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WIRTSCHAFT
The business area SMS Meer (order
intake +50% to 857 million euros)
further extended its already good
market position, above all with tube
rolling and long-product rolling mills,
extrusion and forging presses as well
as inductive hardening plants for the
steel and nonferrous metal industry.
In this sector too order intakes and
sales are up, and the result is again
improved.
In contrast, order intakes in the
plastics technology sector fell by
12.5%. After the sale of several companies,
in the meantime only Battenfeld
Gloucester, a plant manufacturer
for film and foil, has remained part
of the SMS group. The declared corporate
aim, however, is to withdraw
completely from plastics technology.
The strategy pursued for a long time,
that of becoming independent of the
steel sector, has since been achieved.
As Weiss explained, “Now we have
such a broad base in metallurgical
machinery and plant construction
that we can easily weather any cyclical
fluctuations in order intake in
individual business areas.”
The group’s aluminium business
also developed positively. In that
Aluminium business also positive
context SMS, with its hot- and coldrolling
and strip finishing equipment,
sets standards worldwide. To meet
growing market demand for wide aluminium
plates and sheets Northeast
Light Alloy Co. Ltd. has ordered what
will be China’s widest aluminium hotrolling
plant (max. rolling width 3700
mm) from SMS. According to Weiss
a decisive factor in the award of that
contract is that SMS can supply the
full range of mechanical, electric and
automation equipment all from a single
source. The Korean Yeongju plant
of Novelis Inc. is also equipping itself
for the future: here SMS is to build
a new F0 finishing stand including
auxiliary equipment for the hot-rolling
line, to produce high-grade aluminium
strip.
As mentioned earlier, modern
electric and automation (E & A) equipment
plays a more important part, e.g.
in guaranteeing very consistent product
quality. In that area plant and
mechanical engineers have achieved
large productivity advances in recent
years. Accordingly, numerous rolling
plant operators are now awarding E &
A retrofit contracts to remain competitive
against newly built plants. Investment
cycles in this sector are always
becoming shorter, whereas a 30- or
40-year-old rolling stand mechanical
system can still be competitive.
To take proximity to its customers
in the important markets in China,
Russia and India still further, the E &
A business division intends to reinforce
its capacities in those countries.
SMS considers that the step of becoming
an integrated system supplier of
complete “mecha-tronic” solutions is
here to stay.
SMS is also growing in the field
of technical services. For cyclic plant
maintenance major customers are
increasingly demanding regional
proximity. The main reason for this:
the production of replacement parts
close by the customer shortens delivery
times – and “time is money!” With
its servicing workshop in Shanghai
SMS already satisfies these requirements
for the Chinese and East-Asian
markets.
SMS group is an exhibitor at Gifa,
Thermprocess & Metec, Halls 4, 5, 6.
Deutsche Hersteller von Aluminiumtuben und Aerosoldosen
Umweltschonende Pulvertechnologie entwickelt
Die deutschen Hersteller von Aluminiumtuben
und Aerosoldosen
haben in Zusammenarbeit mit führenden
Lackherstellern ein neues
Verfahren zur Innenbeschichtung
ihrer Behälter entwickelt.
Die richtungweisende Innovation besteht
in der Verwendung eines Innen-
schutzlackes auf Pulverbasis, wodurch
auf lösemittelhaltige Lacke verzichtet
werden kann. Vor dem Hintergrund
der in Europa gültigen gesetzlichen
Vorgaben zur Reduzierung flüchtiger
organischer Verbindungen in den Betrieben
hat die Branche die Strategie
gewählt, das Problem bei der Wurzel
zu packen – mit anderen Worten be-
reits am Lösemitteleinsatz anzusetzen
und auf diesen so weit wie möglich zu
verzichten.
Ergebnis dieser Bemühungen ist
die lösemittelfreie Pulvertechnologie,
die nunmehr zur Serienreife perfektioniert
wurde. Ersten Lieferungen von
Aluminium-Aerosoldosen für namhafte
Kosmetikhersteller sollen wei-
26 ALUMINIUM · 6/2007