Aluminium International Today November December 2019

NEWS

FOCUS ON : CANADA

WOMEN IN ALUMINIUM

EXTRUSION

www.aluminiumtoday.com November/December 2019—Vol.32 No.6

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

A LU M I N I U M I N T E R N AT I O N A L TO DAY N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 V O L . 3 2 N O 6 AIT nov dec.indd 1

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16.10.18 09:33

CONTENTS 1

www.aluminiumtoday.com

2 2

LEADER

NEWS

RON KNAPP 6 So long, farewell

Volume 32 No. 6 – November/December 2019 Editor: Nadine Bloxsome Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

NEWS

FOCUS ON : CANADA

WOMEN IN ALUMINIUM

EXTRUSION

www.aluminiumtoday.com November/December 2019—Vol.32 No.6

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

Sales

Advertisement Production

EXTRUSION 17 Celebrating 50 years of ET 20 US Extrusions: A ‘so-so’ market 24 Hydro expands research and development

A LU M I N I U M I N T E R N AT I O N A L TO DAY N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 V O L . 3 2 N O 6

Sales Director: Ken Clark kenclark@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855117

Production Executive: Martin Lawrence

capabilities

Managing Director: Steve Diprose Chief Executive Officer: Paul Michael

WOMEN IN ALUMINIUM 27 Number 13: Not unlucky for Hydro 30 Open to change 32 The gender gap in manufacturing:

Circulation/subscriptions Elizabeth Barford Tel +44 (0) 1737 855028 Fax +44 (0) 1737 855034­ email subscriptions@quartzltd.com Annual subscription: UK £245, all other countries £265. For two year subscription: UK £440, all other countries £480. Airmail prices on request.

Single copies £45

BRAZIL UDPATE 13 Aluminium activities resume

Production Editor: Annie Baker

Sales Manager: Nathan Jupp nathanjupp@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855027

CANADIAN FOCUS 8 At the heart of aluminium 10 Q&A with AluQuébec

COVER

Editorial

Cover picture courtesy of Granco Clark

6

10

Gone for good?

CASTHOUSE 35 Hertwich Engineering:

Supporters of Aluminium International Today

20

27

Leading partner in the world of aluminium

38

A new beginning

SECONDARY/RECYCLED 41 Machine capable of sorting the smallest of

ALUMINIUM INTERNATIONAL TODAY is published six times a year by Quartz Business Media Ltd, Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QX, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855000 Fax: +44 (0) 1737 855034 Email: aluminium@quartzltd.com Aluminium International Today (USO No; 022-344) is published bi-monthly

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Briquetting makes metal production

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Reducing the magnesium proportion when processing scrap

WASTE WATER 47 Waste water treatment and zero liquid

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FURNACE TECHNOLOGY 50 A step forward in the foundry

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PRODUCTS & PROJECTS November/December 2019

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2 COMMENT

Hydro CEO on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list Girl Power Without giving my age away too much, I grew up in the ‘Girl Power’ Generation. I had every bit of merchandise going and would scribble the name of my favourite Spice Girl on any white space I could find in my school books.

But, while these glittering female role models were plastered across my bedroom walls and crackling on full volume through my CD walkman (another clue to my age!) it is only now that I really appreciate the other women in my life who played a huge part in shaping my world today.

I was lucky enough to grow up genuinely believing that I could be whatever I wanted to be. I was never funnelled into a particular way of thinking and never made to believe that I couldn’t do something. I now realise the importance of this and know it has helped me to find my way in an industry that is still very male dominated.

However, I have noticed a difference in the last few years with a growing number of women now taking on leading roles in aluminium manufacturing and presenting at major conferences globally. This was re-inforced recently with Hydro’s CEO coming in at number 13 on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women List!

This issue celebrates women in aluminium and looks at how the sector is working to support and encourage more roles.

There are also a host of other technical features and a special farewell to a familiar face! nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

After taking the helm as CEO of Hydro earlier this year, Hilde Merete Aasheim was recently named number 13 on Fortune’s list, containing the 50 most powerful women leading large global businesses.

“It is bit surprising, but at the same time flattering to be named

on a list together with so many talented and successful women,” says Aasheim.

Fortune accentuate that the Hydro CEO has used the opportunity to champion sustainability, with ambitions to make Hydro a leader in reducing the environmental impacts

of metals.

“There are far too few female leaders in business and our industry.

If I can help inspire others and thus contribute to both business in general and our industry attracting more female leaders, then it feels both right and important,” Aasheim says.

First-of-its-kind SPL Treatment plant in the GCC Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba) has announced the establishment of the first-of-its-kind Spent Pot Lining (SPL) Treatment Plant in the GCC and Bahrain.

A result of the co-operative efforts between Alba and Bahrain’s Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), the SPL Treatment Plant is in line with Bahrain’s National Waste Management Strategy led

by HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Personal Representative of His Majesty King of Bahrain and President of the Supreme Council for Environment.

With the establishment of this Plant, Alba will be developing a value-creating and sustainable solution for the treatment of SPL with zero-waste. The new

plant will have a capacity to treat 30,000 to 35,000 tonnes of SPL a year, which after being processed, can be used in other industries.

Commenting on this initiative, Alba’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali said: “We are thankful to the Supreme Council of Environment for their continuous support on all fronts and for Alba’s Board of Directors led by our Chairman, Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa, whom without their endorsement, this project would not have been made possible. Being a responsible corporate citizen, our commitment to Safety and environmental sustainability will always sit at the top of our objectives. Through establishing SPL Treatment Plant, we get closer

to meet our company-wide goals in key corporate responsibility areas - in line with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030. We also look forward to progress this project and have it operational by first quarter of 2021.”

Dr. Mohamed Bin Daina, Chief Executive of the Supreme Council for Environment, Bahrain said: “As one of the pillars of the economy, Alba has been at the forefront of environmental changes in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We are pleased that Alba will lead this transformation in the region with the establishment of the SPL Treatment plant, which will have environmental as well as economic benefits for Bahrain.”

Production ramp-up at Al Taweelah Emirates Global Aluminium has announced a milestone at its new Al Taweelah alumina refinery in Abu Dhabi, with 600,000 tonnes of alumina produced since the company began operations at the new refinery in April.

The alumina refinery is expected to produce more than one million tonnes of alumina in total by the end of 2019.

Once fully-ramped up, production at Al Taweelah alumina re-

finery is expected to be some two million tonnes of alumina per year, enough to meet 40 per cent of

EGA’s alumina needs.

Abdulla Kalban, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: “Ramping up production at a new alumina refinery is a complex and challenging task, and we have been preparing for the ramp-up of Al Taweelah alumina refinery since before construction began. We have a world-class team operating EGA’s alumina refinery, and they are making great progress on this journey.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS 3

Rio Tinto offering independently certified responsibly produced aluminium across Canada Rio Tinto is now offering independently certified responsibly produced aluminium from all of its Canadian operations, with the extension of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s (ASI) Chain of Custody certification to include the BC Works smelter and Kemano Power Operations in Kitimat, British Columbia.

The certification reinforces Rio Tinto’s commitment to responsible mining and metals production by providing independent verification that material can be traced through a ‘chain of custody’ spanning Rio Tinto’s Gove bauxite mine in Australia to its alumina refinery, aluminium smelters and casthouses in Quebec and British Columbia, Canada.

ASI certification means custom-

ers can be assured the aluminium purchased through Rio Tinto’s Canadian operations has been produced to the highest environmental, social and governance standards.

Rio Tinto has led the establishment of responsible production certification for the aluminium industry as a founding member of the ASI, working alongside customers and a broad range of stakeholders.

Rio Tinto Aluminium vice president sales and marketing and ASI Board member Tolga Egrilmezer said: “This certification continues Rio Tinto’s leadership on responsible production. It increases the availability of ASI certified aluminium in a range of markets, giving customers the ability to offer end

consumers products made with aluminium that meets the highest sustainability standards.”

ASI chief executive officer Fiona Solomon said “We applaud Rio Tinto for their commitment to ASI’s mission since joining as a founding member, and for continuing to extend the reach of their ASI certified operations. This successful Chain of Custody certification demonstrates ASI’s potential to create impact through voluntary uptake of its program. We are seeing the positive upstream examples like this one now extending into downstream aluminium use sectors such as automotive, construction and packaging, and this is very encouraging.”

NEWS IN BRIEF Can recycling hits 74.5% in Europe The overall recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland in 2017 rose 2.3% from 2016 (72.8%), to reach an all-time record 74.5% in 2017.

Leonie Knox-Peebles, chief executive of Metal Packaging Europe, stated: “We believe that the new European calculation method will hardly impact the final recycling rates being achieved for aluminium beverage cans.”

Maarten Labberton, Director Packaging Group at European Aluminium, added: “As we move towards our 100% recycling rate target, what matters most is the recycling yields; aluminium is well positioned for the future given its very low losses during recycling.”

Combilift wins Design4Safety Award

EU Commission clears Novelis’ acquisition of Aleris, with conditions According to reports, The European Commission has approved the acquisition of Aleris by Novelis on the condition that it sells Aleris’s sheets business in Europe.

Under EU law, the Commission watches over competition issues in the bloc, and has to approve

mergers and acquisitions.

“The Commission found that the divested assets constitute a viable integrated business that would enable a suitable buyer to effectively compete with the merged entity. Feedback received from market participants on the

proposed commitments confirmed the Commission’s view,” it said in a statement to Reuters.

“The Commission therefore concluded that the transaction, as modified by the commitments, would no longer raise competition concerns,” it said.

Alunorte embargo lifted On 26th September, the final embargo on Alunorte’s new bauxite residue disposal (DRS2) under a criminal lawsuit was lifted, allowing the alumina refinery to resume activities of installation and commissioning at DRS2 and ending a 19-month embargo period which has restricted activities at the plant.

“We are happy and eager to resume installation and commissioning activities at the state-of-art bauxite residue deposit DRS2, which is the only longterm solution for sustainable and robust operations at Alunorte.

Aluminium International Today

Nadine NOV DEC.indd 2

This is good news for our hardworking employees, for customers and for all local stakeholders who have contributed to this positive

outcome,” says John Thuestad, EVP of the Bauxite & Alumina business area.

Combilift added yet another award to its ever growing tally when it recently won the Industrial Vehicles Category of this year’s BITA (British Industrial Truck Association) Design4Safety Awards.

Martin McVicar, Combilift’s CEO and co-founder accepted the trophy from BITA Secretary James Clark during this year’s Logistics awards which took place on 26th September.

ASI: Schüco certified Schüco is one of the first companies in the construction sector to be certified against the ASI Performance Standard, with a focus on the material stewardship of aluminium window, door and façade systems.

Aluminium gives architects the freedom to plan both pioneering and future-proof buildings due to the material’s high malleability, durability and excellent insulation properties.

November/December 2019

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4 INDUSTRY NEWS

www.aluminiumtoday.com

2019/20 DIARY November 19 - 21

HAI Group expands capacity The official signing was held recently for aluminium specialist Hammerer Aluminium Industries’ takeover of the Hydro Cris plant in the Romanian town of Chisineu-Cris.

With this acquisition, HAI is systematically expanding its capacity and taking another step forward in the strategic development of all three company divisions: construction, industry and transport.

With two extrusion presses over an area of 140,000 m² and 10,000 m² of building space, the new HAI facility in Chisineu-Cris offers production capacity of approximately 22,000 tonnes per annum. The urgently required

capacities have been acquired to meet the growing demands of customers, with high capacity utilisation being predicted for 2020 and 2021. These capacities in the extrusion sector relieve the plants in Soest and Ranshofen, enabling further growth there with longstanding existing customers.

With its acquisition of the new plant in Romania from Hydro Extrusion S.R.L, HAI is undertaking an investment that makes sense in many respects. Located about 20 km from HAI’s Santana plant, the new facility does not just offer synergy effects with the existing subsidiary. “We have taken over a well-oiled infrastructure, as well

as 200 employees and their knowhow. That makes this investment much more calculable and lower risk than a new development on a green-field site,” emphasises HAI CEO Rob van Gils.

The new premises was already supplied with extrusion billets from HAI’s Santana plant, so the takeover has now further deepened the value-added chain in Romania for the HAI Group.

This means that the European aluminium expert based in the Upper Austrian town of Ranshofen remains on course for continued growth. Another milestone in the consistent growth strategy of the HAI Group.

CANPACK: Czech Republic investment Czech brewery and a member of the Asahi Group, as well as other clients in the region. This new investment will increase the overall aluminium beverage can production capacity of the company, bringing it to around 25 billion cans per year.

“The state of the art facility is a landmark in the continued strategic partnership between Asahi

and CANPACK. Utilising our agile business model we aim to offer Plzenský Prazdroj and our extensive European customer base innovative and sustainable packaging, superior quality, as well as operational excellence whilst enhancing the brand and consumer experience” – says Stephen McAneny, VP and Chief Commercial Officer, CANPACK. ^

CANPACK, part of the CANPACK Group, continues its global expansion and is launching a new investment in the Czech Republic.

The company is investing in an aluminium beverage can factory in the town of Stríbro – in the region of Pilsen, western Czech Republic – with a production line that will serve the production capacity of Plzenský Prazdroj, a prominent ^^

^

Hydro increase quality and stability for aluminium foil products Hydro has announced a comprehensive restructuring of its rolling business. New and modern lines will increase quality and product stability for aluminium foil from Hydro.

The announced restructuring includes the already planned closure of parts of the foil production at Grevenbroich, as well as efficiency measures across the organisation.

In September 2018, Hydro announced the exit of the foil conversion business by December 31, 2019.

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These closures combined represents approximately 30% of the overall foil production of Rolled Products. A 30 million Euro investment in two modern production lines will increase quality and product stability for aluminium foil in the coming months, as product

volumes from older production lines due for closure is shifted to new and modern lines.

“The production line we are shutting down in the Grevenbroich plant represent only a minor part of our foil production portfolio,” says sales director Stefan Knabben in Hydro’s Rolled Products business area.

“We will definitely fulfil all contracts and are eager to continue offering our foil products from new and modern production lines,” says Knabben.

ARABAL* The Arab International Aluminium Conference (ARABAL) is the premium platform for the aluminium industry in the Arab world.

Held in the Kingdom of Bahrain www.arabal.com

2020 April 20 - 21 CRU World Aluminium* The event provides concise insight on supply, demand, price, premiums, sustainability and costs for the benefit of a highlyinfluential audience from the global aluminium industry.

Held in London w w w. e v e n t s . c r u g r o u p . c o m / aluminium/home

May 19 - 21 ET’ 20* The ET Seminar is global in scope and appeal, attracting up to 1,500 industry professionals from more than 50 countries.

Held in Florida, USA

www.aec.org 25 - 27

Future Aluminium Forum* If you want to know exactly what’s happening in the world of digitalisation then look no further than the Future Aluminium Forum. Firmly established as the voice of authority on the future of aluminium manufacturing, the third edition will take place in a hub of innovation - Québec City, Canada www.futurealuminiumforum.com

June 2-4 Harbor’s Aluminum Outlook Summit* HARBOR is the most strategic aluminum gathering where those who attend meet to network, get industry knowledge and the latest aluminum market intelligence and outlook. Held in Chicago. www.harboraluminum.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

16/10/2019 15:10:07

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Emirates Global Aluminium is the world’s largest ‘premium aluminium’ company, and one of the most innovative. For over 25 years, we have focused on research and technology development to improve our aluminium smelting process. Our latest technology is amongst the most energy efficient in the world, reducing emissions and helping make our metal more sustainable for our customers.

Innovation is one way we make modern life possible.

6 RON KNAPP

So long, farewell

Ron has always been helpful and cooperative as we worked together to build a positive working relationship between IAI and GAC, as he always did with all other associations. His contributions to IAI development will be remembered admirably and as a person with respect.

Mahmood Daylami, Secretary General, Gulf Aluminium Council

Ron Knapp has served as Secretary General of the International Aluminium Institute since December 2008.

Prior to this appointment, he was the Executive Director of the Australian Aluminium Council from 2002 to 2008.

As Ron heads off into the Australian sunset, we couldn’t let him go quietly, so thanks to a number of collegues and friends, here are some personal goodbye’s to wish him all the best.

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with and get to know Ron during my time as Editor of Aluminium International Today.

He is always a reassuring and happy face in a conference crowd and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him, although I am not sure he has enjoyed my nagging about deadlines quite as much…!

As Secretary General of the IAI for 10 years, Ron is definitely an icon in the industry and highly respected worldwide for his knowledge and skills.

A well-polished speaker and communicator, Ron is always a success in his many speaking engagements by his wit and passion.

It has been an honour and a privilege to work with Ron and I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

Gervais Jacques Chairman of IAI

All the very best for whatever the future holds.

Nadine Bloxsome Editor, Aluminium International Today

Thanks very much Ron for your leadership, mentorship and friendship over the past eleven years. We’re all really proud of the diverse and professional team you have put together and nurtured; your legacy is our truly global outlook, which we continue to carry in the Secretariat and in our working lives beyond.

We’re also relieved you didn’t put tags in our ears and pack us off to market after 12 months – even if we know you love those cows more than us.

Best of luck in your future endeavours from all the staff, past and present, at the IAI

Ron has been a wise head and good friend – both to the industry and for me personally. He is the perfect blend of experience, diplomacy, knowledge and good humour and I have found it a great pleasure to work with him. We have been able to debate broad-ranging topics, share many laughs, and create a positive legacy of collaboration between our organisations.

I will miss him: If he doesn’t make good on his promise to keep being involved with the aluminium industry! There is always plenty happening in this industry, and the role of ‘elder statespersons’ are becoming increasingly valuable – drawing on both a deep understanding of history and a clear embrace of the challenges ahead.

Our shared Australian heritage should at least mean that our paths can continue to cross, as I have always valued his insights and support and hope to keep drawing on them in future. Don’t be a stranger, Ron ...

Dr Fiona Solomon, CEO Aluminium Stewardship Initiative

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I’ve known Ron since 2010 and keep meeting him in various Aluminium conferences world over. He has provided clear directions to International Aluminium Institute and under his leadership IAI published several useful documents and guidelines like sustainable bauxite mining, bauxite residue management, alumina technology roadmap and assessment of Aluminium usage etc.

International Bauxite, Alumina and Aluminium Society (IBAAS) is especially thankful to Ron for his regular participation in Indian and Chinese conferences and we were hugely benefitted by his addresses and presentations in these technical events.

We wish him all the best and IBAAS team will keep in touch with Ron. Dr. Ashok Nandi, President International Bauxite, Alumina and Aluminium Society (IBAAS)

Hearty congratulations on your retirement Ron! It’s been a great pleasure working with you over the years. Your enthusiasm and commitment to the industry has been tireless but now it’s time to enjoy freedom with your great loves….Ericka, the cows, travelling and great wine!

Oh my gosh so much to do.

Ron Knapp has been a great contributor and advocate for the global aluminium industry. During his time as Secretary General of Inter�ational Aluminium Institute (IAI), the industry has seen a tremendous increase in demand for aluminiumand IAI has grown to become a true, global association. Aluminium isthe fastest growing metal and is today widely used in applications like building and constructionautomotive, packaging and more applications come every day.

7

With increasing focus on sustainability, and although aluminium is key part of many of the solutions to climate change, the industry itself also must improve. Continuous improvement is key to a sustainable industry, and IAI has become a leading benchmarking association in the metals and materials industry. During times of strong growth, Ron has relentlessly reminded us that the industry must grow in a sustainable way, with clear improvement targets in health, safety and environment areas – and that we must live the full aluminium story, from cradle to cradle.

I have had the pleasure of working closely with Ron, both as board member and as chair�erson of Inter�ational Aluminium Institute for t�o years. During this period, I got to lear� Ron as a dedicated, hardworking diplomat for aluminium. I wish him all the best as he now steps down as Secretary General; he will be missed.

Hilde Merete Aasheim, CEO, Hydro

Wishing you all the best, Nicky Coslett, CRU

I still remember the day I first met Ron. It was in December 2012, at an exceptionally proud day for the And further to Nicola’s note - a big thank you European Union, celebrating and good luck from myself and everyone else its Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. in the CRU Aluminium team.

Ron welcomed me with open arms to my then new industry. We have quickly Paul Williams, realised the need for strong cooperation Manager, CRU between our two organisations IAI and European Aluminium, fundamental in a time of global turbulences, a cooperation that will remain critical for our industry to position itself as a solution to a world that must decarbonise.

It came as quite sur�rise to me when penning this Working side-by-side with Ron at many occasions has given me acknowledgement of Ron’s substantial insights and the opportunity to enjoy his humanity, his service and contribution to wisdom and his humour not only in professional conversations.

Our industry owes him a great debt of gratitude and I’d like to the ally sector that more than thank him for his leadership on behalf of the European aluminium three decades had passed since industry. Good luck for all that is still to come, Ron! first meeting Ron in his role with the Australian Mining Industry Council Best wishes, (now the Minerals Council of Australia).

Gerd Götz That was 1987.

Ron is a dear friend who has always a watchful eye about the specifics of the aluminium chain in various regions of the globe. He chaired the association in one of the most challenging periods of the aluminium trajectory with the rise of China, the search for sustainable mining and especially the insertion of aluminium into a circular economy.

Best wishes for his next plans.

Milton Rego Executive President, ABAL

Director General, European Aluminium

I approached Ron in 2002 while he was CEO of the World Coal Institute and gauged his interest in taking on the role of Executive Director of the Australian Aluminium Council – he was and he stayed with the Council until the end of 2008 when he accepted the role of Secretary General of the IAI. The industry has changed dramatically since then and Ron has been right in the middle of the changes and helping the industry respond to the many challenges it has faced during the period, including the rise of China as the world’s largest producer of aluminium and the environmental challenges of mining and carbon. He has helped the industry define its response to these challenges, working with Gover�ments of producer countries and NGO’s to ensure the industry’s ability to operate as a key member of the many communities that play host to the industry in its many forms.

The respect for the sector and its commitment to sustainability is very much a tribute to the work of Ron during his time with the IAI.

Aluminium International Today

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John Hannagan Chairman Rusal Australia

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8 CANADIAN FOCUS

At the heart of aluminium As the leading the supplier of aluminium in North America, Rio Tinto is uniquely positioned to feed the region’s manufacturing supply chain through its world-class, low-carbon smelting and R&D facilities in Canada. The company is building on its long history in North America by breaking new ground for the industry in responsible production and forging close commercial partnerships to develop specialised products that meet customers’ needs.

The clean hydropower and AP TechnologyTM used at Rio Tinto’s Canadian facilities make their greenhouse gas footprint significantly lower than the global industry average, positioning the company to meet consumer expectations for sustainable products. In 2016, Rio Tinto launched RenewAl™, the first certified lowcarbon aluminium. In 2018 it became the first company to receive certification from the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) as producing “responsible” aluminium. At the end of 2018, Nespresso announced that they will be using Rio Tinto’s certified aluminium for their coffee pods.

The Arvida Research and Development Centre, located at Rio Tinto’s Complexe Jonquière in the Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean region plays a key role in the company’s leadership in the growing market for specialised high-performance alloys. It’s a focus that extends well beyond research and development, however, to offering technical expertise and marketing as well as collaborating with OEMs. The new Revolution-Al™ aluminium alloy is the latest example of how Rio Tinto works with customers to develop products that meet their needs. Designed specifically for November/December 2019

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car wheels, the alloy is stronger, allowing manufacturers to make a lighter wheel, which in the end can make cars safer and more appealing to consumers with reduced CO2 emissions.

The industry leading business Rio Tinto operates in Canada today has been built on a long history running back to 1901 in Quebec’s Mauricie region, with the Shawinigan smelter coming online in the early 1940s. The construction of aluminium smelters spurred the rapid social and economic development of the Centre-du-Québec, Saguenay–Lac-SaintJean and the North Shore in Québec, as well as the Kitimat region in the province of British Columbia, which led to the rapid expansion of the industry in the 1940s.

The aluminium industry has been at the heart of the Saguenay region since World War II. Aluminium’s light weight and durability made it a critical material in the construction of airplanes, and demand for the metal boomed during the war. In fact, Canada supplied 40% of the Allies’ total aluminium production. It proved a turning point in the region’s economy, driving the expansion and modernisation of factories, and the development of hydropower facilities, which made the most of the region’s vast waterways. As a result, the Town of Arvida located in the Saguenay region, turned into the biggest aluminium production centre in the Western world.

Today, Aluminium Valley – as the region is known – is one of the world’s leading producers of aluminium and Rio Tinto is the region’s largest private employer.

Across the country on Canada’s west coast, Rio Tinto operates the newly modernised Kitimat smelter, which also

has a long history running back more than 60 years in northern British Columbia.

In the 1940s, the government of BC invited the Aluminium Company of Canada to build what was the largest private construction investment in Canada’s history. The project included the construction of the world’s largest smelter of the era, and hydroelectric infrastructure to power the smelter. The new smelter was officially completed in 1954, when Prince Philip visited Kitimat to preside over the ceremonial pour of the first Kitimatproduced aluminium ingot (pictured).

Today, Rio Tinto’s smelter in Kitimat runs on leading technology to produce some of the world’s lowest carbon footprint aluminium, after a USD $4.8 billion modernisation project. It is powered by the Kemano Powerhouse, the largest high-pressure hydro generation facility in North America, and continues to be one of British Columbia’s most significant industrial complexes. Work is underway to ensure the long-term reliability of a clean power supply, with a second 16 kilometre tunnel through a mountain being completed to feed the powerhouse.

As Rio Tinto looks to the future, it is partnering with Alcoa to launch Elysis, a joint venture to further develop a breakthrough technology that eliminates all direct greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the aluminium smelting process, supported by Apple and the governments of Canada and Québec.

The project keeps Canada at the forefront of the global aluminium industry, with Elysis’ new Research and Development Center being built at Rio Tinto’s Complexe Jonquiere in Québec. � Aluminium International Today

15/10/2019 15:50:03

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Quebec delegation at GIFA

10 CANADIAN FOCUS

Q&A luQuébec

1. How does AluQuébec work to support and facilitate Québec’s aluminium industry?

AluQuébec, the Québec Aluminium Cluster, brings together all of the players in the industrial aluminium chain, having been entrusted with the mandate to develop aluminium processing in Québec as well as the multiple uses of the metal in various sectors of activity. To do so, AluQuébec notably offers support to enterprises in the areas of innovation, marketing and financing, in addition to technical training, linking and networking.

In other words, AluQuébec’s role is to promote the growth of the processing companies, increase their competitiveness on an international scale, and further the outreach of Québec’s aluminium processing industry.

2. How does AluQuébec work with industry stakeholders?

AluQuébec’s activities are backed by the government’s détermination through the Québec Aluminium Development Strategy 2015-2025 of the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’innovation du Québec.

The goal is to double the aluminium processed in Québec by 2025, and to see its economic input increase from 5 to 10 billion dollars.

To accomplish this, AluQuébec has established working groups to create synergies between customers/users and players active in the Québec aluminium industry. These working groups are focused on the markets where the potential of aluminium usage is the most promising, namely: 1. Transportation equipment; 2. Equipment and specialized suppliers; 3. Infrastructures and bridges; 4. Sustainable construction

and buildings.

With the Future Aluminium Forum heading to Québec City in May 2020, Nadine Bloxsome* spoke to AluQuébec about how it promotes the growth and influence of the region’s aluminium ecosystem.

3. How does AluQuébec help the growth of Québec’s aluminium supply chain?

Aiming to increase the secondary and tertiary processing of the grey metal in the province, AluQuébec has, over the past few years, identified strategic projects based on their potential contribution to the aluminium processing value chain.

For example, the Cluster works on rolling mill implementation projects as well as on efforts to implement a large diameter extrusion press. AluQuébec had also conducted an opportunity study to attract a Tier 1.

Lastly, in order to facilitate and encourage the usage of aluminium in Québec, the Cluster has put its Centre d’expertise sur l’aluminium (CeAl) at the disposal of companies and professionals in the industry. The CeAl diffuses knowledge on the norms and alloys, and offers technical support and training.

4. What areas of the aluminium industry is AluQuébec involved in?

The entire supply chain? Or mainly primary production?

AluQuébec is the entity that brings Shawinigal Aluminium

together, tools up and catalyzes the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises in the aluminium processing sector with a view to helping them access the next level. To do so, the Cluster groups all of the players in Québec’s industrial sector: producers, processors, equipment and specialized suppliers, and research, development and training centres.

5. How important is it to create synergies between national and international customers/users and companies active in the Québec aluminium industry?

Given the fact that over the last 20 years, the global consumption of aluminium has increased in volume at a pace of almost 5% per year, and given that this sustained growth will continue in the course of the years to come, Québec’s aluminium is destined for a promising future.

However, in order to profit from the new markets that are expected to embrace the aluminium industry in the years to come, it is in the best interests of Québec companies to join forces so as to better position themselves on the world stage.

In fact, it is with this in mind that, for example, two years ago, AluQuébec established the AluMore consortium comprising five Québec equipment suppliers with complementary forces to develop the primary processing market in the United States. Hiring a technical and marketing representative in the U.S. allows them to identify, list and characterize potential clients; canvass and meet them; identify their needs and projects; and help to draw up proposals.

This type of approach sets out all the importance granted to the creation of synergies between the customers/users Aluminium International Today

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11 5

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– national and international – and the players active in the Québec aluminium industry.

6. In what areas of the Québec aluminium industry are you seeing the most development?

There are several applications for aluminium in various markets, but the transportation and construction sectors are particularly promising.

In the area of transportation, for example, it is expected that the annual growth in the demand for aluminium will be 4% for the next 10 years. This increase in demand is linked namely to the lightening of vehicles designed to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The electrification of mass transportation, which will require lighter structures, also represents significant opportunities for the Québec aluminium industry.

As regards buildings and construction, there are more and more applications for aluminium in this sector, notably in the area of sustainable buildings. In fact, aluminium has several properties that have proven to be very conducive to meeting sustainable building criterias.

Among other things, analyses have revealed that the life cycle of aluminium is a great advantage: it doesn’t rust (no corrosion), is maintenance-free, has a very long life span (up to 75 years), and can be recycled once it has reached the end of its useful life.

AluQuébec, via its Sustainable construction and buildings working group, focuses its efforts at the structural level, from the roof to the floors, in keeping with a guiding principle based on “the right product in the right place.”

Aluminium International Today

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Cométal

7. How important is Industry 4.0 in developing the industrial processes for Québec manufacturers and suppliers?

First, because the aluminium industry is one of strategic importance for Québec, as it has a first-rate economic impact on the province.

Also, and more importantly, because in order to remain competitive in the future, the Québec aluminium industry must adapt and develop new technology, new methods of doing things and of operating within the 4.0 philosophy. AluQuébec, in cooperation with the Trans-Al Network, has in fact initiated a Transition 4.0 cohort project to support the processors and equipment suppliers in the accompanied completion of a first project moving toward 4.0.

In-keeping with this determination to ensure the sustainability of the aluminium industry in Québec – and because the average age of Québec’s aluminium smelters is 25 years – the Government of Québec has entrusted to AluQuébec the Smelter of the Future mandate: that of ensuring the development of new technology allowing to create a model of the smelter of the future.

8. Québec is leading the way in the evolution of sustainable technologies and is the home of ELYSIS - how is AluQuébec working with manufacturers in the region to

promote a sustainable supply chain?

The idea of promoting low carbon footprint aluminium is also included in AluQuébec’s Smelter of the Future mandate. During the next few months, AluQuébec will be deploying a strategy designed to prompt companies to integrate more green aluminium in the manufacture of their products. The benefits are numerous and green aluminium is increasingly popular among the companies.

Undeniably, it offers a competitive edge.

Green aluminium is highly valued and comes with an enormous potential for exportation.

9. What do the AluQuébec Working Groups offer?

The working groups are the worker cells from which stem all of the Cluster’s structuring actions.

AluQuébec’s interventions rest on the statements of requirements drawn up in the framework of its working groups’ activities.

The working groups are managed by leaders in their respective fields and are comprised of people in the sector who are capable of identifying issues and initiating progress.

10. How do you see the future of the Québec aluminium industry unfolding? More of a focus on primary production or a focus on downstream and recycling?

Québec’s aluminium is very well positioned for the future and its potential for development is promising. The Québec companies working in this industry include several players active on a global scale. While a nearly 5% increase in the demand for aluminium is anticipated for the years to come, the organic growth required to meet the needs of the market will constitute a remarkable driver to attain the goal of doubling aluminium processing activity in Québec by 2025 – which is what AluQuébec plans to accomplish with success! � November/December 2019

15/10/2019 15:51:31

BRAZIL UPDATE 13 5

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Aluminium activities resume

By Eugene Gerden* The Brazil aluminium industry may receive a massive impetus for a further growth this year, due to the planned resume of full operations at Alunorte - the major alumina refinery in the country, which is operated by Norsk Hydro – and general acceleration of investment activities in the industry, according to recent statements, made by senior officials of the Brazil Ministry of Mines and Energy and industry analysts.

In regard to Norsk Hydro, the company, (which in recent years has secured a status of a leading player in the Brazil aluminium sector) has been running its Alunorte plant at half of its 6.3m tonne capacity for more than a year, amid claims that waste material had spilled from a containment pond after heavy rains.

However, on May 20, 2019, the federal court in the Brazil city of Belem lifted production embargoes on the Alunorte alumina refinery, while on September 26th, the final embargo on Alunorte’s new bauxite residue disposal (DRS2) allowing the alumina refinery to resume activities of installation and commissioning at DRS2, was lifted.

The production at Hydro’s Paragominas bauxite mine will therefore be increased in line with the restoration of Alunorte, as well as Albras primary aluminium plant.

In the meantime, contrary to the position of some analysts, partial closure of the plant had not resulted in a significant growth of global aluminium prices.

This is despite the fact that the monthly reduction of supplies to the global market during the partial stoppage period were

equivalent to about 260,000 metric tons.

In 2017, Alunorte delivered 6.4 million metric tonne of alumina. This is about 10% of all the alumina produced in the world (except China).

According to plans of Hydro, the production at Alunorte will be restored by up to 75-85 per cent of its 6.3m tonne capacity within two months. That will probably require additional investments from the company.

In the meantime, Norsk Hydro is not the only global aluminium producer, planning massive investments for the Brazil aluminium market for the next several years.

At the end of last year the US rolled and recycled aluminium firm Novelis Inc. announced its plans to invest about US$175 million to expand the production and recycling capabilities of its Pindamonhangaba plant in Brazil.

The project involves bumping up rolled aluminium capacity by 100 thousand metric tons per year to a total of 680 thousand metric tons per annum and increasing recycling capacity by 60 thousand metric tons per annum to 450 thousand metric tons per annum.

In the meantime, experts of the Brazilian Aluminum Association (ABAL) a public association, which unites leading aluminium producers in Brazil - expect the growth of investment attractiveness of the Brazil aluminium industry after the period of stagnation in 2015-2017, caused by various political and economical crises in the country.

The crisis resulted in a significant

Bento Costa Lima Leite, Brazil Minister of Mines and Energy and one of the main initiators of the reform of the Brazil aluminium sector

increase of prices for energy sources in Brazil, which made further projects for the production of primary aluminum in the country unprofitable for investors.

Currently the Brazil aluminium industry continues to be under serious pressure from China; the influx of cheap aluminum imports from which a while ago forced Alcan and Alcoa and other leading players either to shut down their smelters in Brazil or sell them (along with their interests in the alumina and bauxite mines and processing plants) to Norsk Hydro.

The situation is also complicated by the ever-growing environmental concerns in Brazil, which are related to the possible resuming of building of large-scale facilities for the production of primarily aluminium, after almost the 25 years’ pause.

According to data of ABAL, Brazil is currently not even in the world’s top 10 largest producers of primarily aluminium, despite the fact that it owns one of the largest bauxite reserves in the world, being the third producer of bauxite and alumina on a global scale.

*Special Correspondent Aluminium International Today

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14 BRAZIL UPDATE

Analysts of ABAL also believe, in addition to private investments, further development of the Brazil aluminium sector will mainly depend on the volumes of its support by the state.

In the meantime, the Brazil government, from its side, is aware of the existing problems, being currently involved in the design of a new, long-term strategy for the domestic auminium industry. According to some Brazil media reports, in addition to the planned increase of production,

brazil update.indd 2

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the new strategy will create conditions for a significant increase of aluminium consumption in the country.

The financial crisis in Brazil, which peaked in 2015, resulted in a significant decline of the domestic demand for processed aluminium products.

This is reflected by the official statistics of ABAL, according to which, the consumption level fell from about 1,5 million tonnes in 2013 to only 1,2 million tonnes in 2018. That became almost

comparable to the volume of annual domestic aluminium production in the country of about 1,3 million tonnes.

However, there is a possibility that the design of the strategy and its successful implementation may change the current situation.

In the long-term, the Brazil government is also making the country a major exporter of intermediate products, such as bauxite and alumina, which could be in place within the next 5-7 years. ďż˝

15/10/2019 16:18:46

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SAVE THE DATE

25-27 MAY 2020 Centre des congrès de Québec, Québec City, Canada

The Future Aluminium Forum will return on 25 – 27 May 2020!

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To find out more and be part of the future, contact: Nadine Bloxsome Conference Director nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com +44 1737 855115 Nathan Jupp Sales Manager nathanjupp@quartzltd.com +44 1737 855027

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14/08/2019 14:31

EXTRUSION 17

Celebrating 50 years of ET Amid a strengthening North American extrusion industry, ET ’20 promises a worldwide audience.

By Jeff Henderson* The North America aluminium extrusion market has been through unprecedented times the past few months. From Russian sanctions imposed by the U.S. government and Section 232 aluminium tariffs to growth in aluminium extrusion consumption in the automotive industry, the U.S. aluminium extrusion industry finds itself ready to take on any challenge it may face. The current economic and political landscape in the U.S. finds many unsure what tomorrow will bring.

However, at the same time, with what has been achieved these last few years, it positions the industry to be much stronger in the years to come.

Fundamentally, the Canadian and U.S. extrusion industries find themselves protected from the illegal and unfair trade practices of the Chinese aluminium extrusion industry. Coupled with renewed manufacturing strength from over $1.5 billion in capital expenditures since the tariff orders on imported Chinese extrusions took effect, and a tremendous upgrade in human resources, especially in technical applications, the industry is much better equipped to withstand any challenge and is well positioned to expand by supplanting applications from competing materials.

The Chinese trade case was a real rallying cry for this industry. The efforts to protect the industry from China’s predatory practices have created a safe environment for operational expansion and new product development. Without that protection, any plant expansions would never have been considered, and new applications would only end up finding their way to the low bidder – China. Instead, the industry is free to grow and prosper.

However, new challenges from China are arising. Chinese-owned extrusion facilities have sprung up in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. These new operations are operating locally, but offering artificially low China prices, thus leading to the same disruption we saw in the late 2000’s. These operations also expand the opportunities the Chinese may have for circumventing the tariff orders by transshipping Chinese extrusion through these operations.

These tactics cannot and will not prevail.

The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) is carefully monitoring the situation and, as in the past, will take appropriate action at the right time. If we have learned anything through this experience, it is that we CAN and WILL catch these criminals. We have done so before whether or not they are the largest extruder in China or a small freight forwarder in Malaysia. Knowing this, we can continue the expansion of our industry without fear that our protection will deteriorate.

One example of how the AEC helps facilitate consumption growth of aluminum extrusions is through our Industry Promotion activities. Through webinars, workshops, trade events, and a myriad of programs, the AEC has collected the names of over 14,000 engineers, specifiers, architects, and

*AEC President Aluminium International Today

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18 EXTRUSION

other material choice decision makers by offering them education in the application of extrusions. These programs continue, and the list of names keeps growing. Going forward, the AEC is doubling down on this program by expanding its educational reach with digital media through dedicated websites to instruct key individuals how to design with extrusions, and the benefits of doing so.

Education doesn’t end with Industry Promotion. In fact, over the last six years the AEC has educated over 5,000 extrusion employees in production areas like extrusion, maintenance, finishing, dies, and now, safety. These programs are designed by extrusion industry professionals to share best practices with extruders. AEC members find these programs compelling, and will often send several employees to one event. This Business Excellence program began in earnest in 2013. Since then it continues to grow. Through good times or bad, we all can get better at what we do, and the AEC membership agrees.

Amongst all the Business Excellence programs, the most important is safety.

Extruders recognised some time ago that this is an area in which everyone can improve. We all can speak freely about safety measures taken in our plants because this is an area free of competitive issues. This initiative has become such a major program that the AEC invited the Aluminum Anodizers Council, the Aluminum Recyclers Council, and the Aluminum Association to join forces, creating the Aluminum Safety Summit.

This event took place in mid-October and was well attended. So, with the industry demonstrating the desire to improve safety practices, the AEC is taking steps to make that happen.

A common theme here is education, and the AEC is convinced that educating extrusion buyers about new applications November/December 2019

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is a great way to grow consumption.

Also, teaching one another best practices in production make the industry a better and more competitive one. And, the AEC is absolutely convinced that the greatest educational conference for aluminium extrusions is the International Aluminum Extrusion Technology Seminar, or ET. The twelfth iteration of the extrusion industry’s most prestigious event, ET’20, will take place in Orlando, Florida, May 19-21, 2020. Started in 1969, this will be the 50th anniversary of the ET Seminar.

This quadrennial event brings together the best minds in the industry from across the globe to present their research

in aluminium extrusion technology.

So far, more than 175 abstracts have been received covering an impressive array of topics. From these submissions approximately 120 technical papers will be presented at ET ’20. If you’ve never been to ET before you are in for a real treat. It’s a fast-paced environment with high-quality content that offers insights into cuttingedge information and research that has been conducted–from the theoretical to the practical. Nowhere else can you get this kind of technical information from

the brightest minds in the industry in one place. The ET Proceedings, provided to each conference delegate, have long been used as a technical reference for the entire industry, and with each ET the library of information grows better and larger. ET will certainly address any questions you may have had going into the conference and undoubtedly answer questions you didn’t even know you had!

During the conference the ET Expo will be open with more than 120 exhibitors displaying their latest technologies and solutions. Over the years, and certainly since ET ’16, processes and equipment continue to improve. As an extension of the ET Seminar, the ET Expo is an opportunity to see the very best from suppliers all over the world. For suppliers to the extrusion industry, exhibiting is a must! You only get a shot at ET once every four years. So, don’t miss the 50th anniversary event of ET. Many past participants of ET have said that the education is great, the expo is fantastic, but their best experiences come from the networking events. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary a variety of networking events and off-site functions have been added, enabling delegates to connect with peers from all over the world. ‘Add-on’ workshops on the Monday before and Friday after ET provide education covering a range of manufacturing operations, making the whole ET experience an excellent learning and networking opportunity that will reap rewards many times over for years to come.

As an event that focuses exclusively on education, technology advances and networking for the extrusion industry, and which attracts professionals from all over the world, ET ’20 promises to be the industry’s largest event ever. The conference website at ET20.org provides emerging program details, including the current list of abstracts that have been submitted. Registration is now open and team discounts are available. There is so much information disseminated at ET that one person cannot absorb it all. So, take advantage of those discounts to bring a team to gather the wealth of information at ET ’20.

In conclusion, as much of a highlight ET is for the industry, none of this would be happening if not for the hard work of AEC members. They are the ones that took on China, they are the ones that decided to invest in their operations, they are the ones that developed new solutions for the automotive industry and beyond, and they are the ones committed to education, whether it is the marketplace, the industry, or ET! Come join us next May in Orlando and see what it’s all about! � Aluminium International Today

15/10/2019 16:03:45

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20 EXTRUSION

This comes as the aluminium billet market makes a U-turn going from being very tight and difficult for extruders to get enough billet when they needed it last year to now being in ample supply – a situation which resulted in the US billet upcharge to tumble to a near 10 year low.

“The best characterisation of the US extrusions market is that it is ‘so-so’ and not nearly as strong as most extruders thought it would be,” Lynn Brown, managing partner, declares. In fact, while at the beginning of 2019 some industry observers had expected to see US extrusions grow by as much 10 to 12 percent year on year, according to the Aluminum Association’s September Aluminum Situation report, US and Canadian extruded product shipment volumes were down 3.0 percent year to date through July. Doug Hilderhoff, the principal North American aluminium analyst for CRU Group, says that for the full year 2019 US aluminium extrusion demand is expected to see a 3.5 percent decline, which would be its first annual drop since the Great Recession in 2009.

While admitting that North American extrusions demand has softened a bit on the back of a reduction in business investment, Jeffrey Henderson, president of the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC), warns that this decline should be taken in context, pointing out this is coming off an all-time high. AEC and the Aluminum Association report that in what had been its ninth consecutive year of growth, US and Canadian producer shipments of extruded products jumped 4.5 percent to 5.51 billion lbs., which, Henderson points out, was 3.2 percent over the “previous highwater mark” in 2006.

“Also, even though shipments have steadily declined as the year has progressed, they really aren’t off by a great deal,” Henderson says, at least not by industry standards. “Usually at the beginning of a downturn of the extrusions market, the orders decline starts with a bang, but no one is reporting that, which is making some extruders think that this is just a blip or a temporary rough patch.”

Rick Merluzzi, chief executive officer of Metal Exchange Corp. says that the recent softening is not surprising given that extrusions demand generally correlates with economic growth and manufacturing activity, both of which are a bit slower. “I’m not at all bearish about 2020,” Merluzzi says, especially given that aluminium, including aluminium extrusions, have great attributes, including lightweighting characteristics, strength and corrosion resistance with the extrusions process enabling the production of many different

US Extrusions: A ‘so-so’ market

The US aluminium extrusions market has been somewhat disappointing this year with more lackluster demand than was initially forecast. There is concern that 2020 could be slightly down again, especially given growing concerns about economic growth, both in the US and elsewhere in the world.

By Myra Pinkham* ‘Photos courtesy of Alexandria Industries’

profiles for many different applications.

“While conditions have slowed somewhat, the US still has the most robust economy in the world,” he points out.

“There has, however, been growing fear of recession,” Steve Schabel, chief sales and marketing officer for Alexandria Industries, notes, saying that this has made many most end users more cautious about their purchases. Charlie Straface, president of Hydro Extrusions North America, observed a similar trend, stating that while extrusions demand largely hung in there, holding at near peak levels, through August, since then order rates have been slipping fairly quickly. “Just a month ago I thought that next year would still be strong – just down a couple percent year on year,” Straface says. “I still think that, barring anything crazy, that 2020 will be a good year. I’m just a little less certain than I was a few months ago.”

But while the trend hasn’t been

encouraging, John Mothersole, director of research for the IHS Markit pricing and purchasing service, says he is isn’t forecasting a recession, but rather a deceleration of growth, particularly in the manufacturing sector. This comes as some question whether the US manufacturing sector has already drifted into recession.

While the IHS Markit manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) has been straddling between readings that indicate expansion and contraction in recent months, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) manufacturing PMI was not only in negative territory for two consecutive months, the September reading of 47.8 percent marked its lowest level since June 2009. Also, the US Census Bureau reports that US construction spending was down 1.9 percent year on year in August and down 2.1 percent year to date.

Clearly some end use markets have been

*US Correspondent November/December 2019

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EXTRUSION 21

While much of that has been coming from extrusions taking share from high strength steels, he observes that some aluminium die cast components are starting to be designed for extrusions.

Brown observes that over the past six years the pounds of extrusions per vehicle has increased about 60 percent with 2-3 lbs. of extrusions being added per vehicle each year – not just for such aluminium intensive vehicles as the Ford F150, but across the board. He says that while its use in crush cans remains a significant application, over the past several years automakers have started using some extruded aluminium crossmembers in their steel light truck frames. “And given the volume of light trucks being produced, demand for extrusions for those vehicles are starting to add up.”

stronger or weaker than others, but the heavy duty truck and truck trailer market, which is a big consumer of aluminium extrusions, has been especially hard hit, Straface observes, with order rates down about 40 percent year on year with there beginning to even be some cancellation of orders that have already been placed, which he says is something that hadn’t been occurring until a few months ago.

“A lot of that has to do with the economy and the freight market being oversupplied right now,” Hilderhoff says, but also commercial transportation tends to be a very cyclical market and, given its record build rates last year, it is currently a bit oversupplied.

But a major factor has been the fact that freight volumes have been dropping over the past few months, partly due to concerns about slower economic growth, which, Schabel says, has affected consumer buying behaviour.

The precipitous drop-off in capital spending since the fourth quarter of 2018 Aluminium International Today

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has been particularly worrisome,” Straface says, blaming much of that upon all of the uncertainties related to tariffs, stating, “The trade wars have been weighing upon everyone.” He says that, combined with the fact that the market has seen eight or nine years of growth, has caused people who buy trucks and truck trailers to hit their tipping point and put the brakes on.

At the same time, Merluzzi says that while there is also a need to lighten the weight of trucks and truck trailers, much has been seen in the automotive sector, that is a more mature market and, therefore, moves to increase their usage of aluminium extrusions have been a bit slower to develop.

The automotive market has remained strong, albeit down slightly from peak levels, for much of the year, although there are some concerns about what impact the General Motors strike will eventually have, depending upon how long it lasts. “But there continues to be a positive trend of increased use of extrusions,” Schabel says.

But Hilderhoff points out that this is largely being offset by expectations that US auto output will decline 2 percent to 11 million light vehicles in 2019, even without taking into account the GM strike, although he is hopeful that the automotive market could stabilise next year resulting in a slight bounce back in its extrusions demand. Kaiser Aluminum Corp. stated in its second quarter earning call that it expects significant growth in automotive extrusions demand in 2020 and 2021.

“Extruders are actually happy that the auto market is falling the way it is falling,” Straface says, as vehicles that have greater extrusions usage per vehicle – light trucks – are still strong, and there will be more hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) models coming out next year. He notes that in addition to the need to lighten the weight of EVs to compensate for their batteries and to increase range, extrusions are helpful to protecting those batteries.

While stricter fuel economy standards have been one motivating factor of greater extrusions use, even if they are November/December 2019

16/10/2019 10:45:08

22

stepped back Merluzzi says that is unlikely to reverse this trend as there are also many other factors at play – not just increased demand of EVs, but the fact that automakers are putting a lot more technologies into their vehicles, including sensors and various devices. “There is a need to offset the weight of those devices.”

Meanwhile, Mothersole points out, both residential and nonresidential construction hasn’t been anything to write home about with housing starts being flat to down for much of the year, although they have picked up somewhat in July and August and weak business fixed investment resulting in flat nonresidential construction activity. In fact, with the construction market getting off to a slow start this year, partly due to weather issues, Hilderhoff says that extrusions use in building and construction are expected to decline about 5 percent this year and then hold more or less flat in 2020. Also, AEC’s Henderson observes that aluminium extrusions have seeing some threats from vinyl in one to 10 storey commercial buildings.

Extrusions are benefitting from the “green” movement, particularly gaining traction with the growing number of solar farm installations – even in some areas of the country where you wouldn’t expect such farms. Schabel observes that not only are the number of solar farms increasing, helped by the recent decline in construction costs and increased availability of tax rebate options in many states and the extension of federal solar tax credit to 2023, but many solar panel parts, such as previously die cast clamps, are being converted to aluminium extrusions.

Extrusions demand for the aerospace market largely depend upon build rates.

While production backlogs remain quite extended, especially for commercial aircraft, Mothersole says a big question is when the Boeing 737 MAX is recertified – not just by the FAA but other international regulators given that three quarter of that aircraft’s orders are destined for export.

While Boeing continue to build the 737 MAX, it is unknown if it will continue to November/December 2019

Extrusion Myra.indd 3

do so if the recertification process drags on.

Even though some extruders aren’t running quite as hard as they had been last year, extruders continue to add presses and make other investments, Merluzzi points out. Straface notes that with the amount of rationalisation of capacity during the Great Recession, last year extruders struggled to keep up with the then record demand. One example of these investments is a $25 million expansion of the Leetonia, Ohio, facility of Pennex Aluminum, which houses two extrusion presses.

On the other hand, in mid-September Hydro announced that it would be permanently closing its Belton, S.C., and Kalamazoo, Mich., facilities sometime in the first quarter of 2020. While Straface says that the company’s recognition that the market will soften somewhat over the next year or two played into this decision, he points out that this comes as Hydro is also adding two state-of-the-art, high efficiency presses – one in Cressona, Pa., and another in Phoenix, Ariz.

“Given the market conditions and the investments we have made to increase out efficiencies and output, we felt that we had added enough capacity to our existing plants to be able to better service our customers from some of our more efficient plants.

One recent area of investment has been in billet casting capacity, Hilderhoff observes, with some extruders either looking to increase existing capacity or even to make their own billet for the first time. The most recent such move is

by Western Extrusions, which plans to begin producing its own billet in the third quarter of 2020.

“With aluminium scrap prices being as favourable as they are right now, it makes a lot of sense for extruders to look at producing their own billet,” even though billet availability is no longer the issue it had been in 2018, when, not only extrusion demand was very strong but the Rusal sanctions, the strike at the Aluminerie de Becancour (ABI), and Section 232 tariffs, restricted supply.

But with the sanctions and Canadian

tariffs lifted and ABI back to work, some increases in domestic capacity, including at Century Aluminum’s Sebree facility, and imports rising from other countries as well, billet supply is currently said to be ample, which has attributed to the decline in the US billet upcharge.

Some of the billet imports have been coming from Mexico, Schabel observes, noting there it is uncertain if some of that could be transshipments from China given that Chinese exports of aluminium into Mexico is up 136 percent year on year at a time when the Mexican economy hasn’t grown. At the same time, US billet imports from Turkey have increased significantly in recent years – rising 1,000 percent from 2015-2018 and have already increased another 100 percent year to date.

Despite the success that the extrusions industry has had in its fair trade initiative and the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties against China several years ago, AEC’s Henderson says that extrusion import volumes have recently crept up and there have been some anecdotal accounts that this could be due to transshipments.

There have already been some positive findings in action alleging transshipments

by Vietnam and Malaysia using Chinese substrate. “We are tracking other reports to see if there is merit for US Customs and Border Protection to look into these cases as well,” he says.

While slightly down from last year, Brown says that 2019 was an “okay” year for US aluminium extruders. It was, however, described by some market observers as being “disappointing” as it was weaker than it appeared it would be early in the year. The crystal ball for 2020 remains somewhat cloudy given the uncertainty about whether there will be a resolution of trade disputes and if there will be any type of recessionary activity either in the entire US economy or certain individual sectors.

Hilderhoff says that he believes that it will be another down year, although with a more moderate decline than in 2019, and that the market will likely turn the corner in 2021, especially if commercial transportation demand moves back up. � Aluminium International Today

16/10/2019 10:45:12

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Hydro expands research and development capabilities Hydro is opening an aluminium research lab in Sweden to test new types of aluminium alloys and their extrudability for eventual use in applications that are innovative and which can help customers reduce their carbon footprint.

The Extrusion Test Center is located adjacent to Hydro’s product application lab in Finspång, and includes a new aluminium extrusion press and metal casting facilities.

The investment extends and complements the company’s global research and product application capabilities toward the growing market for sustainable aluminium solutions.

“Research and application development has always been one of our strong points as a supplier of innovative aluminium solutions, and with sustainability now the key word in our industry, we need to speed these efforts to meet market needs,” says Egil Hogna, EVP responsible for Hydro’s Extruded Solutions business area.

Faster development of new aluminium alloys and prototypes The test center will be an integral part of the global Innovation & Technology (I&T) unit of Extruded Solutions, which includes the product application lab in Finspång and an automotive-focused research and development lab outside Detroit, in Troy, Michigan. I&T also operates aluminium tubing corrosion laboratories in China and the United States.

The application lab in Finspång carries out robotic welding, hot metal gas forming, friction stir welding, thermal testing and the testing of components, such as crash testing of automotive systems. The test center will offer services that complement the work of the application lab, says Ole Daaland, who heads the I&T unit for Hydro.

“This extends our offering and makes it possible for us to develop alloys and prototypes much faster and more efficiently,” he says.

The extrusion press, delivered by Prizma Engineering, will allow Hydro to test

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extremely fast and for extremely hard aluminium alloys, including 7000-series alloys. The melting furnace for casting will yield a large part of the metal supply used within the lab.

Integral part of global research and development The test center is situated in a building that previously had been used by Hydro’s

extrusion plant in Finspång. Work on the building and installation of the machinery was completed in August.

Eight employees have been trained to also handle operations at the test center, which will begin taking on research projects later this year.

Hydro Extruded Solutions employs more than 1,000 engineers in its global operation, which spans 40 countries. �

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WOMEN IN ALUMINIUM

27

Number 13: Not unlucky for Hydro In the same week that Hydro’s CEO, Hilde Merete Aasheim was voted 13th on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list, Nadine Bloxsome* spoke to her about her thoughts on women’s roles in the aluminium industry and how she is working to inspire others to contribute not just to manufacturing, but business in general.

Q. The topic itself seems quite a tricky

one - as a woman myself I don’t like to think that there is or should be an issue with women working within the aluminium sector, but what are your initial thoughts when you hear the words ‘Women in Aluminium’?

A. The aluminium industry is a hightech industry with lots of exciting career opportunities for both men and women.

But we have not done enough to attract and retain female talents and leaders. We need to do something about that. Our industry is going to fall behind if we only pick from one half of the talent pool and fail to build strong pipelines of female leaders.

Q. You’ve got extensive experience within the aluminium manufacturing industry. What lead you to develop a career in this sector?

A. Industry has always been close to my heart, and it has been my home for the last decades. The big plants, the people, the local communities – having this joint destiny of creating workplaces and products that the world needs have always fascinated me.

I started my career as a certified public accountant, a profession that introduced me to the world of large-scale industry.

I got Elkem as a client, and Elkem at that time had plants all over Norway. I was out there in the plants and got this fascination for turning natural resources like hydropower into finished products to be sold all around the world.

I started to work for Elkem and stayed there for 19 years in different leadership positions before joining Hydro and the

aluminium industry in 2005. In Hydro I have held the positions as EVP for Leadership and Culture and later EVP for the Aluminium Metal business (20082019) before taking the helm as CEO in May this year.

Q. Have you witnessed any challenges or opposition in your roles leading to this point that you think are related to being a woman?

A. Not really. To me, it has been about hard work and taking step by step. You have to learn all the way, no difference between men and women.

I recognise that I meet many men in similar positions when I travel the world for Hydro. But I am happy to see that I see more and more women, and if I can be an inspiration to young women today – I am proud to be able to do that.

Q. I meet a lot of women in this industry who work in roles such as marketing and admin, but do you think the sector is now more open to women in leading or more manufacturing based roles or is a shift still needed?

A. The sector should definitely be more open to women in leading or more manufacturing based roles. We need to do more to attract, develop and retain female talents and leaders and facilitate job rotation for both men and women.

We need to be better at promoting our industry and to show the large number of opportunities in terms of disciplines that you could choose from.

Companies have a responsibility to facilitate career moves. You need to spot and rotate talents, enable the transition

from functional experts to general managers across staff functions and business areas and manage succession planning in a good way. In particular we should try to get more females into line positions, which is a good basis to move further up the ranks.

Companies and leaders should also support and facilitate a good work-life balance through family-friendly policies.

There are times in life when it is challenging to combine a professional career and your private life, especially when you have small children. I believe this is a challenge many women have been facing and are facing, but also more and more men. It will be challenging to combine career and family from time to time, but it is possible, and it is worth it.

Q. Do you think there are enough opportunities for women to take on roles in this industry?

A. Yes, there are a lot of exciting opportunities for women in our industry, and it will continue to be.

The world needs better designed products, made to last longer, that can be recycled and produced by low emission, ethically sourced materials.

Sustainability is the biggest challenge of modern production and the aluminium industry can play an important part in the transition to a more circular economy. We need all the talent we can find to succeed with this big task.

Q. Do you think enough is being done to encourage women in these roles? If not, how could we encourage more?

A. We are getting better, but we are not

*Editor, Aluminium International Today Aluminium International Today

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“... we talk about “women in aluminium” and “female leaders”. Placing “female” before leader or CEO means there is an element of surprise... and I hope it

”

won’t be, 10 years from now. doing enough. To change the numbers at the top of our industry I believe we need to start young. We need to get young girls excited about a career in STEMfields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). We also need to encourage our girls and women to pursue leader positions. Women represent 50 percent of the world’s expertise and talent pool – of course our industry needs them.

manufacturing is no exception. We have some good examples of female leaders in operative positions, and it is important that these are inspiring further young, female talents in seeing the possibilities for a career in the whole company. To be able to have a good pipeline of female leader and specialist talents, we need to nurture these talents from early on in their careers.

Q. Is the subject of women in manufacturing a focus for Hydro?

A. Yes, definitely. We aim at having diversity in all areas in Hydro, and

Q. Are there any company programmes

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in place designed for women working in the sector?

A. Hydro has a number of talent

programs. One of our business areas has a special mentoring program for female talents, else the programs are designed for all talents, independent of gender.

That said, we are very conscious about diversity when accepting nominees to our talent programs. We always aim to find a good balance on e.g gender, nationality and experience to reflect the company’s global presence.

Q. What do you think the future holds for women in the aluminium manufacturing workforce?

A. A lot of exciting career opportunities. I encourage women to take a step outside the comfort zone and just go for it. It is possible, and it is worth it.

Q. What would you like to see going

forward?

I am happy to see more and more women choosing a career in our industry.

Still, we are too few, and still, we talk about “women in aluminium” and “female leaders”. Placing “female” before leader or CEO means there is an element of surprise. It shouldn’t be, and I hope it won’t be, 10 years from now. �

A.

Aluminium International Today

17/10/2019 09:47:22

30 WOMEN IN ALUMINIUM

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Open to change An opinion piece by Christine Keener* As a girl growing up in the small city of Binghamton, New York, my parents told me I could pursue any career that matched my ambition and talent, and several teachers shared stories about notable women who succeeded in roles once open only to men.

So, when I entered the aluminium industry almost two decades ago, I was surprised to find that the “good-old-boys network” still existed.

During my tenure with Alcoa, significant cracks have been made in that glass ceiling. In the process, I’ve learned some tips that may be helpful to other women and employers as our industry continues to work on improving gender diversity.

My career progression has been atypical, with diverse assignments across functions.

I started as an accountant (yes, I’m a geeky bean counter) and later moved to finance, providing a foundation on how to analyse a business. After completing an MBA, I served in a variety of marketing, sales management, and then broad commercial leadership roles.

A defining moment in my professional journey was moving to an operations role after many years in finance and commercial positions. This was due to an Alcoa executive who saw transferrable skills from my prior experiences and believed my leadership abilities and style would translate well to supervise casthouses in the U.S., Canada, and Brazil. While I subsequently worked in a commercial and strategy role, today, I’m one of four global Vice Presidents of Operations, responsible for supervising multiple locations in Europe and providing support for our Company’s joint venture in Saudi Arabia.

With my own experience, I wonder why our industry doesn’t have more women in executive and line roles; I know there are many talented and intelligent women, ready for leadership positions. To improve gender diversity in the aluminium industry, I believe changes are needed both by women and employers.

Taking risks Studies show men are more likely to take physical and financial risks to reach a strategic objective.1 While women are risktakers in many areas and carefully weigh the potential consequences, particularly November/December 2019

women in alcoa new.indd 1

on others, those risks do not translate as well for personal career advancement.

According to a LinkedIn study, women are 16 percent less likely than men to apply for a job after reviewing it. Other studies suggest women believe they need to meet a higher percentage of the criteria than men to apply.2 During a talent review session at Alcoa, a male manager once asked why he should consider several female candidates for some open roles, noting the women were not as proactive and vocal as their male counterparts in seeking promotion. Upon explaining the stereotypical differences in how men and women approach career advancement, that executive now actively works to promote qualified women and identify those with advancement potential. � Advice to women: Take personal career risks! Be willing to move to the operations role for which you have minimal obvious, direct qualifications. When asked to take a leap, say yes right away and then figure out a way to make it work. This was my own story when I was first asked to take a commercial role in Europe, which required relocation for my family of five. Juggling a multitude of responsibilities is our forte. � Advice to employers: Seek out women you identify as high potential and ask them to consider roles.

Find ways to move top talent to areas outside their background to grow and develop and ensure they have the needed support system. I certainly owe much of my success to Alcoa’s willingness to do this for me. Give women some grace (and time) to consider opportunities.

Seeking differences The adage may say that opposites attract, but the reality is that we tend to hire

and promote candidates with whom we find similarities due to our unconscious biases.3 We are also hard-wired to resist change.4 � Advice to women: Pursue new opportunities and embrace change. Actively look for new roles and experiences. Raise your hand for a special project, or if you cannot find such prospects at your current employer, find them outside your workplace, such as volunteering for a nonprofit board or chairing an association or organisation to prepare you for that next professional opportunity.

Continually ask for feedback…and not from colleagues who will tell you what you want to hear. Go to the individual who you know will tell you the truth, even if uncomfortable. � Advice to employers: Implement training regarding unconscious biases and develop action-based strategies to address those learnings.

Some steps are simple, like running job descriptions through a gender decoder and ensuring interview panels (not just the slate of candidates) are diverse. Other actions may require more training or a cultural shift, like giving open and honest feedback to all employees regarding their performance, providing transparency regarding potential future roles, and being deliberate about decisions on who is offered training, developmental roles, etc. and who is included on succession plans, specifically assessing the influence of unconscious biases.

Aluminium International Today

16/10/2019 16:01:01

WOMEN IN ALUMINIUM 31 5

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Networking Numerous studies validate the importance of career mentors and sponsors to career advancement.5 These relationships develop from formal on-the-job interactions, as well as informal connections. As intragender networking is more common and most leaders are male, women have a natural networking disadvantage with top executives.

Advice to women: Develop a robust and diverse network. Take advantage of networking opportunities that exist, and if intergender networking opportunities are limited, work with your company to create them, such as volunteering initiatives or affinity group �

events. The combination of your network and proven performance will result in sponsors, which is ultimately what is critical to advancement. I can name a few key sponsors at Alcoa who were instrumental to my progression. In the vast majority of my roles, leaders advocated for me long before I was even aware of an opportunity. � Advice to employers: Create intergender networking opportunities. I support effective formal mentoring programs, but interactions in informal settings are also a critical aspect of developing relationships, and particularly sponsors. At Alcoa, this is a focus area for the Alcoa Women’s

Network (AWN), which offers intergender events that benefit our entire corporation and provide support for women in our company.

To achieve more gender balance in a male-dominated industry, women need to be open to change, and employers need to adjust their practices and recognise stereotypes.

Until the system is as conducive to women as to men, women need to break the mold. However, the companies that create an inclusive culture and instill processes to actively pursue and develop talented women will attain better gender balance, which is proven to improve employee engagement and financial results.5 �

Sources: 1 https://hbr.org/2013/02/do-women-take-as-many-risks-as 2 https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/diversity/2019/how-women-find-jobs-gender-report 3 https://www.google.ch/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/05/01/why-you-mistakenly-hire-people-justlike-you/amp/ 4 https://emersonhc.com/change-management/people-hard-wired-resist-change 5 https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/why-women-need-a-network-of-champions/

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32 WOMEN IN ALUMINIUM

The gender gap in manufacturing: Gone for good?

Around the world, women are significantly under-represented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

According to statistics from the US Department of Labour, women account for just 26 per cent of America’s STEM professionals.

In the United Kingdom, it is a similar story – less than a fifth of STEM professionals are women. There are similar low rates in other large economies.

However, the world of manufacturing in particular is beginning to see change in women’s participation, as it transforms through technology and rapid digitization.

Indeed, there are some discernible global shifts that would indicate as much.

For instance, in 2017, Deloitte, working with an affiliate of the US’s National Association of Manufacturers, surveyed over 600 women in the sector. Some 58% of those surveyed reported that they have noticed significant positive change in the industry with regards to the inclusion of women, and 70% said they would remain in manufacturing, if they had a choice to start their career all over again.

However, with women representing almost half the US’s talent pool, but only a quarter of the country’s manufacturing sector workforce – it appears there is still plenty of work to do. And the more the sector changes and innovates, the more apparent the potential for female involvement become.

Some of the factors in this shift are apparent in our own aluminium industry.

The rapid pace of technological change in manufacturing and our sector is changing the processes of production, as more and more tasks become automated and the focus shifts away from purely manual roles. This is leading to a re-evaluation of our sector as a potential employer.

The UAE is part of this global trend, with the last few years seeing the number of Emirati women joining the industrial workforce as engineers and scientists rise significantly.

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In large part, this is because the representation of Emirati women in STEM programmes at UAE universities already exceeds the international average. Some 70 per cent of people graduating from UAE universities today are female, and women account for as almost half the national workforce, according to statistics from the Ministry of Finance.

Emirates Global Aluminium is happy to be part of this development.

Today, EGA is pioneering the role of UAE National women in heavy industry, with over 250 UAE National females on our staff.

Nouf Al Obaid is an associate manager for upstream capital projects at EGA. Her most recent assignment was leading the construction of a major section of Al Taweela alumina refinery – the country’s first alumina refinery. Nouf is now involved in the ramp-up of this landmark national project, and leads a team of female staff, all of whom were hired by EGA for this new project.

“As a young engineer, I am honoured by the trust and responsibility placed in me by the company,” she says.

“EGA has unlocked opportunities for me, and facilitated my career growth. I am encouraged to manage projects where I am leading teams and am accountable for their performance.”

“I believe the future is today, as long as organisations like EGA continue to place their trust in women and provide them with the right opportunities. This is vital to helping them maintain consistent growth, and creates a strong platform for more women to be encouraged to join the workforce,” she concludes.

A diversity of opportunities EGA has worked to develop smelting technology in the United Arab Emirates for more than 25 years, and today the company’s homegrown technology is amongst the most efficient in the global aluminium industry. In 2016, EGA became

the first UAE industrial company to license its own large-scale industrial technology internationally.

Alya Taryam, an Engineer from the R&D team at EGA says: “There are many great initiatives that help employees from the first day they join EGA family, such as the graduate trainee program and other accelerated development programmes for leaders, as well as the new established Youth Council which has a significant female presence. All of these programs help prepare EGA’s employees, especially women, for a bright future at the company.”

“The leadership of our country have long encouraged women to take on challenging roles. I believe with dedication, hard work and passion there will always be a place for women to excel in anything they put their mind into. We are great multitaskers and we ought to ourselves and the community to shape our industrial future,” she finishes.

Najeeba Al Jabri started her career at EGA in 2001 as a graduate trainee. Of her experience over the last 18 years, she says: “As you would expect, EGA doesn’t differentiate whether you are male or female. I got the support of the company as an employee to develop my skills, just like the all our employees, and I have been provided with support which enables me to continually sharpen my skills and define my growth plan.”

She is excited about what the future holds.

“I am sure the aluminium sector in the UAE will continue to attract women at a very rapid pace, including into critical leadership positions. There really is no limit to our capability and potential. The role of women in the aluminium industry has much more room to grow, but one day soon the gender gap in our industry will be a thing of the past.” � Aluminium International Today

15/10/2019 16:32:31

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Hertwich Engineering: Leading partner in the world of aluminium Over the past few decades, anywhere where aluminium is melted, cast and homogenized to semi-finished products before processing, Hertwich Engineering, located in Braunau, Austria, has significantly contributed to the technology development. Today, the most important representatives of aluminium smelters, recyclers and casthouses all over the world cooperate successfully with Hertwich.

Trend setter for melting and casting plants Using new processes and state-of-theart plant technology, Hertwich has contributed pioneering work for more than three decades to the melting technology sector, especially for the recycling of contaminated aluminium scrap. Today, users can choose between different furnace designs for their own individual challenges and requirements; using single chamber melting furnaces for relatively clean scrap and multi-chamber melting furnaces for contaminated scrap, UBC and chips. For severely contaminated scrap and dross Hertwich provides universal rotary tilting furnaces.

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of aluminium scrap. The features of this technology include: � �

Integrated scrap preheating, Decoating of the organic compounds, � Combustion of the emerging gases and � Melting of scrap The economic efficiency part benefits, among others, from the low energy demand based on the use of the energy content of the organic compounds. This results in a reduction of operating costs and lower CO2 emissions. The minimum emissions (NOx, dioxins, VOC, no salt) contribute to the environmentally friendly furnace operation.

In the sector of casting Hertwich started with the commissioning of the first horizontal casting plant (HDC) for ingots in 1976. The process was subsequently further developed for additional casting products such as billets, T-bars and busbars.

Horizontal casting plants for extrusion billets are becoming increasingly successful in extrusion plants with their own semi-finished product basis. When planning new expansions, the Hertwich compact type remelting plants (CTRP) are increasingly used. They combine

melting furnaces, horizontal or vertical casting machines as well as homogenizing furnaces, which are optimally adjusted with each other.

Recent Hertwich developments include ingot casting plants with open molds resulting in the concept of an air- and water-cooled casting belt, which makes it possible to control solidification in a very precise manner. The design combines high product quality with an economic and environmentally sound operation.

Automated operation in continuous and batch homogenizing furnaces The metallurgical structure created during casting is not optimal for further processing. Therefore a high annealing treatment is performed to produce a structural condition suitable for forming, whereby cooling must be adjusted to the metallurgical change processes in the material.

Until the early 1980s, only conventional batch furnaces were available for this purpose. The situation changed when Hertwich presented its first continuous homogenizing furnace in 1980. Since then, continuous homogenizing has revolutionised the production of extrusion billets; today this furnace type is used for approx. two thirds of the worldwide billet production. So far, Hertwich has delivered November/December 2019

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36 CASTHOUSE

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a batch type, flexible, automated homogenizing of rolling slabs.

Horizontal casting plant with a capacity of 2 x 3.5 t/h

more than 120 continuous furnace plants worldwide.

The precise temperature control during heating, holding and cooling guarantees constant optimal metallurgical characteristics. The combination of all work steps up to the ready-forshipment product in one continuous, fully automatic process provided a significant advancement. In addition, it was possible to reduce energy demand and homogenization duration.

However, continuous homogenizing is not suitable for all technical tasks, for example, with alloys that require long holding times between 4 and 12 hours are processed. As a next step, Hertwich developed a completely new batch furnace concept for such tasks. In the same manner as the continuous homogenizing furnace, it can be integrated into a fully automatic material flow.

The newly developed heating concept with reversing air flow sets high metallurgical standards and reduces the heat-up time. As laboratory tests have shown, the metallurgical quality is also very good. Supplemented by an automatic billet handling, batch furnaces now almost reach the performance of continuous furnaces with respect to billet quality.

Users either choose between both concepts or combine both furnace types.

Some of the billet producers worldwide, who have replaced their old batch furnaces by continuous furnaces in the past, have now installed state-of-theart batch furnaces and are therefore in a position to adjust their homogenizing capacities optimally to the alloy mix.

The new batch furnace concept has received increasing interest in the

market especially after the successful commissioning of several plants at Emirates Global Aluminium. In 2010, EGA Jebel Ali was the first company that decided to select the modernised batch furnace type.

When Austria Metall AG (AMAG) upgraded its rolling slab casthouse, as part of their expansion program with a volume of 220 million euros in 2012, the decision for the homogenizing process with batch furnaces was made based on technical and economic reasons.

The homogenizing furnace commissioned in 2016 - the 8th Hertwich batch furnace plant in the AMAG casthouse - was an interesting new development, which applied the concept of an automated batch furnace operation to rolling slabs for the first time. Hertwich reacted to the increasing demand for high quality rolled products for medium and small series applications by offering

Automated operation to the greatest possible extend Hertwich does not only provide plants for the industry, but also a system of components which can be used to automate the production of semi-finished products to a large extent. Transport equipment, saws, stackers, transfer cars and strapping machines supplement the customised casthouse.

The high degree of automation of the overall plant requires extraordinary reliability. All plants are equipped with the required control and diagnostic systems as well as additional equipment to ensure the reliability. In addition, the Hertwich plants include... � An automatic product tracking across the entire system. It knows at any time all product data and the current production status. � A diagnostic system that monitors each individual work step. In case of any deviation from normal operation the plant reacts at once and provides support to ensure that occurring faults can be resolved in the shortest possible time. � An automatic restart program. After an operational interruption, this part of the program automatically returns the plant back to the position in which the automatic operation can be restarted. � Before its use, the entire software is tested by using a 3D simulation.

This ensures most efficient on site commissioning.

By providing all of the above, the technology offered by Hertwich is well prepared to address future requirements (“Industry 4.0”). � Contact www.hertwich.com

Batch homogenizing plant 43 t

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always the durable solution Cost effective heavy duty mobile equipment for aluminium industries . . .

GLAMA Maschinenbau GmbH Headquarters: HornstraĂ&#x;e 19 D-45964 Gladbeck / Germany Fon: +49 (0) 2043 9738 0 Fax: +49 (0) 2043 9738 50 email: info@glama.de

GLAMA USA Inc.

768 W Bagley Road Berea, Ohio 44017 Fon: +1 877 452 6266 Fax: +1 440 201 6900 Email: sales@glama-us.com

glama.de

38 CASTHOUSE

MQP, based in the UK, operates on a global basis through a network of consultants and distributors with representatives and offices in all parts of the Aluminium world, from Australasia to South Africa, Europe to the Americas.

In 2016 after five years of initial introduction and trialling, sales of Optifine really took off with 67% growth over 2015 taking tonnage to nearly 1,000t, equal to 3,000t of standard grain refiner or 10% market share MQP undertook a strategic review and concluded that going forward, as tonnage continued to increase a new production facility was needed.

MQP reviewed a number of different suppliers to evaluate their suitability to produce Optifine, one of those was STNM, Hebei Sitong New Metal Material Co. Optimum and powerful grain refinement The development of our high efficiency grain refiner, Optifine, an optimum and powerful grain refiner, gives MQP a huge asset in advancing casthouse melt quality.

In August 2016 STNM acquired a 70% shareholding in MQP and, thereafter, MQP undertook to introduce the Optifine technology into the plant in Baoding.

MQP, under an exclusive manufacturing agreement with our partners STNM is now supplying Optifine from a state-of-theart manufacturing plant, that is capable of producing 16,000 tpy of grain refiner.

Production will be increased by almost 50% when a new line is commissioned at the end of 2019.

The grain refiner produced in STNM is firstly verified to a particular grain size by TP1 test in the plant and then, crucially and most importantly, ALL the material is quality control checked in MQP’s laboratories in Sweden and the UK using our unique Opticast technology.

Testing in this way, with Opticast, is only available from MQP and ensures that ALL batches of Optifine meet our exacting standards of quality and efficiency, it’s the only grain refiner produced with a guarantee of its efficiency. Opticast is uniquely applied by MQP in the quality control of Optifine so if a grain refiner has not been quality tested by MQP, using Opticast technology, it is NOT Optifine.

Optifine is a highly effective grain refiner which can achieve the level of refinement needed to avoid ingot cracking at up to 70% lower addition rates than standard TiBor grain refiners. This results in improved quality and reduced operating costs over a wide range of aluminium alloy compositions. Savings of 30-40% can achieved in the end to end cost of grain refinement together with reducing November/December 2019

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A new beginning the number of potential particles that cause casting defects.

Brand awareness and product recognition The “Aluminium Lady” has been used in advertising, marketing and on exhibition stands for some time and has become synonymous with MQP and Optifine. The lady also features on our website and also on our LinkedIn and Twitter profiles.

Optifine was first used in regular production in 2010 and is now in routine use in 34 major casthouses worldwide in the production of over 3 million tonnes of aluminium alloys annually with outstanding results.

Opticast and Optifine are routinely used together in many casthouses worldwide, to both optimise current grain refining practise and during initial trials to demonstrate to customers the potential reduction in grain refining costs and the subsequent impact on quality when switching to Optifine. Indeed, providing comprehensive technical support to casthouses is an integral part of MPQ’s Optifine programme ensuring that optimum addition rates for Optifine can be reached safely and consistently to deliver maximum savings. Reducing the amount of grain refiner by 70% also reduces the number of potential particles that cause casting defects by the same amount. This reduction will also mean less coil storage and transport as well as less frequent coil changes in the casthouse.

Also, in conjunction with our partners, STNM, we will bring new grades of Optifine grain refiners to market in the near future.

Exhibitions MQP has participated in Aluminium shows in Essen and Dusseldorf, in the past, and will be in Dusseldorf again in 2020. The response at this show always amazes us because even though the number of Aluminium

plants barely changes there is always someone new coming to speak to us. So, it was decided that in 2018, MQP would venture into Asia firstly with the formation of MQP China Ltd and the opening of a sales office and then a warehousing facility in Shanghai.

In 2019 MQP exhibited in Aluminium China for the first time. This introduced us to more companies than ever before with many of them coming to seek us out to talk about Optifine. MQP participated, for the first time, in Aluminium 2019 in Nashville, USA. Future Developments MQP is undertaking a major research programme at Brunel University to study the fundamental mechanism of grain refinement using High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). This equipment is one of only 4 such units worldwide. The technique enables the nucleation process of aluminium grains on titanium diboride particles to be observed at the atomic level. It is known that for nucleation to occur on the particles a layer of titanium aluminide must be formed first and this process will be studied in depth with the objective of further improving the efficiency of Optifine.

Richard Dean, International Sales and Marketing Director says “in the 5 years since I joined MQP I don’t think there has ever been a more exciting period to be working for the company. Our new partners have been incredibly supportive in producing Optifine to our exacting standards and supporting a large stock in both European and the USA. There is constant supply of our standard 3:1 Optifine coming out of the plant and the possibility to introduce new grades, like 5:1 or even 5:02, means that MQP can move into markets that were hitherto restricted.” � Contact E-mail: richard.dean@mqpltd.com

Aluminium International Today

15/10/2019 11:40:11

There is only one Optifine™ the world’s best Grain Refiner

Innovative casthouse solutions t +44 (0) 121 684 0175

| info@mqpltd.com

| www.mqpltd.com

TOMRA’S NEW X-TRACT X6 FINES SORTS EVEN THE SMALLEST GRAIN SIZES OF FINES ZORBA +

Enhanced precision Highest throughput Reliable top quality yield

Aluminum vs. heavy metals, 5-40mm Contact us: TOMRA Sorting, Inc. // +1 916 346 0299 // info@tomrasorting.com // www.tomra.com/recycling

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Machine capable of sorting the smallest of metal fractions Unveiled at Aluminum USA 2019, a new machine with enhanced X-ray technology which detects and sorts metal grains half the size of what was previously possible...

TOMRA Sorting Recycling has launched the X-TRACT X6 FINES, for the highpurity sorting of mixed non-ferrous metal fractions at Aluminum USA, the biannual industry event staged at the Music City Center convention center in Nashville, Tennessee.

The X-TRACT X6 FINES can detect and sort grains of metal of almost half the size of what was previously sortable.

This unprecedented capability has been achieved by developing TOMRA’s exclusive and field-proven high-speed X-ray transmission (XRT) technology, which sorts materials according to differences in their density. Broad-band radiation penetrates the materials in the sorting line to obtain spectral absorption information, which is measured by an X-ray camera.

Within this process, the atomic density of the materials is identified regardless of their thickness.

Increasing the sensitivity of the highresolution X-ray camera has made it possible to detect and sort grain sizes as small as 5-40mm, thus measurably reducing product losses. Extensive validation runs of the X-TRACT X6 FINES in high-throughput applications demonstrated the machine’s ability to consistently attain unrivalled purity levels of 98-99%.

Like X-TRACT, X-TRACT X6 FINES is equipped with TOMRA’s Duoline® Dual ENERGY Technology. This employs two independent devices with different

spectral sensitivities, so that materials are sorted regardless of the material’s thickness. By detecting and prioritising between single object processing and area processing, Duoline® recognises differences in objects overlapping on the sorting line, a significant advantage when lines are running higher throughputs.

Another useful advantage is the provision of multi-density channels.

Whereas previous X-TRACT models sorted materials according to two classes, separating it into high-density and lowdensity fractions, the new X-TRACT features multiple density channels. This allows a greater number of classes for separating materials according to density, achieving greater sorting precision even

with mixed metals and small grain sizes.

Valerio Sama, Vice President and Head of Product Management Recycling at TOMRA, commented: “The smallness of the metal grains that can now be detected and sorted by TOMRA’s X-TRACT technology is unrivalled. This will enable sorting operations to unlock even more value from secondary materials. But while our X-ray sorting technology reaches new levels of sophistication, the new X-TRACT X6 FINES retains the familiar controls of the standard X-TRACT and brings the peace of mind that comes with an industry-proven technology.” � Contact www.tomra.com

About TOMRA Sorting Recycling TOMRA Sorting Recycling designs and manufactures sensor-based sorting technologies for the global recycling and waste management industry. Over 6,000 systems have been installed in almost 80 countries worldwide.

Responsible for developing the world’s first high-capacity near infrared (NIR) sensor for waste sorting applications, TOMRA Sorting Recycling remains an industry pioneer with a dedication to extracting high purity fractions from waste streams that maximize both yield and profits.

TOMRA Sorting Recycling is part of TOMRA Sorting Solutions which also develops sensor-based systems for sorting, peeling and process analytics for the food, mining and other industries.

TOMRA Sorting is owned by Norwegian company TOMRA Systems ASA, which is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Founded in 1972, TOMRA Systems ASA has a turnover of around €876m and employs ~4,000 globally.

For more information on TOMRA Sorting Recycling visit www.tomra.com/recycling or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.

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Briquetting makes metal production more efficient Melting loose chips means accepting a range of disadvantages. Preventing this is relatively simple, thanks to high-end briquetting technology. Zaisertshofen based Ruf Briquetting Systems GmbH & Co. KG, offers the fitting solutions.

Foundries melt down input materials of different qualities. Ingots / pig iron or cupola are included as well as lumpy scrap metal and chips which accrue during milling and turning. Chips should not, however, be fed into the oven in loose form, but should rather be briquetted first. There are various different reasons for this. Warehousing and logistics are thus simplified significantly and the charging effort is reduced thanks to extreme volume reduction.

Another factor is even more important, however: cooling lubricants often adhere to the chips. Average residual moisture values range between 10 and 15 percent.

This circumstance proves to be very problematic when it comes to melting.

With high-performance briquetting

presses – like the ones produced by Ruf Mechanical Engineering – the moisture value can be reduced to under three percent for aluminium and under two percent for cast iron. For this reason, and because briquettes sink in the molten metal, the burn-off loss of the compressed chips in the furnace is significantly lower.

By implication, the metal yield is higher.

Furthermore, power consumption as well as melting times are reduced – both of which are important factors for efficiency improvement in melting plants.

Foundry companies also value the fact that they can melt down metallurgically familiar material again in briquette form, instead of having to sell it in loose form for a low price. This way, high material procurement costs are saved.

Foundries can, however, only achieve such results if the correct briquetting technology is being applied and the quality of the machine is adequate. Ruf has meanwhile more than 50 years of experience and more than 4,500 briquetting systems in use around the world. Its comprehensive know-how helps the company to constantly further develop its machines.

Different hydraulic systems with a specific pressing power of up to 5,000 kg/cm² are available and can be selected according to the material, chip quality and primary intended purpose. Customers can also choose according to their requirements when it comes to throughput capacities, which lie between 30 and 4,800 kg/hour.

At the same time, RUF systems are all compactly constructed, which means that they only require a small amount of floor space and are suitable for fully automatic 24-hour operation. � Contact www.kk-pr.de www.brikettieren.de

RUF 15/4000/70 briquetting system. The residual moisture content of briquettes pressed with it lies at under two percent

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Aluminium International Today

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OUTOTEC ADVERTORIAL 43

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Improve your plant’s performance with OUTOTEC’S ARTSTM – Anode and Rod Tracking System for primary aluminium smelters In an aluminium smelter, carbon anodes are used to physically conduct electricity to the process and act as a chemical reduction agent. The anodes are applied to the smelting process by means of metallic anode rods, which are reused after being mated to a new anode.

Outotec ARTS™ combines an anode and rod identification and tracking system with a customised database and analytical software. Effective tracking of anodes and rods provides complete visibility over their performance in the process, thereby helping to control anode quality and improve overall smelter performance and rodding shop operations. Available in modular packages, ARTS is customised to suit specific smelter requirements and operating parameters.

HOW TRACKING WORKS Outotec ARTS tracks each carbon anode through its entire lifecycle, which begins with its molding at the vibrating compactor. Each anode is stamped with a unique binary dot-code ID as part of the forming process.

The code refers to the

individual anode’s dataset, which is stored in a database.

On its way through the anode plant, the ID can be read by a camera. For example, at the baking furnace the baking process data can be added to the database for each individual anode.

At the mating station in the rodding shop, the reference to this dataset is complemented by the RFID code of the rod cast to the anode.

From this point on, until the spent anode is stripped, the rod ID provides a cross-reference to the anode in question, thereby providing complete visibility over its performance in the process.

In addition, rod maintenance history and performance can be instantly accessed via the Outotec ARTS database. Careful analysis of the collected data allows correlation of anode manufacturing parameters with anode performance, which helps to identify opportunities for quality and efficiency improvements. The first ARTS system was successfully installed at the Aluminij d.d. Mostar plant in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

RETROFITTING AT AN EXISTING PLANT Outotec ARTS can be installed at an existing plant with no downtime. Rods are permanently equipped with a simple RFID tag in the rodding shop service loop, and this process does not require plant shutdown. Installation of the dot-code stamping device at the vibrating compactor, the camera equipment, and the individual rod reading devices can easily be carried out during regular maintenance shutdowns.

CONTACT aluminium@outotec.com to learn more.

OUTOTEC ARTSTM – EFFECTIVE TRACKING OF ANODES AND RODS FOR IMPROVED QUALITY • Better control over anode performance in smelter and rodding shop operations • Improved anode quality and operational efficiency through data analysis • Permanent rod identification with RFID tags • Monitor production throughout the anode plant • Suitable for new and existing plant operations

Aluminium International Today

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Reducing the magnesium proportion when processing scrap aluminium Increasing the aluminium purity and handling the specifically defined alloy concentrations in a targeted manner are becoming increasingly important when processing varied scrap aluminium. The proportions of free magnesium (Mg) contained in the material flow of some scrap aluminium can now be reduced by up to 92%. This technical application can be retrofitted on most STEINERT XSS T x-ray transmission sorting systems built from 2016 and is already being used.

The dry mechanical processing of scrap aluminium involves multiple sorting stages to extract ferrous proportions via magnetic separation and non-ferrous metals (such as waste and composites) via an eddy current separator. Free heavy metals and high-alloy aluminium objects (with high proportions of copper and zinc) are separated using x-ray transmission (XRT) sorting systems. If required, these can also separate significant amounts of wrought and cast aluminium in a separate sorting stage to generate added value from the proportions of coveted clean wrought.

A breakthrough for the “magnesium reduction” sorting task Within the STEINERT XSS T sorting stages, a further technical advancement in the x-ray sorters can now further improve the aluminium quality. This enables the proportions of free magnesium contained in the material flow of some scrap aluminium to be reduced by up to 92%.

The magnesium (die-cast components) can either be extracted separately as a concentrate or can be sorted, for example into the cast aluminium fraction – the technology available until now meant that both were barely feasible with STEINERT XSS T. This application can now be integrated into aluminium scrap sorting systems (ELV, mixed scrap) and operates at the usual throughputs of 3 to 8 t/h per metre of sorting machine width. It can therefore be used without any loss of throughput capacity. This sorting task can now be performed in the usual grain sizes and process lines of 10 – 30 mm, 30 – 70 mm and 70 – 130 mm because that is also where the main share of free magnesium is found. In the case of machines built

STEINERT XSS T for reducing the proportions of free magnesium in complex aluminium scrap

from 2016 onwards, STEINERT can retrofit the sorting program at the customer’s premises.

It can also be used with STEINERT KSS FL XT combination sorters Controlling the proportions of magnesium in the aluminium fractions is vital, especially in the trading and technical

processing of scrap aluminium in secondary melting plants. The STEINERT KSS FL XT (multi-sensor technology), with additional sensors for detecting further object characteristics, also has an improved ability to manage this sorting task even with complex input materials.

The STEINERT Metal Recycling Experts are available for further inquiries. �

Free magnesium in aluminium scrap

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WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF PRODUCTIVITY

Pressta Eisele is the number one supplier of high speed and precision saws for the aluminum industry worldwide.

We manufacture from simple single station saws to fully automatic cutting lines with loading magazines and handling stations anything a modern production needs to keep up with the steadily increasing market demands.

www.pressta-eisele.de

— Millmate Thickness Gauging systems Gapless gauging for aluminium strip

The Box Gauge measures aluminium strip thickness with a gapless sensor – excitation and receiver in one single unit. The compact and robust design, together with insensitivity to alloy variations and harsh rolling mill environments, enables accurate measurements in any position, even interstand in a tandem mill.

Thus the MTG Box Gauge is ideal for use with all types of AGC, for control of thickness as well as for reducing thickness errors. abb.com/thicknessgauging

WASTE WATER 47 5

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Waste water treatment and zero liquid discharge plants One plant, three purposes: Dump, irrigation or reuse. A case history by F. Falcone* PUR-ALL is the new technology developed by the R&D team of CIE and MST Chemicals group. Thanks to Chemical Specialties and specific installations, the PUR-ALL process allows to the final user the decision to use his W.W.T.P. to dump final purified water or to use it for irrigation or to reuse in finishing lines. The plant realised by CIE gives the maximum flexibility thanks to a special construction and specific units to accept different Chemicals Specialties able to guarantee a final waste water quality. The cost per m³ of treated water

is extremely cheap if European standards are respected; instead, if restricted local limits are present, the use of Chemical Specialties is necessary. In case of Z.L.D. plant version, the running costs are cheaper than the ones of any other existing technology and also in terms of capital costs, the installation of a new PUR-ALL plant, is approx 30% cheaper than current Z.L.D plants. Just one PUR-ALL ZERO ZERO plant, but three different purposes: � 100% of water recycling (Zero Liquid Discharge) with following characteristics:

� � � �

NO Ion Exchenge NO Reverse Osmosis NO Evaporator NO Liquor to dump

� For irrigation use or to comply with any restricted limit, such as: � Sulphates < 50 ppm � Fluorides < 2 ppm � Aluminium < 0.1 ppm � To dump according to European limits

ACID CLEANING & ETCHING ACID DESMUTTING RINSE ANODIZING RINSE 1 RINSE 2 RINSE 3

SUITABLE FOR IRRIGATION

ALKALINE CLEANING

RINSE

RINSE

RINSE DEOXIDIZING

ALKALINE ETCHING

FRESH WATER

NEUTRALIZING

RINSE 1 RINSE 2 RINSE 3

ELECTROCOLOR RINSE

WATER QUALITY

SO 42- <50PPM F- <2PPM

CR FREE TREATMENT

WATER QUALITY SO 42- <50PPM

AL3+ <0,1PPM

RINSE

AL3+ <0,1PPM

COND <200µS/CM

D.I. RINSE

COND <200µS/CM

D.J. UNIT RECTIFIER MELTER

RECTIFIER MELTER

TO REUSE ZERO ZERO

TO REUSE

NEUTRALIZATION RETAKING TANK

ZERO ZERO

SOLID SLUDGES

Fig 1. Sludges

Fig 2. Z.L.D. Plant DIRTY WASTE WATER

PURIFIED WATER BEFORE POLISHING

FINAL WATER TO BE REUSED

*CEO, CIE www.cieeng.com Aluminium International Today

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Fig 3. Vertical Paint Line

Fig 4. Old Z.L.D Plant

Fig 5. PUR-ALL: Lamella gravity Settler

Fig 6. PUR-ALL Chemical Treatment and Sludge Settling

PUR-ALL ZERO ZERO is the unique technique able to remove Sulphates, Fluorides and aluminium that are precipitated as unsoluble no toxic sludge to delivery outside. Resulting waters are extremely pure: � λ ≤ 200 � Fluorides < 2 � Sulphates < 50 � Aluminium < 0,1 ppm

a balance blend of inorganic OXIDES of Ca, Al, Fe, Si and to an oil and organic absorption specialty. � In the Second Step, after sludge separation, a neutralisation action leaves the possibility to remove excess of aluminium, Fe, Si and Calcium that precipitate again as sludge. After sludge removal, the water is sent to a Polishing Filter where excess of salinity is removed.

PUR-ALL ZERO ZERO is developed by the R&D team for CIE plants using chemical specialties studied by MST CHEMICALS. Thanks to PUR-ALL ZERO ZERO it is possible: � in anodising lines: to reuse 50% of water and saving 50% of water consumption; � in aluminium painting lines: to reuse 100% of water (ZLD) and to dump water respecting limits for rivers, lakes and irrigation use.

The below images show the characteristics of PUR-ALL process including flow-diagram and application on anodizing and painting lines.

PUR-ALL ZERO ZERO applications for anodizing lines PUR-ALL process is successfully used in an Anodizing line on the Acidic parts to remove Aluminium and Sulphates. Also this process generate perfectly suitable water being used istead of fresh water in the Alkaline section of Anodizing line.

This technology, while strongly reduce Sulphates until any possible requested limits, give the fantastic result to reduce 50% of water consuption without any negative effects.

The process has been studied and developed to depress by precipitation any pollution elements: Aluminium, Sulphates, Fluorides (if present), Phosphates (if present) and Chemical Oxygen Demand.

The precipitation happens in two steps: � In the First Step: Sulphates, Fluorides and Phosphates precipitate together with part of Aluminium Oxides. This happens thanks to a combined action of lime and November/December 2019

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PUR-ALL ZERO ZERO applications for painting lines PUR-ALL process is successfully used on Painting line equipped with Acidic pretreatment cycle.

In that case, the water recovering could reach the 100% (if Chemical Specialties are correctly used) and the resulting water can be reused in the same line realising a full Z.L.D. process.

PUR-ALL ZERO ZERO advantages � No I.X unit to be used � No U.F. or R.O. required � No Evaporator � No Liquor to dump � Minimizing Running costs � Max flexibility Case history: Aluminco Three years ago Aluminco, a Greek company, installed a Vertical Paint line for approx. 3 T/h of aluminium extrusions. This line has been equipped with a Z.L.D. plant based on Zeolite absorption technology called “geothermic technology”.

One year later, considering the bad results, the line has been revamped by a supplier of Z.L.D., but the result was negative again. Therefore CIE has been requested to install an updating Z.L.D. line using PUR-ALL technology.

The below pictures show the new Z.L.D plant successfully working and satisfying with customer’s requests. The result is 97% of water recovery and reuse with the high quality water and conductivity less than 50 ppm pH = 7,5. � Aluminium International Today

15/10/2019 14:16:40

ience counts !

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www.innovaltec.com

50 FURNACE TECHNOLOGY

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A step forward in the foundry Today’s market may require a Furnace Set (melting and holding furnaces) with a modest investment cost, a compact

lay-out, low maintenance and low gas consumption for production in the range of 5-10 tph starting from solid aluminium

and not from molten metal directly from the pot lines.

The new Vertmelt Furnace from Properzi gives extraordinary performances nullifying the typical drawbacks of traditional melters: �

They use high maintenance regenerative burners

� They need a big fire room and a shallow bath with strong turbulence for an increased melting rate. This means large dimensions (more steel and more refractory) and some sort of stirring (added cost) � The big surface of the bath means difficult slagging and the very high temperatures during the melting phase create refractory erosion problems and hydrogen inclusions into the molten aluminium � Moreover the big charging door that is opened dozens of times before completing the charge is like a big mouth emitting enormous quantities of energy and fumes; fumes that must be collected and treated �

Costly charging and/or slagging machines are needed

Instead, Continuus-Properzi has taken advantage of our 30+ years of experience with shaft melting furnaces and developed the VertMelt family of furnaces with production rates ranging from 2.0 tph to 10 tph, suitable for the production of any aluminium product.

The VertMelt Furnace is a combination

of a vertical melting furnace (shaft) with a static receiving/holding chamber that feeds two holding furnaces when alloys are in the production mix.

For a higher melting rate, such as 8.0/12 plus tph, it includes two side-byside melting towers.

The VertMelt Furnace offers the following main operational advantages: �

Continuous Melting Operation

�

Energy efficiency higher than any kind of reverberatory furnace

� Metal losses are almost three times less when compared to a reverberatory furnace

�

VertMelt Technology does not need sophisticated and energy wasting stirring systems

�

Constant melting rate not disturbed by charging operation

�

Lower and controlled emissions

�

Easier slagging operation and refractory maintenance

�

Reduced hydrogen contamination into the molten aluminium

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5 PROFILE - ARABAL 51 Booth C1 En Vallaire Quest C. CH 1024 Ecublens, Switzerland Tel. +41 (0)21 694 72 22

FIVES - ALUMINIUM DIVISION Telephone: +33 4 72495454

www.fivesgroup.com

www.thermofisher.com/elemental

Mid-Mountain Materials, Inc. (+1) 206.762.7600 info@mid-mountain.com www.mid-mountain.com USA

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PRODUCTS AND THERMAL BARRIERS For A Green World

REEL S.A.S. 69 rue de la Chaux, 69450 Saint-Cyr au-Mont d’Or, France t : +33 4 72 29 76 25 e : sweisse@reel.fr w : www.reel.fr

Stand G2

HERTWICH SMS group, Hertwich Engineering GmbH Weinbergerstr. 6, A-5280 Braunau Tel.: +43 7722 806 1120 Fax: +43 7722 806 1220 www.hertwich.com

SWITZERLAND

FRANCE

CANADA

AUSTRALIA

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52 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

TiBAl ADVANCE™: A new grain refiner from AMG Aluminum Control over grain size is critical in aluminium castings. Large grains are undesirable as they can be the cause of casting defects e.g. cracks and hot tears, or can lead to issues when castings undergo downstream processing e.g. rolling, drawing, extrusion. Grain refinement is the phenomenon of decreasing the size of the aluminium grains formed during solidification.

Micron-sized particles (e.g. TiB2) can be added to molten aluminium to act as nucleants, from which aluminium grains can form and grow. AlTi-B grain refiner rods are designed to introduce a controlled amount of TiB2 particles, as well as soluble titanium (in the form of TiAl3 particles) into molten aluminium. The rod is typically injected into the flowing metal stream between the casting furnace and the caster.

AMG has developed a new, improved and more efficient grain refiner – TiBAl ADVANCE™.

AMG Aluminum’s production technology promotes the formation of well-dispersed, uniform and highly active TiB2 particles, essential for the most effective grain refinement.

TiBAl ADVANCE™ is a grain refiner that can be used at much lower addition levels than conventional grain refiners consistently and with confidence -­­ while still meeting the demands of the casthouse.

Utilising proprietary DC casting simulation technology, AMG’s TiBAl Advance grain refiner is subject to a rigorous test regime to guarantee a controlled grain refining response, even at extremely low addition levels.

Benefits of a lower grain refiner addition rate include reduced grain refiner inventory, less frequent coil changes, and a significant reduction in the likelihood of adverse interactions related to grain refiner particles.

With TiBAl ADVANCE™, equivalent grain sizes could be achieved at addition levels 75% lower than with conventional grain refiners.

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Pyrotek builds new Dubai manufacturing plant

Pyrotek Inc. is scheduled to complete construction in November of a new manufacturing facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to serve and supply the rapidly growing aluminium smelting operations of the region.

The first phase of construction will provide 66,000 square feet (6,185 square metres) of floor space. There is enough land at the site,

located within the Jebel Ali Free Zone in western Dubai, to allow for an eventual doubling of the plant footprint. The construction contractor is Pax-Kent International LLC, based in Dubai. They also designed the facility.

Pyrotek is scheduled to occupy the facility in January 2020.

RUSAL planted half a million trees in the Irkutsk Region

STAS and FOUNDRY ECOCER sign a cooperation agreement

RUSAL planted 500 thousand trees in the Irkutsk region as part of the company’s climate strategy for absorbing greenhouse gases.

One of the stages of the large-scale environmental project ‘Green Million’ ended with the planting of an alley in the city of Shelekhov in Russia’s Irkutsk region. The event was attended by the Governor Sergey Levchenko, the Chairman of the regional legislative assembly Sergey Sokol, RUSAL’s Vice-President Elena Bezdenezhnykh, the Managing Director of the Irkutsk aluminium smelter Oleg Buts, and members of the IrkAZ workers’ council. In total, the trees have been planted on the area of over 125 hectares.

In order to offer a competitive edge to aluminium foundries and casthouses worldwide while further develop and continuously improve their products and technologies, STAS INC. and FOUNDRY ECOCER are happy to announce the signature of a cooperation agreement to market and sell complementary products.

The two businesses are industry-leaders in their respective sectors.

Hertwich supplies multi-chamber melting furnace and continuous homogenization to Exlabesa In close partnership with Hertwich Engineering (a part of the SMS Group), Exlabesa put into operation a Hertwich Continuous Homogenizing plant at its Padron based facility in the latter part of 2018.

Following on from this investment Exlabesa have now ordered the Multi Chamber PR130 Melting Furnace (complete with charging unit) which will

increase its capacity to 60,000 tonnes from its Padron casthouse.

The new furnace with a capacity of 130 tons per day is designed for a relatively wide range of scrap: Production scrap, clean profiles with a length of up to 7 metres, sawing chips, clean and lacquered scrap (shredded or in pieces), ingots and market scrap are processed.

November/December 2018

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The technology doctor Kati Tschöpe is one of the researchers behind the world’s most energy-efficient aluminium production technology, which was developed at the head of Norway’s longest fjord and is currently undergoing full-scale testing at Hydro’s new pilot plant in Karmøy. With a keen eye for detail, the German technology doctor looks for new and better solutions. The work is meticulous – but to get the answers she must look deeply into the advanced electrolysis cells.

The future of aluminium depends on it.

We are aluminium Read more at hydro.com