing market for aluminum, with the aluminum content in LCD TV’s and laptops alone expected to increase by 465 percent and 30 percent by 2013 respectively, from a 2010 baseline.
To further close the sustainability loop, Alcoa recently took a 10 percent stake in Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the largest electronic waste recycler in North America. Through this partnership, Alcoa brings recycling expertise to the growing challenge of e-waste, enhancing the role aluminum plays in making electronics more sustainable, the company said.
NALCO ups aluminium local prices by 4,000 rupees/T-source
BHUBANESHWAR, India May 3 (Reuters) - Indian state-run National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) has raised the domestic prices of its aluminium products by 4,000 rupees ($90) per tonne, except for rolled products, a senior company official said on Tuesday.
The prices have been increased in line with the London Metal Exchange (LME) rates, the official who did not wish to be identified due to company policy, told Reuters.
The basic price (ex-works) of standard aluminium ingots and standard aluminium sow ingots have been increased to 152,200 rupees per tonne, the source said.
"However the increase in price of rolled product has been increased only by 2,500 (rupees)," he said.
NALCO is India's third-largest producer of aluminium. ($1=44.4 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Jatindra Dash)
Sarawak aluminium smelter eyes rising world demand
A $1.6-billion aluminium smelting plant that will be put up in Malaysia's Sarawak state by a partnership of two major Chinese and Malaysian groups will have a capacity of 370,000 tonnes a year.
The plant's operation is designed to coincide with a projected growth of 4 percent in the world demand for aluminium over the next five years, the project proponents said. The announcement in Kuala Lumpur, however, did not say when the smelter plant will begin operations. It will be located at the Samalaju Industrial Park.
A joint venture agreement for the project was signed Thursday between Aluminium Corporation of China and a Malaysian group headed by local tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary and United Arab Emirates-based business leader Mohammed Ali Rasheed Alabbar. The agreement, which provides for the establishment of Smelter Asia Sdn. Bhd. for the development and operation of the plant, was signed by Syed Mokhtar and Aluminium Corp. deputy GM Zhang Chengzhong.
The signing was one of the highlights of a visit to Malaysia by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. It was also witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. The Samalaju Industrial Park where the Smelter Asia plant will rise is actually intended by the government to host heavy industries. The area is about 180 kilometers from the Bakun hydroelectric facility, a report in The Star said.
Mr Syed Mokhtar said in a statement after the signing that the "strategic collaboration" with the Chinese group is expected to bring in high class technology and to contribute to the socio-economic growth of Sarawak state.
On the other hand, Mr Alabbar, the joint venture group's UAE-based partner, said the plant would not only benefit the country but also "support the ASEAN region's development thrust by providing aluminium, which is critical in driving the massive infrastructure projects that are being planned."
For his part, Mr Zhang of Aluminium Corp. described the signing of the joint venture agreement as a "significant milestone" that he sees would be "an indispensable driving force that dramatically stimulates Sarawak's economic growth," the Star report said.
Vishay Intertechnology Introduces New Online Selector Tool for Aluminum Capacitors
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) today announced the availability of a new online selector tool for aluminum capacitors on the company's website (www.vishay.com). The time-saving tool aids designers in choosing the appropriate device for their application.
Vishay's new selector tool quickly sorts through the company's entire offering of aluminum capacitors based on a number of specifications, including capacitance, voltage, form (e.g. axial, radial, SMD, snap-in or screw terminal), case size, maximum temperature, useful life, and style (e.g. low profile or blister tape on reel).
Designers can define their search by one, some, or all of these parameters. Results are given as part order codes with key device specifications. More information on the part is available by simply clicking on the order code to access the product's datasheet and other documentation.
Source: fhttp://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=709532&Itemid=29
BMC’s Prototype 29er Aluminum Hardtail
While BMC’s 29er is still in prototype form, the bike made an appearance at Sea Otter in order for the bikes to be handed off to their U23 development team. The 29er hints at what’s to come from the Swiss manufacturer, as well as word that a 100mm travel full suspension bike will follow.
For now, details are short, and all we have to show you are some close up detail shots after the break!
Clearly, at least in prototype form, the BMC is going with a standard threaded bottom bracket for their new 29er. Tire clearance looks decent considering the impressively short 430mm chainstays thanks to the sculpted seat tube.
Drive side shows the integration of a direct mount front derailleur. The prototype sports the newer post mount rear brake standard, along with a standard 135mm spaced quick release rear wheel.
The tapered head tube is fairly short, which coupled with the typical BMC T-shaped top tube, should keep the front end very stiff, while allowing riders to slam their bars. Being that this is the U23 team bike, it is fairly interesting that even with BMC’s connection with Easton, they opted for a full Stan’s ZTR wheelset. Cockpit and seat post are still handled by Easton, though.
No word on weight, or price yet, but expect the final product by Eurobike. Currently, BMC has plans for two build kits, one being Sram XO and the other Shimano. More on this hard tail, and the upcoming full suspension bike when we have it!
NALCO hikes aluminum prices by INR 3000 per tonne
ET reported that the state run National Aluminum Company Limited has hiked the price of its products by INR 3,000 per tonne in the domestic market in view of the increasing international prices of aluminum.
A senior company official said that the prices of all aluminum products have been increased to keep the domestic price in line with the London Metal Exchange aluminum prices. The basic price of standard aluminum ingots and standard aluminum sow ingots would now be about INR 148,200 per tonne. He said that this is the second hike in aluminum prices by the company this month for the domestic market. Early this month it had increased prices by INR 5,000 per tonne.
The company, which sells aluminum in both domestic and international markets recorded the highest ever domestic metal sale of 340,752 tonnes in 2010 to 2011 surpassing the previous highest of 289,032 tonnes in the previous fiscal.
Nalco implementing Rs 4,400-crore Phase-2 expansion programme
National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco), a Navratna PSU, is in the process of implementing a Rs4,402-crore Phase-2 expansion programme, which include raising its mining, and refining capacity and setting up of a 1200 MW co-generation plant. The company has started commissioning the various expanded capacities of its alumina refinery at Damanjodi, including cogeneration power plant, evaporation plant, stacker and bauxite circuit for production of alumina.
Other packages in the plant are under advanced stages of commissioning, an official release said today.
As part of its second phase expansion programme, Nalco is enhancing its alumina refining capacity to 2.1 million tonnes from the existing 1.575 million tonnes. The company has placed equipment orders for upgrading alumina capacity to 2.275 million tonnes under its 4th stream upgradation programme.
Nalco has already commissioned the fourth potline of its smelter plant and the ninth and tenth units of its captive power plant, both located at Angul. The work at the Damanjodi refinery lagged after the Maoist attack in April 2009, when several contractors and their workers left the place. Some works were then offloaded to other contractors, Nalco said.
Recycled Tetra Pak cartons provide shelter
A local recycling company has recently initiated the production of unique Poly-Al (polyethylene and aluminium) fabrication sheets, named as Tuff Boards, which are completely manufactured from used Tetra Pak beverage cartons. Tuff Boards have the necessary stiffness to be used as roofing sheets and are designed to replace the use of traditional wooden, metal and medium-density fiber-board sheets owing to their low cost and strength.
The invention of Tuff Board is a major breakthrough in the recycling sector of Pakistan as previously only the paperboard obtained from used cartons was being recycled, for manufacturing pulp and paper products. Now the aluminium and polyethylene layers of a Tetra Pak carton are also being recycled, to make the Tuff Board fabrication sheet. This sheet costing less than Rs 45 per square feet only, offers an economical roofing solution for a wide range of applications.
Aluminum may gain on high industrial demand
AHMEDABAD (Commodity Online): MCX Aluminum traded higher on Wednesday evening at MCX following overseas market trends, but a strong rupee kept the uptrend limited. Aluminium contract closed at 121.90 rupees per Kilogram in last trade.
Aluminum price remains upbeat on positive note of demand outlook in international market. A positive capital inflow in domestic shares, Indian rupee also continued to trade higher
On 28th April, MCX Aluminum future for May opened at 122.50 rupees. Resistances for the contract are at 123 rupees and instant support looks at 120 rupees for coming days.
The prices have bounced after a series of fall in the market last week due to gain on lower LME stocks and some buying at lower level, according to Amrita Mashar, Commodity Analyst with Commodity Online.
Aluminum price gained on positive sentiment and high volume buying from lower side in last week. "I will be going long position somewhere around 121.30, and I am expecting aluminum price rise up to 123 and perhaps above till 124.60 in coming days" added Amrita. To get in touch with the Analyst on this report or to get a free trial on trading advisories call 079-40275050 or mail to tips@commodityonline.com.
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Profit More Than Doubles; Tops Estimate – Updatec
RTTNews) - Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (RS: News ), said Thursday its first quarter profit more than doubled, driven mainly by growth in sales volumes and higher prices. Both earnings and revenues for the quarter came in well ahead of Street estimates. The company also provided its second-quarter earnings guidance, which is expected to meet or beat current expectations.
The metal processing company's first-quarter net income improved to $92.3 million or $1.23 per share from $44.7 million or $0.60 per share last year. On average, seven analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings of $1.07 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimate typically excludes special items.
The recent first quarter results include in cost of sales a pre-tax LIFO charge of $20 million, compared with a charge of $5 million last year.
Los Angeles-based Reliance Steel & Aluminum said its sales for the quarter grew 32 percent to $1.91 billion from $1.45 billion a year ago. Analysts estimated revenues of $1.84 billion for the quarter.
Chief Executive David Hannah said, "Our sales and earnings for the 2011 first quarter were better than we originally expected primarily because pricing for all of our products increased during the quarter more than we had anticipated, which had a positive impact on both our gross profit margins and volume sold."
First-quarter gross profit margin, calculated as gross profit divided by net sales, increased to 26.5 percent from 26 percent last year.
Giga Solar aims to be global largest maker of PV aluminum paste in 2011
Giga Solar Materials expects its global market share for PV aluminum paste to rise from 27% in 2010 to 40% in 2011, becoming the world's largest producer, according to company chairman Chen Chi-jen. In addition to aluminum paste, Giga Solar has shipped PV silver-aluminum paste and will soon begin volume production of PV silver paste which is under trial use by potential clients, Chen pointed out. Giga Solar's quotes for aluminum paste are 5-10% lower than prices offered by international vendors.
Continual increases in the international price of silver since the beginning of 2011 has pushed up production costs of silver-aluminum paste, a situation favorable for Giga Solar because many Taiwan- and China-based solar cell module makers have transfered to aluminum paste, Chen pointed out. Giga Solar recorded gross margin of 54.35% and net profit of NT$406 million (US$13.7 million) with net EPS of NT$11.97 for the first quarter of 2011.
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Giga Solar: Shipments of PV conductive paste (metric ton)
|
|
Type of product
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1Q11 shipments
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2011 target
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|
Aluminum paste
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678
|
3,000-4,000
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Silver-aluminum paste
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3.13
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30-40
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China Yunnan Aluminium to start up new alumina refinery in May
China's Yunnan Aluminium, which plans to start up its new 800,000 mt/year alumina refinery in May, expects commercial output in June, and hopes to ramp up to full capacity by July-August, a company source told Platts Thursday.
The refinery, when in operation, will mark the company's debut in alumina production. "We plan to start trial output in May, and should see first output in June. But then it will take a couple more months to reach capacity, so actual output this year will probably reach about 300,000 mt," the source said. "Next year, we should be able to reach a full 800,000 mt output," the source added. Yunnan Aluminium's new alumina output will be used mainly to feed the company's 500,000 mt/year primary aluminium and aluminium products smelting operations. The company currently obtains its alumina feed from both overseas imports and domestic purchases.
The refinery was originally slated to start up in the fourth quarter of 2010, but was delayed due to market and technical factors.
Hind Aluminium Industries Ltd – Updates
Hind Aluminium Industries Ltd has informed BSE that a subsidiary Company named 'Associated Industries Ltd. SFZ' of Hind Aluminium Industries Ltd. has been incorporated in the Sultanate of Oman for exploring the processing opportunities of mineral resources. (End) Copyright (c) TickerPlant Ltd.
UAE rises in ranks of aluminium majors
The UAE's two aluminium producers are tightening their grip on the metal's supply chain as they race up the ranks of global producers.
Dubai Aluminium (Dubal) and Mubadala Development of Abu Dhabi are already members of a consortium developing a bauxite mine in Guinea, home to the world's largest-known reserves of the base mineral for aluminium. They are also 50-50 partners in the Emirates Aluminium (Emal) project at Al Taweelah, a smelter in Abu Dhabi near the emirate's border with Dubai. The Emal smelter came into full operation this year.
"We are co-operating with Dubal on the upstream side," said Waleed al Muhairi, the chief operating officer of Mubadala, a strategic investment company owned by the Abu Dhabi Government. "We have our holding in Guinea. We have a concession there, and they are part-owners there. We are looking together with Dubal to also make further upstream investments in bauxite." That closer co-operation comes as Mubadala and Dubal hammer out the creation of a company that would manage all of the UAE's aluminium assets. The deal may involve Mubadala taking a stake in Dubal, which is fully owned by the Dubai Government.
"There are a lot of economies of scale," said a person familiar with the deal who asked to remain anonymous. "You have two smelters but you don't need two support units." Dubal, which started producing aluminium in 1979, brings to the table a range of expertise and market knowledge, as well as a firm hold on critical bauxite and alumina supplies. Rocks bearing bauxite are mined in Australia, China, India, Africa and other countries and are refined through a chemical process into alumina, a powder. Smelting companies such as Emal and Dubal put the powder through power-intensive electrolysis to produce aluminium.
In addition to its Guinea bauxite interest, Dubal in 2008 signed an agreement to develop a bauxite mine and alumina refinery in Cameroon. A year later, it teamed with Vale, a Brazilian mining outfit, and Norsk Hydro, a Norwegian company, to develop an alumina refinery in Brazil.
Analysts say gaining a foothold in the mining and refining businesses that make aluminium production possible is one way in which the UAE is trying to secure its place in an industry in which demand is expected soon to outstrip supply.
Global production now stands at more than 40 million tonnesa year, but demand is projected to rise to as much as 70 million tonnes by 2020, leaving a major gap that new smelters in Asia and the Gulf are expected to fill. Access to cheap gas for the smelting process gives the Gulf a crucial cost advantage that regional producers are increasingly aiming to exploit.
"Whereas in Europe your concern is about the availability of power, the concern in the Gulf is about raw materials and human resources," said Chris Bayliss, the deputy secretary general and director of global projects at the International Aluminium Institute, a body in London that represents about three quarters of the world's producers.
Yet as the UAE's aluminium giants gain leverage in the global supply chain, there are potential problems with securing the natural gas from which electricity is produced to smelt alumina. Aside from Qatar, which has some of the world's largest gas reserves, the Gulf countries are not flush with gas. And that could put a cap on the region's aluminium boom.
"Taking into consideration the ambitious development plans that the Gulf states have for the next two decades, the governments in the region need to strike a balance between the demand for electricity for civil use and that for industrial use such as aluminium and petrochemical industries, which are the two main industries after oil," said Mahmood Daylami, the head of the Gulf Aluminium Council, a regional industry body.
Despite those concerns, the UAE's aluminium drive is in full swing. With Emal now running at its full capacity of 750,000 tonnes a year, the UAE can now produce about 1.75 million tonnes of the metal annually, potentially lifting it from the world's ninth-largest producer to fifth. According to the British Geological Survey, the top producer of aluminium globally in 2009 was China, followed by Russia, Canada and Australia.
Emal, which lost Dh416 million (US$113m) last year but is expected to report better results this year, will reveal this summer whether it is going ahead with an expansion that would raise its capacity to 1.5 million tonnes. Its executives say they are unconcerned about securing more gas, noting the plant is locked into a contract with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to supply enough gas to power the smelter throughout its life cycle. "There are plans to take care of power," said Yousuf Bastaki, the vice president of projects at Emal. "Energy comes from the Abu Dhabi Government as part of the Vision 2030 to diversify Abu Dhabi's economy."
Dubal has separate power contracts with the Dubai Government.
"Now it's about making sure these guys operate efficiently, making sure we're able to squeeze out, from an efficiency perspective, the most amount of metal at the best cost to generate the best return," Mr al Muhairi said, referring to the Emal smelter.
Aditya Birla Chemicals buys Kanoria Chem unit for Rs 830 cr
Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group
Aditya Birla Chemicals (ABCIL), a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries, has acquired the Chloro Chemical Division of Kanoria Chemicals and Industries for Rs 830 crore. The chemical division comprises manufacturing facility for chlor-alkalis, chlorine derivatives and water treatment at Renukoot in Uttar Pradesh and Salt Works in Gujarat. ABCIL proposes to finance 60 per cent of the deal through debt and remaining from equity and internal accruals.
The deal, which is expected to be completed by May-end, will more than double the caustic soda capacity of ABCIL to 220,000 tonnes a year (tpa) from 105,000 tpa. ABCIL produces chlor-alkali at its Rehla plant in Jharkhand. Driven by latest manufacturing technology, the chloro chemical division of Kanoria is highly cost competitive with captive power plants, coal linkage and forward integration into value added chlorine derivatives. It recorded a revenue of Rs 303 crore and profit before interest and tax of Rs 47 crore in the 2009-2010 financial year.
ABCIL clocked a revenue of Rs 222 crore (Rs 204 crore) and net profit of Rs 61 crore (Rs 46 crore) in the 2009-10 fiscal. In the December quarter of 2010-11 fiscal, its revenues were up 20 per cent at Rs 55 crore (Rs 46 crore) and net profit more than doubled to Rs 9 crore (Rs 4 crore). Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said the acquisition is a compelling strategic fit and solidifies the group's position as the country's largest producer of chlor-alkali, a critical input for the aluminium sector.
“Given the large expansion plans in our aluminium business, the deal serves as an excellent sourcing point. The business has potential for both growth in revenues and earnings,” he said.
Mr R.V. Kanoria, Chairman and Managing Director, Kanoria Chemicals, said that the funds realised from the transaction would be used for expanding other existing businesses and to consider opportunities in new and related business. “The land and infrastructure available at our manufacturing facility at Visakhapatnam provides an immediate opportunity to expand and diversify our business,” he said.
Caustic soda is one of the essential inputs for the manufacture of alumina and is also used widely in various other industries. Several new alumina manufacturing facilities are being set up in the eastern region, offering growth opportunities. Besides, the demand for other chlorine derivatives is also looking up. Mr Lalit Naik, Business Head for Chemicals, Aditya Birla Group, said the acquisition offers significant potential and infrastructure to expand the business which will serve the increasing need for caustic soda. “In addition, we also expect significant operational synergies on account of logistics and other cost savings,” he said.
Aditya Birla Chemicals plans to invest Rs 1,000 crore in two years for setting up greenfield projects for producing caustic soda of 150,000 tonnes per annum at Vilayat and another 75,000-90,000 tpa at Patalganaga in Gujarat, said Mr Naik.
Aluminum Powered Car
The dAlH2Orean from Xavier Salueña and Aleix Llovet.
The dAlH2Orean is a radio-controlled car designed and built by professor Xavier Salueña and student Aleix Llovet from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech (UPC). They took their inspiration from the DeLorean car used in the Back To The Future movies which was converted to make fusion power from trash.
The dAlH2Orean car uses aluminum soda can rings, sodium hydroxide, and water to power the car. The sodium hydroxide chemically attacks the aluminum, liberating hydrogen that then passes through a vinegar filter to remove hydroxide contaminants. A silica gel dries the hydrogen gas that enters a fuel-cell stack to generate electricity that drives an electric motor.
There are no CO2 emissions from the power generation process and any scrap aluminum can be used as fuel. The reaction produces aluminum hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, both of which can be reused. The aluminum hydroxide can be converted back to aluminum that is as pure as the bauxite from the original mining operation. The vinegar retains traces of sodium hydroxide, and is the same chemical (sodium acetate) used to flavor chips (crisps).
The dAlH2Orean's top speed is 30km/h (18.6mph), with a 40 minute driving time on one fuel load. The motivation for the project is to demonstrate technology for a larger undertaking called 'Alumini' which aims to develop a 5-60hp microcar. Apart from generating useful electrical power, the additional benefits are upcycling and recycling of waste products.
‘Flying Fortress’ to land at SMX
A shining example of aviation and military history is scheduled to land Monday at Santa Maria Public Airport, where visitors can get a glimpse inside an example of an aircraft that helped turn the tide of World War II.
The restored B-17 heavy bomber Aluminum Overcast will be available for on-the-ground tours Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. “Mission flights” aboard the four-engine plane also will be available, weather permitting. The B-17’s visit to Santa Maria is part of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s 2011 “Salute to Veterans” tour that includes 20 stops in seven states.
Aluminum Overcast is one of only about 100 B-17s that still exist and one of only 15 still capable of flight, according to the EAA.
First delivered to the U.S. government in 1937, Boeing’s B-17s were pressed into service during World War II to strike targets deep inside Germany, but some also flew missions against the Japanese in the Pacific Theater. Dubbed the “Flying Fortress” because of their defensive firepower, final versions of the big planes carried 13.50-caliber machine guns in addition to their bomb loads.
And they needed every bit of that firepower. Because of their long flight range, B-17s had to leave their fighter escorts behind as the smaller planes reached their fuel limits. That left the bombers vulnerable to attack by the Third Reich’s Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs, and crews had to defend themselves against the onslaught of sometimes hundreds of Luftwaffe fighters.
Of the 12,731 B-17s produced, a total of 4,735 were lost in combat, according to the EAA.
But the planes’ ability to take a beating and still fly became legendary. B-17s returned to base with vertical and horizontal stabilizers shot away, major wing damage from flak and only one engine functioning.
One reportedly crash-landed in England with its tail nearly severed and no crew, which believed the craft was doomed and bailed out over France. Aluminum Overcast was built in 1945 and delivered to the U.S. Army Air Corps too late to see active service. It was purchased by an individual as war surplus for $750, used for mapping and spraying in various countries and finally purchased by a preservation group in 1978.
The plane was donated to EAA in 1981 on the provision it be maintained in air-worthy condition.
It was displayed at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wis., for a decade, then began making national tours in 1994.
To see Aluminum Overcast
Ground tours 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, on the tarmac outside the Radisson, Santa Maria Public Airport.
- Cost $5 per person or $15 per family; free for active military personnel, veterans and children under 8 accompanied by paying adult.
- “Mission flights” 10:15, 11 and 11:45 a.m. and 12:30 and 1:15 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Flights $439 in advance, $465 on site; includes one-year membership in Experimental Aircraft Association; costs lower for current EAA members.
- Advance reservations: 800-359-6217,
JT Wines introduces new recyclable aluminum wine bottles
JT Wines has introduced FLASQ Wines, a first domestinc wine sold in 100% recyclable and quick- chilling aluminum bottles, designed for highly-mobile lifestyles and to protect the environment. According to the company, FLASQ's Chardonnay and Merlot varietals taste great and hail from California's prominent Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties.
The grapes are harvested from California's Central Coast. FLASQ aluminum bottles and screw caps are made in Ohio and Indiana, respectively. According to the company, the labels are produced in Washington and boxes are manufactured in Arkansas. The aluminum container reprocessing practice saves 92% of the energy required to produce aluminum from bauxite ore, according to the EPA's individual WAste Reduction Model (iWARM), and these bottles can be recycles a number of times.
Compared to glass bottles, the FLASQ aluminum bottle carbon footprint is reduced by 35% due to lighter case weight during shipping. Furthermore, the bottles are not crisscrossing the globe during production, as seen with many manufactured products. They stay within the confines of the US.
JT Wines co-founder and CEO Tim McDonald said, "Here at JT Wines, we place great importance on our environmental commitment. It was imperative for the FLASQ aluminum bottles and screw caps to be 100% recyclable, while also preserving the integrity of the wine."
FLASQ Wines are priced from $5.99-$7.99 per 375ml demi-bottle.
Saudi Arabia aluminum production touch 2 million tonnes in 2016
Driven by a rapidly growing population and the recent approval of the largest government budget in the country’s history, Saudi Arabia’s construction sector is expected to continue to grow through 2015, pushing demand for aluminum products and keeping the Kingdom in the lead as the largest market for aluminum in the Middle East.
According to a recent report by Ventures Middle East, the value of the Kingdom's construction sector is expected to increase from USD 27 billion in 2010 to USD 44 billion in 2015 witnessing a compound average growth rate of 10%. Total building construction spend is estimated to be USD 217 billion excluding projects on hold.
Meanwhile, demand for fabricated aluminium products in the building construction sector is expected to increase at a CAGR of 9% from USD 920 million in 2010 to USD 1,442 million in 2015. The demand in volume is expected to increase at a CAGR of 10% from 5.4 square million in 2010 to 8.4 square million in 2015. Products with the greatest aluminium demand by value are; windows, 33%; curtain walls, 17% and cladding, 17%. Aluminium demand by volume is highest for windows, 35% cladding, 24% and curtain walls 15%. In recent years, the use of aluminium for curtain wall systems and cladding for new and modern property developments has become more widespread thus fuelling demand for aluminium in the construction sector.
As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues with its drive to diversify the economy towards non oil industries, focus has increased on upstream primary aluminium production, such as bauxite extraction and alumina refining. While the KSA aluminium industry has historically been focused on downstream production, the Kingdom is planning to become one of the major aluminium upstream producers in the Middle East after announcing 3 aluminum smelting projects at a total value of USD 19.5 billion. The total capacity of the planned projects is estimated to increase from 740,000 tonnes in 2013 to 2.4 million tonne in 2016. As for the downstream aluminium industry, KSA is now base for the largest number of aluminium processing factories in the region, which are in excess of 100. The five largest extrusion companies have a combined production capacity of around 144,000 tonnes per annum.
The business opportunities arising in the aluminium market in the Kingdom as revealed by the report will be discussed at the 2nd edition of Aluminum Dubai, the local version of Reed Exhibitions global series of aluminium events which also covers India, China and Germany. The leading aluminium trade show for the Middle East will be held from May 9th to 11th 2011 at Sheikh Saeed Halls 2 and 3 of the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Mr Tarek Ali show manager of Aluminum Dubai said that "The highly positive outlook of the KSA report only confirms our confidence in the regional aluminium market as led by the Kingdom. Demand for aluminium in Saudi Arabia continues to surpass the global level, which has been growing at around six per cent per year over the past decade. At the upcoming edition of ALUMINIUM Dubai, industry players will be able to get deep insights into Saudi Arabia's high potential market for aluminium. The event connects regional and international suppliers, customers and investors from both government and the private sector to make best use of the business opportunities offered by the region's high-growth market, while exposing them to the latest technology and concepts in the aluminum industry."
Chalco Q1 net profit falls 47 pct on rising costs
HONG KONG, April 21 (Reuters) - Aluminum Corp of China Ltd (Chalco) (601600.SS: Quote) (2600.HK: Quote), the country's top aluminium maker, posted a 47 percent drop in first-quarter net profit, as rising expenses, higher prices for electricity and raw materials offset a rise in aluminum prices. The company made a net profit of 333.17 million yuan in January through March compared with 627.25 million a year earlier, it said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange late on Thursday.
Net profit missed a forecast of 425 million yuan from BNP Paribas, one of the few brokers to provide a forecast.Chalco's Hong Kong-listed shares ended up 2.2 percent before the results were announced. They are up 7 percent so far this year, outperforming the broader Hang Seng Index .HSI, up 5 percent in the same period.
China has urged central and provincial authorities to stop approving the construction of new aluminium smelting capacity, which is expected to underpin aluminium prices in the long run. LME aluminium CMAL3 prices rose 6 percent rise in the first quarter. However, Beijing is likely to further tighten credit in its fight against an acceleration in inflation, which might hit demand for the light metal in the world's biggest consumer nation.
Beijing is considering its first electricity price increase since 2009, which could start in April and curtail aluminium output as Chinese producers find profit margins squeezed. [ID:nL3E7EU0LT] (Reporting by Farah Master and Ruby Lian; Editing by David Holmes)
New York 2011: BMW i3 to Use Aluminum Platform, Carbon Fiber Shell
Now less than two years from production, more information is coming forward on BMW’s upcoming megacity car, the i3. Due out in 2013, the i3 will be powered by the electric powertrain that will be available this fall in the 2012 BMW ActiveE and will use an aluminum sandwich platform under a carbon fiber body cell.
The sandwich platform will allow for the batteries and electric motor to be stored flat underneath the passenger compartment. To add strength and reduce the car’s weight, the i3 will also use a carbon fiber “life cell” for a body shell, similar to many supercars. The aluminum and carbon fiber components are being used to reduce weight. The i3 will use the same powertrain setup as in the ActiveE, but thanks to the weight savings it will be able to use fewer batteries while still achieving the same 100-mile range.
The 2012 ActiveE uses lithium-ion batteries to power an electric motor, producing 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. To solve the cold-weather range-loss issues that BMW saw with the Mini E, the batteries use a liquid heating and cooling system to prep them (and the cabin) to the optimal temperature. BMW says that a full charge can be had in three to five hours with the seven-kilowatt charging station, or around 25 hours on a standard 110-volt outlet. BMW will be offering the ActiveE only on a 24-month lease for $499 per month with $2250 down payment; reservations for the car begin this summer for customers in the New York metro area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, and Sacramento, with deliveries beginning this fall.
Curtain walling and cladding spurs aluminum demand
Construction Week reported that the use of aluminum for curtain wall systems and cladding is spurring demand for aluminum in the construction industry.
Demand for fabricated aluminum products in the building construction sector is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 9% from USD 920 million in 2010 to USD 1,442million in 2015.
The demand in volume is expected to increase at a CAGR of 10% from 5.4 million square in 2010 to 8.4 million square in 2015. Products with the greatest aluminum demand by value are, windows, 33%; curtain walls, 17% and cladding, 17%. Aluminum demand by volume is highest
for windows, 35%; cladding, 24% and curtain walls 15%.
The figures have been released by the organizers of Aluminum Dubai 2011 to be held May 9th to 11th 2011 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Nalco Q3 profit up 65 percent
Bhubaneswar, Jan 31 (IANS) State-run National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) Monday said its Q3 net profit registered 65 percent rise over the corresponding period in the previous fiscal due to lower operating cost and recovery of metal prices.
The company has registered in Q3 a net profit of Rs.256 crore (about $55 million) up 65 percent from Rs.155 crore achieved during the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal, the company said here in a statement.
According to the reviewed financial results for Q3 of the financial year 2010-11, taken on record by the board of directors in a meeting held in New Delhi, the sales also jumped by 5 percent to Rs.1,523 crore, from Rs.1454 crore registered during the comparative period of the previous fiscal.
The operating cost during the quarter under review was lower by Rs.67 crore (6 percent) as compared to the Q3 of the previous year, the company said. The signs of recovery as regards alumina and aluminium prices have also impacted Nalco's performance, the company said.
Source: http://www.sify.com/news/nalco-q3-profit-up-65-percent-news-national-lb5vughfjaj.html
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Dubal-L&T to invest Rs 20,000 crore in Orissa
Even as Vedanta was facing acute bauxite shortage for its 1 million tonne from annum (MTPA) refinery after the Centre rejected mining plan at Niyamgiri, a joint venture firm today urged Orissa government to expedite its Rs 20,000 crore proposals in aluminium and power sectors.
A delegation of Dubai-based Dubal Aluminium Company and L&T, led by Abdullah Kalban, met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here seeking state government's help to set up alumina refinery, smelter and a power plant in joint venture.
Though the joint venture company's proposal for setting up a 1.5 MTPA refinery, 4,40,000 million tonne smelter and 1,600 Mw thermal power plant had been accorded first phase approval in the state's Single Window Clearance Committee (SLWCC) in 2008, it was yet be taken up at the high level clearance authority for final approval.
"We are hopeful that the state government will soon take up our proposal for final clearance," said L&T's Chairman and Managing Director A M Naik after meeting the chief minister. Claiming that the joint venture would not face raw material problem like Vedanta, Naik said they have already got prospecting license over two bauxite reserves in the state.
"It will not be a problem for us to arrange required bauxite to feed our proposed refinery," Naik said.
The joint venture was allotted Sijumali and Kutarmali bauxite reserves in Kalahandi-Rayagada districts, sources said adding Dubal-L&T had proposed to set up its refinery at Rayagada and smelter in Sambalpur district.
Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/dubal-lt-to-invest-rs-20000-crore-in-orissa/124159/on
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NASL wins contract to retrofit air quality control system for NALCO
NASL, a joint venture formed by Alstom Power and the public sector NTPC, has won a contract worth euro 20 million (Rs 120 crore) from the National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) to retrofit the electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) at five units of its captive power plant in Angul in Orissa.
The ESPs at Angul was originally supplied by BHEL and the units were commissioned between 1985 and 1989.
A press release from Alstom said the upgrade would reduce particulate emissions from the plant to well below the 150 mg/Nm3 requested by the Environment Pollution Control Board, thus allowing NALCO to conform to India’s environmental requirements.
The release said the contract scope includes the design, engineering , supply, erection and commissioning of the mechanical and electrical components of the ESPs, including the control system and the ash handling system.
Out of the entire contract, Alstom’s scope of work would be Rs 74.16 crore. The first unit is expected to be commissioned in 2012, with the fifth one being completed in 2014.
Alstom has been associated with NALCO for almost three decades. Alstom executed its first project with NALCO in 1982 with the supply of a fume treatment plant for NALCO’s Aluminium Smelter. Since then, Alstom has supplied fume treatment plants for all potlines expansions at the Angul plant.
ESPs have been used widely to control particulate emissions. ESPs are often the most cost-effective solution due to high removal efficiencies in combination with robustness and low maintenance costs. A large majority of industrial and thermal power units in India are equipped with ESPs. More stringent emission requirements and more challenging conditions due to fuel switching and other process changes result in a need for improved collection efficiency and ESP retrofit.
"This contract represents one of the largest ESP retrofit contracts in India to date. It is a significant step forward for NASL and Alstom and clearly reinforces the market's faith in our leading air quality control systems and services," Mr François Carpentier, Head of Alstom Power in India, said.
Source: http://netindian.in/news/2011/01/08/0009923/nasl-wins-contract-retrofit-air-quality-control-system-nalco
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Outdoor Seating Solutions For Schools and Theme Parks
Aluminium Seats are an excellent solution where large volumes of people regularly need seating such as schools, theme parks, sports stands, sports ovals, recreational areas, parks and work places.
Aluminium seating is used extensively in primary and secondary schools across Australia and the world, in theme and recreation parks in Australia such as the famous seal show enclosure at Taronga Park Zoo and park visitor areas at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast of Australia, in small and large grandstands, at schools and parks, University campuses, Hospital grounds as well as custom situations such as workplaces for lunch areas.
Aluminium Bench Seats are used in Playgrounds, Club sporting arenas, Parks and Gardens or anywhere people want to sit comfortably and relax. Make the most of the flexibility the seats offer by placing them informally to take advantage of shade areas, a pleasant view or group them to maximize the numbers seated in a given area.
Aluminium Table Settings are an ideal way to join small groups of people together. Aluminium Table settings are ideal for school class projects, playground lunches, outdoor passive areas or a family BBQ lunch in the park.
Aluminium Bleacher Stands have been designed and approved by Structural Engineers and provide years of maintenance free service. Aluminium Stands are used at Sports Fields and Indoor Centres, School Events, Swimming Pools and Exhibitions. Aluminium stands are lightweight, strong and can be moved from venue to venue with little fuss.
Aluminium seats are very safe, are reliable year after year, are very easy to keep clean and hence provide a truly excellent solution to seating the largest and rowdiest school students, family groups at theme parks and working men in industrial locations for their meal breaks areas.
Aluminium Seats are low cost, vandal resistant and offer years of maintenance free service. Graffiti can be removed by a simple wipe with solvent solution. While standard finish is Mill- seat supports and end caps can be powder coated for house or club colours or to simply enhance the look.
Aluminium Seats provide excellent return on investment with their low maintenance, long lasting life cycles, very easy to clean, lightweight to carry for portable applications.
Aluminium seats are very popular as they are a very flexible product. Aluminium seats can easily be manufactured to meet custom requirements in length and or seating configurations as required. For example schools require different lengths for primary playgrounds compared to secondary playgrounds for seats to accommodate the same number of students.
Source: http://www.trikitixaelkartea.org/outdoor-seating-solutions-for-schools-and-theme-parks
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National Aluminium, Jindal Seek Power-Plant Coal, ICMW Says
National Aluminium Co. and JSW Energy Ltd. may import a total of 2.8 million metric tons of thermal coal a year, India Coal Market Watch reported, without saying where it got the information.
National Aluminium has invited bids from state suppliers including MMTC Ltd. and State Trading Corp. of India Ltd. to supply 1 million tons for the year ending March 2012, the industry newsletter said. National Aluminium may also purchase 300,000 tons of coal for immediate delivery, it said.
JSW Energy has invited offers from suppliers for 1.8 million tons a year for a duration of five to 25 years at fixed prices, according to the note. The tender may open on Feb. 17.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-07/national-aluminium-jindal-seek-power-plant-coal-icmw-says.html
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Upswing for aluminium
The recovery of the global economy continues. In its latest forecast, issued in October, the International Monetary Fund is expected global growth of 4.8 percent this year, with an increase in world trade of 11.4 percent; for the coming year growth is expected to be 4.2 percent. China continues to be the dynamo with double-digit growth once again. Asia and Latin America are also making disproportionately high contributions to economic growth in 2010, but forecasts for the US economic are much more pessimistic: 2.6 percent growth is expected. This is still significantly higher than the growth prospects for the eurozone as a whole (+1.7%), although this figure masks the current strong state of the German economy, where a plus of 3.3 percent is expected. One reason for Germany’s strength is that its mechanical and plant engineering sector has emerged from its economic trough; the sector’s trade association, VDMA, is already venturing to predict growth of eight percent in the sector in 2011.
The aluminium industry is also feeling the effects of the general economic upturn. Demand for the metal is continuing to grow and US producer Alcoa raised its forecast for worldwide consumption of aluminium in its latest quarterly report. Increasing demand is also reflected in price rises on the London Metal Exchange: prices for 3-months primary aluminium have been increasing since June and the price had reached USD2, 400 a tonne by mid-October. At these prices, even European smelters can operate at a profit. LME stocks in mid-October were 300,000 tonnes lower than the peak of 4.64 tonnes in January.
The prospects for the light metal in the medium-to-long-term are positive anyways. In the established industrial nations, there is an ongoing trend towards the use if lightweight aluminium construction to reduce CO2 emissions; in threshold countries, such as China, Brazil, India and Russia, middle classes with purchasing power are in the increase and thus also demand in the building, transport and packaging sectors something from which aluminium benefits as well.
Source: International Aluminium Journal
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Demand prospects bright for aluminium
Domestic aluminium producers will be relieved, as aluminium prices ended the year on a firm note, after falling halfway through the year.
On Wednesday, Hindalco Industries Ltd touched a new 12-month high of Rs. 243 before closing a bit lower. The rise in its share price may have been prompted either by expectations of better performance in its domestic operations or even at its Canadian subsidiary Novelis Inc. Domestic aluminium producers will be relieved, as aluminium prices ended the year on a firm note, after falling halfway through the year.
Aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) have risen by just 7% to $2,404 (Rs. 1,08,420) a tonne, compared with the year’s opening level. That is a meagre increase, especially when you consider that its base metal cousin, copper, did extremely well, rising by about 26% in the same period. But aluminium has done well since June, when it fell to a low of about $1,850 a tonne.
Demand for aluminium was quite solid during the year, as the world economy overall was in better shape, despite China’s efforts to cool economic growth and shivers caused by Europe’s economic worries. Alcoa Inc. estimated aluminium production in 2010 to increase by 13%. Global primary aluminium production rose by 3.5% in 2010, till November, compared with the year-ago period, based on data from the International Aluminium Institute (IAI).
Despite a 3.5% increase in production, LME inventories fell from 4.6 million tonnes (mt) in January 2010 to 4.3 mt. Physical inventories of primary aluminium with companies, measured by the IAI, have risen marginally, by about 5% to 1.3 mt. Alcoa forecasts world aluminium consumption to increase from 39 mt in 2010 to 73 mt in 10 years, achieving a compounded annual growth rate of 6.5%.
In the April-November period, India’s aluminium output rose by 8%, chiefly due to ramp-up of production at Vedanta Aluminium Ltd’s Jharsuguda smelter, according to the ministry of mines’ statistics. Domestic players are expanding capacity, anticipating rising demand which cannot be catered to by existing capacities.
Most global players, too, are expanding capacities. Despite an increase in supply, Alcoa expects that the market will remain tight in the next decade, due to demand outstripping supply. Indian firms are expanding existing capacities and also setting up new plants. Some have come up in 2010, but the bigger plants will come up in the next few years. India’s demand is expected to grow faster than global demand, as its industrial growth sustains momentum, especially the major users of aluminium—industries such as real estate, automobiles and engineering.
Aluminium prices are influenced by demand from financial investors and from actual users of the metal. The current rush for commodities provides a firm floor for prices, but it could quickly disappear causing prices to wobble. This was visible in June, as fears surrounding Europe spooked investors. The inventory overhang in aluminium too continues but, having weathered it for a year, it does not seem to be worrying investors. UC Rusal, a large aluminium producer, believes that most LME inventories are covered by financial transactions and will not come into the market before mid-2011.
Indian aluminium producers are in a good position, with aluminium prices already up about 30% since the lows of June. But it has underperformed compared with commodities such as copper. The question is if that will change in 2011, for that will determine how much of an upside there is for investors in aluminium stocks. As of now, there is little to suggest a runaway movement in aluminium prices. In 2011, Indian firms will benefit more from their capacity additions, which will contribute to a better financial performance.
Source: http://www.livemint.com/2010/12/29214046/Demand-prospects-bright-for-al.html#
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Aluminum prices expected to knock USD 2500 by next Q1
Castlestone Management indicated that aluminum will become preferred base metal investment in the next 6 months due to China’s aluminum maker's production cut that will push the price to reach USD 2, 500 per tonne.
It’s known that China is the largest aluminum producing country. Electric power takes 45% cost in Al smelting cost in China, much higher than rest of the world's level of 30%.
However, Chinese government has reduced power supply to aluminum smelting industry to fulfill energy saving goals.
Source: http://www.steelguru.com/metals_news/Aluminum_prices_expected_to_knock_USD_2500_by_next_Q1/183436.html
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China Non Ferrous Metal Production Jump In Jan-Nov 2011
China non-ferrous metal production jumped significantly in Jan-Nov 2010.The non-ferrous metals production for Jan-Nov 2010 was 28.75 million tonnes, up 21.4%. Among the total non-ferrous metals production, Copper production stood at 4.184 million tonnes during Jan-Nov 2010, up 10.7%. Aluminium production appreciated by 27.6% to 14.93 million tonnes.
Battery material Lead production was 3.782 million tonnes, increase of 11.7%. Zinc had a production of 4.735 million tonnes, up 19.7%. Non-ferrous metals industry totalled 324.6 billion yuan in fixed assets, which was 34% higher than Jan-Nov 2009. Investment in new projects amounted to 359.8 billion yuan, up 38.2% over last year.
Total imports of non-ferrous metals stood at $ 108.48 billion during Jan-Nov 2010, up 46.5% over Jan-Nov 2009. Imports of non-ferrous metals stood at $ 83.15 billion, up 40.6%. Exports were $ 25.33 billion, up 69.6% over last year.
Source: http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/China-Non-Ferrous-Metal-Production-Jump-In-Jan-Nov-2011/3463829138
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Seminar on “Consultation with stakeholders on draft aluminium mission plan 2010-20” submitted by Aluminium Association of India” held at Hotel Samrat, New Delhi on 1st December, 2010
JNARDDC and C-TEMPO both under the aegis of Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India successfully conducted a one day Seminar on 1st December, 2010 at New Delhi on “Consultation with stakeholders on draft aluminium mission plan 2010-20” submitted by Aluminium Association of India”.
The Seminar was inaugurated by Hon’ble Union Minister of Mines & DONER, Shri Bijoy Krishna Handique in the presence of Secretary (Mines) and Joint Secretary (Mines).
Inaugurating the seminar, he said that aluminum is the most versatile and sustainable material for Indian economy. Pointing out that production of aluminum industry is very low in the country at 1.318 millions in comparison to world production of 40 million tons, he said that aluminium resources need to be exploited keeping in view the long term national goals and perspectives. Also mentioned that the country is blessed with ample resources of good quality reserves of bauxite and stands fifth largest in the world on that account. He added that all the major producers are expanding their capacity in metal production and target of capacity of 5 million tons production by 2015 and 10 million tons by 2020 will be achieved. Further, acknowledging the Draft Aluminium Mission Plan document, he informed that on issues related to government intervention for coal linkages, as well as, allocation of coal block to ensure adequate and uninterrupted supply of coal to the captive power plants of aluminium smelters; allocation and conservation of bauxite, development of bauxite mines and development of aluminium application, the ministry is in broad agreement with Aluminium Association of India.
The Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Shri S. Vijay Kumar in his opening remarks said that the future leis with the almunium because it is called natural metal. He said that almunium can be recycled and that it is light in weight. He hoped that the discussions in seminar and exchange of views and experts opinions will help to finalize the National Aluminium Mission so that the Indian aluminium industry would contribute more to the economic growth of the country.
Participants
Besides dignitaries from the Ministry of Mines, C-TEMPO, the Seminar was attended by the top level Management Officials of Aluminium Association of India (AAI), primary aluminium industries viz. NALCO, HINDALCO, VEDANTA, BALCO & other secondary industries, academicians as well as officials from various organizations in India i.e. FIMI, DST, DMRL, Indian Chamber of Commerce, RDSO, BIS, Addl. Resident Commissioner, Govt. of Orissa etc..
Technical sessions
The following presentations were made in the first technical session (Overview of Aluminium Sector) under the Chairmanship of Prof. P.K. Sen, IIT, Kharagpur.
The following presentations were made in the second session under the Chairmanship of Shri S.K. Srivastava, Additional Secretary (Mines)
At the concluding session, Mr. S.K.Nayak, Jt. Secretary- MoM suggested to AAI to revise the Mission Plan taking into consideration the presentations made and the discussions held during the meeting. On behalf of AAI, Prof. K.S.S.Murthy, Hon. Gen. Secretary assured the Secretary, MoM that the revised Mission plan would be prepared and submitted to MoM within two months.
The participants too presented their views and observations on the draft Aluminium Mission Plan. The seminar was fruitful in highlighting keys issues pertaining to the future growth of Aluminium Industry as well as its role in our economy and its current status. It was unanimously decided to hold at least two more meetings before drafting a mission plan for aluminium industry for next 10 years.
Further course of action with regard to revision of Mission plan document based on the presentations / discussions/ views emerged at the one day seminar will be discussed with Mr. Shashi K. Maudgal, Hon. Vice President & Chairman – Govt. Liaison Committee-AAI.
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NALCO bags energy conservation award
Bhubaneswar, Dec 14 (IANS) State-owned National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) bagged a top prize for efficient utilisation and conservation of energy, the company said Tuesday.
The company bagged the first prize at the National Energy Conservation Awards-2010 in New Delhi. This award is given by the power ministry to the energy-intensive units which have achieved efficient energy utilization and conservation.
Company chairman and managing director A.K. Srivastava received the award from Power Minister Sushil in New Delhi Tuesday, the company said in a statement.
In the aluminium industry, power and fuel costs account for about 38 percent of the total production cost. Being among the low cost producers of aluminium in the world, NALCO's prices serve as an international benchmark.
In this context, NALCO has been assigning high importance to energy conservation and has been utilizing the state-of-the art technologies for maximizing energy efficiency, the statement said.
In 2009-10, the company which has its headquarters at Bhubaneswar undertook major cost saving and energy efficiency improvement projects at its smelter plant and achieved an annual energy savings of Rs. 15.58 crore on fuel oil and energy consumption, it said.
Besides upgradation of energy efficient infrastructures, the annual energy savings are partly attributed to innovative cost saving approaches and solutions that were taken up through various process improvement teams and quality circles, it said.
Most importantly, many of these quality improvement projects that are contributing towards reduction of energy costs were developed in-house with the active participation of the employees, it said.
Source: http://www.sify.com/finance/nalco-bags-energy-conservation-award-news-default-kmovamdaecc.html
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Aluminium Doors a Solution for Oversized Doors
A large timber door, for example, over 2.6m high is prone to bowing and uneven expansion. This problem and can be reduced but not totally rectified by a steel strengthening rods, this can be costly and time consuming.
Aluminium doors are the perfect solution.
Tough and durable, these doors will not bow or warp. AluTeC, for example, is an aluminium framed door with aluminium skin designed to look like a timber door.
Powder coated or painted on-site the same way as a timber door matching all doors within a property and perform perfectly for many worry free years.
An aluminium door is perfect for other applications such as in a cavity slider or as an over sized pivot.
Source; http://www.ebossnow.co.nz/james-miller/aluminium-doors-a-solution-for-oversized-doors.html
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The Aluminum House by Swedish architectural firm Unit Arkitektur is an extension for a Swedish house with a traditional gable roof.
Around the lake Gärdsken, in the southern parts of Alingsås, a residential area with villas mainly from the 20th century is situated. Originally, these were small wooden two storey houses with a basement in stone and vernacular detailing. Nowadays however, almost every single house is rebuilt and enlarged beyond recognition. The owners of one of the few houses left intact wanted more space as well as renovating the existing house. The first sketches were made in 2005 although the construction did not start until late in 2008 because of the overheated construction market.
Aluminum House, image courtesy Unit Arkitektur | Photo by Krister Engstrom
There is a well-developed grammar in Swedish building culture on how to extend a house with a traditional gable roof; usually a ridge is established at right angles to the existing one. To be successful this requires that the extension is subordinate in size. The possibility to build in a completely traditional style was tested in a sketch, but was found too obtrusive because of the size. The new wing “devoured” the old house. Thus we chose instead to aim for maximum contrast in expression.
Aluminum House – Conceptual diagram, drawing courtesy Unit Arkitektur
On the eastern part of the plot is a beautiful old stand of trees. The proposed movement in this project follows the principle often used in Japanese garden art; first you spot the main vista (the orchard), then it disappears out of view – but is not forgotten. In the third step of the sequence the viewer stands before the garden again. A large custom made shelf is the element that obscures the garden in the second step and forms a filter between the hallway and the living room with its view of the garden.
Aluminum House, image courtesy Unit Arkitektur | Photo by Krister Engstrom
A new corridor and entrance is introduced between the new building and the existing house. From this corridor almost all the rooms of the house can be reached and it can also provide a more representative entrance to the living room when necessary. The new living room has a maximum of openness towards the garden, but is closed to the street to ensure privacy. At the same time, the city planning office required window openings in this facade to lighten up the impression from the street. The solution was to shape the aluminium sheets of the facade as a trellis for growing vines. It always takes time for the vines to establish, therefore we have designed a pattern that brings a lifelike quality to the facade in the absence of greenery. The laser cut pattern is inspired by vines and forms a favorable shape for the tendrils to climb on.
Aluminum House, image courtesy Unit Arkitektur | Photo by Krister Engstrom
The house is founded on masonry walls. The bottom floor is constructed of 220mm beams while the roof is supported by glulam beams. As the facade material was chosen 3 mm anodized aluminium plates applied with stainless recessed screws on an adjustable framework of galvanized steel profiles. All sheets are prefabricated at the workshop. The extension is heated with floor heating.
In Sweden there is a long tradition of working with steel sheeting (about 0.6 mm thick), connecting the different sheets with folds to achieve an impervious surface. This technique is mainly used on horizontal surfaces; when applied to facades the steel (about 1.0 mm thick) is often folded into cartridges to achieve stiffness. Both of these applications will result in a buckled and dented surface because of temperature movements combined with the fragility of the thin plate. Japan with the architect Fumihiko Maki as chief advocate has a highly evolved tradition of using thicker sheet metal in facades. These give an entirely different precision and a smooth impression and require new detailing as they can not be shaped on-site by sheet-metal workers. Since we wanted a contrast between the existing and new house, we chose 3mm thick aluminium plates to achieve a high precision.
Aluminum House, image courtesy Unit Arkitektur
Aluminium can be utilized with a raw or anodized surface. Eventually raw aluminium forms an oxide layer, but it’s just one-hundredth as thick as is achieved in anodizing. It also makes a more organic impression with streaks from running water and a living surface. An advantage is however the ability to bend the raw aluminum on the construction site.
Since we were seeking a precise expression we chose anodized plate. The plates were first processed mechanically and subsequently sent to a finishing company that through an electrolytic process created an oxide layer on the plates to a selected thickness (25 micrometres in this case). This provides a 100-year durability which meets the clients request for minimal maintenance. This oxide is as hard and brittle as the glaze on china in terms of hardness rendering it impossible to perform any kind of processing to the anodized plates without cracking this layer.
Aluminum House, image courtesy Unit Arkitektur
We chose to work with subcontractors to the automotive industry for the production of the plates. If one dares to say that the Swedish construction companies often work with a dubious precision, the Saab and Volvo subcontractors excel at a high level. They work with digital fabrication and industry tolerances +/- 0.1mm compared with the permitted construction tolerance of +/- 10mm. Riboverken in Gothenburg, laser cut all of the plates with CNC (Computer Numerical Control) according to our drawings. In this process, it is no more costly to cut a curved line than a straight. With prefabricated plates, you get a clash between two different sets of tolerances; the exact surface and the imprecision of the studded frame. This is addressed by an adjustable framework for the facade plates.
Aluminum House, image courtesy Unit Arkitektur
The eye-catching pattern on the gables is a plant motif that are developed by us and translated into digital manufacturing drawings; also laser cut at Riboverken. Laser cutting can be done to a certain thickness. For thicker plates you have to switch to water-jet cutting. Aluminium is available in a variety of alloys and because we wanted a small bending radius and a anodizing we chose alloy 5005.
Aluminum House – Elevation & Floor plan, drawing courtesy Unit Arkitektur
Aluminum House – Detailed section, drawing courtesy Unit Arkitektur
Source: http://www.iexpo2010.com/aluminum-house-unit-arkitektur.html
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BEML exploring foray into helicopter, small aircraft assembly BEML Ltd is exploring the possibility of venturing into assembling business in the aerospace sector.
"When you are in aerospace (business), it (assembly of helicopters and small aircraft) can’t be out of your radar," BEML Chairman and Managing Director V R S Natarajan said, adding, "We are looking at the possibility."
According to Natarajan, the Bangalore-headquartered Mini-Ratna company has made a set of landing gears for helicopters of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and is already supplying some body parts of fighter aircraft.
BEML is now setting up a facility for fabricating titanium metal, aluminium and composites – things used in manufacturing helicopters.
To start with, the company is seeking to position itself as a 'single-point' for products for ground-support, and those related to hydraulics, lift and ladder and also strengthen its business of manufacturing of aero-plane parts.
Natarajan said it's premature to discuss the time frame for achieving this, as the proposal was only at exploration stage. However, he said, it was clear that assembly of helicopters and small aircraft a logical step forward for BEML.
"Ultimate objective is to move towards that only",he said. He said the BEML has acquired 25-acres in a special economic zone at Devenahally on Bangalore outskirts where it would design, manufacture and roll out aero and space products.
Aerospace products business is expected to contribute close to Rs ten crore to the overall turnover of BEML in the current financial year, but in the next three years, this segment is projected to grow to Rs 100 crore.
The company is also in discussion with Indian Space Research Organisation for supplying components for its space programmes.
Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/118795/beml-exploring-foray-helicopter-small.html
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Alto Step Ladders and Step Bridges from Sayfa Systems
By Sayfa Systems
Alto step ladder access systems and step bridges are available from Sayfa Systems for use in various height access applications.
Alto step ladders provide safe and easy access to roof areas, service platforms and various elevated areas where work needs to be done.
Alto step ladders and bridges incorporate handrails and knee-rails for added protection and stability of the user.
Manufactured by Sayfa Systems, Alto step ladders are made from high grade aluminium featuring a profiled step design with spacing between ladder stiles. Optional powder-coated finish is available.
Ladder stiles extend 1000mm above the landing platform and incorporate a grabrail on both stiles for the safety of the user.
The modular design of the step ladders and bridges enables easy supply and site assembly.
The lightweight, yet robust aluminium ladders are suitable as a permanent ladder system to access elevated areas.
Key features:
High level of safe and easy access
Purpose-built to suit specific applications
Lightweight, robust aluminium construction with optional powder-coating
Modular design for easy delivery and site assembly
Suitable as a permanent ladder system
Facilitates access to roofs for maintenance requirements
Safe access between varying roof levels
Safe access into ceiling spaces and onto machinery platforms for plant and equipment maintenance
Specifications:
Maximum height: 6.0m
Overall ladder width: 650mm
Distance between stiles: 560mm
Step size: 600mm L x 100mm W x 38mm H
Step spacing: 300mm
Stile extension above landing surface: 1000mm
Minimum clearance behind ladder: 150mm
Minimum distance between rest platforms: 6.0m
Angle of slope: 65º
Working Load Limit: 150kg, recommended for single person use
Product warranty: 3 years
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