News

Global Aluminium Foil Roller Initiative elects Oliver Hommel as new president

Oliver Hommel, Head of Product Area Foil BU Global Products Hydro Aluminium, has been elected President of the Global Aluminium Foil Roller Initiative (GLAFRI) at the organisation’s General Assembly held in Shanghai.

GLAFRI is the global association coordinating actions on sustainability in order to support foil market growth and promote innovative developments. Almost 10% of annual global aluminium primary production is converted to aluminium foil.

The initiative is happy to...

Anglesey Aluminium site demolition plans unveiled...but landmark chimney stays for now

The developers of a huge new biomass plant have submitted plans to knock down parts of the former Anglesey Aluminium site on the island.

A demolition notice has been lodged with the island’s council planners by the Orthios Group to make way for the billion-pound project.

The application will see the flattening of several one-storey buildings which used to house the potlines, metal products and green carbon processes.

Others set to be removed include the carbon...

Constellium and UACJ Announce Opening of their Joint Venture’s Automotive Body Sheet Plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The strategically-located 225,000 square foot facility will house an initial capacity of 100,000 metric tons.

It has secured its metal supply with both partners’ rolling mills. With cutting-edge equipment and technologies, the facility expects to offer a flat rolled product portfolio for a wide range of applications including closure panels, as well as body structures. The plant is currently in qualification phase, with ramp-up planned over the...

Sapa is investing in new production lines at sites in Belgium and Sweden to meet the surging demand for larger and thinner-walled aluminium products in the rail industry.

Sapa is increasing from 6,500 to 8,200 tonnes the force of the large aluminium extrusion press at its plant in Lichtervelde, Belgium. The added power will enable the company to extrude 6xxx-series profiles that are up to 620 mm wide and up to 26 meters long, with an extremely thin wall thickness down to 1.6 mm. This reduces the amount of aluminium used in the section and lightens an already weight-saving...

Alcoa Inc. and Alumina Limited have announced that they have agreed to make certain changes to the Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (“AWAC”) joint venture that will enhance value for Alcoa, Alumina, and their respective shareholders.

In conjunction with these amendments, the parties have agreed to terminate their litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery relating to Alcoa’s pending separation into two independent, publicly traded companies. Alcoa Inc. remains on track to complete its separation in the second half of 2016.

In general, the changes to...

Sapa is investing in new machinery offering super-large and light products for the offshore and maritime industry with equipment that can produce panels up to 18 metres long and 3.5 metres wide.

“Our ability to join thin-walled lightweight designs into large panels will make a big difference for customers in the marine and offshore industries, where such sizes are best suited, and where cost savings are key. Reducing lead time significantly is another benefit,” says John Thuestad, executive vice president responsible for Sapa’s extrusion organisation in...

UC Rusal has announced senior staff appointments within the company’s Aluminium Division. 

Oleg Buts has been appointed as Managing Director of Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter (IrkAZ). Prior to the appointment, Mr Buts worked as the Director of Department for Production System Training at Production development Directorate of UC RUSAL. He will replace Evgeny Kuriyanov, who has been appointed as Managing Director of Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter (KrAZ).
 
Both managers started their careers at blue-collar positions at RUSAL plants where they passed through all...

A Ducker Worldwide study forecasts the aluminium content in cars to increase by up to 30% over the next 10 years.

This surge is mainly from rolled and extruded products, where Auto Body Sheet leads the growth with an expected increase of 110% over the same period. The growth is largely attributed to aluminium’s role in lightweighting cars, thereby contributing to low emission mobility. 

The amount of aluminium used in cars is expected to see a significant increase by 2025, according to a study recently published by consulting and research firm Ducker Worldwide....

Midlands-based JVM Castings has recently completed a new lightweight casting for building developments at International Quarter London, located at the gateway to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.  

IQL is a joint venture between Lend Lease and London & Continental Railways (LCR), and the project will deliver over 4 million square feet of Grade ‘A’ office accommodation, including 333 new residential units and associated community facilities within a 22 hectare site.

Architectural firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP), in addition to the...