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Ferrari
Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products has been selected by Ferrari S.p.A. to supply the
all-aluminium spaceframe for the Ferrari California. The California, recently unveiled at the
Paris International Motor Show, is the latest super sports car from Ferrari. The spaceframe
will help increase performance of the 453 bhp 4.3 litre V8 engine while lowering vehicle
weight to deliver increased fuel economy and lower CO 2 emissions. Particular attention
was paid to fuel consumption levels which in the case of the ECE combined cycle is 13.2
l/100 km with CO 2 emission levels of around 310 g/km. Alcoa’s spaceframe manufacturing
facility is located in Modena, Italy, very close to the Ferrari plant.
BHP must sell smelter stake to convince
South African competition commission
The South African competition commission
has recommended that BHP
Billiton’s proposed merger with Rio
Tinto be approved on the condition
that BHP sells its interest in
Rio’s planned aluminium smelter in
the country. Should the takeover go
ahead, there would be less competition
in the South African primary
aluminium market. The merger would
also adversely affect downstream industries
that beneficiate aluminium.
As a result, the commission has recommended
to the Competition Tribunal
that BHP’s billion hostile takeover of
Scholz predicts consolidation
in secondary aluminium market
German secondary aluminium producer
Scholz Recycling expects the
secondary aluminium industry to
consolidate over the coming months
as the financial crisis puts pressure
on demand, credit and prices. With
prices tipped to weaken further on
expected poor third-quarter results
from large industrial groups, such
as the automotive sector, the key to
survival is to hold on to your current
position and remain flexible.
ALUMINIUM · 12/2008
Rio should go ahead only on the basis
that BHP sells its interest in Rio’s
proposed Coega aluminium smelter
project within twelve months of any
takeover.
BHP is the only producer of primary
aluminium in South Africa and
operates the Bayside and Hillside
smelters in Richards Bay. Rio’s plans
to develop the Coega smelter project
may be postponed until 2015 because
of uncertainty about electricity supply
and cost. If the project goes ahead, the
Coega smelter is expected to produce
720,000 tpy of aluminium. paw
Currently, one of the biggest issues in
the market is credit. As a result of the
financial crisis banks are restricted in
giving new or extended lines of credit.
But the crisis may also present an upside
for stronger companies. Having
already established itself in Europe
and the USA, Scholz plans to look
for opportunities to grow in emerging
markets, with India, Africa and South
America all presenting attractive opportunities.
paw
NEWS IN BRIEF
Siemens VAI: new
order from China
Siemens VAI Metals Technologies has
received an order from the Chinese
Henan Yongshun Aluminium Co. Ltd
to supply three new process control
systems with the associated flatness
measurement and coolant sprays
technology. The value of these orders
is about two million euros. These
projects are scheduled for completion
by December 2009.
The three new Siemens VAI control
systems will be installed as part of the
Yongshun 2009 mill expansion programme.
These new process control
systems will optimise production and
contribute to the further improvement
of the quality of the rolled
products. This Siemens technology will
mainly be used in foil rolling mills.
SMS Demag: new
order from China
Shanghai Datun Energy Resources Co.
Ltd has placed an order with SMS Demag
AG, Germany, to supply a ‘CVC’
plus six-high cold rolling mill. This is
the tenth order for an aluminium cold
rolling mill for SMS in the past five
years.
The cold rolling mill will be rolling
strip material from aluminium or aluminium
alloys and, for Datun, it represents
the first step towards the manufacture
of flat-rolled products. The mill
is also intended for the production of
input stock for foil manufacture and
of the finished material itself. The mill
is designed for the rolling of strip in
the widths of 960 to 2,150 mm and
a final gauge of at least 100 μm. The
maximum coil weight is 20 tonnes.
The annual capacity is 110,000 tonnes.
The six-high stand comprises CVC
plus shifting (Continuously Variable
Crown) for the intermediate rolls,
an HES system (Hot Edge Spray) for
influencing the strip edges and a DS
system (Dry Strip) for minimising the
residual oil quantity on the surfaces
of the exiting strip. A coil preparation
system and a pallet transport system
for coils serve to complete the rolling
mill and thus ensure high-quality
rolled products.
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