Aluminium International Today November/December 2018

INDUSTRY NEWS

SECONDARY PRODUCTION

EXTRUSION

SUSTAINABILITY

www.aluminiumtoday.com November/December 2018—Vol.31 No.6

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

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CONTENTS 1

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Volume 31 No. 6 – November/December 2018

COVER

Editorial Editor: Nadine Bloxsome Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

SECONDARY PRODUCTION

EXTRUSION

www.aluminiumtoday.com November/December 2018—Vol.31 No.6

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

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SECONDARY 10 Aluminium scrap is more and more valuable 12 Sustainable and profitable dross practices 16 E-book helps recycling operations meet

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SUSTAINABILITY 40 Introducing the Aluminium Recyclers Council 42 The best packaging materials for the circular

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Keeping aluminium in the loop Aluminium has the advantage

DIRECTORY Taster page 47

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PROJECTS & PRODUCTS

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November/December 2018

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2 COMMENT

INDUSTRY NEWS

Hydro renewed

Looking to the future As another year draws to a close, I think it is safe to say that this has been one of the most innovative and exciting years for the aluminium manufacturing industry.

Global industry leaders Alcoa and Rio Tinto joined forces to create a new, revolutionary way to make aluminium, which also produces pure oxygen. ‘Elysis’ as it is known, refers to the process at the centre of our industry, the electrolysis of alumina and suggests fundamental change.

This announcement was a huge industry first and paves the way for the future of aluminium production and what it stands for.

Since taking the reins of Aluminium International Today, it has been an interest of mine to drive the content to focus on the latest technologies helping to streamline efficiency and promote a sustainable working environment. This will be echoed at the next Future Aluminium Forum, which we announced at ALUMINIUM 2018.

You can find out how to be a part of the future by visiting: futurealuminiumforum.com As always, this issue includes a number of features dedicated to the topics of secondary processing, extrusion and sustainable practices. There is also a look at the latest products and projects across the value chain.

Although this is the final printed issue of 2018, keep a look out for the special digital ‘Highlights’ issue in December. nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com November/December 2018

Nadine nov dec.indd 1

Hydro is taking a new step as a global supplier of innovative and sustainable aluminium solutions, embarking on a new chapter of its 112-year history with a new visual identity.

After its 2017 acquisition of Sapa, Hydro now has a significant presence in all parts of the aluminium value chain. The company is marking this new chapter by renewing and modernising its visual identity after a year-long process with broad involvement among its 35,000 employees worldwide.

“We are still the same purpose-driven company that was founded in Norway more than a century ago. That has not

changed,” says President & CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg.

“Our new visual identity reflects the change that Sapa is making within our company, with expansion into new global markets and regions, and the on-boarding of more than 20,000 new colleagues.”

Designed by the Oslo and New York-based architecture and design firm Snøhetta, Hydro’s new logo retains the distinctive “sail” of past logos to reflect the company’s Norwegian heritage and business continuity.

The more modern look also acknowledges the renewal of Hydro as a company.

“Our purpose is to create a more viable society, and our contribution is to help engineer the future and lightweight our planet through innovative and sustainable aluminium products and solutions,” Brandtzæg says.

“We have low-carbon aluminium products that are best in class, and with our engineering competence, we work with customers to use this metal in solutions that are bringing society forward.”

Iran: 10% YoY growth According to an Iranian Mines & Mining Industries Development & Renovation Organisation (IMIDRO) official statement, Iran’s major aluminium producers produced 151,691 tonnes of aluminium during the five-month period from March 21 to August 22, registering a growth of 10 per cent from the same period of 2017.

IMIDRO data registered an alumin-

ium output of 137,473 tons during the five-month period of 2017.

Last month, Deputy Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Mehdi Karbasian announced that a large aluminium production plant with a capacity of 300,000-tonne per year will be put into operation in the south of Iran by the end of current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2019).

The plant will be the largest and most modern aluminium production plant in Iran. Karbasian added that construction is currently underway at South Aluminum Corp (Salco).

Robert V Neher Award winner At a special award ceremony held at the ALUMINIUM 2018 exhibition in Düsseldorf, the first ever winner of the Robert V Neher Award, a global academic competition for foil research and development, was announced.

Hiroyuki Nishikawa and Yoshiki Hashizume were presented with a cheque for €10,000 for the award-winning work: Development of super water-repellent material TOYAL LOTUS®.

The winning submission detailed the development of a novel aluminium foil lidding material

for yogurt packs that eliminates packed products sticking to the inner side of the lid. TOYAL Lotus® uses biomimetic coatings with a water repelling surface structure, which imitates the socalled ‘lotus effect’ and offers adequate heat-sealable properties.

The material meets official safety guidelines and can be disposed of without any adherence of food residues.

The Robert V Neher Award is an academic competition involving aluminium foil and closures.

It seeks out and rewards the very

best innovative packaging and technical applications. Launched in 2017 by the Global Aluminium Foil Roller Initiative (GLAFRI), the award, named in honour of the inventor of the aluminium foil rolling process, invited submissions from students and academia from the packaging and food sectors and technical universities, worldwide.

GLAFRI president Göksal Güngör praised the winner and explained GLAFRI’s commitment to furthering the competition: “It is important to identify and reward the talents of future influencers and innovators, not only within our industry, but in academia as well. We hope this competition stimulates and encourages further research and development in this important area for foil producers, users and society in general.”

Aluminium International Today

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INDUSTRY NEWS 3

EnPot license agreement

NEWS IN BRIEF ISAL acquisition ended

TRIMET Aluminium SE and Energia Potior Limited have signed a license agreement for the EnPot Shell Heat Exchanger technology.

The agreement was announced by Dr. Martin Iffert, CEO of TRIMET, and Dr. Mark Dorreen, CEO of Energia Potior Ltd. Dr. Dorreen says the license agreement is inclusive of all four TRIMET Aluminium SE smelters,

and reflects TRIMET’s position as the market leader when it comes to the adoption of the EnPot modulation-enabling technology.

“TRIMET was the first company in the world to expand the use of the EnPot technology beyond trial pots, and their management team have contributed significantly to the development of the

technology,” Dr. Dorreen says. Dr. Martin Iffert says the adoption of EnPot technology is an important part of TRIMET’s Virtual Battery Concept which demonstrates the capability of aluminium smelters to cope with changing market conditions, “particularly as Germany seeks to increase the percentage of electricity generated from renewable sources.”

EGA: Caustic soda shipment Emirates Global Aluminium has received the first shipment of caustic soda for its under-construction Al Taweelah alumina refinery.

Al Taweelah alumina refinery is the first to be built in the UAE and only the second in the Middle East.

First alumina from Al Taweelah

alumina refinery is expected during the first half of 2019.

Abdulla Kalban, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: “Whilst construction continues in many areas of Al Taweelah alumina refinery, we are steadily moving into commissioning completed equipment and sections. Importing the first

of these raw materials is an important milestone in this immense effort to develop alumina refining as a new industrial activity in the UAE.” More than 10,000 people are currently working on Al Taweelah alumina refinery, which has a total budgeted project cost of approximately $3.3 billion.

Bauxite residue embargo JW Aluminum lifted at Alunorte investment

On October 25, Hydro’s alumina refinery Alunorte, received a suspension of the embargo on the new bauxite residue deposit area (DRS2) from Brazilian federal environmental agency IBAMA. Embargo on DRS2 from the federal court system remains in place.

The federal environmental agency IBAMA lifted the embargo on DRS 2 after reviewing the information requested from Alunorte and SEMAS, the local environmental agency in the state of Para. The decision to lift the embargo follows an exceptional authorisation granted by IBAMA to Alunorte on October 5 to utilise its state-of-the art press filter technology in processing of bauxite residues. Using DRS2 in combination with press filter technology represents the only long-term sustainable soluAluminium International Today

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tion for Alunorte.

The suspension of the embargo

by IBAMA does not allow for an immediate resumption of DRS 2 testing and commissioning phase, as the embargo from the federal court remains outstanding.

“The new bauxite residue deposit, together with the press filter, is the world’s most modern bauxite residue treatment technology. We will continue the dialogue with the authorities to seek the permission to utilise the new deposit area, as this is fundamental for the sustainability and continuity of the refinery’s operations”, says Hydro`s EVP of Bauxite & Alumina, John Thuestad.

The timing for when the embargoes limiting Alunorte’s production to 50% of full capacity may be lifted remains uncertain.

JW Aluminum is investing $32.8 million to optimise equipment for foil production.

The investment includes projects to enhance existing rolling mills, annealing equipment and slitters to improve quality, reliability and throughput for the fin stock, honeycomb foil and flexible packaging markets.

The upgrades will also further automate control systems in the company’s foil producing facilities – Russellville, Arkansas; Saint Louis, Missouri and Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Hydro and Rio Tinto have signed an agreement to end the acquisition process for Rio Tinto’s Icelandic aluminium plant ISAL, including its interests in Dutch anode facility Aluchemie and Swedish aluminium fluoride plant Alufluor.

After considering alternative timelines, outcomes and developments, Hydro requested to terminate the transaction and the parties have signed a termination agreement.

Alcoa: Plant closures According to reports, Alcoa is to close two of its three aluminium plants in Spain with a combined annual production of 180,000 tonnes. The closures will result in approximately 700 job losses.

Arconic: Rolling mill sale Arconic has announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its Texarkana, Texas rolling mill to Ta Chen International, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of aluminium and stainless steel distributor Ta Chen Stainless Pipe Co., Ltd.

IAI Secretary General to step down Ron Knapp is to leave the position of Secretary General of the International Aluminium Institute in London by the end of December 2019.

“It is time for me to handover to a new generation of leadership and for me to seek new opportunities and challenges, hopefully still within the aluminium industry”, Knapp said.

November/December 2018

05/11/2018 09:46:38

4 INDUSTRY NEWS

Assan investment

Assan Alüminyum announced the company is working on a largescale investment at the recent ALUMINIUM 2018 Show.

Göksal Güngör, General Manager (pictured) said: “This investment consists of a direct-chill (DC), hot rolling facility. The total estimated value of this project is 900 million dollars. It is forecasted to accommodate 650 additional employees. With this new investment, the production of high-grade alloys would be possible, through which high-value added products for strategic sectors, such as defence, aerospace, marine and other transportation and specialised packaging could be produced. The project also includes an integrated port and an R&D Centre.”

He continued: “As many of you may remember, we have announced some of our investments at the Aluminium 2016, right here in Düsseldorf, two years ago. So far we installed two new casting lines, in record time, that have started production in the first half of last year, and a foil mill, which has started production at the end of 2017. Five new coil and six new foil annealing furnaces and a world-class, high-precision grinding machine are also part of our completed investment. A high-precision coil-to-coil aluminium slitting line has also been installed and complements the high-capacity coil coating line.

With these new expansions, we now have 19 continuous casting lines and 10 foil rolling mills installed. Especially with the addition of the new foil rolling mill, we will now be able to concentrate more on high value-added flexible packaging products.”

November/December 2018

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European Aluminium: Outlook is positive European Aluminium confirms positive market outlook despite trade challenges.

At ALUMINIUM 2018, Europe’s leading aluminium trade fair, European Aluminium confirmed that the outlook for the European aluminium market is positive. Overall, the industry shows positive numbers for semi-fabricated products driven by the strong demand in the transport sector, and a good performance in the building and construction, packaging and machinery sectors. European primary production, however, is experiencing temporary clouds due to trade challenges including the U.S. tariffs on aluminium, sanctions on Rusal and Chinese overcapacity.

“Trade frictions are a reality. The multilateral global trade system is not equipped to rebuild a level playing field for our industry and other strategic industries. Despite this context, our extrusion and rolling markets are showing a

positive outlook and an optimistic short-term future due to the vitality of the automotive sector and a high demand for aluminium for aerospace applications and in the building and construction and packaging sectors. Thanks to its superior properties aluminium remains in high demand by leading industries,” said European Aluminium’s Director General Gerd Götz.

“Securing alumina supplies to our smelters in Europe should be seen as one of the cornerstones of aluminium industrial policy. We cannot secure a functioning aluminium value chain from production to recycling without a reliable supply of alumina. Uncertainty about short-term supplies means less production, less innovation, and more metal dependency. Europe needs to voice its concerns to preserve investments and jobs and restore production levels soon,” concluded Götz.

New Ball plant in Spain Ball Corporation has inaugurated a new production plant in Spain located in Cabanillas del Campo, Guadalajara.

With this new factory, which represents for Ball a significant investment of more than 100 million euros, the company expands its presence in Spain, where it already has another production facility located in La Selva del Camp (Tarragona). The plant’s capacity is contracted to existing Ball customers.

With two production lines and an annual capacity 1.6 billion units, the plant will produce aluminium speciality cans. Cabanillas is a state-of-the-art, sustainable beverage can manufacturing facility, which uses 15 percent less energy and 22 percent less water compared to an average plant.

It produces STARcan, Ball’s most metal-efficient can, a next-generation can which leverages the company’s technology and weight-optimisation know-how.

2018/19 DIARY November 11 - 13 ARABAL 2018* The Arab International Aluminium Conference (ARABAL) is the premium platform for the aluminium industry in the Arab world. Held in Kuwait www.arabal.com

13 - 16 Metal-Expo’ 2018 Metal-Expo provides a perfect opportunity to know the latest achievements of the industry. it is attended by the leading ferrous and non-ferrous producers, as well as heavy-engineering and metalworking companies from many world countries.

Held in Moscow, Russia www.metal-expo.ru/en

December 02 - 07 12th Australasian Aluminium Smelting Technology Conference* This year’s theme is ‘Sustainable and Responsible Aluminium Production Growth’.

Held in Queenstown, New Zealand www.12aastc.com

February 2019 26 - 27 15th International Aluminium Recycling Congress* The International Aluminium Recycling Congress is one of the leading aluminium recycling events today. Held in Colmar, France www.european-aluminium.eu

May 22 - 23 Future Aluminium Forum* This international technology conference will draw upon the unrivalled expertise of aluminium industry professionals, production technologists and academics, to create an event designed specifically for those seeking a greater understanding of ‘smart manufacturing’.

Held in Warsaw, Poland www.futurealuminiumforum.com *Pick up a free copy of Aluminium International Today at this event

For a full listing visit www. aluminiumtoday.com and click on Events Diary Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 09:46:40

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6 ALUMINIUM ASSOCIATION

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The state of the U.S. aluminium industry The Aluminum Association is working closely with its membership to advance the interests of the domestic aluminium industry during a time of opportunity and uncertainty. The association is also working with our government and global counterparts to ensure that complex, globally integrated supply chains are not needlessly disrupted while we address the very real challenge of Chinese aluminium overcapacity. From global trade to automotive issues, the industry continues to pursue its mission through the association promoting the production and use of aluminium as the sustainable material of choice.

Global trade remains a top priority for President Donald Trump and his administration nearly halfway through his presidency. The president has for decades believed in using aggressive action to achieve better trade deals for American workers. And the U.S. aluminium industry has been a particular focus of this approach, most notably with the Section 232 tariffs on most aluminium imports entering the United States.

Earlier this year, the industry successfully pursued antidumping and countervailing duty action against illegally subsidised aluminium foil coming from China. A similar effort on common alloy imports from China is underway. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is working to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico and is pursuing tariffs on a range of imports coming from China.

The president’s various trade actions over the last year have sparked some concern of an escalating “trade war” that could have unintended consequences. For the aluminium industry, the administration’s across-the-board Section 232 tariffs have caused market uncertainty and disrupted vital, integrated supply chains like the North American aluminium market. The Aluminum Association appreciates and shares this administration’s desire to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing base.

However, we continue to advocate for targeted trade enforcement and a move toward government-to-government negotiations on Chinese overcapacity.

On the non-trade front, the industry continues its work through the association’s Aluminum Transportation Group (ATG) to promote aluminium as a key material for carmakers to meet customer and regulatory demands for increased safety, performance and fuel economy. We also continue to grow our advocacy footprint by building our Political Action Committee.

November/December 2018

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Time for action on Chinese overcapacity Nearly a year after he launched Section 232 national security investigations on imported steel and aluminium, President Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on most steel and a 10 percent tariff on most aluminium entering the United States. As of August 2018, every country – except for Argentina and Australia – is subject to the 10 percent aluminium tariff. Key trading partners like the European Union, Canada and Mexico were granted temporary exemptions while officials met to hammer out a deal. However, the Trump MORE THAN

162,000 W O R K E R S A R E D I R E C T LY EMPLOYED BY THE US A L U M I N I U M I N D U S T R Y, U P 3.5 PER CENT SINCE 2013

T O P RATED

Every aluminium vehicle ever crash-tested by US government agencies received a 5-star rating

administration allowed those temporary exemptions to expire on June 1.

The Aluminum Association believes across-the-board tariffs do not address the fundamental problem of massive aluminium overcapacity in China. The domestic aluminium industry is growing, but subsidised production in China, which is leading to unfair and illegal trade practices, threatens the industry’s continued health.

As the leading voice for the U.S. industry, the Aluminum Association continues to call for permanent, quotafree tariff exemptions for all countries designated as market economies and for a move toward immediate governmentto-government negotiations with China to address the trade-distorting practices that drive structural aluminium overcapacity.

To this end, the U.S., European, Canadian, Japanese, Brazilian and Mexican aluminium associations penned a letter to G20 leaders to reiterate the call for a global forum on aluminium overcapacity.

And in advance of the G7 meeting in Montreal this summer, the U.S., Canadian, European and Japanese associations met to discuss the overcapacity challenge and create a working “plan of action” for a sustainable industry.

With so much focus on international trade and a consensus that Chinese aluminium overcapacity is distorting the global market, now is the time for targeted action and an even stronger commitment from the G7 and the G20. Learn more about what the association is doing at www.aluminum.org/timeforaction.

A win for rules-based trade While the Section 232 discussion dominated most of the trade news on aluminium, the association’s Trade Enforcement Working Group was wrapping up its antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/ CVD) case on aluminium foil from China.

The AD/CVD case was the association’s Aluminium International Today

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ALUMINIUM ASSOCIATION 7 5

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first trade case of its kind and concluded with a unanimous finding from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that subsidised production of aluminium foil in China was harming domestic foil producers.

As a result, the Commerce Department issued unfair trade orders on aluminium foil imports from China imposing antidumping duties ranging from 49 to 106 percent and countervailing duties ranging from 17 to 81 percent.

Aluminium foil production in the United States supports more than 20,000 jobs and $6.8 billion in economic activity.

However, artificially low-priced aluminium foil from China has flooded the market in recent years and caused companies to cut back production and close U.S. factories.

The ITC’s decision has led to reinvestment and new growth in the domestic foil sector.

Since preliminary subsidy margins were announced last July, imports of Chinese aluminium foil into the United States have dropped more than five-fold. We have also seen investments in foil production from member companies like JW Aluminium and Granges. The Aluminium Association believes in strong trade enforcement and that targeted actions like these can have a great effect on markets that are being unfairly impacted by illegally subsidised production.

The Commerce Department’s targeted action to level the playing field was a big win for U.S. aluminium foil producers and rules-based trade. However, the situation in the foil market is symptomatic of the larger issue of Chinese aluminium overcapacity.

Towards the end of 2017, the Commerce Department self-initiated an AD/CVD investigation on imports of common alloy sheet from China. The agency again found imports from China are being sold at less than fair value (or “dumped”) in the United States and announced preliminary antidumping duties of 91 percent on imports of common alloy aluminium sheet from China as well as preliminary subsidy margins that range from 31 to 113 percent. The Commerce Department is slated to make a final decision in the case later this year.

Both the aluminium foil case and common alloy sheet case underscore the Commerce Department’s commitment to combatting unfair trade and creating a level playing field for domestic aluminium producers. This strategic trade enforcement is what the industry needs to remain competitive and healthy.

Auto drives aluminium demand It may be a multi-material world, but aluminium is the rising material of choice for automakers ­­ – offering the fastest, Aluminium International Today

Alu association.indd 2

TIME FOR ACTION ON CHINESE OVERCAPACITY In March 2018, President Trump announced a 10 per cent tariff on most aluminium products entering the United States.

The Aluminum Association, which represents the entire industry value chain and the vast majority of US aluminum production, suggests a more targeted approach to meet our shared objective of a thriving domestic industry

IMMEDIATE NEGOTIATIONS Move toward immediate government-to-government negotiations with China to address persistent overcapacity in both primary and semi-fabricated aluminium sectors

WORK WITH VITAL TRADING PARTNERS Provide tariff exemptions for countries that operate

as market economies and share our concerns on Chinese overcapacity

ADOPT IMPORT MONITORING SYSTEM Adopt an aluminium import monitoring system to

provide greater transparency for aluminum and aluminium products

entering the United States

STRENGTHEN FULL INDUSTRY VALUE CHAIN

Minimize disruption for the 97%

of aluminum manufacturing jobs in mid-and-downstream production processes

safest, most environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to boost fuel economy and cut total carbon emissions. Reducing vehicle weight – without reducing vehicle size or compromising safety – will be vital as automakers develop next generation cars and trucks. And automotive aluminium continues to be a big driver for domestic industry growth, with member companies investing more than $2.6 billion since 2013 to help meet demand.

Following a midterm review, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) in August released a final Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on vehicle fuel economy standards. The Safer and Affordable Fuel Efficient Vehicles Proposed Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 suggests eight possible scenarios ranging from a “preferred option” of freezing current standards at 2020 levels through 2026

to increasing standards by between two and three percent during that time period.

The NPRM also challenges whether the state of California should maintain its waiver authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate air pollution more aggressively than the rest of the country – making litigation between the state of California and the federal government on this issue likely.

Even the administration’s “preferred option” of flat lining the standards still envisions a 4.3 percent mass reduction of the fleet by 2025 (compared to 5.7 percent in the more aggressive Obama-era standards). Much of this mass reduction will require the increased use of aluminium to achieve.

The association supports fuel economy standards that continue to increase yearover-year, a negotiated outcome between California and the federal government maintaining one national program for November/December 2018

05/11/2018 09:54:12

8 ALUMINIUM ASSOCIATION

Monthly U.S. imports, 2008-2018 YTD (June) (Millions of Pounds) * Preliminary critical circumstance

180 160

Total

140 120

3 per. Mov. Avg. (Total)

100

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Preliminary subsidy margins Preliminary dumping margins

80 60 40 20 0

* Commerce Department reached a preliminary affirmative critical circumstance finding that requires U.S. importers of common alloy sheet manufactured by Chienese producers to post estimated countervailing duties for imports that entered the U.S. on or after Jan 23, 2018

45

Monthly U.S. imports, 2008-2018 YTD (June) (Millions of Pounds)

40 35 30

Total

3 per. Mov. Avg. (Total)

25 20

Preliminary subsidy margins Preliminary dumping margins Final AD/CVD orders

15 10 5 0

fuel standards, and continued regulatory certainty to encourage continued investment by automakers and suppliers in the United States.

Throughout the process, we have emphasised that reducing vehicle mass with more aluminium is one of the top strategies for automakers to safely and affordably drive fuel economy improvements.

Advancing aluminium Despite continued global trading challenges, the U.S. industry has an opportunity to play a larger role in the nation’s manufacturing growth. In April, the association released a new economic impact study that shows increased direct aluminium jobs over the past several years – more than 162,000 workers across the country. And preliminary data shows aluminium demand in North America totalled 27.2 billion pounds in 2017 – the eighth year of consecutive demand growth and a record since tracking began in the 1960s.

To help meet this record demand, association member companies have committed or completed more than $2.6 November/December 2018

Alu association.indd 3

billion in U.S. plant expansions since 2013.

Moreover, this investment will create more than 2,000 permanent American manufacturing jobs and strengthen the industry’s overall competitiveness.

Our members are investing not only in facilities to meet current and projected demand, but also in innovative technologies to keep North American aluminium competitive. Most recently, member companies Alcoa and Rio Tinto announced a new joint venture – Elysis – to create carbon-free aluminium. This revolutionary process produces oxygen and replaces all direct greenhouse gas emissions from the traditional smelting process. Alcoa, Rio Tinto, the Governments of Canada and Quebec, and Apple have invested a combined $144 million in research and development on this technology and plan to distribute it in 2024.

The North American aluminium industry has made significant strides in recent years to limit the environmental impact of producing aluminium, and Elysis is the latest example of how innovative technology can drive future sustainability gains.

In other news In 2013, a bipartisan group in the United States Congress formed the Congressional Aluminum Caucus. The caucus serves as a forum to raise awareness of the U.S. aluminium industry and every aspect of the metal’s production and use – from mining to manufacture to recycling.

As it adds new members, the caucus remains an invaluable resource for the industry both inside and outside the Beltway - sending letters on key issues, hosting briefings for members, and amplifying industry messages on Capitol Hill.

With global trade high on the White House’s priorities list, the caucus has been able to voice concerns and raise questions on behalf of the industry to key government officials.

Meanwhile, the Aluminum Association has worked to update some of the publications in its bookstore, including our “Rainbow Sheets” for the latest in alloy and temper designations as well as the latest Aluminum Statistical Review.

In response to the Section 232 tariffs, the association developed a special report, the “U.S. Aluminum Import Monitor,” which provides members the most recently released U.S. import data specific to aluminium products covered under the Section 232 remedy. The Aluminum Association is the lead source for industry statistical data and business information as well as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) alloy standards setting organization for the U.S. industry.

As the tariff process unfolds, the association is closely monitoring company requests for exemptions from both Section 232 and Section 301 (targeted at China) tariffs. As a membership benefit, the association maintains a document tracking the thousands of tariff exclusion requests for dozens of types of aluminium products.

Association members have access to this tracking document, as well as archived webinar content, information on public hearings and on-going exclusion process updates, through the membersonly website.

To cap off an eventful year, the association was recognised as one of the National Association of Manufacturers’ (NAM) Council of Manufacturing Associations’ (CMA) “10 Best Manufacturing Associations to Work For.” And we are looking forward to hosting out annual member meeting in Washington, D.C. on October 1-3.

To learn about the benefits of membership with the Aluminum Association, visit www.aluminum.org/ join. � Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 09:54:13

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10 SECONDARY

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Aluminium scrap is more and more valuable Aluminium recycling is gaining in importance as a source of raw materials. Today, aluminium scrap is already one of the most economically valuable secondary raw materials. Around 20 percent of the world’s aluminium requirements are covered by post-consumer scrap. ALUMINIUM - the world’s largest industry event recently presented the latest developments and potential of aluminium recycling.

Its significance is increasing in a time of shrinking raw material reserves and scarce, and above all expensive, energy.

Recycled aluminium is produced in the form of cast and wrought alloys. There are no qualitative differences between alloys made from the primary metal and those made from recycled aluminium.

Important raw material source Scrap supply is the bottleneck for the aluminium material cycle, since aluminium is used mostly in products with long service lives, e.g. in construction applications like windows or in cars. Windows, e.g., can have a service life of well over 50 years.

That makes it necessary to wait a long time before the scrap can be recycled. Not least for this reason, about 75 percent of all aluminium ever produced is still in use, meaning it’s not yet available for recycling.

Long before the need for sustainable development became a widely discussed topic, the global aluminium industry had already been running its material through a largely closed-loop cycle of metal production, processing, use and recovery. Product-related material cycles from production to processing and use to recovery of the metal are already largely closed today – depending on the application market. This has always been true for long-lived applications in cars and buildings – with recycling rates of about 95 per cent – and now for relatively shortlived product applications in packaging.

Recycling rates of more than 80 per cent have been reached in this segment in Germany, and recycling rates continue to rise in the EU area, as well.

November/December 2018

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The aluminium industry is by no means resting on its laurels; instead, it continues to work on filling existing gaps in the circular economy. In order to recycle the raw material even more intensively in Germany, German aluminium companies are investing in the expansion of their recycling capacities, drawing on ultramodern plant engineering technology.

Post-consumer scrap covers 20 percent of aluminium demand According to estimates by the International Aluminium Institute, about 17 million tonnes of post-consumer scrap accumulated worldwide in 2016. This volume will increase to about 21 million tonnes in 2020, representing a share of more than one third of today’s global production of primary aluminium. Today, about 20 per cent of aluminium demand is covered by old scrap – i.e. metal from products that have served their purpose.

Another source of raw materials besides old scrap is new scrap. New scrap refers to, for example, waste generated in the production of semi-finished goods, sprues from casting foundries, or shavings from the mechanical processing of semifinished goods and other products.

Initially, increasing aluminium demand leads to higher demand for semi-finished goods, which results in a higher volume of scrap – unless process optimisation steps can be implemented to reduce the amount of accrued scrap. This is done to the extent possible, in part because it’s economically beneficial to companies: more scrap means less product and thus less efficient production.

Aluminium scrap is among the most economically valuable secondary raw materials. Recovering and recycling it conserves resources and makes an important contribution to limiting the rise of greenhouse gases.

For that reason alone, using existing scrap is in the aluminium industry’s very own interest. The goal therefore must be to keep end-of-life aluminium products – whether they’re from construction, transport or packaging – in the reusable material cycle by leveraging appropriate collection systems, including end-of-life vehicle recycling, proper upgrading and dismantling, and deposit systems and/or recycling bins.

Thanks in particular to the lightweight construction megatrend, more and more aluminium is demanded and processed into a wide range of products. Once these are used up, they must be kept in the economic cycle as a valuable resource. The pool of aluminium scrap will grow exponentially, toughening the requirements for processing and sorting, on the one hand, and the metal trade as the link between the collection and melting down of old scrap, in particular, on the other.

Recycling Pavilion at ALUMINIUM 2018 The ALUMINIUM trade fair in Düsseldorf recently presented the latest developments and potential of light metal recycling.

The world’s largest industry event for the aluminium industry dedicated its own exhibition space to the subject of recycling. � Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 09:57:25

ADD THE DATES TO YOUR DIARY

Applying Industry 4.0 to the aluminium industry Aluminium manufacturers are constantly looking to improve the efficiency of their production processes and are relying upon increasingly sophisticated digital technologies to streamline their operations.

In such a fast-moving world, characterised by complex Internet-based manufacturing systems, Future Aluminium Forum 2019 is a must-attend event for aluminium professionals who want to unravel the mysteries and get to grips with the complexities of Industry 4.0.

This international technology conference will draw upon the unrivalled expertise of aluminium industry professionals, production technologists and academics, to create an event designed specifically for those seeking a greater understanding of ‘smart manufacturing’.

The canvas will be broader, the net spread wider and other linked topics – such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, and ‘social product development’ – will be high on the agenda.

The Future Aluminium Forum is a live discussion that will examine how Industry 4.0 and digitalisation will revolutionise aluminium manufacturing and analyse the benefits that can be gained from doing so.

Expect lively conversation, animated discussion panels and plenty of networking opportunities in Warsaw, Poland on 22-23 May 2019.

TO SPONSOR/EXHIBIT: Ken Clark International Sales Director +44 (0) 1737 855 117 kenclark@quartzltd.com

Nathan Jupp Sales Manager +44 (0) 1737 855 027 nathanjupp@quartzltd.com

TO SPEAK: Nadine Bloxsome Programme Director +44 (0) 1737 855 115 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

Official Media Partner

@alu_forum

Organised by:

www.FutureAluminiumForum.com FAF2019_1p_Ad_A4.indd 1

23/10/2018 10:58

12 SECONDARY

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Sustainable and profitable dross practices

By David D’Aoust*

For the aluminium industry, the subject of dross has become a point of frustration.

Globally, regulatory bodies have been steadily tightening environmental legislation, forcing smelters to reduce carbon footprints and reduce or manage their hazardous wastes in an environmentally acceptable fashion.

Simultaneously, competitive pressures are continually forcing smelters to find new ways to reduce costs and increase production efficiencies. In summary, aluminium smelters are seeking to reduce the impact of dross on their bottom line, while eliminating the environmental concerns associated with the waste stream.

Unfortunately, today, the only standardised technologies for dross recycling although profitable to operate, create more environmental issues than they solve. The industry standard, Rotary Salt Furnace (RSF) is no longer acceptable from an environmental perspective. In the RSF process, dross is charged with a salt flux in the furnace. Salt is added in the furnace to protect the metal from oxidation and facilitate the separation of the metal from the oxides. As much as 50% salt can be added to the dross in RSF. Fluxing salts do an imperfect job of protecting recoverable metallic aluminium from oxidation or thermiting during processing and as a result as much as 10-20% of the metallic aluminium can still be lost to thermiting. Another 5-15% metallic aluminium is lost by merging deeply inside the oxides which have now become saturated in salts and are considered salt cake or salt slag residues.

In total the RSF process will typically recover around 85% of the metallic aluminium that is contained within dross.

The resulting salt cake residue is a mixture of oxides, metallic aluminium, salts and nitrides, and is extremely hazardous, presenting significant environmental challenges. Salt cakes are highly reactive in a landfill environment and, even worse, toxic leachates can be released,

1.

Reduce the impact of dross on bottom line

» » 2.

Fig 1. Impact of dross on the bottom line

How? Streamline dross logistics Increase aluminium recovery rates

Eliminate environmental issues in the waste streams management How?

» »

Eliminate the production of salt cake or generally hazardous residues Eliminate environmental concerns in transporting dross off-site

contaminating water tables. The salt vapours emitted by the process also cause their own challenges as they tend to be corrosive. For these reasons, it does not make economical sense for an aluminium smelter to operate RSF on-site and as a result, a comprehensive network of offsite dross processing companies have formed around the world, offering tolling services to the aluminium industry.

In todays model, a typical aluminium smelter will allow their dross to cool so it may be transported to a toller’s facility.

During the cooling process, significant amounts of metallic aluminium contained within the dross is lost as it reacts with the atmosphere, thermiting and converting into aluminium oxides. The transportation of the cool dross is also expensive and in

Dross charged with salt flux

Furnace is heated with oxy or fossil fuels burner

Fig 2. Rotary salt furnace process

some cases requires special permitting.

Loading containers or trucks with dross is very difficult and time consuming. In addition, during shipment, the dross cannot come into contact with water as it may react and release harmful and potentially flammable gases. In certain circumstances it is possible for the dross to spontaneously combust.

When the toller receives the dross, they will process the material for a fixed fee per metric tonne using an RSF system, and then return the aluminium, which was successfully recovered back to the smelter in the form of ingots. Finally the toller must decide what to do with the remaining toxic salt cake residues, and is therefore left with a significant environmental liability.

This is a hidden liability for the smelter

Furnace is rotated.

Separation stage

Tapping recovering up to 85% of the Al

Residues discharged

Hazardous salt cake is sent to landfills Potential risk of leachates being released

*Sales Manager, PyroGenesis Canada November/December 2018

Secondary pyrogenesis.indd 1

Aluminium International Today

06/12/2018 15:03:52

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14 SECONDARY

On-site Hot Dross 100% metallic aluminium

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Off-site

Hot Dross 100% metallic aluminium

Fig 3. On-site dross supply chain versus off-site dross supply chain

10% Al is lost due to thermiting/oxidation as the dross cools

Dross is cooled 90% metallic aluminium DROSSRITETM 98% metallic aluminium

Metallic aluminium returned to smelters holding furnace 98% metallic aluminium

2% Al is used as a source of fuel to power the process

Secondary pyrogenesis.indd 2

Toller processes dross with RSF 75% metallic aluminium

RSF recovers 85% of Al contained within dross

Aluminium ingots are shipped back to the smelter 75% metallic aluminium

Only 75% of the metallic Al was recovered from the point of skimming

98% of the metallic aluminium is recovered and returned to the smelters operations

as well, as most developed countries have implemented extended producer responsibilities which ensure the smelter remains legally liable for their waste streams until end-of-life. In some regions of the world it is still possible to landfill this material under expensive permitting, although this is viewed as a short-term solution and these regions will likely eventually follow suit with the rest of the world in banning the landfill of salt cakes.

In Europe, there is a growing capacity of salt cake processors, who utilise newly developed technologies to recycle the salt cakes and convert the material into an inert, stable residue. Unfortunately, salt cake processing technologies require a significant footprint and have high operating costs, which of course must be built into a toller’s fees, increasing costs to the aluminium smelters.

To avoid salt cake production, some tollers have attempted to operate RSF without adding any fluxing salts. While it is possible to recover aluminium from dross with zero salt flux added using an adapted RSF system, it comes at a significant economic cost and yet does not solve the underlying environmental issues. The RSF process requires the use of a burner which means the atmosphere inside the furnace is uncontrolled. While the dross is being processed, it is continuing to react with the atmosphere inside the furnace and the metallic aluminium is thermiting and converting into oxides. Operating RSF without fluxing salts results in extremely low aluminium recovery rates, and the remaining residues will still be hazardous as they contain a significant amount of unrecovered metallic aluminium and a high concentration of nitrates, due to the prolonged exposure to the atmosphere at high temperatures. For these reasons, simply removing the fluxing salts from RSF operation is not a solution. Various other salt-free solutions have been explored over the years, none of which received November/December 2018

Dross is loaded & transported off-site

Fig 4. DROSRITE™ process

Dross is charged under argon gas

Furnace is rotated.

Separation stage

worldwide recognition or standardisation, including the Plasma Rotary Furnace and DROSCAR. Both of these technologies were salt-free, but suffered from high CAPEX and OPEX costs, low aluminium recovery rates, and still produced a residue that was still challenging in its management as they contained high levels of metallic aluminium and nitrates.

It becomes clear why the aluminium industry has found dross to be a challenging subject. As regulatory bodies tighten restrictions on what can be landfilled and how waste streams must be managed, and market forces continue to drive aluminium smelters to seek cost savings and production efficiencies, there has not been any solution that can provide financial improvement and simultaneously solve all the environmental concerns associated with dross processing.

Fortunately thanks to a word-leader in thermal waste management technology, PyroGenesis Canada Inc., there is a proven salt-free dross recovery technology which increases aluminium recovery to 98% and eliminates the production of hazardous waste residues called DROSRITE™ available to the industry.

In the DROSRITE™ process, hot or cold dross can be charged into the furnace. The DROSRITE™ system will automatically inject a controlled amount of argon gas quenching any thermiting reaction and preventing further loss of metallic aluminium. The furnace rotates, separating the metallic aluminium

Tapping, recovering up to 98% of the Al

Oxygen is injected, burning the remaining 2% Al

Salt-free residues discharged

from the oxides. The recovered metal is tapped and returned directly back into the smelter’s holding furnaces in a molten condition or cast into ingots.

The inert argon atmosphere protects the aluminium from thermiting and facilitates the metallic aluminium to separate from the oxides and coalesce, enabling the DROSRITE™ system to recover 98% of the aluminium that was contained within the dross.

Next, a partial amount of the remaining oxide/residue material is discharged from the furnace, and a small amount of hot residue material is left inside the furnace.

This residue material still contains about 2% metallic aluminium, so the DROSRITE™ furnace injects a controlled amount of oxygen to which causes a thermiting reaction, oxidising the remaining metallic aluminium, which will increase the furnace temperature to prepare for the next charge of hot or cold dross.

Thus, DROSRITE™ does not require any external heat source (no burner required) or salt fluxes, making the process energy requirements very low and the carbon footprint significantly lower when compared to competing technologies.

What is most important is that the final resulting residues are salt free, free of metallic aluminium, and have a low concentration of nitrates.

The simplicity of managing the nontoxic DROSRITE™ residues allows a compelling business case to be made for operating the technology on-site. � Aluminium International Today

06/12/2018 15:03:53

FIVES TECH + FIVES TEAM

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Thanks to highly-skilled and proactive Aluminium teams based in Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Europe, India, Russia, South Africa and UA E, Fives provides an efficient response to your daily needs. From preventive maintenance, modernization, inspection, repair to audit and training, Fives has a unique technical expertise coming from its experience as both equipment designer and supplier, and global solution integrator.

Fives aims at enhancing production on a long-term basis while ensuring operators’ safety and equipment reliability.

www.fivesgroup.com Aluminium

16 E-BOOK RECYCLING

www.aluminiumtoday.com

E-book helps recycling operations meet China’s new national standard Downloadable document reassures recycling facilities that technical solutions are available to meet tough new requirements on material purity levels

TOMRA Sorting Recycling has published an E-book containing advice on how to meet the tough new rules for sending recyclable materials to China. The e-book aims to address widespread concerns about China’s National Sword standard, introduced to the World Trade Organization in July 2017 and fully implemented on 1st March 2018, which demands higher purity levels in recyclable materials entering the country.

This standard is expected to be expanded to include a total of 16 materials by the end of this year, and to add a further 16 materials by the end of 2019.

National Sword has sent shock waves through the recycling industry by requiring more recyclable material arriving in China to have purity levels greater than 99.5%.

This is a significant increase from the 9095% purity levels previously accepted and will have far-reaching consequences: China is the world’s largest importer of recycled material.

TOMRA’s E-book explains why, for businesses striving to meet the new standard, adding more manual pickers is not a sustainable option, and why sensorbased mechanical solutions are financially smarter.

The publication - titled ‘National Sword - No Need for Fear!’ - is available online at https://leads.tomra.com/ebook/press/ and downloadable free-of-charge.

November/December 2018

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Exporting recyclable materials will now be more expensive TOMRA’s E-book opens with a realitycheck, warning that it will not be practical for scrap and recycling facilities to look for single-country replacements for exporting waste. Recycling facilities are likely to find they must split their waste exports between multiple countries, which will increase sales costs. Increases can also be expected in transportation costs because ships taking waste to China are usually able to make a cost-effective return trip loaded with consumer goods, whereas ships going to other countries often require additional payment for returning empty.

The answer to this new challenge is to improve the quality of recyclables by removing more impurities.

One short-term way of raising purity levels with existing recycling equipment is to slow down the belt and add manual

pickers to the final sorting stage. This approach might seem attractive because it requires little initial investment, but over time, it significantly increases operating costs. Adding two or three pickers can easily inflate annual processing costs by €82,000 ($100,000) or more, and a slower processing speed will reduce productivity and income.

Equipment upgrades make most sense A better solution is to upgrade the recycling circuit either by adding modern technologies to the existing recycling configuration or by constructing a new facility. This will reduce the number of pickers required, enabling more efficient workforce utilisation to reduce overhead and long-term operating costs. The cost of investment in new equipment is quickly recovered through increased productivity.

The E-book acknowledges that some equipment upgrades require complete circuit add-ons and more space, whereas other technologies can be added onto existing equipment in the circuit with minimal space requirements and low installation costs. For example, TOMRA’s new Laser Object Detection (LOD) system can be mounted onto the same platform as the AUTOSORT and FINDER systems to detect materials such as black plastics, rubber and glass. The LOD system can also remove printed circuit boards (PCBs) Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 10:17:28

E-BOOK RECYCLING 17 5

www.aluminiumtoday.com

- and TOMRA’s laser technology increases current circuit purity levels by as much as four percent, allowing scrap recyclers to achieve China’s purity requirements without significantly increasing energy consumption and costs.

For zurik and zorba non-ferrous products, scrap operations can attain National Sword purity levels with the combined technologies of TOMRA’s X-TRACT and COMBISENSE machines.

By passing zorba through an X-Ray Transmission unit to separate aluminium from heavy metals, X-TRACT can achieve aluminium purities of 98-99 percent. From the remaining heavy metals, COMBISENSE then sorts out valuable fragments of

copper, brass and grey metals.

Complementing these machines, TOMRA’s enhanced LIBS (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy) sorting technology employs a laser which can monitor the entire width of the belt, eliminating the complex and costly need to separate materials into single lanes.

In the separation of different aluminium wrought alloys, this enables sorting accuracies of 99 percent purity (or greater) with high throughputs of three to seven tons per hour.

Tom Eng, Senior Vice President and Head of TOMRA Sorting Recycling, commented: “National Sword has understandably been a source of great concern to many recycling operations, particularly those not yet attaining such high purity levels. TOMRA’s E-book addresses this challenge and shows that the necessary technical solutions already exist. Investing in new technology will enable businesses to comply with tougher new regulations, whether they come from China or elsewhere in the world. What’s more, customers will pay recycling businesses a higher price for a higher quality product.” � Contact www.tomra.com/recycling

Aluminium International Today

Secondary Tomra.indd 2

November/December 2018

05/11/2018 10:17:37

18 SECONDARY

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Aluminium cycle: Machining, briquetting, melting High quality briquetting systems increase efficiency and yield, says Christian Hamers* and Andreas Jessberger** RUF Maschinenbau delivers tailor-made briquetting solutions for all areas of application – Rolling mills, Extruders, Machining companies as well as Remelters resp. Refiners.

Aluminium’s recycling cycle begins and ends in melting plants. In between, this light metal is machined in many different industrial operations of diverse branches and ideally is then pressed into a compact briquette using a briquetting system from RUF. But where exactly are chips produced and why does briquetting usually make economic sense?

Aluminium chips are produced throughout the entire product creation process; during the surface treatment of cast bolts and rolling ingots, during profile, plate and sheet production as well as the machining of components.

Depending on whether they are produced by milling, turning, grinding or sawing, the chips, which are often wet, vary in form and properties; woollike, spiral, rough, fine etc. What they all have in common is: they will be re-melted, whether in a Remelter or a Refiner. This phase describes both: The end and the new beginning of the eternal AluminiumRecycling-Cycle.

Within this cycle, four branches, above all, are concerned with the importance of handling of aluminium chips: Rolling mills, Stamping/pressing plants, Machining companies and Melting works.

But what are the key considerations in detail? Loose chips have a large volume at low weight; so they display low bulk weight, typically lying between 140 to 250 kg/m3. This affects significant costs for storage as well as transport, both internally and externally.

In order to react against this, the chips must be pressed. This is where the applied technology is of high importance. RUF’s machines can compress to a level of 2,200 to 2,400 kg/m3 (and in individual cases these figures may be exceeded) when required. As a comparison: the density of solid aluminium lies, on average, at 2,700 kg/m3.

Briquetting in rolling mills Chips are created in Rolling mills through the milling off of the casting surface. Socalled edge trimming shavings are also created during the machining of sheets, coils or foils. Briquetting applies for either form. When the company has an affiliated melting works, the pressed aluminium will be conveyed directly there (highest added value). Otherwise they will be stored and sold on the scrap market.

On account of the high density when compared to loose chips, storage and transport costs are reduced by the use

of briquettes. Furthermore, briquettes achieve higher sales revenue because they are better suited to the melting process.

Benefits in brief: Reduced storage and transport costs, reduced operating costs through in-house-recycling, alternative sales revenues optimised.

Briquetting in pressing plants Pressing plants produce chips primarily through re-profiling and sawing of casted round bolts as well as finished extruded sections. As very few of these types of companies are affiliated with a melting works, storage and transport costs are extra significant.

Another factor above all in achieving higher sales revenues is that Stamping/ pressing plants dispose of single origin chips with a clearly defined composition.

This means they can be used as alloying additions during the melting process, which is very much in-demand in the melting plants as it means they have to purchase less, very expensive, alloying elements and aggregates.

Benefits in brief: Reduced storage and transport costs, sales revenues optimised, optimised remelting.

*Freelance Technical Consultant at RUF **Head of Sales, Ruf Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG November/December 2018

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Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 11:42:10

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20 SECONDARY

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The melting process is both the end and the new beginning of the eternal aluminium recycling-Loop. In between lies the machining of the materials and the briquetting of the chips.

Briqu

etting

Briqu

ette

press

BRIQUETTING CYCLE Proce s if nec sing essary

Turn chips ings, & swa rf

Primary aluminium

Recycling

Product

ion

Aluminium briquettes achieve up to seven per cent more yield than loose chips

Adapted briquetting technology from RUF Whether rolling mill, pressing plant, machining company or smelters; what is decisive is always using a needs based, high quality briquetting system. RUF has an appropriately large range of systems with customised automation and further accessories. Moreover, the numerous users of RUF systems confirm the high level of robustness, reduced maintenance costs as well

as reliable service. This means ROI is achieved often within one or two years.

As a leading innovator, the Bavarian company invests regularly in the optimisation of its systems and cooperates with research institutions and universities. Furthermore, RUF works intensively together with their customers.

RUF offers the companies the opportunity

Briquetting in machining companies Machining companies are to be found in many branches like e.g. in the Automobile industry, Aerospace and Mechanical engineering. Handling chips is daily business for these companies, and it has the association of a “waste product” of machining. The advantages of briquetting regarding storage and transport costs also exist here, just like the optimisation of sales revenues, because of the volume reduction of the chips after briquetting by a factor of between six and twenty.

Furthermore, there is another important factor in this area of application: The recovery of cooling lubricants, emulsions or oil.

RUF’s systems are equipped with an integrated catchment device for fluids. This ensures that your storage area remains clean, which is very much in alignment with orderly production processes and environmental protection in practice. Personnel costs are reduced and work safety levels are increased when the machine works automatically and only the conveyance of chips or briquettes requires service personnel.

Briquetting with remelters and refiners Remelters and Refiners are smelters, which are differentiated by e.g. the products they manufacture. Remelters mostly produce wrought alloys as wire, bolts and rolling ingots. Refiners produce casting alloys in the form of ingots. Both utilise chips, amongst others. The difference between using loose chips or briquetted aluminium for remelting is, in both cases, significant.

Because under the effect of flames, the light material burns-off very quickly instead of melting. And as the relation between surface area and density is particularly big with chips, a lot of material is lost through this burn-off. Moreover, the large exposed aluminium surface area of the chips mean a high tendency to oxide formation. This leads to further losses in the melting furnace in the form of dross.

A further problem factor in the melting of aluminium: when the liquid metal comes into direct contact with other liquids such as cooling lubricants, an almost explosive reaction takes place. Therefore, the factor of residual moisture is important.

Loose chips often have a moisture content of 20 per cent and more. If they are not briquetted, the chips must go through a centrifuge and further drying systems in order to remove the residual moisture. In contrast briquetting is

Benefits in brief: Reduced storage and transport costs, Recovery of Emulsion, Sales revenues optimised, Work safety and environmental protection.

November/December 2018

Secondary ruf.indd 2

Smelter

Sem i pro finish duc ed ts

to test the briquetting of their own chips in in-house test systems and/or they rent them briquetting machines. This is a basis for RUF engineers to optimise system solutions for individual cases and it is a way of introducing new areas of application.

significantly more economically effective, especially when high quality systems are used. An appropriately high pressing power reduces the moisture content down to between three and five per cent.

If the briquettes are subsequently stored in a dry place this reduces to values fewer than two per cent. And the briquettes can be safely and efficiently melted.

Benefits in brief: Reduced storage costs, higher safety levels, product quality, efficiency and metal yield increased, reduction in plant investment, sales revenues optimised.

Additional benefits for Refiners: no resp. reduced salt application, ancillary costs reduced.

Smelter requirements Because of burn-off and oxidation, loose chips cannot be used in some melting furnaces or only after very cost intensive treatment. The melting process of loose chips in a rotary drum furnace requires the addition of salt. The inherent problem here is: the left over salt slag has to be disposed of or undergo re-treatment, which is very expensive.

Hearth type melting furnaces can also be equipped with so-called Vortexinstallations, which can be operated with Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 11:42:14

M

SECONDARY 21 5

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SMELTER

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Four application branches in particular benefit from numerous benefits when aluminium chips are briquetted: Melting works, Stamping/pressing plants, Rolling mills and machining companies.

electromagnetic or mechanical pumps.

This leads to the chips being stirred into the molten mass. This functions pretty well, but it requires a lot of effort.

And apart from the purchase costs, the installation needs space, regular maintenance and there are also extra personnel and operating costs involved, particularly due to the high wear factor.

Two to seven per cent more yield from the melting process Independent of which furnace technology is implemented, the melting process functions at its best with highly compressed briquettes. What is decisive is the density of the briquettes, which lies between 2,200 and 2,400 kg/m3.

The density of liquid aluminium is, on average, around 2.350 kg/m3, depending on the alloy.

Therefore the briquettes hardly float at all, which means burn-off and oxide formation are reduced to the minimum.

This is the reason why Refiners generally report a yield at least two per cent higher.

Some have confirmed five to seven per cent more metal yield. ďż˝

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22 SECONDARY

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First industrial LIBS system for separating aluminium scrap alloys Purity is currently the primary objective when it comes to recovering secondary raw materials. And not just since China’s U-turn on stopping imports of low-quality metals.

The Cologne-based sorting specialist, STEINERT, is setting a milestone in the processing of aluminium scrap. By introducing the first LIBS sorting system in Europe, the company is bridging a crucial gap for its customer, an aluminium recycler, who will be able to use even more secondary scrap.

Returning aluminium to recycling circuits requires pure fractions, which processors can only manufacture on a step-bystep basis. The recycling process initially involves the separation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals – both of which are possible with STEINERT’s magnetic separation technology.

The next step in the process involves

STEINERT LSS: Line sorting system with LIBS technology for separating aluminium alloys

the key technology: X-ray transmission separates heavy metals from light metals.

This produces defined, clean aluminium mixtures. The STEINERT XSS T has been tried and tested in this area for years.

Nowadays, the combination of multiple sensors with X-ray transmission technology in the design of the STEINERT KSS is in demand to achieve an even greater sorting depth. It consists of a platform which deploys various sensors such as 3D, colour and induction recognition. The system can also be supplemented with a fourth sensor (near-infrared, X-ray transmission or X-ray fluorescence sensor). To recover the ZORBA fraction – the mixture of light and heavy metals – materials are separated using methods including X-ray technology into aluminium and the group fraction of copper, brass, zinc, etc.

Punching waste from the automotive industry (5xxx and 6xxx aluminium alloys)

November/December 2018

Secondary steinert.indd 1

The STEINERT LSS closes the gap in the sorting of aluminium alloys The missing link for aluminium recyclers, which separates pre-sorted aluminium scrap into its alloys, has been put into operation for the first time. The specially designed STEINERT LSS line sorting system enables the customer to separate multiple alloys with just one detection by the LIBS sensor. LIBS – short for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy – is a technology used for elemental analysis. By default, the calibration methods stored in the measuring device analyse the concentrations of the alloy elements Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Si, Zn and Cr. The sorting of alloys involves first separating the shredded material mixture in such a way that the material is fed past the laser so that the laser

The STEINERT XSS T separates light and heavy metals

Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 11:44:34

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Left: Al Profiles 30-80 sorted with STEINERT XSST

pulses hit the surface of the material.

This causes tiny particles of material to evaporate. The emitted energy spectrum is recorded and analysed simultaneously to detect the alloy and the specific alloy components of each individual object.

Different materials are detected in the first part of the machine. Compressed air valves then shoot these into different container in the second part of the machine, depending on their elemental

The STEINERT KSS multi-sensor machine uses X-ray sensors to separate aluminium and heavy metals effectively.

composition. “The demand for this sorting method, which is up to 99.9% accurate, is increasing – our order books are filling up already. The separation of

the material and the multiple outputs are of primary importance for our customers,” explains Uwe Habich, Technical Director of STEINERT. �

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Sorting makes sense Sales markets for reclaimed and recycled metals change again and again, as do the associated sorting trends. The marketing of metals through small and medium-sized recycling companies is under pressure. Mostly, SMEs are looking for solutions to further optimise their source material flows without much effort or rebuilding. This applies to the metal recycler in the automotive sector, as well as to the WEEE recyclers or others who trade in recycled metals.

This article concentrates on the nonferrous metals after the crushers, i.e. on the light and heavy metals such as aluminium, magnesium, zinc, copper, lead and stainless steel in a changed recycling world where China bans material fractions that were welcome before. In the US new tariffs have been imposed this year to impact the steel and aluminium industries.

Consequently, sales markets have reduced as territories have closed their doors to inferior material qualities, or changed economically. With the sales markets getting geographically smaller, and thus the supply getting bigger, recyclers have to deal with further price reduction. Improving the material quality helps to increase the selling price again.

The situation has changed: Need to upgrade Al sorting to avoid penalties for low material quality.

Opportunities for SMEs Shredder Residue, ZORBA, ZURIK: Let us look at how sorting quality can be improved cost efficiently by SME recyclers with different investment opportunities, because sorting better requires some investments. Today’s recycling facility applies different sorting technologies behind shredder and magnet. To improve sorting efficiency in metal recycling, this is where we start to look into the process focusing only on the sorting machines in this type of plant. The essential part of this material stream called shredder residue, does not contain too many metallic components, only 5-10% is metal. These are sorted out with the first sorting step, the eddy current separators (ECS). Here, the ECS produces the so-called Zorba and Fluff material fractions.

Improving ZORBA: This mixture of light and heavy nonferrous metals, is rich in aluminium, but this Al fraction is contaminated by the heavy metals portion such as zinc, lead, copper, brass, bronze, and stainless steel, but also PCB’s (Printed Circuit Board). The November/December 2018

Secondary Sense2.indd 1

first consideration is to separate the light fraction of cast and wrought Al alloys, with some Mg alloys, from the heavies.

None of the consumers of lights or heavies value the present of the other.

The contaminating metals cause price deductions and thus reduce the income of the recycler. Recyclers are faced with the need to upgrade their Al fraction to avoid penalties for low quality material.

Zorba has several separation options because of different sorting opportunities.

With our spectroscopy-based sorters like S2S XRF-Sense and S2S LIBS-Sense, all metal types and alloys can be analysed and sorted based on their elemental properties. Now the customer will indicate his interest in terms of required

sorting qualities and material streams.

For example, wrought and cast sorting and the separation of the heavies, to reduce the zinc content or recover all high Fe aluminium alloys. Zorba can be a “pure” aluminium fraction using XRF and LIBS sensor based sorting technologies.

These technologies are also applied by secondary aluminium smelters directly to cost efficiently create smelt ready metal packages.

The good news is, today’s sorting technologies allow the automatic sortation according to their elemental composition, thus even alloys can be classified.

For their part, secondary aluminium smelters are opting to buy lower-cost scrap and process it into melt-ready packages.

This ‘greener’ process approach not only makes their raw material supply more predictable but also increases the margin on their final product. Construction material, beverage containers and, most recently, the explosive growth in aluminium usage in vehicle manufacturing are the driving forces behind this approach.

Improving ZURIK: The other post Eddy Current Separator fraction is supposed to be the waste fraction, Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 10:41:17

SECONDARY 25 5

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or Fluff; at least it was called so, for many years, until the induction sorter was introduced into the European Metal Recycling market end of the last century.

There is still a lot of metals to be recovered in the Fluff material stream: Mainly wires and plastic coated wires, stainless steel, PCBs and a minimum amount of other non-ferrous metals, that are missed by the ECS can be recovered with induction

sorters such as our S2S Metal-Sense. This extraction mixture of metal containing material is called Zurik. This machine is used for two steps in the Zurik application.

First step is the stainless steel separation followed by the second step, where all wires and other metals are sorted out. The rest fraction is free of metals (>99%). The first step is getting more and more importance since stainless steel is

unwanted in the copper wire fraction. The stainless steel fraction will have parts of metal rich PCBs and big copper pieces, so a quality control is needed by hand sorting or by applying our S2S-RobotSense, to automate manual sorting easily.

In addition to providing standard sorting solutions for improving sorted material qualities in recycling applications, it has been our passion to supply customised plant solutions, integrating existing sorting technologies at the customers yard and improve the process to more efficiency by redesigning the process to today’s standards, both economically and on a reduced footprint.

For upgrading smaller material quantities, the company Sense2Sort has developed “Plug ‘n Sort”-sorters based on different sensor technologies.

Sense2Sort Toratecnica, S.L. has built and serviced sensor-based sorting machinery for recycling applications all over the world. Their classic product offering is based on common sorting technologies such as Induction, CCD, NIR, XRF, LIBS and combinations thereof. � Contact www.toratecnica.com

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www.innovaltec.com November/December 2018

05/11/2018 10:41:19

ASSOCIATION UPDATE 27 5

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Why scrapping aluminium import duties will protect EU downstream By advocating the scrapping the EU’s tariff on unwrought aluminium imports, FACE – the Federation of Aluminium Consumers in Europe – is speaking up in defence of the competitiveness of the downstream industry. By Mario Conserva* It’s a well-known fact that pricing aluminium through the London Metal Exchange’s (LME) daily quotes, the metal’s price should ensure that regions of the global market operate on a level-playing field. The LME base price, plus regional/ product premia, directly linked to logistics costs and demand and supply conditions should, ostensibly, yield a ‘fair’ aluminium price. But not all markets are created equal, and a cursory look at Europe’s market situation dispels this fact as nothing more than wishful thinking – just ask Europe’s downstream producers.

Thanks to the bloc’s 6% import tariff on unwrought metal (Fig. 1), the competitiveness of small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) in downstream sectors has been curtailed. Rather than increasing access to a steady supply of unwrought aluminium, the import tariff has acted as a hidden subsidy to a handful of large, vertically integrated companies, including non-EU based firms.

This state of play has caused billions of Euros in needless extra costs to the downstream industry and is posing a threat to the competitiveness of thousands

of companies that together employ more than 230 000 people across the EU. To prevent any further damage and ensure the success of Europe’s downstream industry, FACE, the Federation of Aluminium Consumers in Europe, was created by downstream SMEs in 1999.

Since then, FACE has repeatedly urged the European Commission to remove the import tariff on unwrought aluminium.

A brief overview of the tariff regime’s economic effects Make no mistake, the adverse competitive environment in which European semifabricators are operating is familiar to market watchers. And yet, even after 20 years of FACE activity, simple economic principles relating to the policy cause and price effect are still being misunderstood or are wilfully ignored. Yet the veracity of the fact that “The introduction of import tariffs is expected to increase prices of imported goods as well as domestic prices” (Brander 1986; P. Krugman, Obstfeld, & Melitz 2015), has been proven on multiple occasions.

On paper, the European Commission’s

MFN import tariffs for unwrought aluminium Product category

HS Code

Code description

76.01.100000 Aluminium, not alloyed

Unwrought aluminium 76.01.202090

Aluminium alloys, Slabs and billets, Other*

76.01.100000 Aluminium alloys (other)

EU law MFN Applied tariff (%) (Regulation No.) 3 R0705010 4 R1623900 6 R9720860

reasoning for imposing and keeping the import duties on unwrought aluminium is supporting primary aluminium smelting in the EU (source: EC 2010). However, the reality is that the duties have had the opposite effect, and as such, have completely failed in their objectives.

Previous studies paid attention to the aluminium industrial chain, such as “Competitiveness of the EU nonferrous Metal Industries, Final Report” (ECORYS, April 2011), and “Assessment of Cumulative Cost Impact for The Steel and The Aluminium Industry” (CEPS 2013), both of which mainly focused on the upstream segment of the industry, i.e. the producers of primary metals. However, some reference to the downstream sector of semis and foundry castings producers can be found in the Ecorys study, which argued back in 2011 that “Import tariffs should be reduced or eliminated, at least for aluminium; simultaneously other competitiveness issues related to e.g. high energy costs and aluminium scrap market distortions should be addressed through other policy measures” (p.19).

The same study estimated that “a

Primary production of aluminium in the EU28 (‘000 tonnes)

� The EU has experienced a declining primary aluminium production over the past few years

3,233 3,256 3,111 3,040 3,076 3,050 3,020 3,054 2,951

� Since 2008, primary production of unwrought aluminium shrank by 30%.

• MFN Applied tariff for Aluminium alloys, Slabs and billets containing lithium (HS Code 76.01.202010) is 0 % • Source: Authors based on European Commission, Market Access Database and WTO Tariff Download Facility

An international comparison of MFN import tariffs for unwrought aluminium

HS Code

Code description

76.01.10

Aluminium, not alloyed, unwrought

76.01.20 Unwrought aluminium alloys

EU* 3 4-6

USA** 0 - 2.6 0 - 2.6

Japan 0 0

China 5 7

India 5 5

0 0-5

•MFN Applied tariff for Aluminium alloys, Slabs and billets containing lithium is 0 % • ** To be verified Source: The European Union Aluminium Industry - EU trade policies and the competitiveness of the downstream sector Gruppo di Ricerche Industriali E finanziarie - GRIF “Fabio Gobbo” Luiss Guido Carli University

Fig 1. Current levels of import tariffs for unwrought aluminium

2,580

Russian Federation

2000

2002

2004

2006

� According to European Aluminium, the number of smelters in operation in the EU decreased by 2,199 2,298 38% in the period 20022,141 2,063 2,135 2016, further increasing 2,170 2,299 2,040 market concentration at 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2017 the European level

Fig 2. The EU28 declining production of primary aluminium Source: The European Union Aluminium Industry - EU trade policies and the competitiveness of the downstream sector Gruppo di Ricerche Industriali E finanziarie - GRIF “Fabio Gobbo” Luiss Guido Carli University

� As a result, imports from third countries have become more and more important to meet the EU demand

*General Secretary of FACE Federation of Aluminium Consumers Europe Aluminium International Today

FACE.indd 1

November/December 2018

05/11/2018 10:46:14

28 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

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9,000

EU28 production of primary aluminium (‘000 tonnes) Country

2000

2005

2010

2015

2016

2017

Δ 00-17

8,000

Germany

644

643

401

542

548

535

-17%

7,000

France

441

442

357

419

425

416

-6%

Spain

365

397

366

349

353

337

-8%

UK

305

366

186

47

46

40

-87%

5,000

Netherlands

302

334

214

31

57

36

-88%

4,000

Italy

189

193

135

0

0

0

-100%

Romania

179

244

207

207

208

210

17%

Greece

163

165

135

176

182

181

12%

Slovakia

110

159

163

171

174

174

58%

Sweden

100

103

93

116

123

123

23%

Slovenia

75

121

41

84

84

84

11%

Poland

45

55

0

0

0

0

-100%

Hungary Total EU 28

34

36

0

0

0

0

-100%

2,951

3,256

2,298

2,141

2,199

2,135

-28%

The decline of unwrought primary aluminium production has been particularly severe in the EU (-28% in 2000-2017). In terms of geographical distribution of production, Germany, France, and Spain are the countries with the largest share of production. In 2017, they produced about 60 percent of the primary aluminium in EU28 (compared to 46 percent in 2008).

Fig. 3 The aluminium upstream: the decline of primary metal production in EU28

somewhat simplified calculation suggests that reducing the import duty tariff (on raw aluminium) by 1%, or EUR 15 at a metal price of EURO 1,500, would result in a loss of revenue for the primary sector of EURO 45 million, at an EU production level of 3 million tonnes. In addition, it would reduce costs in the downstream sector by EURO 117 million, given that 7.8 million tons of primary aluminium are consumed by the producers of semis.

Semi-producers located outside the EU with duty-free access to the EU, or benefit of GSP preferential treatment, have a cost advantage compared to EU operators because they pay less for primary aluminium” (p.201).

But neither study provided a comprehensive assessment of the tariffs’ effects on the downstream sector.

The LUISS studies Enter the LUISS studies. At FACE’s initiative, the LUISS University of Rome released in 2015 a thorough study to fully assess the impact of EU policies on the competitiveness of downstream transformers in the aluminium industry.

The main questions to be answered were: what is the trade policy of the EU and what is the impact of import tariffs on the EU market price for unwrought aluminium? What is the impact of the EU’s trade policy on the competitiveness of downstream aluminium transformers?

The conclusions were clear: the EU lacks raw aluminium production capacities, and the 6% import tariff served no purpose other than causing a hefty 15 billion Euro worth of damages between 2000 and 2013 to the industry’s downstream – the most important part of the value chain in terms of revenues and number of employees (Luiss, Centro di Ricerca di Economia Industriale e Finanza “Fabio Gobbo”: The impact of EU policies on November/December 2018

FACE.indd 2

Apparent consumption, installed capacity, production, and imports of primary aluminium in the EU28 (‘000 tonnes)

6,000

3,000 2,000 1,000 -

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

EU28 - primary aluminium imports (extra-EU) EU28 - primary aluminium production EU28 - primary aluminium apparent consumption EU28 - primary aluminium capacity Source: The European Union Aluminium Industry - EU trade policies and the competitiveness of the downstream sector Gruppo di Ricerche Industriali E finanziarie - GRIF “Fabio Gobbo” Luiss Guido Carli University In 2017, the EU primary aluminium production was about 27 percent of EU primary aluminium apparent consumption, defined as primary aluminium production plus imports minus exports. Furthermore, in the same year, as a consequence of the process of profound disinvestments and the resulting several smelter closures started in 2008, the EU total installed smelting capacity was instead 31 percent of the EU primary aluminium apparent consumption. Capacity utilisation of smelting facilities can be thus estimated to be around 88 percent in 2017, signalling that the production capacity of EU primary aluminium firms is nearly fully exploited

Fig 4. (Right) The EU primary aluminium deficit

the competitiveness of the EU aluminium industry: A focus on non-integrated downstream users”, Rome, January 2015).

Three years on, the situation is even worse. The EU28 continue to be heavily reliant on imports of primary aluminium.

Since 2015, alumina output has slowed, mirroring the sharply declining production of primary unwrought aluminum. Primary aluminium producing countries like Italy, the Netherlands and the UK have ceased or drastically reduced their production, meaning that the European aluminum industrial value chain is critically dependent on foreign-produced metal.

Meanwhile, pressures from Chinese companies and protectionist US trade policies are only exacerbating the already precarious market conditions. In light of this increasingly critical situation for the future of the entire aluminium downstream chain, the LUISS study was updated in 2018 in order to assess and forecast the relative position of EU nonintegrated downstream producers.

The first conclusions of the new study,“The European Union Aluminium Industry Trade Policies and the Competitiveness of the Downstream Sector” (Gruppo di Ricerche Industriali e Finanziarie GRIF Fabio Gobbo, LUISS University, Rome 2018), to be finalized before the end of the year, are damning.

In spite of the 6% tariff, the dependence on unwrought aluminium imports has skyrocketed, as primary aluminium production is declining ever-faster (Figs.

2,3 and 4). The EU lost more than one quarter of its smelting capacity in the period 2008-2016 because of disinvestment, resulting in several smelter closures. According to the European Aluminium, the number of smelters in operation in the EU decreased by 38% between 2002 and 2016.

This means the tariff failed to achieve

its stated purpose. What it did achieve, however, is to act as a break on the competitiveness of the EU’s downstream producers. As the LUISS study points out, (Fig. 5) the breakdown of the extra costs for such producers over the period 20002017 can be estimated at €19.2 billion – or an average cost for every aluminium tonne consumed of over 100 Euros.

Brussels’ imperative to act It is obvious that the duty is doing the SMEs in the aluminium industry no good.

The numbers in the LUISS study should speak by themselves: the EC should change its approach and abandon the unwrought aluminium import tariff completely. Not only would this reduce the burden on SMEs by over a €1 billion a year, it would also protect jobs and business opportunities.

Duties are a protection tool that must be deployed carefully, as they necessarily imply a value judgment by the regulator, which decides to alter market conditions to fit certain priorities. But what the EU needs is an effective and comprehensive industrial policy for the aluminium industry that takes into account the entire value chain, starting from the end-user industries to the upstream activities. Such an approach must necessarily include cross-sectoral measures from different policy areas, especially in energy, trade, research, raw materials, and public administration.

Appropriate support schemes other than customs duties have to be designed for maintaining smelters, and for encouraging secondary metal production.

Therefore, abolishing the unwrought aluminium customs duty should be a first important step. Numbers don’t lie: the duty unnecessarily raises downstream costs without offering any tangible benefit of upstream production. � Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 10:46:14

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US UPDATE: EXTRUSIONS 31

Extrusion demand on the increase

By Myra Pinkham* U.S. aluminium extrusions demand has been stellar this year. Not only has it been building further upon last year’s momentum, but further increases are expected next year. The market, however, isn’t without its challenges, many of which are the product of such trade-related issues as the Section 232, Russian sanctions and the suspected transshipment of certain Chinese extrusion products.

“In the generally cloudy world that we are living in, the generally across-theboard increases in demand has been the star of the show,” Jeffrey Henderson, president of the Aluminum Extruders Council, says, maintaining that business has been so strong that extruders are scrambling to keep up with the work and with their supply of billet.

Cleary the extrusions market has been helped by certain macroeconomic factors, including the strong U.S. economy, high consumer and business confidence, high employment rates and interest rates that are still fairly low, at least from a historical perspective. “When you combine this with the lightweight, corrosion resistance and recyclability of aluminium, it is a pretty good recipe for increased strength for the aluminium extrusions market,” Mike Stier, vice president of strategy and innovations for Norsk Hydro’s Chicago-based North American extrusions unit, maintains.

Mike Southwood, a senior aluminium analyst for CRU Group, who is based in the company’s North American office expects that U.S. extrusions shipments will

be up 4.5 percent year on year in 2018, which he says is a very healthy growth rate given that last year was also a very strong year with 3.8 percent year on year growth.

This is in line with the latest Aluminum Association data which has U.S. and Canadian extrusion shipments were up 4.8 percent year to date through August.

This not only comes from the strength in such traditional end use markets as the transportation sectors, but also increased use in several other applications, including renewable energy, boat building and industrial automation, Steve Schabel, chief sales and marketing officer for Alexandria Industries, points out.

In fact, according to Lynn Brown, managing partner for Consulting Collaborative, this year extrusions demand for most end markets are expected to return, or exceed, the pre-crash peaks reached in 2006-07 with the most notable exception being building and construction, a sector that had peaked at an unusually high level. That said, while construction starts, especially residential housing starts, remain far below peak levels, they have been and continue to be on an upswing.

Also, according to Blain Tiffany, vice president of sales and marketing for Kaiser Aluminum Corp., distribution sales of soft alloy extrusions, which are ultimately utilised across a myriad of industrial end market applications, remains solid. “While the economy seems to be improving, the U.S. Index of Industrial Products is still relatively flat with 2005 notwithstanding

a modest two percent increase in the past two years,” Tiffany explains.

U.S. extrusions demand in the transportation sector has been particularly strong, according to Henderson, who estimates overall it is up about 10 percent year on year. But even though most people tend to attribute this to the automotive sector, Southwood says that this strength is actually three-fold with even more extrusion consumption growth coming from the heavy-duty trucks and truck trailer sectors.

This comes amid certain somewhat conflicting factors at play in the automotive sector. Kirstine Veitch, Metal Bulletin Research’s principal aluminium consultant, explains that while North American auto output has peaked and come down slightly, there continues to be an increase in the intensity of extrusion use per vehicle both because of the product mix – with the majority of autos being produced being light trucks vs. passenger cars – and with automakers looking to lighten the weight of their vehicles.

First of all, even though its is down from the all-time record of 17.9 million vehicles hit in 2016, Mothersole says that North American auto output remains strong historically speaking. In fact, many automotive analysts say it will remain very close to 2017 levels at somewhere between 16.8 million and 17.2 million light vehicles produced.

Meanwhile, even though the industry is not quite as optimistic as it was

*US Correspondent Aluminium International Today

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November/December 2018

05/11/2018 10:53:18

32 US UPDATE: EXTRUSIONS

three or four years ago following the announcement of the aluminium, including aluminium extrusions, use in the Ford F150 pickup truck given that less than expected growth for other light truck models, Mothersole says that average content per North American vehicle is continuing to move up.

Ducker-FSG’s most recent report, which was released in 2017, predicted that the average extrusion content of the average North American passenger car to go from an average of 30 lbs. per vehicle in 2016 to 38 lbs. per vehicle in 2020 and to 46 lbs. per vehicle by 2025. This year, according to CRU’s Southwood, extrusions use in light vehicles is up about six percent year on year.

But going forward, Mothersole says that the increase might not be quite as pronounced as previous expectations considering several factors, including expectations that the Trump administration will freeze, if not roll back, previously

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Also, it is questionable how much of an impact the slowing of U.S. environmental regulatory standards will have, Brown says, explaining that drive for greater fuel efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions isn’t just a U.S. issue.

“Just about every country, including developing countries, have set aggressive environmental targets,” he points out.

“So, with the automakers needing to be global players in global markets, any change in the U.S. regulations isn’t that big of a deal.”

Meanwhile, another trend that is supportive of increased extrusions use is the growing electrification of vehicles with the greater acceptance of not just hybrids but pure electric vehicles. “One way to reduce the range anxiety that people have regarding these vehicles is to make them lighter,” Brown says, noting that this is very important given that batteries are heavier than internal combustion engines. He notes that the lightweighting

Extruded products demand

Producer shipments (Millions Lbs)

Imports ‘17

Imports ‘18

550

50

500

45

450

40

400

35

350

30

300

25

250

20

200

15

150

10 Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

Source: Aluminum Association

announced fuel efficiency standards and that certain competitive automotive materials, most notably, advanced high strength sales have been making a compelling case as a lightweighting alternative.

Others in the industry, however, playdown these factors, especially given that, according to Hydro’s Stier, as they use more aluminium extrusions in autos, including in bumpers, frame rails and other crash management systems and in the body in white, they are getting more comfortable with using extrusions in other applications as well, including in anti-lock braking systems, manifold blocks and trim. Hydro recently announced that it was adding a new $100 million plant at its Cressona facility to allow the company to provide new manufacturing capabilities needed to better compete in the automotive market.

November/December 2018

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Imports (Millions of pounds)

Producer ‘18

Producer ‘17

july

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Not seasonally adjusted

advantage of using more aluminium, including aluminium extrusions, could be compounded by the ability for the automakers to use smaller motors and smaller braking systems.

But the benefits of using aluminium extrusions in electric vehicles go beyond lightweighting, Hydro’s Stier point out, noting that the battery packs that electric vehicles use also have unique cooling requirements. “Aluminium isn’t just a good thermal conductor, but its thermal management characteristics are helpful in cooling applications as well.”

While automotive demand is clearly very important, Southwood says the big story on the transportation side is heavyduty trucks and truck trailers, with truck trailer orders up 28 percent and Class 8 truck orders up 108 percent year to date through July.

This, MBR’s Veitch points out, comes

after those markets had been in a recession in 2015 and 2016, who also notes that due to the lag in the time between when these orders were placed and when the trucks and trailers are actually manufactured, extrusions use in these markets haven’t picked up quite as dramatically, although they could begin to catch up in the next 12 months or so, especially given that both trucks and truck trailers have become more extrusion intensive in an effort to make them lighter weight and more fuel efficient. She estimates that extrusions use for heavy trucks increased five to seven percent in the first half. Meanwhile Southwood estimates that extrusions use for trailers are up 13 to 15 percent.

Southwood explains that while the ageing truck fleet, as well as the desire of trucking to operate more fuel efficient vehicles has made orders to “go like gang busters,” with the limited production slots available at the truck OEMs has resulted in record backlogs at those companies.

One of the major factors propelling commercial trailer orders is healthy consumer spending and the strength of manufacturing economic indices given the amount of freight that moves around the continent via truck trailers, Hydro’s Stier points out. This comes with U.S. GDP growing by 4.2 percent in the second quarter, the Conference Board’s assessment of consumer confidence hitting an 18 year high in September and the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing purchasing managers index jumping to 61.3 percent in August – its highest level since 2004.

The combination of a shortage of truck drivers and new regulations controlling their hours of service has also bolstered trailer demand. Southwood explains that several companies have opted to keep an extra truck trailer onsite to cutback the time that the drivers need to take loading and unloading cargo. “This way they can drop one trailer off and pick up the second already loaded trailer, saving them a lot of time.”

Demand for extrusions in the building and construction sector, while solid, is somewhat more modest, Southwood says, placing this year’s growth rate at about three to four percent, with much of this growth being driven by the commercial construction sector. He says that the recently passed corporate tax breaks, when combined with the strong U.S. economy and still relatively inexpensive financing costs.

But while the tax reform has provided “some extra pop,” and that construction demand will remain “reasonably strong” going forward, IHS Markit’s Mothersole says that the tax cuts’ impact upon non-residential construction isn’t yet as Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 10:53:18

34 US UPDATE: EXTRUSIONS

strong as had been expected because of the uncertainty being created by trade actions. “We haven’t seen the same surge in equipment and plant spending that there might have been, especially given the kind of stimulus that has been provided,” he says, noting that this comes as there are some signs that the growth in housing starts might not be quite as strong as previous expectations.

As far a new, emerging extrusion applications, Alexandria’s Schabel says that extrusion demand from the renewable energy sector, including the solar industry, is expected to grow 10 to 15 percent this year with, due to trade tariffs, more components being made domestically that had been previously been made in China. Also, he says that extrusions consumption by boat builders

cases in Australia and other countries against Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.

He says it was these cases that gave the AEC the evidence it needed to file the U.S. transshipment case. “We also have heard of several incidents of transshipments from Malaysia and we are looking at whether to also file a circumvention case against that country depending upon what evidence is uncovered,” Henderson says. “Malaysia needs to stop it. It needs to shut this down. If they don’t, then their entire marketplace will likely to be subject to duties.

There are also other major trade issues that could affect the domestic extrusions market, but not so much relating to imports of extrusions themselves as the availability and prices for billets and other extrusion raw materials.

is also up 10 to 15 percent year on year and that its use in LED lighting is up about five percent, particularly in commercial buildings.

Veitch says that imports are less of an issue for extrusions given the antidumping and countervailing duties imposed in 2011 against Chinese imports, although she admits that there is an issue of suspected transshipments coming from such countries as Vietnam, Mexico, Indonesia and Malaysia. “There are concerns that they are using Chinese origin material that are just being slightly processed in those countries and being imported into the United States, although that has been tricky to prove.”

AEC’s Henderson says that the preliminary decision on Vietnamese circumvention this May has helped a little, but extrusion imports from Vietnam and Malaysia continue to show growth. He points out that this is even though the International Trade Alliance, of which AEC is a member, has filed transshipment

A lot of attention has been upon the Section 232, which, Henderson says could have an impact upon industry lead times, especially for extruders with customers, or internal supply chains, that are on both sides of either the U.S.-Canada or U.S.-Mexico border. He says that many of those companies that are “getting hit with tariffs coming and going” are now looking to reshuffle their supply chains given their inability to pass along much of this additional cost.

But even with the 10 percent Section 232 tariffs for imports from most countries and the quotas for others, U.S. supply of aluminium extrusions remains healthy even with the strong and growing demand, Southwood says.

Rather, the area of growing concern seems to be revolving around the extruders’ raw materials, with billet supply being a particularly hot topic, Southwood says, especially given that the U.S. gets a lot of its billet from offshore. He notes that there has been a lot of panic about

November/December 2018

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billet supply, with the first wave of billet tightening coming early this year when the Section 232 was first announced.

He says a second “shock to the system” came in June when the tariff exclusion from Canada – a big billet supplier to the U.S. market – was stripped away. IHS Markit’s Mothersole notes the impact of that has been compounded by the union lockout that began in mid-January at the Aluminerie de Bécancour Inc smelter – a joint venture of Alcoa Corp. and Rio Tinto – in Quebec, resulting in the idling of two of its three potlines.

There was also a lot of panic, starting in April, when it was announced that the U.S. government would be hitting Russia, including UC Rusal, with trade sanctions.

Southwood says that even though Russia just imported about 110,000 tonnes of billet into the United States last year, it caused those extruders who have been reliant upon Russian billet to scramble for supply. But now that U.S. Treasury Department has softened their stance upon the sanctions somewhat, giving U.S. companies first until Oct. 23 and now until Nov. 12 to wrap up their business with Rusal, Southwood says that some Russian billet has begun to trickle back into the market, resulting in a better balance of supply. As a result, billet upcharges, which had jumped to an all-time high in midJune have since eased slightly.

But Mothersole says it is possible that he wouldn’t be surprised if the sanctions will eventually be enforced as originally prescribed, keeping Russian billet out of the U.S. market, possibly at the same time that Argentina’s Section 232 quota limits will be met, resulting in a lot of market volatility.

Despite this, Alexandria’s Schabel expressed confidence about being able to continue to meet his customers’ requirements, even as given strong and growing end-use demand. Stier has a similar take, confident that with Hydro’s relationships with its suppliers that it will have the billet it needs, “But it will put some cost pressure upon us.”

Even with the uncertainties that trade issues have bringing with it, it is generally expected that there is still some upward momentum in the U.S. extrusions market.

In fact, Brown says that this year extrusion shipments could top the record levels that were seen in 2006 and move up another two percent or so next year.

Further out, however, there are concerns about another recession, for no other reason than that the industry has had such a long economic uptick, he says, predicting that things could start moving down by late 2019 or early 2020. “The question is whether by talking ourselves into it that could accelerate the timing.” � Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 10:53:30

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20.09.18 11:59

36 EXTRUSION

Production trumps safety For every day that goes by, valued manufacturers look for opportunities to lead the way in their industry – not just for tomorrow – but in five or 10 years from now.

Such companies will stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in equipment technology and industry best practices, while continuously seeking innovative solutions to help their original equipment manufacturers (OEM) customers efficiently develop better products. They also support employee skills development through training programs that address business acumen, industry and equipment knowledge as well as personal development.

This type of forward-thinking mind set can take companies beyond simply meeting customer needs. It will parlay to seeking improvements in all areas of a business, from the front office and shipping, to information systems and manufacturing technology.

In reality, however, efforts such as these may actually look and feel completely different to the manufacturing employees responsible for production. The employees working here might tell a different story. They may be required to produce high volumes within unreasonably tight timeframes or work mandatory overtime during the boom-times.

It can be worse too. Some employees might choose to put off a machine’s preventative maintenance schedule or rig a temporary fix until a new part arrives to repair a broken mechanical piece. The November/December 2018

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often-felt mantra in manufacturing is to keep production running – no matter what.

Working environments are either safe, or they are not safe. Which environment do your employees work in? Do your customers’ needs trump the safety of your employees, or do you look for new ways to increase company performance while ensuring the well being for your employees?

The choices we make Not long ago, Alexandria Industries, a U.S. manufacturing company with aluminium extrusion, fabrications and finishing services, focused its efforts on where the company wanted its health and safety programs to go in the future. For starters, leadership needed to conduct a selfassessment of where the company stood with the number of safety incidents.

After evaluating the types of injuries occurring and understanding why they were happening, company safety leaders realized they needed to do something

differently. The current program was not cutting it.

Having previously investigated behaviour-based safety training programs, leadership was undecided on which direction to go with a new safety program.

Should the company develop its own program, materials, tracking systems, and training, or look for a ready-made, proven Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 10:55:20

EXTRUSION 37 5

based safety program. After researching the pros and cons of multiple programs, they selected the Dupont Safety Training Observation Program® (STOP).

STOP and make it right The STOP program has multiple parts.

First, it reinforces the idea that leaders are accountable for the safety of their employees, while empowering employees to acknowledge that they have a responsibility to keep themselves and their co-workers safe. The first lesson is to learn to make safe choices and a safe work environment part of the company’s culture.

Featuring a three-part approach, the STOP program focuses on self-study, field and application activities, and group discussions. It teaches individual safety concepts and skills-development, and ways to practice safety habits in work areas. It includes discussing the “application of safety practices” with colleagues, focusing on peer-to-peer interaction and teaching.

Through the program’s integration and application, Alexandria Industries was able to build up its safety observation and communication skills. It led company leaders and team members to have constructive discussions among each other about safe and unsafe work practices.

program? Which method would be costeffective and efficient, in terms of the time it would take to implement a new program and train all of the employees?

After deciding to develop it own program, leaders quickly recognised that this was going to be a cumbersome and time-consuming process. They realized they needed an existing, proven behaviourAluminium International Today

extrusion alexandria.indd 2

employees to make safe choices is helping the company lead the way in enabling its employees to identify all unsafe acts and conditions. Not just at work, but at home too. The company’s leadership works with employees to resolve any safety issues.

The safety and well being of employees is priority number-one. The Dupont STOP safety program empowers employees to make the right choices when it comes to safety. It also empowers leadership to provide their employees with the tools they need to make safe choices. STOP helps ensure employee well being always comes first.

Everyone has the right to work in a

safe environment. The majority of us take precious time away from our families to work. If companies want to ensure employees can go back to their families in the same way they came to work, safe and unhurt, they need to STOP and put safety ahead of production. �

Injury prevention A key tenet of the STOP program is the belief that workers can prevent all injuries.

Going through the training, the company learned that the program teaches employees how to help prevent injuries from happening if they know how to identify, communicate and correct any unsafe acts or conditions. It puts emphasis on the employees, as it is up to every team member to make good safety choices.

The health and well being of a company’s employees has to be the top priority. For Alexandria Industries, setting a goal for November/December 2018

05/11/2018 10:55:24

38 PROCESS MODELLING

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Energy utilisation modelling considerations This article follows on from the previous one featured in the Sept/Oct issue about plant capacity modelling. This time Andy Darby* talks about energy utilisation modelling.

A hypothetical plant Last time I introduced a hypothetical plant consisting of 7 processes producing 6 different products. Without doubt this process sequence will also require energy to operate. Some, or all, of the plant will require the provision of various external services too. You can see the complete plant (in simplified form) in Fig 1.

For purposes of simplification and illustration, I’ve ignored added complexities such as process losses, waste disposal and internal scrap recycling flows.

With a hypothetical plant now established, we can start to think about energy utilisation modelling.

The plant energy utilisation profile is a time-based aggregation of all the energy consumptions within the plant. From such an analysis, we can identify periodic usage. We can also work out mean usage and peak loading requirements.

These are essential for sizing the external supply provision. This often leads to a voltage and/or cable size specification, or pipe diameter and/or supply pressure requirement.

Additional services Once again, we will use a process-based approach. Our list of processes can now include those additional ‘site-wide’ services that are necessary even though not directly involved with making products. These include transport, scrap management, compressed air generation etc.

Inputs for energy utilisation modelling An understanding of what each process is making, when and how it is making it, is key to evaluating the consumption of all the materials the plant needs to achieve its purpose. In the aluminium industry, many of the processes involve heating and cooling large masses of metal. It’s not surprising then that these processes consume large amounts of energy (usually predominantly electricity and natural gas).

Below you’ll see two examples of energy utilisation; one for electricity and one for natural gas. However, the calculation process is the same for each and would be very similar for the consumptions or utilisations of all other plant feedstocks.

Process G

Process F

Process E

Process D

Process C

Process B

Process A

ENERGY (Electricity, Natural gas, Oil, Diesel etc.)

ENERGY (Electricity, Natural gas, Oil, Diesel etc.)

Energy inputs It’s easy to assume that because a piece of process equipment has a very large motor or heating device, it operates at the full (rated) capacity all the time.

Undoubtedly there are plenty of examples where this is the case. However, in the vast majority of processes encountered in batch and semi-continuous plants, the nature of operations and process control systems dictate that consumptions are discontinuous and rarely at steady-state.

Establishing a time base For each process we must establish a time base. This can be hourly, weekly etc. However, it must be something that suits the time frame of the production process and allows sufficient granularity i.e., ability to capture changes in usage rates. In this illustrative plant, I’ve chosen

Compressed Air Transport Scrap handling Cranes

Fig 1. Plant-wide supporting services and energy input locations

*Senior Consultant Engineer, Innoval Technology Ltd November/December 2018

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Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 11:01:58

PROCESS MODELLING 39 5

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60

Electricity consumptions

140

Electricity consumption

40

120

20

100

0 0

5

10 15 Time

Process A

Process B

20

24

0

5 Process D

Process C

10

Time

Process E

15

20

Process F

24

Process G

80 60 40

Figs 2 and 3. Hypothetical consumption profiles for electricity consumption Fig 4. (Right) Plant-wide electricity utilisation profile

Natural gas consumption

70

Natural gas consumption

20 0

0

5

10

15

20

24

Time

200

60 40 20 0

150 0

5

10 Time 15

Process A

Process B

20

24

0

5 Process D

Process C

10

15 20 24 TimeProcess F Process G

100

Process E

50

Figs 5 and 6. Examples of time-decaying usage profiles 0

0

5

10

15

20

24

Time

Fig 7. Plant-wide natural gas utilisation profile

a period of 24 hours, in 1 hour segments.

Normally, we’d use the in-process production sequence for the desired product mix as the means of determining the hourly consumption rates. This is one of the manifestations of the productivity efficiency factors I spoke about in my previous blog. Each product might have its own operating mode on a particular process, giving rise to varying consumption rates of energy. For example, speeds or temperatures may change depending on what is being made. In this illustrative example, I’ve assumed that all the products consume energy in the same manner in the same process step. However, I have included variation between processes.

Electricity utilisation I’ve constructed a series of hypothetical consumption profiles for electricity consumption. You can see them in Figs 2 and 3.

These show the cyclic consumptions typical of electric motors being switched on and off, or put under load periodically. The magnitude of the ‘peaks’ is proportionate to the size of the electrical device, e.g., motor rating [kW] or electrical heater size.

The myriad of electricity consuming devices around the plant all have their own profiles and some may be interlinked.

For example, if ‘a’ happens, then ‘b’ & ‘c’ occur as a consequence. Such apparently random events in production cause changes in the wider plant consumption profile.

Aluminium International Today

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When superimposed, by synchronising the time steps, we can aggregate the consumption rates to give the total consumption rate profile. This is the solid red curve in Fig 4.

Depending on purpose, the average consumption rate might be of interest (dotted red line). Alternatively, the peak loading (dotted grey line) may be just what is required to commence discussions with the local utility company.

Although beyond the scope of this article, the magnitude of the consumption profile (peak to trough) may also be of interest to the utility provider. It could influence the provision of suitable stepdown transformer sub-stations and switchgear designs.

In theory, this could mean that available utility supplies dictate production schedules to avoid outages in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Natural gas utilisation Just as for electricity consumption profiles, layers of process gas consumptions can be collated. Often the shapes of the consumption curves are different, especially where there are gas-fired furnaces.

They often tend to exhibit time-decaying usage profiles reflecting the furnaces approaching target temperatures. You can see examples of this in Figs 5 and 6. Unlike electrically heated devices (commonly ‘on-off’ type control schemes), gas-fired furnaces have PID-control applied to the

gas flow control valves (even if only P or PI control strategies are actually used).

Consequently, they produce different shaped response curves.

Nevertheless, the periodicity and process event sequencing causes a particular utilisation curve (solid red curve in Fig 7) to evolve. Exactly the same considerations arise for natural gas as were highlighted for electricity. The peak loading and the peak-trough magnitude may have further ramifications for supply and perhaps for plant operations.

Powerful analytical tool Clearly the superimposition of the consumptions of multiple processes, each with varying time-bases, is not a trivial exercise. However, it’s one we can readily address with energy utilisation modelling.

The combination of material flow profiles (for plant capacity purposes) and input material flow (energy and all other materials consumed) profiles makes for a very powerful plant and process analytical tool. In fact, I’d say it’s critical for identifying cost improvement opportunities, debottlenecking opportunities, opportunity cost evaluations etc.

Energy utilisation modelling is an integral component of Innoval’s process cost modelling approach which we apply to many process and plant scenarios. If you have any questions about energy utilisation modelling or you’d like help doing your own, please visit: www.innovaltec.com � November/December 2018

05/11/2018 11:01:59

40 SUSTAINABILITY

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Introducing the Aluminium Recyclers Council Earlier this year, leading secondary aluminium alloy producers announced the formation of the Aluminum Recyclers Council (ARC) to establish a more unified voice for the aluminium recycling industry.

ARCs goals are to promote the use of recycled aluminium alloys, to improve the industry from an operational standpoint, and to protect the industry from outside risk. The timing couldn’t be better to weigh in on current events and frame a conversation that can drive positive momentum for the aluminium recycling industry.

As an industry, ARC sees some risks that have the potential to significantly impact the entire domestic aluminium recycling supply chain, dramatically affecting scrap recyclers, recycled alloy producers, die casters and foundries. The industry needs a voice in the discussion to be sure the interests of recyclers are addressed.

The Trump administration’s leadership has been instrumental in bringing the importance of America’s domestic aluminum industry into the public discourse. But the focus has been on primary aluminium, when larger potential benefits are tied to recycled aluminium.

Unlike other segments of the aluminium industry, ARC’s members produce products that are from nearly 100% recycled content, and the value chain is mostly domestic.

Recycled aluminium has monumental environmental benefits. It takes around 95% less energy to recycle aluminium than to smelt primary aluminium. This phenomenon is not only beneficial to the lives of everyday consumers but is especially important when energy units may have to be rationalised.

“The aluminium we recycle is used primarily in die castings, but advancements in technology have allowed the use of recycled aluminium to expand into other applications that have historically been dominated by primary aluminium alloys,” said ARC Chairman Luke Palen, President of Spectro Alloys Corp. in Rosemount, Minnesota. For instance, demand for recycled aluminium billet and sheet alloys is significantly growing. New applications present themselves all the time, and they are only enhanced by what is available from the aluminium scrap market. “For this reason, we believe that the United November/December 2018

sustainability ARC.indd 1

Luke Palen, Chairman

States should make it a national priority to promote the use of domestic scrap within our country,” he continued.

ARC’s main focus is building domestic demand for recycled aluminium. For decades, America has been exporting an enormous amount of scrap – along with its inherent energy savings and downstream manufacturing jobs. While it may be true that some applications require high-purity primary aluminium, a majority of applications would benefit from switching to high quality, lower cost recycled aluminium. The expanded use of domestically generated scrap will support domestic manufacturing jobs while protecting our environment through a huge reduction in energy consumption during production.

For this reason, ARC is seeking opportunities to work with industry,

academia, and the U.S. Government to develop strategies that would help our nation leverage this vital capability into outstanding opportunities for our industrial manufacturing base, and aluminium consumers. “Initiatives like this will lead to a greater self-reliance on domestic industry, an increase in American jobs, the conservation of precious energy resources, and a more sustainable future for us all. Together we can make a real difference” said Palen.

To this end, ARC has reached out to Washington D.C. to engage the National Economic Council and Department of Commerce to take steps in developing these strategies. While scrap is plentiful, the technology to take full advantage of its availability may not be. ARC has initiated discussions with the University of Michigan to begin that research and study. The University plans to work with the industry to research available technologies, end-use applications, and then develop a roadmap that will allow the U.S. manufacturing base to enjoy the full benefits of this underutilised national treasure.

As this important work is being conducted, ARC aims to address other needs for an industry that has been without a cohesive industry voice for years. ARC will develop statistical programs, safety and other educational programs, and promote the use of recycled aluminium in new applications.

“We believe this is a roadmap and effort that other secondary smelters across the globe can benefit from and join. While ARC’s mission is primarily domestic, the need is global,” commented Palen. To learn more about ARC, visit the website at recyclealuminum.org. �

Aluminium International Today

05/11/2018 11:06:11

42 SUSTAINABILITY

www.aluminiumtoday.com

The best packaging materials for the circular economy

By Melanie Williams*

Single use packaging and how to recycle it has been in the news since the beginning of the year, when China stopped accepting much of our waste. Recently the media have been dominated by images of marine plastic, most of which originates from rivers in Asia where there is limited municipal waste disposal. It is clear that our changing lifestyles mean that we are consuming ever more packaged food and drink. Whether this is to minimise food waste or because we consume more food outside the home, the effect is the same. More packaging is used and more is disposed of.

Aluminium has excellent barrier and structural properties suited to food packaging but its use has been limited by competition from plastic and paper/card.

Card is also used in a multilayer structure with plastic and aluminium for certain applications. Large quantities of waste packaging including metals and plastic have historically been sold to China, which viewed them as a useful resource. At the start of this year, China refused to accept the majority of the waste plastic shipments.

With European recyclers unable to cope with the additional material, regulators have been spurred into action. Collection and recycling of all packaging in Europe, without outsourcing the problem to other countries is urgently needed.

Reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and redirecting it to recycling is the target of the Circular Economy package of measures. Directives concerning waste disposal have been updated, but they have long time horizons. Over the last few months, the debate has moved on to regulatory measures that will have a more immediate impact. Now we are

beginning to see new proposals, it is useful to consider the likely effect on demand for aluminium in packaging applications.

Of course aluminium is ideally suited to the Circular Economy as it is infinitely recyclable. In contrast, plastic can only be recycled a few times before it is degraded and must be disposed of. Down cycling to a lower grade use is often the reality of plastic recycling. Multilayer paper containers require an extra step to separate the layers before recycling individual layers. Aluminium has other advantages too.

It is very demanding to recycle waste plastic to a high specification use like food grade material. This reality is now dawning as the EU process for approving plastic recycling processes is criticised by food safety organisations as insufficiently rigorous to ensure recycled plastic is sufficiently free from contaminants such as fire retardants or toxic legacy chemicals.

Waste aluminium retains much of its value compared to virgin aluminium, which is another strong argument in favour of aluminium for single use items. There is a financial incentive for collection and recycling. In Europe and the US this pays for municipal collection. In Asia it encourages individuals to collect waste aluminium rather than discard it. This is not currently the case for most forms of plastic packaging.

The European Commission in its plastics strategy has already suggested that the value of recycled plastic needs to increase to pay for waste collection, sorting and processing. But virgin plastic is often cheaper than recycled. A tax on recyclable virgin plastic has been proposed to redress the balance . Recyclers are in favour of a

minimum recycled content in all plastic packaging . Both proposals are intended to change the balance between the costs of virgin and recycled material. But measures designed to artificially change market values often have unintended consequences. In the biofuels sector, where fuels from biowaste receive extra incentives compared with virgin biomass, used cooking oil has become so scarce that European biodiesel companies import it from China. To avoid traps associated with market manipulation, it would be better to promote actively materials for packaging that are economic to recycle.

A new Directive focussing on marine litter attempts to do something similar.

It targets the ten most common items found littering beaches. Governments will be required to bring in measures to reduce the consumption of plastic takeaway food packaging, coffee cups, packets and wrappers. So there could be a mandatory charge for plastic takeaway food containers. Aluminium foil or cardboard packaging could still be given away for free. Some items such as plastic cutlery will be banned outright in favour of alternatives.

The shift away from plastic may be starting. We are already seeing aluminium cans for water and other beverages.

The latest brand of mineral water to enter Europe from the US has eschewed PET bottles for a card based multilayer container . This is certainly the time to remind regulators that in a circular economy, it is best to promote the use of easily recyclable materials such as aluminium. Trying to solve the Chinese puzzle of plastic recycling may not produce the desired solution. ďż˝

*Sustainability Consultant, ASI registered specialist November/December 2018

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Aluminium International Today

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44 SUSTAINABILITY

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Keeping aluminium in the loop In uncertain times, Alupro continues to ensure that aluminium packaging shines Global headlines have been dominated by plastic packaging pollution and the general public are once again receptive to sustainability messages, great news for us!

The UK Government will shortly announce the detail of it’s new Resources and Waste Strategy which will include a raft of policy instruments to tackle the issue.

The options under consideration include a single use plastic tax, the introduction of a deposit return scheme (DRS) for plastic bottles, metal cans and glass bottles, and the reform of the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system.

In June, the EU Circular Economy Package (CEP) was approved, and the UK Government has indicated that they will adopt this, and indeed go beyond its requirements. One of the key extended producer responsibility (EPR) requirements is for the packaging supply chain to cover a minimum of 85% of the cost of the collection of packaging materials for recycling – this will require a complete overhaul of the PRN system and will result in an additional bill of millions of pounds for producers.

Any changes will not only impact plastic packaging, but will have widespread ramifications for other materials including November/December 2018

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aluminium. We are keen to ensure that any new policy options do not have unintended consequences for aluminium and that the benefits of using our material – infinite recyclability, permanent material, intrinsic high value – are recognised and respected by policy makers.

With all of this fixed in our mind the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) is working hard on behalf of our membership to continue to highlight the fact that aluminium is the perfect packaging material for a truly circular economy.

For nearly 30 years Alupro have been highlighting aluminium as a sustainable packaging solution. Encouraging the UK population to make recycling an aluminium can, foil tray or an aerosol, as habitual as brewing a cup of tea.

Our approach has always been centred around creating innovative and interesting ways to engage with the general public, and to partner with local government and waste management companies to deliver lasting behaviour change.

Recycling at home We are fortunate to have a national kerbside recycling system in the UK, with

all councils collecting drink cans, 94% collecting aerosols and 80% taking foil for recycling directly from householders doorsteps. However, simply having this system in place is not enough. We must keep on communicating with residents to ensure that they firstly recognise the various types of aluminium packaging, understand the benefits of keeping them in the recycling loop and make the conscious decision to recycle them.

We remain active on social media and regularly produce templates, animations and practical short film guides for councils to use to encourage their residents to recycle even more.

MetalMatters, our industry-funded programme to encourage metal packaging (aluminium and steel) recycling through the kerbside system, has now partnered with almost a quarter of UK local authorities and directly communicated our industries key recycling messages to over 6 million households. This campaign is welcomed by local authorities who, in recent years, have seen communication budgets cut and recycling rates flatlining. The unique programme has seen significant increases in metal recycling rates right across the UK. Aluminium International Today

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SUSTAINABILITY 45 5

www.aluminiumtoday.com

For more detail on all of our A more recent programme specifically designed to increase household aluminium foil (trays, confectionary/dairy and wrapping foil) recycling launched with 18 councils this year to 2.4 million households and has included radio advertising, social media campaigns and a new form of advertising on takeaway container lids.

This fully-funded programme, thanks to funding from EAFA (European Aluminium Foil Association), has proved popular with councils suffering from communications budget cuts.

On-the Go recycling Looking further afield, capturing packaging material consumed outside of the home, either at work, on-street or at events has long been considered a hardto-reach area.

A brand new initiative called #LeedsByExample launched in Leeds City, Yorkshire on 9th October is designed to test the latest thinking on how to increase recycling rates for food and drinks packaging. It will include a combination of new technology, recycling infrastructure and engaging communications in an effort to raise awareness and make it easier for the public to recycle their food and drink packaging correctly. Developed by environmental charity Hubbub with packaging compliance scheme Ecosurety and supported by 23 major packaging and retail organisations including Alupro.

We are confident that the findings of this trial programme will provide a blue-print for on-the-go recycling which can be emulated across the UK. Aside from #LeedsByExample, our Every Can Counts programme, which has been running for 10 years, has enabled thousands of UK workplaces and leisure facilities to install recycling systems using our eye-catching free collection and communications materials.

For the last two years Every Can Counts Aluminium International Today

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activities, please take a look at our online publications Aluminate and Canmail at www.issuu.com/aluprouk have been a proud sponsor of Trek-Drops Women’s cycling team, this fantastic collaboration has broadened our audience even further, we have attended major cycling events , using interactive cycling themed activities to engage visitors. The riders, working as our ambassadors, have communicated our key messages both face to face and through social media

resulting in a major uplift in our social media reach. Our work with Trek Drops has also enabled our partners across mainland Europe to reap the benefits of this unique collaboration, engaging cycling fans at major races including the Tour De France This is not to mention the valuable work Every Can Counts continues to carry-out at the ever-increasing UK Festival scene.

This year 20 events from the University Boat Race to the UKs largest rock music festival, Download and Europe’s largest street festival, Notting Hill Carnival, have all been given a sustainable injection of our engaging and enthusiastic approach to recycling messages. Our recycling ambassadors, complete with can collection back packs, have samba danced along London’s streets and trawled through busy festival arenas and campsites chatting to can drinkers and encouraging them to make the right choice and recycle.

The future Looking beyond 2018, we don’t yet know what the future holds regarding packaging policy and indeed the whole new world outside the EU. What we do know is that Alupro will continue to shine a positive spotlight on aluminium, carry-on engaging consumers with a commitment to continuing to increase the recycling rate of aluminium packaging, whilst ensuring that the intrinsic high value is properly recognised in any new collection system.

In 2019 we will be celebrating our 30th Birthday so we’ll also be doing some serious party planning! �

November/December 2018

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46 SUSTAINABILITY

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Aluminium has the advantage Survey by Ball Corporation reveals that in the UK, a third of the British Public believe not enough drinks are available in non-plastic packaging.

� 9 in 10 British adults aged 55 or older worry about plastic pollution in Britain � 86% of British adults say they are worried about plastic pollution, yet only two thirds of people (67%) regularly take action to reduce plastic pollution � Nearly a fifth (18%) of the British public, including over a quarter of millennials aged 18–34 years (26%) don’t understand what they can and cannot recycle � Almost a third of all British adults (31%) including 41% of millennials state not enough drinks are available in nonplastic packaging where they shop

Ball Corporation, the world’s leading beverage can maker, has launched a survey at the beginning of Recycle Week, 24 – 30 September 2018, revealing that plastic pollution is a high concern amongst all age groups. 86% of all British adults claim to be worried about the matter, and 90% of the people aged 55 and above show the most concern.

However, nearly a fifth (18%) of the British public, increasing to over a quarter (26%) of millennials aged 18–34 years don’t understand what they can and cannot recycle. Almost a third of all British adults (31%) including 41% of millennials state not enough drinks are available in non-plastic packaging where they shop, whilst almost a third of British adults (31%) state there are not enough recycling bins in public spaces in their local area.

Despite 86% of the British public stating they’re worried about plastic pollution, only two thirds (67%) claim to often take action to reduce plastic pollution, for example by recycling and changing shopping habits to buy alternatives to disposable plastic.

Three quarters (75%) of 55 year olds and above regularly take action to reduce plastic pollution, in comparison to just 58% of millennials aged 18 – 34 taking regular action.

Aluminium cans offer a fully recyclable alternative to drinking from plastic bottles or cups, and achieve very high recycling rates of 72% in the UK , (69% globally compared with plastic bottles at 43%), yet a third of people (36.5%) wrongly believe November/December 2018

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that aluminium beverages are recycled at the same rate as plastic bottles or glass containers.

Furthermore, over a third of people (37%) don’t know that aluminium cans can be recycled infinitely without losing quality, when in fact, nearly 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today, as aluminium retains its properties indefinitely .

Ramon Arratia, Sustainability Director at Ball Beverage Packaging Europe states: “The older generations appear to be more worried and knowledgeable about recycling, but I don’t think these figures reflect a lack of interest from millennials or the British public in general, more a challenge that we face to ensure everyone

is fully informed about what can and cannot be recycled. Making a positive choice for an aluminium beverage, which is one of the most sustainable and ecofriendly forms of packaging on the shelves, is one small but significant thing we can all do to help protect the environment.

Regardless of colour or design, the can is fully recyclable, and we currently have 72% recycling rates in the UK, with 90% of these cans recycled in continental Europe. By contrast, the global recycling rates for plastic and glass are 43% and 46% respectively. The UK already has all the infrastructure for recycling cans in place which means this is not a solution for the future, but rather something we can all do right now.” � Aluminium International Today

06/11/2018 11:11:05

BUYERS’ DIRECTORY TASTER 47

BUYERS’ DIRECTORY TASTER As a leading resource for the aluminium production and processing industries, the Buyers’ Directory reaches the most senior buyers and suppliers in the business.

Distributed to more than 50 countries and read by thousands of industry contacts, it contains a comprehensive alphabetical listing of company and CARBON ELECTRODES

FURNACE

HERTWICH ENGINEERING GMBH Weinbergerstr. 6, Braunau, Upper Austria, 5280, Austria T: +43 7722 806-0 F: +43 7722 806-122 E: info@hertwich.com W: www.hertwich.com Hertwich Engineering, a company of the SMS group, is active worldwide with design, supply, construction and commissioning of speciality equipment for the aluminium industry, in particular for aluminium casthouses.

contact details.

Here is a sneak peak at some of the listings that will appear in the 2018 Buyers’ Directory.

QUALITY TESTING & MEASUREMENT

R&D CARBON PO Box 361, Sierre 3960, Switzerland T: +41 27 459 29 29 F: +41 27 459 29 25 E: rdc@rd-carbon.com W: www.rd-carbon.com R&D Carbon provides expertise for the worldwide metal, oil and coal industry through R&D studies,onsite audits and process optimisation, carbon test equipment, quality control, certification and training courses.

POLYTEC GMBH Polytec Platz 1-7, D-76337, Waldbronn, Germany T: +49 7243 604-0 F: +49 7243 69944 E: info@polytec.de W: www.polytec.de Polytec is the market leader for non-contact, laser based vibration and velocity measurement instrumentation. Our innovative solutions allow our customers to maintain their own technical leadership across many fields.

SLITTING Danieli Fröhling is synInnovative Solutions onymous for innovative For Extreme tailor-made solutions Environments DANIELI FRÖHLING for the aluminium Scherl 12, your plant from the extreme conditions it experiences industry.

Fröhling cusD-58540, Meinerzhagen, GermanyProtect every day: high temperatures, chemical gases, and the tomers trust in nearly severe demands of the electrolytic process.

T: +49 2354 7082 0 70 years’ experience in F: +49 2354 7082 200 Mid-Mountain Materials, Inc. manufactures a complete manufacturing of rollline of products for Pot Rooms, Carbon Bake Furnaces, E: info@danieli-froehling.de Cast Houses and Ladles, Crucible Maintenance, Emissions ing mills and cutting W: www.danieli-froehling.de Control and Environmental Protection, Transport, and all other facetslines. of your operation.

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Mid-Mountain Materials, Inc. manufactures a complete line of products for Pot Rooms, Carbon Bake Furnaces, Cast Houses and Ladles, Crucible Maintenance, Emissions Control and Environmental Protection, Transport, and all other facets of your operation.

FOR INFORMATION ON ADVERTISING IN THIS SECTION, CONTACT:

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Esme Horn, Tel: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PRODUCTS AND THERMAL BARRIERS For a Green World +44 (0)1737 855136 Email: www.mid-mountain.com • info@mid-mountain.com

esmehorn@quartzltd. com

Aluminium International Today

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Easy

Fully compliant AMS2750 or CQI-9 TUS reports with only a single Click! www.phoenixtm.com PhoenixTM Ltd UK sales@phoenixtm.com

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November/December 2018

06/11/2018 11:13:47

48 PROJECTS & PRODUCTS The aluminium industry is constantly embarking on new projects and developing new products. In this regular feature, Aluminium International Today presents the latest announcements in these areas.

If you’d like the opportunity to be considered for publication, please contact: nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

GHI supplies world’s biggest rotary tilting furnace for aluminium recycling

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Hertwich supplies Multi-Chamber Melting Furnace Hertwich Engineering, a subsidiary of the SMS group, received an order from Hydro Extrusion Lichtervelde NV for the supply of a multi-chamber melting furnace Ecomelt-PS200 including skimming machine.

The plant with a melting capacity of 60,000

Mechatherm serves JW Aluminum JW Aluminum of Goose Creek, South Carolina has awarded Mechatherm the contract to supply a complete scrap recycling solution for producing 660,000,000 lbs/annum (300,000T/Annum) of aluminium sheet products.

The Input feed material is coming in various forms of market grade contaminated aluminium scrap of up to 15% non-metallics in loose and bale form.

To remelt this scrap Mechatherm will supply 4 off 310,000lb (140T) Capacity Static “Multi-Chamber” Contaminated Scrap De-coating Melting Furnaces fired with Bloom ‘Lumiflame’ natural gas regenerative burners rated for 27,500 lbs/hr (12.5T/Hr) melting rate. Each melting furnace is designed to feed the supplied Mechatherm holding/casting furnaces with metal to feed the continuous casting process. The supplied melting furnace technology will receive the contaminated scrap and utilise energy from pyrolyzed VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) by destroying them by incineration. This technology increases the overall furnace efficiency by reducing gas consumption and minimising toxic emissions sent to the fume treatment plans for final clean-up.

tons per year will be installed in the casthouse in Ghlin, Belgium. Commissioning is scheduled for the first half of 2019.

The Ecomelt PS furnace to be installed in Ghlin is especially designed for medium to heavily contaminated scrap.

OTTO JUNKER launches its first mobile application

Already, in many renowned extrusion plants the JunkerDynamicHeater® MC has evolved into something like a gold standard. Wherever extrusion billets need to be heated to the metal forming temperature in a reliable and energy-efficient manner with maximum temperature accuracy, the JunkerDynamicHeater® MC delivers convincing performance. Customers all over the world appreciate especially the flexibility achieved

by Otto Junker GmbH in optimising this system for each application situation.

Calsitherm Group acquires International Syalons

The furnace is in operation at Befesa Asua, one of the most important aluminium recycling companies in Europe.

The furnace, with a capacity of 65 tons, exceeds 30 percent the previous record, established

by GHI with its supply to Fracsa Alloys located in Mexico. The new furnace, the current one, is also a considerable size equipment, since it weighs about 150 tons, is 8.5 metres long and 5.5 metres high, uses natural gas and oxygen as fuel and reaches working temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. The furnace will improve the costs per ton as it replaces a fixed-axis equipment with higher salt consumption and lower energy efficiency.

In addition, it will be sensorised, which will provide the basis for designing a management model of the installation in which the “eye and expertise” of the operator loses weight in decision-making.

November/December 2018

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International Syalons (Newcastle) Ltd. are pleased to announce that the Company has been acquired in full by Calsitherm Verwaltungs GmbH, and as of 18th July 2018 now are part of the Calsitherm Group.

The Calsitherm Group are global leaders in the production and supply of high temperature, fire protection, refractory linings and advanced

anti-mould insulation for domestic and industrial applications, as well as heat resistant textiles, coatings, castings, vermiculite and fused silica parts and high-density calcium silicates for use in non-ferrous molten metal processing. Both International Syalons and the Calsitherm Group are excited by the acquisition and the prospect of growth in new and current markets.

Lorin announces superior physical characteristics in coil anodised aluminium products Lorin Industries, Inc., has announced the superior physical characteristics of coil anodised aluminium, providing greater durability and aesthetics than other metal products.

The coil anodising process pioneered by Lorin protects aluminium from oxidation, scratching, and other hazards far better than natural oxidising, and offers far greater protection than is available for other metals.

Aluminium International Today

06/11/2018 11:15:50

•

casting/holding furnaces

•

scrap charging machines

•

single/multi chamber melting furnaces

•

dross skimming machines

•

launder systems

•

tilting rotary melting furnaces

•

vertical direct chill (vdc) casting machines •

scrap de-coating systems

•

mould metal level control (mmlc)

automation

•

water cooling plants

•

combined with an established servicing and spares division, mechatherm can offer a complete aftersales and support solution.

Mechatherm International Ltd. Hampshire House, High Street, Kingswinford, DY6 8AW t: +44 (0)1384 279 132 | f: +44 (0)1384 291 211 | e: sales@mechatherm.co.uk

We are aluminium

We are more than 35 000 colleagues who work every day to produce the world’s most sustainable aluminium. Together with our customers we develop thousands of innovative products and solutions that form the society we are part of. We do it because it is important for the future.

We are aluminium.

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