2 - ALU-WEB.DE

APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 2 | 06-2008 

Volume V / Issue 4 . December 2009 

NEWS 

Dubal celebrates 30 

years of excellence 2 

Hydro divests automotive 

structures 

activities 3 

Solios Carbone contract 

for Hindalco 3 

ROLLING 

Rolled products 

manufacturers 

increase prices 4 

Elval live with Quintiq 

Company Planner 5 

BWG: specialist for 

strip processing 

plants 6 

EXTRUSION 

Aluminium Laufen: 

modernisation 

pays off 7 

CASTING 

World's first emission-free 

foundry 8 

SURFACE 

Innovative cylinder 

bore coatings from 

Honsel 9 

MACHINING 

Industrial service 

provider turns architectural 

vision into 

reality 10 

EQUIPMENT 

Weighing technology 

of the highest precision 

11 

AUTOMOTIVE 

Lightweight design 

is an Audi core 

competence 12 

ARCHITECTURE 

Winners of European 

Aluminium in Renovation 

Award 2009 14 

World’s largest space 

framework 14 

DESIGN 

ET Extrusion Design 

Competition 2010 15 

FAIRS 

aluexpo 2009 gets off 

to a good start 20 

Second Edition of 

Aluminium India 20 

HI-LIGHTS 

Interview with Oliver 

Bell, Executive Vice 

President Hydro 4 

The London view 20 

Scandinavian bear and US-bull 

The German-born 

Klaus Kleinfeld, chief 

executive of Alcoa, the 

largest US aluminium 

producer, recently 

surprised analysts by 

delivering much better 

figures for the third 

quarter than expected. 

Alcoa surpassed market 

forecasts by posting 

a profit of 77 million 

US-Dollar (USD), or 8 

cents per share instead 

of the expected loss of 

9 – 11 cents per share. 

It was the first quarterly 

profit since the third quarter 

2008, when Alcoa still made 

a healthy profit with a net 

income of USD268 million. 

In the fourth quarter 2008 

Alcoa reported net losses of 

USD1.19 billion, followed by 

a net loss in the first quarter 

2009 of USD497 million and 

USD454 million in the second 

quarter. “The financial 

and operational measures we 

took in the first half of the 

year are having a strong positive 

impact on our cash position 

and our profitability” 

Kleinfeld says. He continues: 

“Alcoa is weathering the economic 

storm and is in excellent 

shape to benefit when the 

market recovers.” However, 

Kleinfeld already sees at least 

some signs of recovery. 

Svein Richard Brandtzaeg, 

president and CEO of Norsk 

Hydro, the much smaller 

European market leader in 

Hydros Upstream results remain weak due to low aluminium prices and weakening US dollar 

the aluminium business, stays 

more bearish than Kleinfeld. 

He remains very “cautious 

about the outlook for the global 

aluminium demand and 

concerned about the weakening 

USD”. He even warned 

in the third quarter report: 

“We will consider additional 

restructuring and cost saving 

measures.” 

However, at least Hydro 

admits that the third quarter 

was marked by a strong 

positive development in 

aluminium prices. Prices at 

the London Metal Exchange 

(LME) stayed in the range of 

USD1800 to USD1950 per 

ton. In October and Novem- 

ber aluminium futures starting 

from 15 month forward 

have risen well over USD2000 

per ton of aluminium. However, 

Brandtzaeg has at least 

one special, homemade problem. 

As partly state-owned 

Norwegian company with its 

headquarters in Oslo, Norsk 

Hydro has to do its accounting 

in Norwegian kroner 

(NOK). 

That, of course, means a 

weak USD is mitigating the 

effect of the aluminium price 

improvement in NOK, i.e. 

although Hydro could realise 

increased prices for aluminium 

measured in USD, prices 

declined measured in NOK. 

Stud Welding 

• Manual Units 

• Semi-automatic Systems 

• Automated CNC Machines 

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Brandtzaeg expects a continuing 

or even increasingly 

weak USD and that will have 

a negative impact on the realised 

prices in NOK. In spite 

of Hydro having sold already 

more than 90 percent of its 

primary aluminium production 

for the fourth quarter 

forward at a reasonable price 

level of around USD1800 per 

ton, its result in NOK will be 

low for the rest of the year. 

Revenues of NOK16.3 billion 

(USD2.2 billion) in the 

third quarter were five percent 

lower than in the second 

quarter and 25 percent lower 

than in the third quarter of 

last year. But earnings before 

Rio Tinto to sell Alcan Composites 

Anglo-Australian miner 

Rio Tinto has entered 

into an agreement to sell 

Alcan Composites, part of 

Alcan Engineered Products 

(AEP), to Schweiter Technologies 

for a total consi- 

deration of USD349 million. 

The transaction is 

expected to close by the end 

of 2009, following completion 

by the parties of various 

conditions precedent to 

closing, including regulatory 

processes and employee 

consultations. 

Swiss listed Schweiter 

focuses on the manufacture 

of textile and semiconductor 

machinery. Composites 

will form a division within 

the group, consistent with 

Schweiter’s strategy of acquiring 

and running companies 

that are market leaders in 

their chosen segments. 

Alcan Composites is a 

world leading sandwich composite 

materials manufacturing 

business focused on the 

display, architecture, and 

wind energy sectors. Headquartered 

in Sins, Switzerland, 

it operates 16 plants in Europe 

(Germany and Switzerland), 

the USA, South America, China 

and India, and employs 

some 3,000 people. Its leading 

brands include Airex, Baltek, 

Dibond, Gator, Kapa, Forex, 

Sintra and Fome-Cor, and 

the business serves a wide 

range of end-markets. In the 

last twelve months to August 

2009 Composites achieved 

sales of USD649 million and 

an Ebitda of USD54 million. 

Rio has also agreed to sell 

56% of its Alcan cable divi- 

sion to Platinum Equity LLC. 

Rio has spent the past two 

years marketing its non-core 

AEP segment in an attempt to 

unburden itself from the debt 

accrued from the purchase of 

Montreal-based Alcan Inc. 

in 2007. The cable unit, part 

of AEP, makes aluminium 

cable products at seven sites 

in the United States, Canada 

and China. The terms of the 

transaction, which is expected 

to close in several weeks 

assuming several conditions 

are met, were not disclosed. 

Rio Tinto Alcan will remain 

a key supplier of aluminium 

rod and molten aluminium 

to the Alcan Cable plants in 

North America. 

From Rio Tinto’s perspective, 

these deals are a welcome 

opportunity to shed debts. 

The group has divested nearly 

USD9 billion in assets during 

the past 18 months. Rio Tinto 

is still looking to sell the 

remainder of its Engineered 

Products portfolio, which 

includes six other downstream 

businesses: aerospace, 

A Solid Connection 

We are one of the world‘s leading companies in the field of 

high-speed fastening technology with 40 years of professional 

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equipment and all types of weld fasteners. 

We are certified in accordance with 

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Your single source for all your stud welding needs! 

Photo: Hydro 

A Step 

Ahead 

financial items and tax went 

up to NOK719 million, 75 

percent more than in the second 

quarter - but 70 percent 

less than in the third quarter 

2008 when Hydro posted 

earnings of NOK2.4 billion. 

However, his outlook for the 

fourth quarter stays rather 

bleak: Brandtzaeg expects 

an estimated after-tax loss of 

NOK250 million from the sale 

of Hydro`s automotive structures 

business to the German 

Benteler Automobiltechnik 

GmbH (see page 3). 

On the other hand, 

Brandtzaeg is quite content 

with the sale. He says: “The 

agreement represents a solid, 

long-term industrial solution 

for Hydro`s automotive structures 

activities. It is in line 

with our strategy to focus the 

extrusion activities on profiles 

solutions and building systems.” 

Nevertheless, Brandtzaeg 

sees at least one highlight 

in the near future: Qatalum, 

the huge primary aluminium 

smelter Hydro currently is setting 

up in a joint venture with 

Qatar. The multi-billion-dollar 

plant is on schedule for its 

start-up around the end of this 

year. Brandtzaeg sees as “main 

priority to bring Qatalum on 

stream according to plan”. He 

believes the new smelter will 

“improve Hydro`s cost position 

and robustness”. Maybe 

the Nordic bear turns into a 

bull after all. 

Dr. Katharina Otzen-Odrich 

non-commodity aluminium 

rolled products, aluminium 

extrusions, composite products, 

automotive components 

and international trade. 

www.riotinto.com 

Heinz Soyer 

Bolzenschweißtechnik 

GmbH 

Inninger Straße 14 

82237 Wörthsee 

Tel.: +49 8153 885-0 

Fax: +49 8153 8030 

export@soyer.de 

www.soyer-shop.de 

R

2 NEWS 

The Global Aluminium Industry Newspaper 

Publisher Giesel Verlag GmbH 

Rehkamp 3, 30916 Isernhagen 

Germany 

General Manager Georg Dörner 

Volume V / Issue 4 . December 2009 

Editors in Chief Volker Karow, Franz-Meyers-Str. 16 

53340 Meckenheim, Germany 

Phone: +49 2225 8359643 

Fax: +49 2225 18458 

E-Mail: vkarow@online.de 

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Phone: +49 211 6412790 

Fax: +49 211 9365801 

E-Mail: alwin.schmitt@t-online.de 

Advertising Layout Beate Schaefer, Phone: +49 511 7304 148 

E-Mail: B.Schaefer@giesel.de 

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E-Mail: alwin.schmitt@t-online.de 

General Manager 

Distribution Jutta Illhardt, Phone: +49 511 7304 126 

E-Mail: J.Illhardt@giesel.de 

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ISSN 1745-0330 

The opinions and views expressed by the authors in this publication are not necessarily 

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opinions or views or inaccuracies or translation misinterpretations. 

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prior written permission of the copyright owner. 

4 | 12-2009 APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 

Dubal celebrates 30 years of excellence 

When Dubai Aluminium 

Co. Ltd (Dubal) tapped its 

first metal on 12 November 

1979, this date marked 

the start of its core smelter 

operations and the company’s 

official inception. 

Established to support the 

diversification of the UAE 

economy by adding value to 

the country’s oil-rich mineral 

resources, the entirely 

state-owned enterprise 

is widely regarded as the 

industrial flagship of the 

UAE and is one of the largest 

non-oil contributors to 

Dubai’s economy. 

Abdulla J. M. Kalban 

(President & CEO) reports 

that the company’s roots 

stem back to 22 May 

1975, when the late H. H. 

Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al 

Maktoum (then Ruler of 

Dubai) signed a decree establishing 

Dubal on a 480-hectare 

site 35 kilometres southwest 

of Dubai. Almost five 

months later, on 15 October 

1975, he laid Dubal’s foundation 

stone; and construction 

of the smelter complex began 

in May 1976. 

“Commercial production 

of aluminium at Dubal 

began in January 1980, the 

entire planned production 

volume of 135,000 tonnes per 

annum having been pre-sold 

in North America. The plant 

Aerial view of Dubal at commissioning in 1979 Aerial view of Dubal in 2009 

comprised 360 reduction cells 

in three potlines, a 504 MW 

power station and ancillary 

carbon, casthouse, port and 

other facilities,” Mr Kalban 

says. 

Through a series of successive 

expansion projects in 

the intervening years, Dubal 

has evolved into the world’s 

largest modern aluminium 

smelter with a captive power 

station. Currently, its major 

facilities comprise a 960,000 

tpy primary aluminium 

smelter, a 2,350 megawatt 

power station, a large carbon 

plant, three casthouses, 

a water desalination plant, 

laboratories, port and storage 

facilities. 

There are now 1,565 fully 

operational cells in Dubal’s 

eight potlines. Exceptionally 

high purity of metal is 

maintained, with the standard 

purity cells delivering 

99.913% and the high purity 

cells achieving up to 99.96% 

metal purity levels. The company 

can produce more than 

one million tonnes of finished 

aluminium products a year, as 

foundry alloy for automotive 

applications as well as extrusion 

billet for construction, 

industrial and transportation 

purposes and high purity aluminium 

for the electronics 

and aerospace industries. 

Dubal’s entire production 

is pre-sold to more than 300 

customers in about 45 countries 

predominantly in the 

Far East, Europe, the Asean 

region, the Middle East and 

Mediterranean region, and 

North America. The company 

holds ISO 9001, ISO/TS 

16949, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/ 

IEC 20000, ISO 14001 and 

OHSAS 18001 certification 

and has twice won the Dubai 

Quality Award in the production 

and manufacturing sector 

(1996 and 2000). 

“Ranked in 2008 as the 

largest single-site smelter in 

the western world (third overall) 

and seventh-largest pro- 

Abdulla J M Kalba, 

President and CEO 

of Dubal 

ducer of primary aluminium 

in the world as a whole, Dubal 

has set its sights on becoming 

the world’s fifth-largest producer 

of primary aluminium 

by 2015,” states Kalban. “With 

this in mind, we entered into 

a joint protocol in February 

2006 with Mubadala 

Development Company, a 

wholly-owned investment 

vehicle of the government of 

the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. 

The resulting joint venture 

aims to become one of the 

largest primary producers of 

aluminium in the world by 

leveraging the synergy of our 

aluminium expertise and Abu 

Dhabi’s energy and financial 

resources.” 

Good progress has already 

been made: 

■ The first 700,000 tpy phase 

in the two-phase greenfield 

smelter development at Al 

Taweelah in Abu Dhabi, 

which will be the largest 

single site smelter in the 

world on completion, is on 

track for commissioning in 

April 2010. 

■ partnership has been 

entered into with Algerian 

state-owned oil and 

gas company Sonatrach 

for a proposed greenfield 

smelter development in the 

Beni-Saf industrial zone. 

■ A memorandum of understanding 

has been signed 

with Saudi Arabian General 

Investment Authority and 

Emaar, The Economic City, 

regarding the development 

of a greenfield aluminium 

smelter complex in King 

Abdullah Economic City, 

Saudi Arabia. 

Active investments are 

also being made to secure 

Dubal’s requirements of alumina 

and other critical raw 

materials. With regards to 

alumina feedstock in particular, 

the company has to 

date engaged in four strategic 

upstream bauxite and alumina 

projects in Brazil, Cameroon, 

Republic of Guinea 

and India. 

“By diligently partnering 

with the Dubai government 

over the years, Dubal has also 

played a key role in the socioeconomic 

development of 

the local community,” Kalban 

says. “Over and above our 

substantial direct and indirect 

contributions to the economy, 

Dubal actively support community-based 

initiatives that 

fulfil the UAE’s broader development 

goals. For example, 

we sponsor world-class 

sporting and industry events 

that showcase Dubai’s superb 

tourism and business infrastructure 

to international 

audiences while demonstrat- 

Rusal and Norinco sign a long-term 

UC Rusal, the world’s largest 

producer of aluminium 

and alumina, and China 

North Industries Corp. 

(Norinco), one of China’s 

largest diversified corporations, 

have signed a contract 

for aluminium delivery. 

Under the contract, Rusal 

will supply 1.680 million 

tonnes of aluminium to the 

Chinese company between 

2010 and 2016. The metal 

will be shipped as standard 

ingots from Rusal’s Siberian 

smelters. 

Rusal has a well diversified 

sales platform covering the 

United States and Japan and 

also has a strategic focus on 

high-growth markets, South 

East Asia and China in particular. 

Rusal’s sales to China are 

expected to represent 5 percent 

of its revenue in 2009, 

and the company aims to 

increase this to 10 percent of 

revenue by 2015. 

Commenting on the contract, 

Artem Volynets, Rusal’s 

Director for Corporate Strategy, 

said: “This agreement 

represents a significant step 

towards achieving our stra- 

ing the city’s innovative and 

cosmopolitan flair. Also, we 

prefer to support projects that 

enhance education so as to 

facilitate the effective nationalisation 

of our business.” 

In 1980 there were very 

few UAE nationals among 

Dubal’s workforce of 1,386 

employees. Today, employment 

is provided to more 

than 4,100 people, of whom 

24 percent are UAE nationals 

– a level far in excess of the 

Dubai industry average of 

four percent nationalisation. 

And around 70 percent of 

positions at senior management 

level are held by UAE 

nationals. 

The Dubal management 

is proud of its multicultural 

workforce which is regarded 

as the company’s most valuable 

asset. “From the outset, 

we have hand-picked the best 

talent available, then consciously 

facilitated personal 

and professional development 

through training while nurturing 

an environment conducive 

to retention,” Kalban 

explains. “It’s a strategy that 

has borne fruit: 24 percent of 

our employees have served at 

Dubal for ten to twenty years 

and ten percent boast service 

tenure of more than twenty 

years.” 

“The combination of 

a strong, internationally 

renowned brand; a forwardfocused 

growth strategy; a 

heritage of producing premium 

quality, highest purity 

aluminium products; reliable 

adherence to delivery promises; 

ongoing investments in 

people; and a commitment 

to excellence-based partnerships 

have enabled Dubal’s 

sustainable growth and longevity 

to date. Building on these 

essentials, the course of our 

company’s continued journey 

is certain to be paved with 

even greater successes,” concludes 

Kalban. 

www.dubal.ae 

contract for aluminium delivery tegic objective of increasing 

Rusal / Norinco signing ceremony 

all Photos: Dubal 

Photo: Rusal 

exposure to the Chinese market. 

In addition, it allows our 

partner, Norinco, to benefit 

from UC Rusal’s key competitive 

advantages: a sustainable 

low-cost position and favourable 

location. We consider 

China to be a long-term driver 

for aluminium demand due to 

its rapid pace of urbanisation 

and industrialisation and are 

pleased to continue expanding 

our mutually beneficial 

cooperation with Chinese 

clients.” 

Norinco is an enterprise 

group that mainly deals with 

defence and optronic products, 

heavy equipment manufacturing, 

automobiles and 

logistics services. 

www.rusal.ru


Hydro divests automotive structures activities 

Norsk Hydro ASA will sell 

its automotive structures 

business to Benteler Automobiltechnik 

GmbH, the 

automotive division of the 

large German industrial 

enterprise Benteler Group 

with headquarters in Paderborn. 

The agreement is in line 

with Hydro’s strategy to focus 

its extruded activities on profiles 

solutions and building 

systems. 

The transaction is 

expected to be cash neutral for 

Hydro, and an estimated after 

tax loss of NOK250 million 

will be recognized in Hydro’s 

fourth quarter 2009 results. 

Hydro expects the transaction 

to close by the end of the 

fourth quarter 2009 subject 

to clearance by relevant competition 

authorities and other 

anti-trust bodies. 

”We are pleased to have 

found a buyer with the ambition, 

competence and size 

to further develop the auto- 

Solios Carbone 

contract for Hindalco 

Fives Solios green anode plant 

In August 2009, Solios Carbone 

has been awarded a 

global order by Hindalco 

for its two new smelters to 

be built in India. The capacity 

of both greenfield smelters 

will be of 360,000 tpy of 

aluminium. Each one will 

consist in one line of 360 

pots based on AP36 technology 

operating at 360 kA. 

The contract consists of a 

turnkey 35 tph green anode 

plant for the Mahan project 

located in Madhya Pradesh 

State and a turnkey 52 tph 

green anode plant for the 

Aditya project located in 

Orissa State. EIL is the engineering 

company assisting 

Hindalco in the execution of 

those projects. 

Both green anode plant 

will be equipped with Solios 

Carbone’s latest technologies 

such as Rhodax for dry 

material preparation, IMC 

for paste preparation, mixing 

and cooling, and Xelios, the 

latest generation of vibrocompacting 

machine for anode 

forming. The Aditya green 

anode plant will be similar to 

the one that Solios Carbone 

is presently commissioning 

at Qatalum in Qatar. 

These contracts will be 

implemented by a consortium 

led by Solios Carbone 

with Fives India and McNally 

Hydro President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg (left) 

congratulates Hubertus Benteler of the Benteler Group 

Bharat Engineering (MBE) 

for detail engineering, fabrication, 

construction, erection 

and civil works. Fives India, 

the manufacturing subsidiary 

of the Fives group, will 

be responsible for the local 

procurement of certain key 

equipment and the integration 

of the related engineering 

data into 3D models. 

Turnkey supply of gas 

treatment centres 

for Balco smelter 

expansion 

Solios Environment SA 

has been awarded a contract 

by Vedanta for their Balco 

expansion project located in 

Korba , India. The production 

capacity of this smelter 

expansion will be of 750,000 

tpy of aluminium with two 

lines of 336 electrolysis pots 

(one new line and one revamping 

of a Soderberg line), based 

on GAMI technology operating 

at 365 kA. The contract 

consists of the turnkey supply 

of four gas treatment centres, 

each fitted with 18 TGT-RI filters 

and four exhaust fans to 

treat gases coming from the 

pots. It includes two large concrete 

alumina storage silos of 

3,000 tonnes and two concrete 

stacks of 80 metres high. 

www.fivesgroup.com 

Photo: Fives Solios 

Photo: Hydro 

motive structures activities,” 

says Executive Vice President 

Johnny Undeli, responsible 

for the Extruded Products 

business area in Hydro. 

Hydro’s automotive structures 

business, part of the 

Extruded Products business 

area, is a leading supplier of 

advanced crash management 

systems, roll-over bar protection 

systems and other structural 

components and assemblies, 

serving the majority of 

the global carmakers. 

The business has a significant 

part of its production 

at Raufoss in Norway, with 

other plants in China, Czech, 

Denmark, France, Germany, 

Sweden and the United States. 

Partner for the 

aluminium -industry 

extruder dies hardening Processing service 

NEWS 

With 14 Locations within Europe, the HAARMANN-GROUP is a reliable 

partner in many branches of industry. In co-operation with our customers 

we are constantly providing new solutions and in so-doing, optimizing 

a diversity of manufacturing processes. 

Haarmann Holding GmbH 

Karmeliterstraße 6 

D - 52064 Aachen 

E-Mail info@haarmann-gruppe.de 

Revenues amounted to NOK 

2.2 billion in 2008 and the 

business had about 1,200 

employees at the end of the 

third quarter 2009. 

The Benteler Group is 

internationally active with its 

business divisions Automotive, 

Steel/Tube and Distribution 

and was founded in 1876. 

Operating under the Benteler 

name, the business is not only 

one of the largest independent 

automotive suppliers, but 

also one of the most important 

steel tube manufacturers 

in Europe as well as one of 

the leading stock holders and 

processors of steel tubes and 

stainless steel tubes. Today, 

Benteler employs more than 

HAARMANN-GROUP 

The thus improved qualities contribute 

decisively to our customer 

success. 

Phone +49 241 91850-0 

Telefax +49 241 91850-10 

www.haarmann-gruppe.de 

www.haertha.de 

3 

24,000 persons at 150 locations 

in 35 countries. 

”We’ve restructured and 

reduced the size of our automotive 

structures activities 

over the past years. This has 

improved financial results, 

despite the economic downturn,” 

says Undeli. “ After 

having run these operations 

for a number of years without 

satisfactory earnings, we feel 

convinced that the new owner 

will concentrate fully on serving 

the automotive industry 

and that it will add the competence 

necessary to increase 

profitability and market position.” 

www.hydro.com

4 ROLLING 4 | 12-2009 APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 

Interview with Oliver Bell, Executive Vice President Hydro 

“The sector must contract to a profitable core” 

Oliver Bell, Executive Vice 

President Hydro, spoke at 

a Metal Bulletin Conference 

in September this year 

about the challenges faced 

by the aluminium rolling 

industry in Europe. The 

interview below – about 

the existing overcapacities 

in the rolled products market 

– was first published in 

ALUMINIUM International 

Journal which belongs 

to Giesel publishing house 

as well as APT Aluminium 

News. 

APT: Mr Bell, the economic 

crisis that has now lasted 

more than a year has also left 

its mark on the aluminium 

rolling industry. Production 

quantities have fallen drastically 

in Europe and margins 

are on the whole at a level that 

does not cover capital costs, as 

you explained recently at an 

aluminium conference. What 

are the consequences of this 

for the rolling sector? 

Bell: In Europe, we have 

for years had overcapacities 

on the market, which are 

now encountering even less 

demand due to the global economic 

crisis. In 2007, for the 

first time in many years there 

was again a market balance 

between the supply of, and 

demand for rolled products. 

In that year profit margins too 

improved to a satisfactory lev- 

Oliver Bell, 

Executive Vice President 

Hydro 

el. But 2007 was an absolute 

boom year which we will not 

see again for a long time. 

APT: So the profit situation 

remains stretched for the 

rolling industry. What can be 

done? 

Bell: Every producer must ask 

himself whether the business 

model of earlier times is still 

the right one. For a long time 

there was a drive to develop 

markets and provide sales 

outlets for smelter production. 

That worked because 

metal production and 

processing were largely in the 

hands of integrated aluminium 

groups, so on the down- 

Rolled products manufacturers 

increase prices 

Several manufacturers of 

semi-finished products 

have announced price 

increases for their aluminium 

rolled product range in 

recent months. Already in 

mid-October Hydro raised 

its base conversion price 

for all uncoated standard 

products supplied to the 

general engineering industry 

by 25 euros per tonne, 

valid for all deliveries in 

the first quarter of 2010. 

In early November both 

Novelis and Alcoa European 

Mill Products (EMP) 

announced price increases 

for their rolled products. 

Novelis said it was increasing 

the price of its aluminium coil 

and sheet standard products 

sold to European distribution 

and industrial customers by 

30 euros per tonne for 1000, 

3000 and 5000 series alloys 

and 6000 series in ‘O’ temper. 

The price change is effective 

for all shipment as from January 

2010, except for orders 

under a fixed contract. 

Alcoa European Mill 

Products too announced a 

price increase on its conversion 

prices for all mill finish 

commercial rolled products 

produced at its European 

operations in Köfém (Hungary), 

Fusina (Italy) and 

Amorebieta (Spain). For all 

orders placed on or after 3 

November 2009 a 15 euros 

per tonne increase on the 

base conversion revenue of 

December 2009 will apply 

for January 2010 deliveries. 

Already in October, the 

company had raised prices 

by 20 euros per tonne for all 

new November orders, with 

an additional 20 euros per 

stream side lower margins 

could be tolerated. With the 

change in the overall structure 

of the aluminium industry 

and the stronger focus of 

previously integrated companies 

on purely upstream 

or downstream business, this 

market processing model can 

no longer be sustained. 

APT: Why did this development 

occur? Because there 

were no synergies between 

production and processing, 

and the stock-markets like 

clear outlines? 

Bell: There certainly are synergies, 

for example in alloy 

development. And being closer 

to the market, we can see 

developments coming earlier 

and can react to them more 

quickly. This is what we see at 

Hydro – which is an integrated 

company as ever – every 

day in our operative business. 

The essential reason for 

the separation of this in itself 

reasonable value chain is that 

upstream profits are substantially 

better than downstream 

ones. The challenge for the 

rolling industry is to narrow 

the gap in that respect, so as to 

put our business on a lastingly 

solid foundation. 

APT: Indeed, what company 

would not like to achieve 

higher margins? In the present 

tonne increase for December 

deliveries. 

Latest price adjustment 

is from Aleris Europe which 

announced a rise of 50 euros 

per tonne for deliveries in 

Europe and 60 pounds for 

deliveries to the UK on the 

total conversion price of aluminium 

coil and sheet products 

delivered to European 

distributors and industrial 

end users. The price increase 

is effective for all new monthly 

and quarterly orders and 

contracts booked on or after 

9 November 2009, that are 

not covered by existing contractual 

agreements. The aluminium 

rolling industry in 

Europe has been complaining 

of low prices and weak 

profit for some time. The 

sector is hit by overcapacities 

and low demand due to the 

continuing recession. 

crisis, however, as a rule the 

opposite is happening. Will 

that generate a downward 

price war? 

Bell: I am convinced that 

the business model of earlier 

days can no longer be sustained 

because of the trend 

in the industry. That applies 

to each player. The added 

value achieved must consistently 

cover its capital costs. 

Unless that happens the rolling 

industry will not survive. 

In the present crisis, moreover, 

capital is very expensive 

when available at all. But if 

one earns only a fraction of 

external capital costs, in the 

long term that threatens one’s 

very existence. In my estimation, 

on average in recent 

years the sector as a whole has 

been earning far less than its 

cost of capital. 

APT: A few months ago 

Hydro announced price 

increases for rolled products. 

That’s a brave decision in the 

current situation ... 

Bell: … and not only 

announced but actually 

implemented. Those price 

increases were urgently necessary, 

and other competitors 

have followed suit. The fact 

that in the present situation 

there has been no cut-andthrust 

competition between 

suppliers perhaps shows that 

some rethinking is already 

taking place in our industry. 

In earlier years, perhaps prices 

would have tumbled more 

rapidly. Today, in contrast, we 

see a marked price discipline. 

This shows that no longer can 

very much be done on the cost 

side. The entire sector is constantly 

addressing the question 

of costs. We at Hydro 

have already introduced and 

implemented programmes 

for cutting operational and 

personnel costs, but precisely 

when volumes fall as much as 

in the present recession, one 

has to make up lost ground 

on the proceeds side by raising 

prices. 

APT: Is that enough? 

Bell: No, it isn’t. In the long 

term it is decisive that sup- 

ply and demand must balance 

out. Then, prices will 

also settle sustainably at an 

acceptable level. But the latest 

development shows that 

the price wars of earlier times 

are no solution when volumes 

are at risk and every last tonne 

is being offered as cheaply as 

possible. One’s production 

must cover costs in full, otherwise 

one cannot survive for 

long. 

APT: If growth on the 

demand side does not provide 

for the necessary workload, 

capacities will have to disappear 

from the market. In the 

medium or long term, will 

some plants have to close, as is 

Rolled Products Coils 

today already happening here 

and there in the aluminium 

smelting industry? 

Bell: In principle there are 

two possibilities. Either a 

player will run out of steam 

at some time, or the sector 

as a whole will contract to a 

core that is profitable. But it 

must be realised that the cost 

structure in the rolling sector 

is fundamentally other 

than that on the primary 

side, where there are large 

differences in the respective 

cost positions of different 

plants. There, the difference 

between the first and second 

quartiles amounts to 1,000 

to 1,500 dollars per tonne of 

aluminium produced. In contrast, 

in the rolling sector the 

cost curve is relatively flat and 

differences are not so marked 

as in the case of smelters. That 

makes natural selection more 

difficult. 

APT: So to achieve market 

balance, will the sector have 

to operate fewer production 

shifts? 

Bell: We have to adjust to a 

new and lower market level, 

since it is easy to see that 

growth in Europe will be relatively 

flat in the coming years 

and it will be some considerable 

time before we again see 

a market demand such as that 

of 2007. 

APT: Even though there 

is much talk about market 

growth in the car industry? 

Bell: That too is taking place, 

and we are even investing in 

plant, for example for the production 

of sheet for exterior 

body shells. But the quantities 

that can be generated by new 

sheet applications in the body 

and chassis zones cannot fundamentally 

take up existing 

overcapacities in Europe. It is 

in Asia that growth is dynamc, 

but our rolling industry can 

only serve those regions with a 

few star products from Europe. 

Most of what we produce in 

Europe is for the internal market, 

a market that is growing 

only at rather slow rates of two 

to four percent. Our industry 

must certainly adjust to this 

development, and I believe 

that the crisis is helping the 

rethinking process. 

APT: Mr Bell, many thanks 

for this discussion. 

all Photos and Graphics: Hydro


Reduction of lead times by 25 to 50 percent 

Elval live with Quintiq Company Planner 

Elval S.A., the sole Greek 

producer of rolled aluminium 

products, has gone live 

with the Quintiq Company 

Planner since April. To optimise 

the supply chain, the 

company is implementing 

an ambitious programme 

using also Quintiq’s Hot 

Mill, Cold Mill, Foil, Melt- 

Cast Schedulers and Routing 

Generator. Elval’s aim: 

to maximise capacity utilisation, 

to reduce inventory 

and to improve delivery 

performance. Elval uses as 

a backbone SAP, entirely 

integrated with the Quintiq 

solution. 

Elval produces aluminium 

foil for flexible packaging, lacquered 

can-end stock, coated 

aluminium strip for building 

and construction applications, 

as well as special magnesium 

alloys for shipbuilding, 

automotive and printing. 

In such a diverse production 

environment, world class 

planning and scheduling is 

an important success factor to 

maximize the performance of 

the plant. 

The processing of rolled 

aluminium products requires 

planning of various production 

flows, such as casting, 

hot- and cold-rolling as well 

Siemens supplies 

reversing rolling mill 

to China 

Chalco North East Light 

Alloy Company Ltd, a subsidiary 

of Chinalco, has 

ordered a single-pass reversing 

finishing mill with twin 

coiler from Siemens VAI 

Metals Technologies. The 

project is part of a hot and 

cold mill expansion which 

will be erected in Harbin. 

The order is worth some 13 

million euros and includes 

key electrical and mechanical 

components together 

with the automation and 

process technology. The 

new rolling mill is scheduled 

to start production 

in August 2011. 

Chalco North East Light 

Alloy (Chalco Nela), based 

in Harbin in the northern 

Chinese province of Heilongjiang, 

produces plate and 

sheet, strip, foil, tube and pipe 

from aluminium, magnesium 

and Al-Mg alloys. The 

company’s products are used 

mainly in aviation, transport 

and communication as well 

as the electronics and lighting 

industry. The new reversing 

mill will increase Chalco 

Nela’s strip production capacity 

by 210,000 tonnes per year 

and allow production of end 

products of increased hardness 

and reduced thickness at 

enhanced quality levels. The 

plant has been designed for 

rolling strip with a width of 

up to 2,100 millimeters at a 

speed of up to 363 meters per 

minute. 

The finishing mill comprises 

a 4-high stand with 

automatic hydraulic gauge 

control as well as positive and 

negative work roll bending. 

Siroll ISV Sprays are used for 

spray cooling. In addition to 

the mechanical equipment, 

Siemens will be supplying the 

entire automation system and 

the drive technology for the 

rolling mill as well as thickness 

and profile measurement 

systems and the sensor 

technology. The automation 

system embraces the basic 

automation, including the 

technological controllers and 

the operating and monitoring 

equipment. 

The scope of supply also 

includes the process automation 

equipment for the entire 

hot strip mill, which also 

comprises a reversing roughing 

mill to be supplied by a 

local vendor. This degree of 

system compatibility ensures 

a consistently high product 

quality. All the systems and 

components belong to the 

‘Siroll Alu’ integrated solution 

platform from Siemens for 

aluminium rolling mills. Siemens 

will also be responsible 

for commissioning the plant 

and training the customer’s 

personnel. 

Siemens to supply 

Siroll oiler to Alcoa 

Samara 

Siemens VAI Metals Technologies 

has received an order 

to supply a Siroll electrostatic 

oiler for a slitting line at the 

Alcoa Samara plant in Russia. 

This is the first Siroll oiler sold 

into Russia by Siemens VAI. 

The Siroll electrostatic 

oiler is designed to provide 

automated, non-contact, 

non-pressurized, protective 

or lubricating coatings (oil, 

wax or chemicals) to moving 

metal substrates, in strip 

or sheet form, accurately 

and effectively. The result is 

improved end product quality 

with reduced wastage and 

increased yield. Alcoa’s plant 

in Samara is Russia’s largest 

producer of fabricated aluminium. 

The plant is one of 

the two producing facilities of 

Alcoa Russia that combined 

hold about 50% of the domestic 

mill products market. 

Alcoa acquired its facilities in 

Russia in 2005 and has since 

invested about USD750 million 

for their total upgrade. 

www.industry.siemens.com 

as finishing to be both flexance, reducing lead times and ‘what if?’ scenarios. Comible 

and transparent. Plan- achieving consistent delivery menting the advantages of 

ners face multiple challenges dates while maximising pro- the Quintiq solution Periklis 

in this process. The Company ductivity and reducing inven- Tsahageas, the project’s man- 

Planner helps to map each tories.ager 

at Elval, says: “Within 

planning action including The Company Planner the first three months from 

specifications, delivery due and Scheduler consider Company Planner’s Finite 

dates, constraints and shift- changes in production – for Capacity Planning Go-Live, 

ing bottlenecks, as well as example material defects, the KPI measurement frame- 

planners’ decisions and their shutdowns and maintework has shown a reduction 

consequences. It plans job nance work – and allow of the manufacturing cycle 

orders created by the Routing daily (re)planning, real-time times by almost 30 percent 

Generator, which went live reporting and analysis of KPIs. for some products. During 

last year. With the solution In addition, it saves time in the last twelve months, deliv- 

components it is possible to developing or adapting plans ery lead times for some prod- 

improve delivery perform- and offers the modelling of ucts have been reduced by 25 

ALU_191X295_engl:Layout 1 24.08.2009 16:38 Uhr Seite 1 

ALUMINIUM 2010 

8 th World Trade Fair & Conference 

ROLLING 

The world’s number 1 

meeting place for aluminium 

innovations | products | technologies 

ideas | applications | networking 

14 - 16 September, Exhibition Centre Essen 

www.aluminium-messe.com 

Organiser: Institutional Patron: Partner: 

5 

percent and even 50 percent 

in some cases. Finally, the 

system has given us the ability 

to ‘predict’ the short-term 

future much more precisely 

than was possible before and 

take appropriate corrective 

actions.” Quintiq’s planning 

tools are widely used in the 

aluminium industry. The 

software company points to 

a market share of 35 percent 

of all rolled products, being 

planned by Quintiq worldwide. 

www.elval.gr

6 ROLLING 4 | 12-2009 APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 

Important equipment partner for the aluminium industry 

BWG: specialist for strip processing plants 

During the course of its 

50-year history, Duisburgbased 

BWG Bergwerk- und 

Walzwerk-Maschinenbau 

GmbH has developed into a 

specialist for strip processing 

plants, primarily for the 

aluminium and steel industries. 

The aluminium industry 

is very important for BWG, 

accounting for about 40 

percent of turnover. BWG’s 

development work has resulted 

in the company receiving 

many notable orders for 

projects in this industry in 

recent years. They are mainly 

based on three product lines 

for which BWG has received 

worldwide recognition: 

■ strip coating lines with a 

high degree of flexibility 

for small production runs 

■ "Levelflex" lines for strip 

that is extremely flat 

■ continuous strip annealing 

lines. 

Strip coating lines 

After supplying highspeed 

canstock lines to the UK 

and Germany in the 1980s, 

BWG set new standards for 

strip coating lines for the aluminium 

industry with its socalled 

coil coating lines. 

The development of 

today’s leading technology 

began in 2000 with a project 

for ThyssenKrupp. An elec- 

trolytic galvanising line had 

to be converted into a thinfilm 

coating unit for producing 

high-grade sheet for the 

car industry. ThyssenKrupp 

decided to co-operate with 

BWG with the aim of jointly 

developing a new generation 

of coater. BWG subsequently 

discussed this coater concept 

with aluminium customers in 

order to modify it to meet the 

requirements of the aluminium 

industry. 

The expertise gained 

was used in various projects 

in the aluminium industry, 

starting with an order from 

Alcoa Architectural Products 

of Merxheim, France. This 

unit is designed for coating 

aluminium strip up to two 

metres wide, which is mainly 

used for architectural appli- 

cations. BWG built a further 

strip coating line for Alcoa 

Samara Metallurgical Plant 

in Samara, Russia. This combined 

line for can-end stock 

and architectural strip in 

widths up to 2,100 mm and 

thicknesses from 0.15-0.8 

mm places particularly great 

demands on the flexibility 

of the plant. In view of the 

required flatness of the strip, 

the Samara line was additionally 

equipped with the 

latest generation of Levelflex 

stretch-bend-levelling line. 

Strip lacquering plants 

newly developed by BWG 

have played a role in the com- 

BWG lithographc line, finishing line at Alcoa Bohai 

Aluminum Industries Company Ltd. 

Coil coating line for architectural strip at Alcoa Merxheim, France 

pany’s success. In addition to 

fully automated adjustment of 

the coating rollers, they have 

a reversible roller, for which a 

patent has been applied. This 

makes it possible to choose 

between coating in the usual 

manner against the roller 

or against the strip tension, 

which is particularly beneficial 

for strip thicknesses less 

than 0.3 mm. A novelty with 

the Samara plant is the installation 

of an automated trimming 

shear in a can-end line, 

which allows the strip width 

to be changed on the fly while 

the strip is moving. 

BWG is also highly 

regarded as a partner for the 

modernisation and the conversion 

of existing plants. 

A new concept is currently 

being implemented dur- 

ing ongoing plant operation 

at Novelis in Nachterstedt, 

Germany. The annealing and 

coating plant, which went 

into operation there in 1997, 

was the first continuous line 

for the simultaneous annealing 

and coating of aluminium 

strip with a width of up 

to 2,100 mm and thicknesses 

from 0.6-3.0 mm for both the 

automotive sector and architectural 

strip. Now, thanks to 

the installation of a new strip 

feed and exit system, including 

an innovative storage concept 

and separate strip flow 

for several new process steps, 

a new, second, continuously 

operating line is being created 

within the existing line. After 

completion of the conversion, 

Novelis will be able, for 

example, to handle automotive 

strip and canstock at the 

same time on both units and 

thus significantly increase the 

productivity of the plant. 

Highest possible 

strip flatness achieved 

using Levelflexlines 

A major consideration 

during cold rolling of strip 

is its ultimate flatness. In 

this field, BWG has acquired 

considerable understanding 

of the process and developed 

its so-called Levelflex lines in 

various forms. 

For applications with particularly 

high demands for 

surface quality and absence 

of residual stress, BWG uses 

its so-called Pure-Stretch- 

Levelflex process, a further 

development of the conventional 

pull–stretch process. 

The Pure-Stretch-Levelflex 

process avoids the formation 

of residual waviness in the 

middle of the strip by splitting 

the stretching process 

into three stretch zones: the 

major part of the unevenness 

is eliminated in the first zone, 

it is reduced further in the se- 

cond zone and the final flatness 

is reached in the third 

zone, together with a minimised 

residual curvature. 

By using a variable-contour 

stretching drum in the final 

stretch zone, very wide strip 

can also be levelled optimally. 

Lithographic strip 

lines – a key product 

from BWG 

With the large number of 

lithographic strip lines it has 

supplied, BWG has set quality 

standards that have made 

it the global leader in this 

field. The Lithographic Centre 

No. 3 at Hydro Aluminium 

in Grevenbroich, Germany, 

which has been in operation 

since 2005, has confirmed this 

standing. The unit, which has 

received much attention, was 

the model for a further line 

supplied by BWG to Alcoa 

Bohai Aluminium Co. Ltd in 

Qinhuangdao in the Chinese 

province of Hebei, which was 

commissioned at the end of 

2008. Among other things, 

a special feature of this new 

BWG litho strip line is the 

three-zone stretcher. It offers 

the possibility of adjusting the 

individual degrees of stretch- 

all Photos: BWG 

ing so precisely that highgrade 

lithographic strip can 

be produced from different 

grades of strip feedstock. 

Another lithographic strip 

line from BWG will be part 

of the new aluminium strip 

mill at Xiamen Xiashun Aluminium 

Foil Co Ltd, which 

has a total capacity of 200,000 

tonnes a year and starts operation 

at the end of 2009. Within 

the space of a few years, this 

company has developed into 

one of the most important 

manufacturers of aluminium 

foil. Litho Strip Line No.1 at 

Xiamen Xiashun is designed 

for strip from 850-1,700 mm 

wide and 0.12-0.5 mm thick. 

The latest BWG technologies 

for stretch levelling, side 

trimming and degreasing are 

incorporated into the line. 

Chalco Ruimin in Fuzhou, 

China, which is part of the 

Aluminium Corporation 

of China (Chalco) group, is 

also taking advantage of the 

benefits of the BWG cleaning 

and Levelflex technology 

for a new, 70,000 tonnes 

a year plant for premium 

lithographic printing plate 

(for CTP applications). This 

BWG Pure-Stretch-Levelflex 

line also incorporates patented 

innovative technological 

features such as a multi-zone 

stretcher with variable contour 

rollers and a precision 

cut-to-length line with direct 

gap measurement and width 

adjustment on the fly. The line 

is designed for aluminium 

strip with thicknesses from 

0.14-0.5 mm with a maximum 

width of 2,150 mm. 

Conti-annealing 

Continuous strip-annealing 

lines have also developed 

into a core process technology 

at BWG and resulted in 

the company winning several 

important orders. The first 

conti-annealing line supplied 

by BWG was for use with steel 

strip at the Corus plant in Port 

Talbot in Wales. Its output and 

EU imposes anti-dumping 

tariffs on aluminium foil 

The European Union has 

imposed five-year duties 

on aluminium foil imported 

from China, Brazil 

and Armenia over alleged 

dumping charges. 

EU officials declared 

that the duties were up to 30 

percent as a punishment to 

Chinese exporters for selling 

the product at a price below 

production cost. The tariffs 

on Brazilian products are 

17.6 percent and on foil from 

Armenia 13.4 percent. This 

measures hit Companhia 

Brasileira de Aluminio and 

UC Rusal’s Armenal plant. 

The five-year duties came 

after six-month provisional 

duties expired and went into 

effect after published in the 

EU’s Official Journal on 8 

October. The six-month levies 

were up to 42.9 percent. 

The EU investigation into 

sales of aluminium foil from 

the three countries began 

in July 2008 after receiving 

a dumping complaint by 

Eurometaux, the European 

Association of Metals, on 

behalf of producers representing 

a major proportion, 

in this case more than 25 per- 

reliability were so impressive 

that BWG received the order 

in September 2000 to supply 

all parts of the strip flow 

for the continuous annealing 

facility at the former Corus 

aluminium plant in Duffel, 

Belgium (now Aleris). A 

special feature of this plant, 

which is used to treat strip 

up to 2300 mm wide in thicknesses 

from 0.5-3.5 mm in 

accordance with the strict 

guidelines of the automotive 

and aviation industries, is the 

use of Pure-Stretch-Levelflex 

technology. 

Based on the experience 

gained with the unit in Duffel, 

BWG has recently modernised 

and supplied two further 

continuous annealing lines 

for aluminium strip: 

■ the partial modernisation 

of the existing annealing 

line at Alcan Specialty Sheet 

in Neuf-Brisach, France 

■ the supply of the mechanical 

and hydraulic equipment 

for a new continuous 

annealing line for Hydro 

Aluminium Deutschland in 

Grevenbroich, Germany. 

On 1 August 2009 BWG 

established its new Thermal 

Strip Treatment division. 

With this technology transfer 

between VITS and BWG, 

BWG is meeting the challenges 

of the steel and aluminium 

industries. The products of 

the new business division 

expand BWG’s capabilities in 

process technology for stripprocessing 

lines in the metallurgical 

sector. The Thermal 

Strip Treatment division is 

thus a logical extension to the 

strip-coating and aluminium-annealing 

line activities 

in order to be able to offer 

integrated solutions here, 

too. The whole of the newly 

formed division is located at 

the Duisburg works of BWG 

Bergwerk- und Walzwerk- 

Maschinenbau. 

www.bwg-online.de 

cent of the total Community 

production of aluminium 

foil. Companies located in 

China and affected by the 

EU decision are Alcoa Bohai 

and Alcoa Shanghai with 

an anti-dumping duty of 

6.4% each, Shandong Loften 

(20.3%), Zhenjiang Dingsheng 

(24.2%), all other Chinese 

companies (30%). 

The measure covers 

imports of aluminium foil 

of a thickness between 0.008 

mm and 0.018 mm, in rolls 

of a width not exceeding 650 

mm and of a weight exceeding 

10 kg.

APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 4 | 12-2009 EXTRUSION 

Aluminium Laufen AG, Switzerland 

Modernisation pays off 

Aluminium Laufen has 

shown that with a high 

technical standard it is possible 

to operate an extrusion 

plant economically even in 

a high-wage country like 

Switzerland. The prerequisite 

is a continual process of 

modernisation and rationalisation 

of all parts of the 

operation. 

Aluminium Laufen 

manufactures products for 

demanding applications in 

mechanical engineering, the 

automotive component supplier 

market and the building 

sector as well as for special 

applications. Export accounts 

for over 50% of production. 

Today, the company is one 

of the most important extrusion 

plants in the Germanspeaking 

region: it has three 

extrusion lines, in-house 

toolmaking, a comprehensive 

range of facilities to processes 

the profiles and, last but not 

least, its own remelting plant. 

In addition to its extrusion 

activities, Aluminium Laufen 

also operates a jobbing foundry 

with die-casting, permanent 

mould casting and 

low-pressure die-casting. 

Following a short installation 

and commissioning period, 

the company started up an 

additional low-pressure diecasting 

machine in November 

2008. This machine is a 

modified form of a standard 

machine. It incorporates a 

freely programmable control 

system with process visualisation 

in the free-standing 

operator console, charge 

management and a teleservice 

adapter for remote analysis. 

The casting furnace has a 

capacity of 900 kg of molten 

metal. 

The extrusion plant in 

Laufen has been continually 

modernised and extended 

in recent years. Aluminium 

Laufen selected well-known 

equipment partners, such as 

Holton Crest 

launches high 

capacity cut-tolength 

system 

Holton Crest, a leading continuous 

rotary extrusion 

specialist, has launched 

the first purpose built cutto-length 

systems for the 

particular needs of the 

rotary extrusion process. 

The first new high capacity 

holton² cut-to-length 

system is already being 

installed. 

Elements available include 

a fully integrated in-line 

cutting unit designed for use 

in the production of straight 

lengths. It incorporates a 

pneumatically actuated product 

grip roller and a compact 

fully adjustable vertical shear 

with programmable length 

and quantity features. 

The second key component 

of the system is a mobile 

run-out table, which is capable 

of collection of cut profile 

lengths up to 12 metres, with 

storage for over six tonnes of 

product at widths in excess of 

200 mm. 

This mechanism can drive 

fully loaded to other downstream 

equipment for further 

processing or packaging. 

Both cutting unit and run-out 

table are wholly Europeansourced. 

The economical system 

allows all the existing Holton 

mann + Hieber, for its invest- automatic profile stacker. To 

ment in a 40-MN extrusion cool the profiles, the new line 

line in 1998. 

allows a choice to be made 

Based on the positive between intensive air cooling 

experience it had with these and a standing wave system. 

equipment partners during The run-out is equipped with 

the installation of the 40- a double puller, with a sepa- 

MN press, the management rate saw puller for on-the-fly 

of Aluminium Laufen chose cutting. The maximum extru- 

the same partners to build sion length is 52 metres. The 

its new 27-MN press in 2007. two units, 40 MN and 27 MN, 

The unit, which was based are interlinked via an auto- 

on the latest state of the art, mated transport and control 

includes a vertical maga- system. 

The new low-pressure die-casting machine 

zine for logs upstream of the As part of its ongoing pro- 

press, a gas-fired furnace and gramme of rationalisation 

hot shear. Downstream of the measures during this peri- 

SMS Meer, Elhaus and logis- press there is a press run-out od, Aluminium Laufen also 

tics specialist H+H Herr- including flying shear and completely modernised its 

Alu_180x270_e:Layout 1 09.10.2009 9:17 Uhr Seite 1 

Cut-to-length unit from 

Holton Crest 

Crest coiler range to still be 

integrated into the line enabling 

a dual production configuration. 

It features compatibility 

with standard extrusion 

or run-out table applications 

and can be tailored to suit 

different sizes and capacities 

required by the customer. 

The holton² cut-to-length 

system is available with the 

new HC2200 and HC4000 

extrusion models in the 

holton² generation series 

launched by the company 

in April 2009. The HC4000 

model is capable of producing 

up to four tonnes per hour of 

profiles. 

www.holtoncrest.com 

Photo: Holton Crest 

Simply closer to 

your products. 

Your technology partner in the aluminum industry. 

How do we meet the growing demands of our customers 

in the aluminum industry worldwide? By supplying 

all-inclusive mechatronic solutions. Whatever 

you want to manufacture from this material, or what 

product quality you aim to achieve – at SMS Siemag 

we know what it takes. That’s because we listen! 

And because we draw on our holistic process know- 

SMS SIEMAG AG 

Photo: Alu Laufen 

how and experience. Our plants – whether new facilities, 

conversions or revamps – always ensure that our 

solutions encompass the latest developments in aluminum 

production and processing. 

Always closer to you – SMS Siemag. 

Eduard-Schloemann-Strasse 4 Phone: +49 (0) 211 881-0 E-mail: communications@sms-siemag.com 

40237 Düsseldorf, Germany Fax: +49 (0) 211 881-4902 Internet: www.sms-siemag.com 

MEETING your EXPECTATIONS 

7 

remelting plant. This major 

investment has allowed the 

extrusion plant to positively 

influence the quality of its 

feedstock and thus the whole 

process. After all, the production 

of extrusion billets is 

the first step on the road to 

the finished profile and thus 

forms the basis for a quality 

product. Furthermore, this 

investment has also increased 

the flexibility of the plant 

because the new unit allows a 

programme involving differing 

types of feedstock to be 

implemented economically. 

www.alu-laufen.ch

8 CASTING 4 | 12-2009 APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 

BMW Group light-alloy foundry goes over to new eco-friendly sand core production 

World's first emission-free foundry 

BMW light-alloy foundry at Landshut, production of inorganically bonded cores, water 

jacket zylinder head, 6 cylinder-diesel engine 

From 2010, BMW’s 

Landshut plant will boast 

the world’s first foundry 

with emission-free sand 

core production. The lightalloy 

foundry at the BMW 

plant is introducing a 

new sand core production 

method for gravity diecasting, 

whereby conventional 

organic binders will 

be replaced by highly ecofriendly 

inorganic binders, 

which generate virtually no 

pollutant emissions. The 

introduction of this innovative 

production method will 

allow the light-alloy foundry 

to reduce its emissions 

of combustion residues by 

98 percent. The plant will 

completely decommission 

its current waste air treatment 

systems by 2010. 

The Landshut light-alloy 

foundry’s approximately 1,300 

employees currently produce 

around 1.8 million aluminium 

and magnesium castings 

a year, with a total weight of 

45,000 tonnes. The product 

range includes engine 

components such as cylinder 

heads and crankcases, structural 

components and chassis 

parts such as suspension strut 

supports, tailgate frames, corner 

castings and casting nodes 

for the front and rear axle. 

Approximately half the 

castings produced are gravity 

die-cast using sand cores. 

The light-alloy foundry uses 

some 120 tonnes of sand daily 

in sand core production. 

90 percent of this volume is 

recycled. Following an initial 

pilot operation phase, the 

BMW Group is now poised to 

become the world’s first manufacturer 

to use inorganic sand 

cores in volume production of 

all engine core components. 

The inorganic binders used 

are based on water-soluble 

alkali silicates (i.e. a water/ 

silica sand solution), resulting 

in significantly reduced 

resource consumption. 

“Inorganic sand core 

production positions us at 

the forefront of the foundry 

industry,” says Wolfgang 

Blümlhuber, head of the lightalloy 

foundry. “We see inorganic 

sand core production 

as key to competitive operation, 

particularly in highly 

industrialised countries with 

stringent environmental regulations, 

where manufacturing 

costs are correspondingly 

high.” 

The light-alloy foundry 

first introduced this reducedemission 

production process 

for use in the manufacturing 

of aluminium crankcases and 

cylinder heads for six-cylinder 

diesel engines. Now inorganic 

sand core production is 

gradually being extended to 

the foundry’s entire product 

range. 

In addition to the environmental 

aspect, the process 

also has economic and ergonomic 

benefits. The strength 

of the resulting light-alloy 

components is enhanced by 

the improved, faster solidification 

of the liquid alu- 

minium during the casting 

process, as it cools from a 

temperature of approximately 

750º C. The BMW Group 

is using this light-but-strong 

design potential as a way of 

producing energy-saving, 

fuel-efficient engines capable 

of higher peak cylinder pressures 

and increased power 

density. 

The Landshut light-alloy 

foundry’s employees benefit 

as well, due to substantially 

enhanced working conditions. 

Until now, the casting 

tools had to be blasted with 

dry ice after every use in 

order to remove combustion 

residues. This energy-intensive 

process can now be dispensed 

with. 

To accompany the introduction 

of inorganic sand 

core production, the lightalloy 

foundry developed new 

core shooting tools and equipment. 

The casting equipment 

has become less complex, 

since the previously required 

venting systems can be dispensed 

with. At the same 

Insertion of the sand core during the casting 

process 

Precimeter installs 

fully automated slab caster in Italy 

With the successful installation 

of Precimeter equipment 

at the Laminazione 

Sottile plant in Italy during 

May 2009, the plant 

now has access to one of the 

most modern slab production 

facilities. 

Precimeter had to prove 

the superiority of its ProH 

sensors as Laminazione had 

previous, less encouraging 

experiences with laser sensors 

from a competitor. This 

is why they doubted the ProH 

would work properly in their 

steam rich environment. The 

test was no match for the carefully 

designed Precimeter 

sensors, the company says. 

Laminazione went ahead 

with an installation consisting 

of ProH sensors for high 

accuracy measurement of the 

metal level in the distribution 

launder and moulds, Starter 

Dams and PXP2E:s for high 

precision control of the metal 

level and the Tilt Angle Feedback 

(TAFB) for measurement 

of the tilting angle of 

the furnace. With this equipment, 

the Precimeter engineers 

succeeded in providing 

a fully automated system from 

furnace tilting to mould level 

control. The installation has 

convinced Laminazione of the 

superiority of the Precimeter 

technology. After only three 

weeks of commissioning and 

on-site training, local staff 

was able to perform a threemould 

slab cast merely by the 

push of one single button. The 

main selling point for Laminazione 

to go ahead with the 

installation was to increase 

the safety in the working environment. 

With a fully automated 

system, workers do not 

need to be present close to the 

process during casting. One 

further reason was that they 

were given a tool to achieve 

repeatability in the process. 

During casting, the metal 

level is kept within +/-1 mm 

from the set point. By achieving 

this exact and accurate 

control, in combination with 

an alarm function, they are 

all Photos: BMW group 

able to cast at a lower mould 

level than they used to. The 

repeatability of the process 

level has given Laminazione a 

tool to fine-tune other parameters 

such as water cooling 

and casting speed. The ability 

to do this is crucial to reach a 

higher product quality. 

This first installation has 

proven to be of great satisfaction 

to Laminazione, and they 

have achieved their goals. 

This has, just recently, lead 

to the order of two 5-mould 

slab control systems for Laminazone’s 

two remaining lines. 

The second line is scheduled to 

be installed in January 2010. 

www.precimeter.com 

Production of aluminium crankcases, six-cylinder diesel 

engine process 

time, the cooling intensity 

during the casting process can 

be increased, thus reducing 

manufacturing cycle times by 

around 10 per cent. The simulation 

technology used in the 

process and tool development 

was developed at the BMW 

Landshut plant too. 

“We will be able to fully 

amortise the investment in 

tools and equipment, along 

with our development costs, 

in the space of just a few years 

at most thanks to increased 

productivity, and thanks to 

savings on tool maintenance, 

tool and workshop air extraction 

systems and waste air 

treatment systems,” says Mr 

Blümlhuber. 

Specifically, the productivity 

increase works out 

at around 10 percent. Tool 

maintenance costs will be 

reduced by half. 

www.bmwgroup.com 

Pouring of liquid metal during the casting 

process 

Rusal commissions 

first ingot caster of 

casthouse 3 at its 

Irkutsk Aluminium 

Smelter 

UC Rusal announced the 

commissioning of the new 

Casthouse 3 complex at 

its Irkutsk Aluminium 

Smelter (IrkAZ). 

The company invested 

USD50 million in the 

expansion of IrkAZ casting 

facility and commissioning 

of its first ingot caster. The 

new line casts 22.5 kg ingots, 

a totally new product for 

the smelter. When running 

at full capacity the line can 

produce 27 tph of alumin- 

ium ingots. Developed by 

Rusal teams, the casthouse 

expansion project started at 

IrkAZ in 2006. Casthouse 3 

will have two ingot casters. 

In January 2009 the smelter 

began the start-up of the 

first line, which has two 

independent tilting furnaces, 

60 tonnes capacity each, 

with liquid metal treatment 

and stirrers, and one casting 

conveyor. 

www.rusal.ru

APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 4 2 | 06-2008 12-2009 

Musterseite 

SURFACE 9 

For lighter and economical gasoline and diesel engines 

Innovative cylinder bore coatings from Honsel 

Honsel, Meschede/Germany, 

makes gasoline and diesel 

engines much more economical 

for the future. At 

the ”Aachener Colloquium” 

on engine and automotive 

technology which took 

place from October 5-7th in 

Germany, Honsel presented 

a new type of coating process 

for cylinder bores. This 

innovative coating reduces 

friction between piston 

and cylinder in aluminium 

engine housings, which 

in turn also cuts fuel consumption. 

It also makes the 

engine much lighter because 

coated cylinder bores weigh 

much less than cast-in linings 

of grey iron. Moreover, 

the ultra thin steel coating 

offers excellent thermomechanical 

conditions for 

modern engines with high 

power density. Into the bargain, 

Honsel's solution costs 

significantly less than other 

types of cylinder coating. 

In order to save weight and 

fuel consumption, crankcases 

in modern gasoline and die- 

The quality standards for 

the surface finish of automotive 

aluminum wheels, 

especially with regard to 

their luster, have increased 

significantly in recent 

years. This applies equally 

to OEM’s as well as tuning 

shops. The new Rösler 

vibratory finishing system 

FBA 24 Turbo creates a 

high gloss, mirror finish 

on the surface of new and 

used aluminum wheels as 

well as other automobile 

and motor bike parts that 

require a polish. 

Nowadays, mirror finishes 

are a highly attractive 

optical feature on aluminum 

wheels. To achieve this 

desired look on all kinds of 

wheels, irres-pective of how 

complex their geometrical 

Light, non-expendable and inexpensive: with an ultra thin 

steel coating for cylinder bores in aluminium crankcases 

(left-hand) Honsel helps to reduce fuel consumption and 

emissions still more efficient than with conventional heavy 

cast-in linings of grey-iron (right-hand). 

sel engines are often made 

of lightweight aluminium 

instead of heavy grey iron. 

However, to allow the pistons 

to run smoothly in the 

aluminium cylinders, linings 

of thick grey iron had to be 

cast into the crankcases, or 

the surface of the cylinder 

walls has to be coated by 

means of an expensive and 

time consuming process. 

Honsel has now developed a 

much cheaper coating pro- 

cess, where a very fine layer of 

steel is applied to the cylinder 

bores by means of a plasma 

particle jet. ”This coating 

reduces the fuel consumption 

and therefore the amount 

of CO 2 produced because it 

substantially diminishes the 

amount of friction between 

the piston and the wall of 

the cylinder bore,” explained 

Bernhard Gand, head of Honsel's 

engine-development. 

Unlike the grey-iron 

inserts, the aluminium bores 

thinly coated with steel are 

extremely light. Due to its 

high surface quality, Honsel's 

new coating not only cuts 

down friction, but shows no 

sign of wear during the lifetime 

of the engine, thereby 

keeping oil consumption low. 

Compared to other types 

of coating for aluminium 

cylinder bores, the Honsel 

solution offers considerable 

potential for saving costs during 

engine manufacture. ”Our 

coating process fulfils all the 

demands made by manufacturers 

on cylinder bores. It 

is the latest example of the 

technologically exacting and 

economically beneficial lightweight 

solutions produced by 

Honsel to allow the engine of 

Up to 30% lower process times for surface finishing of automotive wheels 

Excellent, high gloss surface finishes 

In a relatively short time the FBA 24 produces a high gloss, 

mirror surface finish on new and used automotive wheels as 

well as on other parts for new or vintage cars and motor bikes 

design may be, Rösler has 

developed the new vibratory 

finishing system FBA 24 Tur- 

bo. Compared to other finishing 

systems on the market 

the FBA 24 will finish wheels 

Photo: Honsel 

Photo: Rösler 

with a diameter of up to 24” 

about 30% faster. Not only 

wheels but also other parts 

mounted under the hood or 

in other sections of a vehicle, 

either made from steel, stainless 

steel and aluminum, can 

be processed in the FBA 24 to 

achieve a high gloss surface 

finish. The optional self-start 

timer allows beginning of the 

finishing process without an 

operator being present so that 

the first process stage may 

already be completed, when 

the official work time begins. 

Irrespective of the surface 

condition of the used wheels, 

the process parameters for 

cut-down, fine grinding and 

high gloss polishing in the 

FBA 24 Turbo can be set in 

a manner that guarantees 

the desired high gloss surface 

finish. The robust vibra- 

the future to use less fuel and 

emit less CO 2 . This is one of 

our contributions to environmental 

protection and sustainable 

mobility,” said Mr. 

Gand, summarising the philosophy 

behind engine development 

at Honsel. 

In principle, the new coating 

process can be used in combination 

with all the processes 

used for casting aluminium 

cylinder crankcases. However, 

Honsel has also developed 

a new die-casting process specially 

adapted to the requirements 

of the subsequent 

coating process, which takes 

account of the need for a very 

fine metallographic structure 

in the cylinder area and high 

loading capacity of the crankshaft-bearing 

blocks. 

Before the actual coating, 

the inner walls of the cylinder 

are activated by mechanical 

machining in order to create 

the best possible conditions 

for adhesion of the coating. 

A computer-controlled 

machine then approaches 

cylinder wall and coats the 

surface with molten steel by 

tory motor with its infinitely 

variable rotary speed can 

be adjusted to any finishing 

task and to practically any 

geometrical wheel design 

found in the market. Ease of 

operation and the optimum 

match between machine and 

compound & media produce 

excellent surface finishes – in 

just a few hours. 

All the consumables like 

compound and the high quality 

slow wearing grinding & 

polishing media are all developed 

and produced by Rösler. 

For new wheels produced in 

INSOLVENCY SALE 

means of a plasma particle 

jet. 

After this, the layer only 

has to be ground down to 

the appropriate thickness and 

honed to make it extremely 

smooth. In this process, the 

coating parameters as well 

as the honing process can 

be individually adapted to 

the various requirements of 

modern engines with regard 

to cylinder linings. 

This innovation from 

Honsel can be used universally 

for all gasoline and 

diesel engines regardless of 

size or number of cylinders. 

The coating is approved for 

all types of fuel including 

alternatives such as ethanol, 

biodiesel, natural gas or BtL 

(biomass to liquid). 

Honsel is currently working 

on a number of development 

projects for automotive 

manufacturers who intend to 

use crankcases coated by the 

Honsel process in their highvolume 

models. 

Diecasting machines 

Druckguss Scheffler GmbH 

33442 Herzebrock-Clarholz, Germany 

www.honsel.com 

high volumes the polishing 

stage in the FBA 24 is the most 

important finishing step. The 

polishing phase is usually 

preceded by a cut-down and 

fine grinding pro-cess taking 

place in a plunge finisher. In 

its demonstration center in 

Untermerzbach Rösler offers 

the possibility to run finishing 

trials with the FBA 24. 

Of course, Rösler also offers 

surface finishing solutions 

for wheels that are larger than 

24 inches. 

www.rosler.com 

Items being presented for sale include 

5 aluminium diecasting machines, including. makes: Bühler H-250B, GDJ- 

H-250B, year of construction: 1988, GDM-H-400B, year of construction: 

1988, makes: DSD H700R, year of construction: 2003 

Holding furnaces, makes: Nabertherm, Fuemina, Hindelang, spraying 

equipment makes: Frech, Wollin, handling equipment, tempering equipment, 

makes: Robamat, Thermocast 

5 (qty.) 4-column hydraulic trimming presses, makes: Reis, 7-30, year of 

construction: 1991, SEP60-205, year of construction: 1982, SEP9-100-W, 

year of construction: 1988 

Aluminium shaft melting furnace make: Striko MH 800/500 output 500 

kg/h, year of construction: 1991, tipping crucible furnace for melting, 

make: Nabertherm, KB240

10 MACHINING 4 | 12-2009 APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 

Sophisticated aluminium supporting structure for gigantic jewel 

Industrial service provider 

turns architectural vision into reality 

It is often a long and thorny 

journey from a design on a 

computer screen to its actual 

realisation. This applies 

all the more the greater the 

dimensions. There is a need 

for service providers who 

take overall responsibility 

for the implementation 

and deal with every aspect 

from material procurement 

through to the supply 

of components ready for 

installation. 

“The Makkah Clock 

adds the crowning finish to 

an extremely sophisticated 

skyscraper project in Islam’s 

most important place of pilgrimage,” 

explains Martin 

Meenen, CEO of Aquatec 

GmbH based in Emmerich, 

Germany. The company 

started life as a job shop specialising 

in the waterjet cutting 

of large format parts. 

It now operates two of the 

largest waterjet cutting units 

in Europe, with table sizes 

of 16,000 x 4,000 mm, and 

has developed uncompromisingly 

into an all-round 

Graphics: Aquatec 

The ‘Jewel’ located on top 

of the Makkah Clock at a 

height of about 500 m is 

a sophisticated structure 

made of glass and aluminium 

service provider, offering 

its clients practically every 

desirable additional service 

– from the procurement of 

material via the selection 

of suitable processing steps 

through to implementation 

and supply of ready-to-install 

parts as a complete package. 

A current example of this is 

the company’s contribution 

to the ‘jewel’ above the clock 

at the top of the 500 m high 

building that together with 

four other skyscrapers will 

dominate the skyline of this 

Saudi Arabian city. The top 

part, the design of which is 

based on a precious stone, is 

29 m high and consists of a 

total of eight aluminium and 

glass segments each up to 10 

m wide. The desired faceting 

As a specialist for large-format waterjet cutting, Aquatec has two of Europe’s largest waterjet 

cutting machines with table sizes of 16,000 x 4,000 mm 

of the exterior is achieved via 

a complex, intricate, threedimensional 

latticework of 

aluminium nodes and crosspieces 

to which the massive 

panes of glass, almost 80 mm 

thick, are bonded directly. 

This thickness is required in 

order to withstand the enormous 

wind loading: at this 

height, the desert wind often 

Each of the numerous 

triangular surfaces is bordered 

by up to 6 m long 

aluminium mullions that 

are joined together (lower 

left) with the help of complex 

node elements 

reaches hurricane force. Nevertheless, 

the widths of the 

webs between the huge plates 

of glass that are visible from 

the outside are only about 20 

mm wide so as not to impair 

the overall aesthetic appearance. 

Even the material 

requirements are 

extremely demanding 

… 

“The vision is always to the 

fore in such projects,” explains 

Mr Meenen. “It is essential 

to create something distinctive 

that has never been built 

before. The demands are correspondingly 

high.” This forces 

both architects and their 

engineering teams to take 

their conceptual designs into 

areas where others have previously 

not dared to tread. This 

pressure is in turn passed on to 

the service providers carrying 

out the work, who then have 

to go searching for materials, 

production processes and 

special solutions that are not 

available on the market, or at 

least not in the required form. 

This starts with material procurement 

because as a result 

of the extremely high loading 

the combinations of material 

and strength required for the 

nodes and crosspieces, which 

were hitherto not available 

from any manufacturer. For 

example, the AlSi1MgMn T6 

blanks for the massive nodes 

were cut from round stock 

with diameters between 400- 

650 mm and had to have a 

proof strength of 230 MPa in 

the interior even though the 

manufacturers of such material 

thicknesses usually only 

guarantee 180-200 MPa. It 

was not possible to revert to 

another material, in part for 

technical reasons such as corrosion 

resistance, anodisability 

and the like, and in part 

for cost reasons. The search 

for a producer who was willing 

to guarantee the specified 

requirements proved to be 

complex and required intensive 

negotiations. 

The procurement of the 

raw material for the crosspieces 

proved to be equally 

problematic; these were made 

Martin Meenen: “Our job 

is to turn our customer’s 

concept into reality. We 

take overall responsibility 

for that.” 

from rolled plate of the naturally 

ageing alloy AlMg4.5Mn 

with a wall thickness of 82 mm 

and had to have a minimum 

proof strength of 155 MPa. 

Here, too, it was only after 

a long search that one was 

able to find a producer who 

could guarantee this value 

instead of the usual 115-125 

MPa – thanks to a specially 

designed thermo-mechanical 

treatment. 

Machining: extremely 

demanding, exceedingly 

long 

“Having solved the material 

procurement problem we 

were still far from solving all 

the problems because to some 

The 82-mm thick AlMg4.5 Mn rolled plate for the mullions. 

A special thermo-mechanical treatment was devised in order 

to guarantee a proof strength of 155 MPa 

all Photos: Klaus Vollrath 

The production-related challenges included milling of deep 

pockets with a tool that was 250 mm long but could only 

have a maximum diameter of 16 mm 

extent we had to break new 

ground in the processing,” Mr 

Meenen recalls. This began 

with the minimal machining 

tolerances of only 2 mm all 

around the mullions, and this 

despite the fact that they were 

up to 6,000 mm long. One of 

the reasons for choosing these 

exceptionally low values was 

that the wall thickness was a 

critical factor in ensuring the 

necessary mechanical properties. 

The consequence was 

extremely tight tolerances for 

distortion of the blanks to be 

processed. This proved to be a 

challenge even when it came to 

choosing a suitable machine 

for the five-axis processing of 

these parts and the necessary 

special milling cutters. In the 

end, this was only made possible 

by special modification 

of a Chiron machine tool by 

lowering the machine bed. 

The machine was equipped 

with two identical swivelling 

tables that could be synchronised 

in such a way using the 

machine controls that it was 

possible to machine individual 

workpieces having excess 

length. With shorter components, 

the two tables could be 

used for different jobs independently 

of each other. As 

an alternative for future use, 

the machine can be optionally 

equipped with a loading 

door on the side thus making 

it capable of accommodating 

workpieces up to 13,000 m 

long. An added challenge was 

the development of suitable 

technologies for machining 

the cut-outs, which in some 

cases were extremely deep, 

especially in the area of the 

locking devices at the end of 

the crosspieces. Here, tools 

and machining strategies 

had to be found that enabled 

the machining tolerances 

to be adhered to even using 

extremely thin and long milling 

cutters. The required radii 

of only 8 mm limited the 

diameter of the milling tool to 

a maximum of 16 mm – and 

that at immersion depths of 

up to 250 mm. 

Waterjet cutting as 

core competence 

“The benefits of using a 

waterjet manifested themselves 

fully even as soon as we 

cut the individual mullions 

out of the rolled slab,” explains 

Mr Meenen. With a thermal 

process, such as laser-beam 

cutting, large machining 

allowances would have had 

to have been used in order 

to eliminate microstructural 

damage by completely removing 

the heat-affected zone, 

which would have resulted 

in correspondingly higher 

costs. In addition, the kerf in 

waterjet cutting is significantly 

narrower than with a saw 

cut, which allows more blanks 

AlSi1MgMn T6 blanks with diameters from 400-650 mm, 

which also had to have a proof strength of 230 MPa in the 

interior, were used for the nodes

APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 4 | 12-2009 EQUIPMENT 

For the five-axis finishing of the nodes, tools had to be used 

that were sometimes very small 

to be cut out of a rolled slab 

of a given width. An added 

advantage is the possibility to 

also cut at an angle, which was 

necessary with some of the 

mullions. With conventional 

saws, this would have been 

impossible or only possible 

with considerably more effort, 

e.g. for the construction of 

suitable jigs. An additional 

advantage of waterjet cutting 

was the possibility of dealing 

with offsets and recesses at the 

same time. 

Node processing 

“We also had to come 

up with some ideas when it 

came to making the nodes in 

order to implement the concept 

from a production point 

of view with an acceptable 

amount of effort,” explains 

Mr Meenen. With the size of 

the blanks and the amount 

of material to be machined, 

determining the machining 

strategy and its optimisation 

had a decisive influence on 

the costs and the implementation 

times. Hyper Mill CAD- 

CAM software was acquired 

specifically to solve this task. 

The solution that was finally 

found was based on a threeaxis 

rough-machining process 

with quite large tools in 

a total of only three different 

chucking operations. By 

contrast, some of the tooling 

used for the five-axis finishing 

operations had to be very 

small, amongst other things 

because of the acute angles in 

the facetted middle section of 

the nodes. After completion 

of the machining, the nodes 

and the mullions were subjected 

to surface treatment by 

anodising. 

The additional tasks 

included the manufacture of 

additional mechanical components 

of the structure especially 

the so-called connectors 

used to screw the mullions 

with a form fit into the nodes as 

well as ensuring the necessary 

transport logistics including 

the delivery of ready-to-install 

parts on schedule to the construction 

site. 

www.aquatec-ndrh.de 

Author: Klaus Vollrath 

Oblique cuts, offsets, recesses: when cutting these blanks for 

the mullions, full advantage could be taken of the benefits of 

waterjet cutting compared with sawing 

Vedanta orders HE equipment 

for its Jharsuguda II project 

India’s Vedanta Aluminium 

Ltd has placed a major 

order with Hertwich Engineering, 

Austria, for supply 

and commissioning of 

three homogenising and 

sawing units for its Jharsuguda 

II smelter expansion 

project. 

The scope and supply 

comprises three almost 

identical continuous homogenising 

lines, each complete 

with air cooling, ultrasonic 

inspection, log saw (long 

and short type) and packaging 

equipment as well as all 

roller tables, log handling 

equipment and the complete 

control and automation systems. 

Hertwich Engineering 

will be responsible for erection, 

supervision and commissioning. 

Total design 

production is 384,000 tpy of 

billets with diameters of 152 

to 229 mm, commissioning 

is scheduled in two stages, 

May and July 2010. 

Maximum error tolerance of 0.03 percent 

Weighing technology 

of the highest precision 

Calibrated EHP digital crane scales 

Bühler-based weighing 

machine specialist EHP 

Wägetechnik is one of the 

top addresses worldwide 

when it comes to extremely 

demanding weighing operations. 

The company’s client 

base covers various sectors 

such as the metal, paper, 

automotive, chemical and 

plastics industries. Boeing 

or Airbus, BMW or BASF, 

Porsche or Thyssen – EHP’s 

reference reads like the 

Who’s Who of global major 

players. 

The company’s product 

portfolio covers electronic 

digital crane scales and 

weighing beams through to 

data transfer modules that 

allow wireless transmission 

of weight values over a distance 

of several hundred 

metres from the actual scales 

to receiving stations equipped 

with a serial interface. 

With its main product, 

crane scales, EHP is the 

world’s leading supplier to 

a very special niche market. 

The scales, which are used 

to weigh hanging loads, are 

capable of withstanding the 

severest of conditions: for 

example, temperatures in 

excess of 1000 °C over a burning-hot 

casting ladle. 

They continuously transmit 

precise weight details 

via a calibrated transmission 

path. Weighing operations up 

to 100 tonnes are possible. In 

order to guarantee this, one 

needs a considerable amount 

of expertise, lots of experience, 

dedicated employees, 

very high grade production 

equipment and extremely 

reliable subsuppliers. 

The company established 

a second mainstay over twen- 

ty years ago with the development 

and production of load 

cells / weight sensors. The 

sensors are used in vehicle, 

hopper, silo and crane scales. 

The highest degree of precision 

is needed in order to 

assemble the inner workings 

of load cells under a microscope. 

The sensors are used 

later under the most adverse 

conditions, such as the weighing 

of loaded trucks. “In principle, 

they function in a similar 

way to bathroom scales 

but in completely different 

dimensions,” explains Albert 

Friedmann, the managing 

director of EHP. This special 

field is also offered as a service: 

at the request of a client an 

EHP employee will travel with 

a weighing system to a plant, 

for example to determine the 

exact weight of an extremely 

heavy machine that has to be 

transported. 

A topic of major importance 

at EHP is calibration. 

The company has its own 

calibration department and 

testing equipment that is 

designed for weights up to 

50 tonnes and exhibits a 

maximum error tolerance 

of 0.03 percent. “The test 

rig is an in-house development 

and unique worldwide, 

something that the calibration 

authorities are pointing 

out to us time and again,” 

says Mr Friedmann proudly. 

Innovative developments are 

a characteristic of the company. 

It presented the world’s 

first calibrated crane scales 

in 1986. Today, the product 

portfolio includes five different 

model ranges and special 

requirements can also be 

met. A task that confronts the 

company time and again is 

designing the scales complete 

with mounting in such a way 

that they fit perfectly into an 

existing production facility. 

EHP also finds solutions 

for tricky tasks, for example 

the display of the casting rate. 

This provides the operator 

of a crane scales with a 

digital display of how many 

kilograms of molten metal a 

second are being poured into 

a mould. In foundries, one 

has to weigh out different 

materials exactly and then 

Halle 8.0: 

11 

Weltmesse für Werkzeug- und 

Formenbau, Design und 

Produktentwicklung 

2. – 5. Dezember 2009 

Messegelände 

Frankfurt / Main, Germany 

„Vom Design über 

den Prototyp bis zur Serie“ 

Sonderthemen: 

Automation im Werkzeug- 

und Formenbau 

Halle 9.0: 

Gastland Polen 

Thermoformen 

B2B Börse „MoldMatch“ 

NEU 

put them together to make 

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worldwide with 21 

offices in Europe, Asia and 

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– and, of course, in our home 

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12 AUTOMOTIVE 4 | 12-2009 APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 

Lightweight design is an Audi core competence 

Lightweight design enjoys 

a special status among all 

the technologies that Audi 

is constantly advancing. 

It is one of the carmaker’s 

most important core competences. 

As the inventor 

of the self-supporting aluminium 

body, Audi is the 

worldwide leader in lightweight 

design. “One of our 

most enduring aims for 

the future is to reverse the 

weight spiral. Lightweight 

design is the foundation 

of our entire approach to 

improving efficiency”, says 

Michael Dick, member 

of the Audi management 

board and responsible for 

technical development. 

Lightweight design is a 

strategic responsibility at 

Audi. It makes a significant 

contribution to sportiness 

and, even more important, to 

efficiency, thus it helps to conserve 

resources and reduce 

operating costs. The electric 

drives of the future will add 

additional weight to the car 

and will initially only offer 

a limited range, making systematic 

lightweight design all 

the more important. When it 

comes to the body, the development 

engineers at Audi get 

a lot of ideas from the outside. 

The aerospace industry and 

motor sports provide important 

inspiration. 

The best examples of 

lightweight design are provided 

by nature, however. 

In nature, only the amount 

of material required in the 

respective context is used. In 

the field of bionics, solutions 

to technical solutions are specifically 

sought in biology. 

“Many of the extruded sections 

we use in the ASF design, 

such as the sills of the TT, follow 

bionic principles in their 

topology. They are hollow, but 

heavily ribbed on the inside, 

reminiscent of the bones in 

the skeleton of a human or 

a bird”, says Heinrich Timm, 

head of the Aluminium and 

Lightweight Design Centre 

Neckarsulm. 

The architecture of Audi’s 

Space Frame (ASF) bodies 

differs widely between the 

individual model series. The 

superstructure of the R8 

high-performance sports 

car makes extensive use of 

extruded sections, which 

make up 70% of the wrought 

components, in other words 

the starting components. In 

the TT Coupé, metal panels 

account for 45% and thus the 

largest fraction of the aluminium, 

whereas large, multifunctional 

castings play a decisive 

role in the structure of the A8, 

with 29 of them accounting 

for 34% of the weight. 

Integrated approach 

to reverse the weight 

spiral 

Heinz Hollerweger, head 

of Total Vehicle Development, 

emphasizes that Audi 

considers lightweight design 

to be not simply a collection 

of individual components, 

but rather a complete, highly 

integrated project. “An alu- 

Body-in-white featuring composite construction 

Frame-and-body construction of the Audi TT Coupé 

minium tailgate permits a 

lighter gas strut. Axle components 

made of aluminium 

transmit lower forces to the 

body than do steel suspension 

links, thus the superstructure 

can be lighter, which in turn 

allows for more compact 

brakes, a smaller engine and a 

correspondingly streamlined 

exhaust system. This reverses 

the weight spiral while actually 

improving efficiency and 

driving dynamics.” 

The engine itself also holds 

significant untapped potential. 

A reduction of the conrod 

masses results in a reduced 

load on the crankshaft, which 

in turn allows for a lighter 

crankshaft design. The resulting 

reduction of the rotating 

masses with their moments 

of inertia has a very strong, 

positive effect on acceleration 

and fuel consumption far 

beyond the simple reduction 

in weight. 

Lightweight design is the 

top priority for every Audi 

vehicle development project, 

and this applies to every step 

of the process through the 

construction of the prototype. 

Each individual component 

is assessed with respect 

to its weight and the effect 

on the total vehicle. Regular 

weight balance calculations 

help drive further continuous 

optimisations. 

Lightweight design is a 

benefit in all respects, including 

driving dynamics and 

passive safety. The lighter a 

car is, the less kinetic energy 

it develops and the less of this 

energy needs to be converted 

into deformation in the event 

of a crash. Protection for other 

road users is also improved 

since a lightweight car places 

less of a load with which it 

collides. 

Acceleration behaviour 

plays a major role in the field 

of driving dynamics. A car 

weighing 1,200 kg reaches 

the 100 km/h mark from a 

standing start twelve metres 

sooner than a rival weighing 

1,400 kg. The reduction 

of so-called rotating masses 

with their moments of inertia 

has a particularly strong effect 

on acceleration. Reducing the 

weight of a car’s flywheel by 

one kilogram has the same 

effect as a 16 kg reduction in 

the weight of the translational 

masses, such as the body. 

A lower vehicle mass also 

has a positive effect on braking 

– and that in a number of 

regards. Overall stopping distance 

is shorter, brake pressure 

develops more quickly 

and the discs do not get as 

hot, which reduces the risk of 

fading during a long mountain 

descent, for example. A 

lightweight car gets by with 

smaller and lighter brakes. 

This reduction of the unsprung 

masses at the wheels 

brings numerous advantages. 

For example, a less stiff suspension 

setup can be used, 

thus improving vibrational 

comfort. A 10 kg reduction in 

the unsprung masses reduces 

the load on the suspension 

strut by 4%. One would have 

to reduce the weight of the 

sprung masses by nearly 50 kg 

to achieve the same effect. 

The lightweight aluminium 

bodies from Audi also 

have a very positive ecological 

effect. They spare the environment 

large quantities of CO 2 

emissions – through their low 

weight and the overall energy 

balance. At the end of the 

vehicle’s life, the material can 

be melted down and reused 

over and over again without 

any loss in quality. Although 

more energy is required to 

produce primary aluminium 

instead of steel, the effect of 

recycling makes the overall 

balance positive compared 

with steel. 

Framework of 

aluminium – 

the ASF body 

The basic structure of the 

Audi Space Frame resembles 

the framework of a timbered 

framework. Its skeleton comprises 

extruded sections and 

pressure diecast parts of aluminium. 

The aluminium 

panels – the skin of the roof, 

the floor or the side panels – 

are integrated into this frame 

by means of a frictional connection 

so as to be semi-supporting. 

The components of 

the ASF have very different 

shapes and cross-sections 

depending on their function. 

The great strength of 

extruded profiles lies in their 

design flexibility. The side sills 

of the TT Coupé and the TT 

Roadster, for example, appear 

identical from the outside, 

but on the inside they have 

been topologically optimized 

according to bionic principles. 

all Photos: Audi 

This means that the geometry 

of a part at a given load is optimised 

to save as much weight 

as possible. The differences in 

their ribbing determines their 

rigidity, which is higher in the 

Roadster than in the Coupé 

to compensate for the loss of 

the roof. The sections used in 

the TT are made of advanced 

alloys developed by Audi for 

greater strength and a further 

reduction in weight. 

The profile and cross-section 

of each extruded section 

has been optimised for its 

respective use. In the Audi R8, 

for example, the roof arch is 

shaped by means of hydroforming 

– the section is shaped 

by a liquid forced into it at 

high pressure. This high-tech 

production process enables 

complex shapes that eliminate 

the need for a number of 

parts and ensures maximum 

precision. It also keeps the 

A-pillar narrow, thus reducing 

the obstruction of vision 

when looking forward at an 

angle. 

The extremely durable 

vacuum diecast components 

are used wherever high forces 

are induced locally and where 

there is a need for versatility 

and design freedom. A classic 

example is the A-pillar 

node in the TT, which reinforces 

the lower section of 

the A-pillar. This multifunc- 

tional component connects 

the longitudinal member, the 

sill, the pillar, the windshield 

cross-member, the roof frame 

and the strut mount with one 

another. 

Like all aluminium castings, 

the cast nodes are characterised 

by precise geometry 

and optimal utilisation of 

space. Such complex shapes 

are only possible with the use 

of intelligent design and computation 

programs. Vacuum 

diecasting means maximum 

precision in fabrication. Casting 

under reduced pressure 

also improves component 

quality. 

The latest version of the 

ASF principle is a hybrid 

construction of aluminium 

and steel such as that used by 

Audi in the TT Coupé and 

Roadster. The front end, the 

floor and the superstructure 

of the compact sports car 

are fabricated of aluminium, 

with deep drawn steel being 

used for the doors and the 

trunk lid. The rear section 

of the floor assembly, the tail 

panel and the bulkhead of the 

Roadster are made of highstrength 

steel. The distribution 

of the materials provides 

for an optimal distribution 

of axle loads and thus for 

dynamic handling. 

The material mix is dominated 

by aluminium, which 

accounts for 68% of the 

Coupé’s weight and 58% of the 

Roadster’s. The body of the TT 

Coupé weighs 206 kg, which 

breaks down to 140 kg of aluminium 

and 66 kg of steel. It 

would be 48% or nearly 100 

kg heavier if made entirely of 

steel. The aluminium fraction 

comprises 63 kg of panels, 45 

kg of castings and 32 kg of 

extruded sections. 

The low weight of the 

body is a key factor for the 

highly dynamic road behaviour 

and exemplary efficiency. 

Empty, an Audi TT 

1.8 TFSI weighs only 1,240 

kg. The TT 2.0 TDI quattro, 

which weighs 1,370 kg and is 

equipped with a 125 kW (170 

hp) engine consumes on average 

only 5.3 litres of diesel 

fuel per 100 kilometres. The 

values are similarly low for the 

Roadster, which weighs only 

45 kg more than the Coupé. 

The ASF body of the 

Audi TT is in all regards the 

An Audi employee creates a computer simulation of an A8 

space frame using CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) 

ideal solution for a sports car. 

Compared to the preceding 

model, static torsional rigidity 

increased by roughly 50% 

in the Coupé and 100% in the 

Roadster. This is the foundation 

for precise, dynamic 

handling. The rigid ASF construction 

is also responsible 

for the high vibrational comfort 

inside the car. 

The TT makes no compromises 

when it comes to 

crash safety. The longitudinal 

members in the front end 

comprise extruded sections 

and highly durable castings 

at the transition to the passenger 

cell. In the back, largevolume 

members protect the 

passenger cell. High-strength 

aluminium profiles in the 

doors provide protection in 

the event of a side-impact collision. 

Transverse extruded 

profiles reinforce the floor of 

the passenger cell. 

A strong roof frame provides 

protection in the event

APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 4 | 12-2009 AUTOMOTIVE 13 

Audi flagship A8L W12 quattro 

of a rollover. The Roadster 

also has high-strength tubes 

in the windshield frame and 

two rollbars on board. 

Magnesium an 

extremely lightweight 

material 

Magnesium is a particularly 

lightweight metallic 

structural material, even one 

third lighter than aluminium. 

The material offers good 

strength and rigidity relative 

to its weight, enabling even 

further weight reductions. 

Audi began using a magnesium 

5-speed transmission 

casing in a volume production 

model back in 1996 for 

the A4. 

Today the carmaker uses 

magnesium materials in a 

number of areas, such as the 

variable intake manifold of the 

S5 and S6, the steering wheel 

skeletons for all models, parts 

of the steering column and in 

the dashboard of the A8. The 

6-speed transmission casings 

for the A3 and TT family are 

also manufactured from this 

material in large numbers. 

In the R8 high-performance 

sports car, Audi even 

uses the extremely lightweight 

material within the aluminium 

space frame structure. 

The engine frame is made of 

pressure diecast magnesium 

and provides added rigidity 

in the upper section of the 

rear end. Aluminium bolts 

connect it to the Audi Space 

Frame. For some years now, 

Audi has used aluminium 

screws in certain areas to join 

the engine and the transmission, 

which saves 0.6 kg. 

Thanks to advanced alloys 

that can withstand higher 

loads than conventional ones, 

Audi will soon begin using 

magnesium for parts of the 

engine itself, such as the top 

section of the oil pan, the sealing 

flange in the V6 gasoline 

engines, or for the cover of the 

camshaft case. The next generation 

A8 will also be getting 

a new magnesium component 

– a transmission cross member 

that also serves to stiffen 

the centre tunnel. 

Components of CFP 

When it comes to automotive 

lightweight solutions, carbon 

fibre-reinforced plastics 

(CFP) rival metallic materials 

increasingly. Their strengths 

have long been on display in 

motor sports. They attain outstanding 

tensile strength values 

ranging from 500 to 1,350 

Newtons per mm 2 depending 

on the exact type; they are 

extremely light and very good 

at absorbing energy. Audi’s 

involvement in motor sports 

has enabled it to develop 

wide-ranging expertise in the 

use of carbon fibre-reinforced 

plastics. Today the Audi R15 

TDI sports prototype, the R8 

LMS and the A4 DTM car are 

largely constructed of CFP 

components. Whereas the 

R15 TDI and the A4 DTM 

have a CFP body, the R8 LMS 

combines its ASF body with 

selected CFP components. 

As far as production models 

go, Audi offers the side- 

blade, the front spoiler, the 

rear diffuser, the engine compartment 

lining and a number 

of interior parts made of CFP 

as options for the R8. In the 

upcoming R8 Spyder, rear 

side panels and a top compartment 

cover made of the 

high-tech material will be 

standard equipment. 

Carbon fibres are only one 

way to reinforce plastics. Glass 

or aramid fibres can also be 

used. Embedding them in 

a matrix of polyamide produces 

a solid structural part 

called an organic sheet. Audi 

will use such components 

reinforced with aluminium 

inserts in the fourth generation 

A8. Weighing only 5.4 kg, 

they are 2.3 kg lighter than a 

comparable steel solution. 

Kilo for kilo – lightweight 

design as an 

integrated project 

At Audi, lightweight 

design is an integrated 

approach that includes all 

aspects of the vehicle. By 

its very nature, the body 

harbours particularly large 

amounts of potential, but the 

drivetrain, the chassis, the 

electrical system and the passenger 

compartment can all 

make a significant contribution 

to weight reduction, frequently 

on the kilogram scale 

and very often in the hundreds 

of grams. And every 

gram counts. 

With many models, Audi 

makes all of the chassis components 

or at least the majority 

of them out of aluminium. 

The carmaker also makes this 

great effort with the compact 

A3, in which the subframe, 

the control arms and the 

pivot bearing of the front sus- 

pension together weigh only 

14.4 kg. They would be 5.9 kg 

heavier if made of steel. 

The aluminium brake 

cover plates weigh only 149 

Foto: © helix – Fotolia.com 

grams each, or less than half 

as much as parts made of 

steel. The large carbon fibreceramic 

brake discs that Audi 

offers in its top models are 

each 10.5 kg lighter than their 

steel counterparts, and are 

also clearly superior to them 

in terms of performance and 

durability. Possible weight 

savings in the kilogram range 

can also be had in the wheels. 

Using a new hybrid technology 

in which the outer rim 

and the centre are manufactured 

separately and then 

welded together, the weight of 

even large wheels can be kept 

below 10 kg. A corresponding 

cast wheel today weighs more 

than 12 kg. 

Running gear featuring 

lightweight design, particularly 

for the unsprung masses, 

is of great interest for two 

reasons: first, each gram of 

weight saved helps to reduce 

CO 2 emissions, and second, 

it improves driving dynamics 

and ride comfort – both 

are hallmarks of Audi. One 

particularly appealing idea is 

to replace the cast iron brake 

discs commonly used today 

with a cast iron/light alloy 

composite. 

Audi has already implemented 

this concept in its 

top-of-the-line sports cars, 

the R8, RS 6 and the TTRS. 

In these models, the friction 

rings are made of cast iron and 

the brake caps of aluminium. 

Drilled studs connect the two 

components. As an additional 

benefit, the studs prevent the 

transfer of peak temperatures 

to the brake cap. 

Because it is costly and 

complex to manufacture, this 

solution is not currently suitable 

for large-volume production. 

Audi has therefore 

developed a new technology: 

a pin connector integrated 

into the cast iron friction 

ring. The special shape of the 

pins allows them to dissipate 

the heat and ensures that rain 

water and saltwater flows 

away quickly. The friction 

ring is placed in the mould 

when the aluminium brake 

cap is gravity diecast so that 

aluminium is cast around the 

pins. 

This innovation offers 

Audi major advantages with 

respect to weight reduction, 

saving around 30% or up to 

5.5 kg per component. The 

new solution is currently in 

the prototype stage. 

www.audi.de 

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Financial restructuring 

of Honsel completed 

successfully 3 

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of ENRC Aluminium 4 

UC Rusal agrees 

terms of debt 

restructuring 4 

New Roskill Report: 

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global aluminium 

industry 6 

AUTOMOTIVE 

SuperLIGHT-Car 

project 7 

KS Aluminium-Technologie: 

Concepts 

and technologies for 

downsizing 7 

EXTRUSION 

Automated section 

transport in a rapidly 

expanding extrusion 

plant 8 

Aluminium extrusions 

key to more fuel- 

efficient vehicles 10 

Sapa’s agreement 

with Indalex 

complete 10 

ROLLING 

Alcoa Russia’s Samara 

plant launches new 

coating line for aluminium 

sheet 11 

FURNACE TECH 

Alro invests in new 

annealing furnace 14 

Zenergy to supply 

innovative induction 

heater to Sapa 

Profili 14 

BWG GmbH acquires 

metal treatment technology 

from VITS 14 

MACHINING 

EiMa: Cutting aluminium 

rod optimally to 

length 15 

JOINING 

Aluminium welding 

in the Chinese market 

16 

Of lemmings and destinations 

– Remarks 

about the psychology 

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HI-LIGHTS 

SMS Lubrication: 

Process-optimised 

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12 11111222222 

Stud Welding 





 

 

 

New weight-saving alloys from Aleris 

for use in modern aircraft constructio 

New aluminium alloys 

allow weight and fuel 

saving components to 

be manufactured for 

use in modern aircraft. 

Aleris Europe recently 

presented an alloy 

variant that offers high 

strength, damage-tolerant 

properties and low 

weight thanks to the 

addition of scandium. 

In addition, the company 

has developed a new 

conventional 7000series 

alloy for aircraft 

plate with significantly 

improved properties. 

Aircraft construction 

today is characterised by the 

quest for innovative materials 

and production technologies 

that make weight-saving 

and thus cost-reducing 

structures possible. For the 

Airbus A350XWB and Boeing 

787 (Dreamliner) widebodied 

aircraft the development 

engineers are increasingly 

turning to composites 

and carbon-fibre reinforced 

plastics (CFRP) for the fuselage 

and wings, but given the 

repeated delays to the maiden 

flight and delivery of the new 

Airbus exhibit of an AlMgSc 

alloy, shown at the Paris Air 

Show 2009 

aircraft, the initial euphoria 

has evaporated. The very high 

manufacturing costs associated 

with these materials and 

the disproportionately small 

weight savings they bring 

mean designers are again 

focussing their attention on 

metallic materials, and of 

course here on the lightweight 

metal aluminium. 

This was clearly apparent 

at the CFK-Valley Stade Convention 

held in June this year. 

At this international forum for 

experts from the field of CFRP 

lightweight construction, sev- 

Innovative technologies and procedures ensure the A350 XWB’s 

eco-efficiency from takeoff to landing 

eral high-ranking managers 

from Airbus warned the representatives 

of the CFRP sector 

that Airbus would revert 

to aircraft constructions with 

a metal fuselage if the sector 

did not manage to achieve 

more economical production 

and processing of composites. 

In any case it is not as if 

the aluminium industry has 

stood around with its hands 

in its pockets doing nothing 

in recent years. Not only is 

it possible today to produce 

structural components using 

very thin and thus weightreducing 

aluminium sheet, 

the sector has also pressed 

ahead with the development 

of new, even lighter aluminium 

alloys. This is true, for 

example, for the new aluminium–scandium 

alloy that 

Aleris Europe has developed 

jointly with Airbus, which 

is both a metallic alternative 

to composites and a possible 

substitute for aluminium– 

lithium alloys. 

New scandium alloy 

is AA registered 

To be precise, it is an 

AlMgSc alloy that is characterised 

by very low density, 

comparable with that of the 

AlLi alloys. Furthermore, the 

AlMgSc alloy is very corrosion 

resistant and exhibits 

excellent damage-tolerant 

properties with respect to 

crack propagation. This is 

significant particularly for 

the upper fuselage area which 

is subjected to especially 

large tensile stresses with the 

consequence that cracks can 

propagate here more quickly. 

In addition, the alloy has 

very good welding properties. 

This is particular interesting 

for Airbus because 

laser-welded 6000-series 

alloys are already being used 

for the lower fuselage area of 

the A318, A340 and A380. 

Laser welding allows very 

high welding speeds and in 

addition production costs are 

reduced compared with components 

that were traditionally 

riveted. 

The manufacturing process 

for the 6000-series alloy 

panels is quite complicated. 

The rolled components 

and the extruded stiffeners 

(stringers) are first solution 

annealed, then quenched, 

stretch formed and welded in 

the as-shaped condition. Ageing 

is then carried out artificially. 

This results in distortion 

so that the components 

have to be straightened again 

afterwards. 

This complex process 

can be simplified considerably 

using the AlMgSc alloy. 

Matthias Miermeister, who is 

responsible at Aleris Europe 

for maintaining close technical 

contact with the development 

departments of the aircraft 

manufacturers, explains: 

“With aluminium–magnesium–scandium 

alloys, parts 

can be welded flat without any 

prior treatment. The sheet 

does not have to be shaped 

in a complex manner and the 

stringer can also be welded to 

the flat sheet. The curvature 

of the stiffened component 

required by the aircraft fuse- 

lage is produced using creep 

forming. In this process there 

is no distortion or spring back 

of the material, the finished 

panel can be installed immediately. 

The AlMgSc highperformance 

alloy made such 

cost-efficient manufacturing 

possible for the first time.” 

Creep forming is a patented 

EADS process in which 

the sheet is placed in a mould 

and a vacuum is produced, 

thus causing the sheet to take 

up the shape of the mould 

under the influence of the 

temperature. 

An added benefit of this 

process: when heat is applied 

in the weld seam area during 

welding, there is a loss of 

strength. Thanks to the scandium 

in combination with a 

special heat treatment during 

the creep-forming process, 

the strength of the material 

is restored to that of the starting 

material and at the same 

time the sheet is given its final 

shape, which is sometimes 

complex. 










Messe Schweißen & Schneiden in Essen vom 14.-19. 09. 09 · Halle 

At Airbus, the 

alloy from Aleris E 

in the form of AA502 

recently attained the st 

an internationally regi 

alloy, has successfully 

tiated nearly all of the s 

of qualification. Aleris 

already sold the first qu 

tities of the alloy for p 

projects being undertaken 

Airbus and Premium Aerot 

a spin-off of Airbus with fact 

ries in Nordenham, Varel an 

Augsburg. These are projec 

that are also being funded b 

the German federal ministry 

responsible for technology 

as part of its LuFo aerospace 

research programme. The aim 

of the programme includes 

developing new technologies 

for the cabin, fuselage and 

engine. 

Photos: Airbus 

Improved damage 

tolerance compared 

with today’s aluminium 

alloys 

Aleris Europe has now 

developed another AlMgSc 

alloy that exhibits even better 

properties than AA5024, 

however this alloy has not yet 

been AA registered. 

Calculations of the statics 

and analysis of the stability 

carried out for fuselage 

lower shells made of different 

alloys for sheet metal skin and 

stringer have shown that the 

AlMgSc alloy makes it possible 

to achieve weight savings 

comparable to AlLi alloys in 

the loading case considered 

(see chart next page). Compared 

with a conventional 

2000-series alloy, however, the 

AlMgSc alloy offers a weight 

saving of 27 percent. There 

are also significant weight 

savings compared with conventional 

6000-series alloys. 

Continued on page 2 

Heinz Soyer 


GmbH 



Tel.: +49 8153 885-0 

Fax: +49 8153 8030 



R

14 ARCHITECTURE 4 | 12-2009 APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 

Winners of European 

Aluminium in Renovation Award 2009 

Winner category Residential: Loft Living Ackermannfabrik, Augsburg, Germany 

The winners have been 

announced for the 2 nd 

European Aluminium in 

Renovation Award. Two 

awards, four special prizes, 

and an ex-aequo jury prize 

for energy efficiency were 

given. 

Prof. Jan Brouwer, chairman 

of the jury, revealed the 

names of the winning projects: 

LoftLiving Ackermannfabrik, 

Augsburg, Germany, renovated 

by Nething Generalplaner 

Architekten, Ulm/Neu-Ulm, 

and the renovated Corriere 

della Sera, newspaper headquarters, 

Milan, Italy, from 

Gregotti Associati International 

Architects, Milan, were 

the proud winners of the two 

European Awards. 

The European Aluminium 

in Renovation Award 

2009 was given for building 

renovation and refurbishment 

projects in which aluminium 

was used in a sensible 

and innovative manner and 

which were carried out after 

1 January 2006. Besides architects, 

principals or property 

owners, project developers 

and building-engineers were 

allowed to enter. 

The European Aluminium 

in Renovation Award 2009 is 

an initiative of the Building 

Group of the European Aluminium 

Association (EAA) 

and the Aluminium For 

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park 

Future Generations (AFFG) 

programme in cooperation 

with aluminium associations 

in 14 European countries. Of 

the 130 entries received at 

national level, 31 were nominated 

for the European Final. 

The nominations are subdivided 

into nine in the Residential 

and 22 in the Non- 

Residential category. 

A European Aluminium 

Award was given in each of 

the two categories. In addition, 

four special prizes and 

a jury prize ex-aquo were 

awarded. 

The following criteria 

were taken into account when 

assessing the entries: 

■ Significant use of 

aluminium 

■ Energy efficiency 

■ Life-cycle thinking 

■ Contemporary design 

■ Socio-economic impact 

■ Value added to the original 

building 

Winners and jury’s 

comments 

Winner European Aluminium 


2009, Residential category: 

LoftLiving Ackermannfabrik, 

Augsburg, Germany, 

Nething Generalplaner 

Architekten, Ulm/Neu-Ulm 

/ Metallbau Glock, Donauwörth 

The new aluminium 

windows and doors add a 

modern touch to the former 

textile factory whilst taking 

aspects of building conservation 

into consideration. 

The high windows with their 

narrow profiles still let in the 

daylight, something that was 

so important for the interior 

of the former textile factory; 

the modern window profile 

contributes to a level of thermal 

insulation geared toward 

future requirements. The 

special shape of the window 

profiles resembles the appearance 

of the previous steel windows. 

From the jury: 

The jury was impressed by 

the careful use and well-considered 

design of aluminium 

taking into account the interesting 

architectural quality of 

the building complex. 

World’s largest space framework 

More than 231,000 square 

metres of metal weighing 

over 900 tonnes and more 

than 100,000 litres of paint 

– one of the most spectacular 

building projects in the 

United Arab Emirates now 

has a roof. With an area the 

size of 50 football pitches, 

the Ferrari World Abu 

Dhabi theme park has the 

world’s largest space framework. 

Interfalz, a mediumsized 

company based in 

Oranienburg, Germany, 

was responsible for the 

manufacture of the roofing 

system. 

The roof of the leisure 

facility has an area of over 

210,000 m 2 and there is also 

a metal façade with an additional 

surface area of over 

21,000 m 2 . Interfalz used 

transportable roll-forming 

units in Abu Dhabi to produce 

the more than 24,600 lengths 

of aluminium sheeting, some 

of which were 96 m long; this 

allowed the single sheets to 

The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park has the world’s largest space framework 

be produced on site in practically 

any desired length. 

A team of 28 employees 

who operated the rollformers 

and bending units and 

supervised the installation 

took almost ten months to 

produce metal sheeting totalling 

600 kilometres in length 

at a height of up to 50 metres. 

“The result makes us very 

proud,” says Heyung Meyer, 

managing director of Interfalz, 

“because it shows how 

efficiently our technology 

functions even under extreme 

conditions.” The material was 

subjected to particularly chal- 

Photo: Nething 

lenging conditions because of 

the extremely high outside 

temperatures and the high 

humidity. 

In order to cope with these 

conditions, all of the roofing 

materials used were subjected 

to an additional material 

examination. 

Photo: Interfalz 

Photo: Gregotti Associati International Architects 

Winner European Aluminium 


2009, Non-Residential 

category: 

Corriere della Sera, newspaper 

headquarters, Milan, 

Italy, Gregotti Associati 

International Architects, 

Milan/Installation Focchi, 

Rimini 

This was a difficult and 

complex renovation project. 

It entailed finding a pertinent, 

all-embracing solution to the 

renovation requirements of a 

city centre block whose stratified 

development over the 

years had created an irregular 

ground plan comprising a 

series of heterogeneous units. 

The requirements were not 

just to restore formal unity 

and identity to a cluster of 

The roof is a standingseam 

design in which the 

aluminium sheets slide along 

so-called ‘Thermohalters’. 

These fasteners, developed 

by Interfalz, comprise a special 

high-strength plastic that 

barely conducts any heat or 

cold. The use of Interfalz 

Thermohalters is therefore 

particularly beneficial in very 

hot regions, as well as in very 

cold areas because it has been 

shown that it helps reduce 

energy costs. 

Everything at Ferrari 

World Abu Dhabi revolves 

around horse power and the 

fast cars from Maranello. 

The roofing has thus been 

painted in characteristic Ferrari 

red. The shape of the roof 

resembles the classic lines of 

a Ferrari GT. The theme park 

is directly next to the newly 

built race circuit where the 

last race of this year’s Formula 

1 season took place took 

place on 1 November 2009. 

The opening of the Ferrari 

World Abu Dhabi theme park 

Winner category 

Non-Residential: 

Corriere della Sera, 

newspaper headquarters, 

Milan, Italy, 

Gregotti Associati 

International Architects,Milan/Installation 

Focchi, Rimini 

buildings but to ensure their 

functional practicability and 

compatibility with state-ofthe-art 

technology, making 

the complex compliant with 

current safety regulations 

and appropriate for IT production 

techniques that have 

revolutionized the world of 

the printed press. 

From the jury: 

The materials used are the 

key to the underlying theme 

of integration into the wider 

urban fabric and the creation 

of a uniform complex. 

The large aluminium-framed 

windows and the aluminium 

cladding with its antique 

effect presents an imposing 

appearance with a nod to the 

past. 

www.aluminium-award.eu 

on Yas Island off the coast of 

the United Arab Emirates 

is planned for the spring of 

2010. 

Ferrari World can also 

come up with a few more 

superlatives: the building is 

not only the largest indoor 

leisure facility in the world, it 

also houses the world’s fastest 

roller coaster. 

About Interfalz 

Interfalz offers innovative, 

sophisticated and functional 

roofing concepts. It manufactures 

metal roofing in various 

lengths and shapes. Thanks 

to the use of transportable 

rollforming and bending 

machines, roof structures and 

roof refurbishments can be 

carried out economically and 

quickly at site. With product 

innovations such as the Interfalz 

Thermohalter, the company 

provides climate-related 

benefits for buildings. 

www.interfalz.de


The ET Foundation—the 

educational and scientific 

organization devoted to 

promoting and advancing 

aluminum extrusion processes 

and technologies—is 

seeking entries for the 2010 

International Aluminum 

Extrusion Design Competition. 

Professionals along 

with students studying 

design and engineering are 

invited to enter their exceptional 

aluminum profile 

designs for an opportunity 

to win cash prizes. Hydro 

Aluminum once again will 

be the sole sponsor for 

the cash awards, totaling 

USD18,000, including a 

Grand Prize of USD3,500. 

The ET Foundation will 

accept entries for the 2010 

International Aluminum 

Extrusion Design Competition 

until February 15, 

2010. Entry in the competition 

is free. 

The 2010 competition is 

divided into two classes: professional 

and student. Winning 

entries will be those that 

best demonstrate the benefits 

of aluminum extrusions. The 

designs submitted should 

address any combination of 

the following objectives: 

ease of fabrication and 

assembly 

cost-effectiveness 

innovation and/or customization 

in design 

new application capability 

demonstration of aluminium 

extrusion’s product 

and process advantages, 

and 

likelihood of market success. 

Designers Encouraged 

to Innovate 

Innovation is a key objective 

of the competition, 

which encourages extruders, 

designers, fabricators, engineers, 

manufacturers and students 

to hone their skills and 

develop new techniques and 

uses for aluminum. “Often, 

designers and engineers are 

at the forefront of innovation; 

thinking outside the box is 

standard practice,” said Tom 

Schabel, chairman of the ET 

Foundation Board of Trustees 

and CEO of Alexandria Extrusion 

Company in Alexandria, 

Minnesota. “The Aluminum 

Extrusion Design Competition 

encourages these innovators 

to use aluminum profiles 

in their product designs, and 

in turn, learn more about the 

countless material and process 

advantages of aluminum 

extrusions.” 

Professionals to 

Compete for Cash 

Prizes 

Individual architects, 

designers or engineers, as 

well as companies, are eligible 

to enter the Design Competition. 

Aluminum extruders are 

encouraged to team up with 

their customers and enter the 

competition. Entries received 

in the Professional Class will 

be divided into three categories: 

Structural, Transportation, 

and Engineered Products. 

First-place cash prizes 

in the amount of $2,000 will 

be awarded to the best design 

in each category. 

The Structural Category 

may include designs for such 

applications as architectural 

façades, fenestration products, 

modular building systems, 

exhibit display booths, 

ladders and scaffolding, 

bridges and bridge decking, 

and office component systems. 

The Transportation 

Category may include designs 

for applications in the automotive, 

truck/trailer, recreational 

vehicles, rail, aerospace, 

and marine markets. The 

Engineered Products Category 

may include designs for 

applications such as sporting 

goods components, lighting, 

furniture, appliance and electronic 

components, scientific 

or industrial equipment, and 

food display and refrigeration 

equipment. These are only a 

few possible applications for 

aluminum profiles. 

Students Compete 

for Thousands of Dollars 

in Scholarship 

Awards 

Exposing students to new 

ideas and challenges stimulates 

their creativity and encourages 

them to explore unique 

concepts of their own. Scholarships 

will be presented as 

cash awards to the top student 

designs, including USD3,000 

for first place, USD2,000 for 

second place, and USD1,000 

for third place. Students also 

may compete for the Hydro 

Sustainable Design Scholarship 

Award of USD2,500. The 

Sustainable Design Scholarship 

Award is presented to 

recognize the student design 

that best addresses environmental 

and/or societal concerns, 

and must be a viable 

extrusion-based product that 

meets the demands of the 

environment while contributing 

to the quality of life for its 

DESIGN 15 

Innovative Designs Sought for Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition 

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NEWS 

Financial restructuring 

of Honsel completed 

successfully 3 

LME approves listing 

of ENRC Aluminium 4 

UC Rusal agrees 

terms of debt 

restructuring 4 

New Roskill Report: 

China dominates the 

global aluminium 

industry 6 

AUTOMOTIVE 

SuperLIGHT-Car 

project 7 

KS Aluminium-Technologie: 

Concepts 

and technologies for 

downsizing 7 

EXTRUSION 

Automated section 

transport in a rapidly 

expanding extrusion 

plant 8 

Aluminium extrusions 

key to more fuel- 

efficient vehicles 10 

Sapa’s agreement 

with Indalex 

complete 10 

ROLLING 

Alcoa Russia’s Samara 

plant launches new 

coating line for aluminium 

sheet 11 

FURNACE TECH 

Alro invests in new 

annealing furnace 14 

Zenergy to supply 

innovative induction 

heater to Sapa 

Profili 14 

BWG GmbH acquires 

metal treatment technology 

from VITS 14 

MACHINING 

EiMa: Cutting aluminium 

rod optimally to 

length 15 

JOINING 

Aluminium welding 

in the Chinese market 

16 

Of lemmings and destinations 

– Remarks 

about the psychology 

of the crisis 16 

HI-LIGHTS 

SMS Lubrication: 

Process-optimised 

media improve rolling 

performance 12 


Signature 


Volume V / Issue 3 . September 2009 

Stud Welding 


Postfach 120 158 

30907 Isernhagen · Germany 

Tel. +49 511 7304-125 

Fax +49 511 7304-157 

www.giesel-verlag.de · vertrieb@giesel.de 

intended users. Past Sustainable 

Design winning entries 

included a portable modular 

shelter for disaster victims, a 

mobile sediment pond barrier, 

and a streamlined traffic-light 

post. 

A call for entries for the 

Design Competition will 

be available to download at 

www.ETFdesign.org, or to 

request a copy to be mailed 

contact the ET Foundation at 

mail@etfoundation.org. 





 

www.etfoundation.org 

 

 

New weight-saving alloys from Aleris 

for use in modern aircraft construction 

New aluminium alloys 

allow weight and fuel 

saving components to 

be manufactured for 

use in modern aircraft. 

Aleris Europe recently 

presented an alloy 

variant that offers high 

strength, damage-tolerant 

properties and low 

weight thanks to the 

addition of scandium. 

In addition, the company 

has developed a new 

conventional 7000series 

alloy for aircraft 

plate with significantly 

improved properties. 

Aircraft construction 

today is characterised by the 

quest for innovative materials 

and production technologies 

that make weight-saving 

and thus cost-reducing 

structures possible. For the 

Airbus A350XWB and Boeing 

787 (Dreamliner) widebodied 

aircraft the development 

engineers are increasingly 

turning to composites 

and carbon-fibre reinforced 

plastics (CFRP) for the fuselage 

and wings, but given the 

repeated delays to the maiden 

flight and delivery of the new 

Airbus exhibit of an AlMgSc 

alloy, shown at the Paris Air 

Show 2009 

aircraft, the initial euphoria 

has evaporated. The very high 

manufacturing costs associated 

with these materials and 

the disproportionately small 

weight savings they bring 

mean designers are again 

focussing their attention on 

metallic materials, and of 

course here on the lightweight 

metal aluminium. 

This was clearly apparent 

at the CFK-Valley Stade Convention 

held in June this year. 

At this international forum for 

experts from the field of CFRP 

lightweight construction, sev- 

Innovative technologies and procedures ensure the A350 XWB’s 

eco-efficiency from takeoff to landing 

eral high-ranking managers 

from Airbus warned the representatives 

of the CFRP sector 

that Airbus would revert 

to aircraft constructions with 

a metal fuselage if the sector 

did not manage to achieve 

more economical production 

and processing of composites. 

In any case it is not as if 

the aluminium industry has 

stood around with its hands 

in its pockets doing nothing 

in recent years. Not only is 

it possible today to produce 

structural components using 

very thin and thus weightreducing 

aluminium sheet, 

the sector has also pressed 

ahead with the development 

of new, even lighter aluminium 

alloys. This is true, for 

example, for the new aluminium–scandium 

alloy that 

Aleris Europe has developed 

jointly with Airbus, which 

is both a metallic alternative 

to composites and a possible 

substitute for aluminium– 

lithium alloys. 

New scandium alloy 

is AA registered 

To be precise, it is an 

AlMgSc alloy that is characterised 

by very low density, 

comparable with that of the 

AlLi alloys. Furthermore, the 

AlMgSc alloy is very corrosion 

resistant and exhibits 

excellent damage-tolerant 

properties with respect to 

crack propagation. This is 

significant particularly for 

the upper fuselage area which 

is subjected to especially 

large tensile stresses with the 

consequence that cracks can 

propagate here more quickly. 

In addition, the alloy has 

very good welding properties. 

This is particular interesting 

for Airbus because 

laser-welded 6000-series 

alloys are already being used 

for the lower fuselage area of 

the A318, A340 and A380. 

Laser welding allows very 

high welding speeds and in 

addition production costs are 

reduced compared with components 

that were traditionally 

riveted. 

The manufacturing process 

for the 6000-series alloy 

panels is quite complicated. 

The rolled components 

and the extruded stiffeners 

(stringers) are first solution 

annealed, then quenched, 

stretch formed and welded in 

the as-shaped condition. Ageing 

is then carried out artificially. 

This results in distortion 

so that the components 

have to be straightened again 

afterwards. 

This complex process 

can be simplified considerably 

using the AlMgSc alloy. 

Matthias Miermeister, who is 

responsible at Aleris Europe 

for maintaining close technical 

contact with the development 

departments of the aircraft 

manufacturers, explains: 

“With aluminium–magnesium–scandium 

alloys, parts 

can be welded flat without any 

prior treatment. The sheet 

does not have to be shaped 

in a complex manner and the 

stringer can also be welded to 

the flat sheet. The curvature 

of the stiffened component 

required by the aircraft fuse- 

lage is produced using creep 

forming. In this process there 

is no distortion or spring back 

of the material, the finished 

panel can be installed immediately. 

The AlMgSc highperformance 

alloy made such 

cost-efficient manufacturing 

possible for the first time.” 

Creep forming is a patented 

EADS process in which 

the sheet is placed in a mould 

and a vacuum is produced, 

thus causing the sheet to take 

up the shape of the mould 

under the influence of the 

temperature. 

An added benefit of this 

process: when heat is applied 

in the weld seam area during 

welding, there is a loss of 

strength. Thanks to the scandium 

in combination with a 

special heat treatment during 

the creep-forming process, 

the strength of the material 

is restored to that of the starting 

material and at the same 

time the sheet is given its final 

shape, which is sometimes 

complex. 










Messe Schweißen & Schneiden in Essen vom 14.-19. 09. 09 · Halle 10 · Stand 402 

At Airbus, the AlMgSc 

alloy from Aleris Europe, 

in the form of AA5024 that 

recently attained the status of 

an internationally registered 

alloy, has successfully negotiated 

nearly all of the stages 

of qualification. Aleris has 

already sold the first quantities 

of the alloy for pilot 

projects being undertaken by 

Airbus and Premium Aerotec, 

a spin-off of Airbus with factories 

in Nordenham, Varel and 

Augsburg. These are projects 

that are also being funded by 

the German federal ministry 

responsible for technology 

as part of its LuFo aerospace 

research programme. The aim 

of the programme includes 

developing new technologies 

for the cabin, fuselage and 

engine. 

Photos: Airbus 

Improved damage 

tolerance compared 

with today’s aluminium 

alloys 

Aleris Europe has now 

developed another AlMgSc 

alloy that exhibits even better 

properties than AA5024, 

however this alloy has not yet 

been AA registered. 

Calculations of the statics 

and analysis of the stability 

carried out for fuselage 

lower shells made of different 

alloys for sheet metal skin and 

stringer have shown that the 

AlMgSc alloy makes it possible 

to achieve weight savings 

comparable to AlLi alloys in 

the loading case considered 

(see chart next page). Compared 

with a conventional 

2000-series alloy, however, the 

AlMgSc alloy offers a weight 

saving of 27 percent. There 

are also significant weight 

savings compared with conventional 

6000-series alloys. 

Continued on page 2 

Heinz Soyer 


GmbH 



Tel.: +49 8153 885-0 

Fax: +49 8153 8030 



R 

Foto: © Marc Dietrich, Fotolia.com

16 NEWS Mustertext 

2 4 | 06-2008 12-2009 APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 

Alcoa and COMAC Explore 

Leading Technology Solutions 

for C919, China’s Largest Passenger 

Aircraft 

A prototype of COMAC's C919 passenger jet was on display 

at the Asian Aerospace '09 in Hong Kong last month. Alcoa 

and COMAC are jointly exploring technology solutions for 

the design and development of the new 190-seat aircraft 

Alcoa and Commercial Aircraft 

Corporation of China 

Ltd. (COMAC) are jointly 

exploring leading technology 

solutions for the design 

and development of China’s 

new, large passenger jet, the 

C919. Through a technology 

cooperation agreement, the 

two companies are examining 

advanced aluminium 

structural concepts, designs 

and alloys to create the 190seat 

aircraft. 

“We are working closely 

with COMAC to develop a 

tailored solution that will 

meet COMAC’s goal of creating 

a globally competitive, 

high-performance, economical 

commercial airliner,” said 

Helmut Wieser, Alcoa executive 

vice-president and group 

president Global Rolled Products 

and Asia. The aircraft will 

be assembled in Shanghai, but 

will source parts and components 

globally. 

“The C919 will be the 

largest passenger jet to be 

produced in China. Our goal 

is to design an efficient, highperformance 

structure that 

will compete in the global 

aerospace market. Therefore, 

it is imperative that we look 

at design alternatives and 

collaborate with innovative 

materials technology leaders 

like Alcoa,” said Wu Guanghui, 

chief designer of the C919 

program and vice president of 

COMAC. 

A prototype of the C919 

was displayed at the Asian 

Aerospace International 

Expo and Congress in Hong 

Kong in September 2009. 

There is strong market interest 

for this aircraft based on 

China’s expected long-term 

growth in global passenger 

traffic demand. The C919 is 

expected to take its first flight 

in 2014 and enter service in 

2016. 

Alcoa has 15 locations 

throughout China. Offices 

and plants are located in 

Beijing, Shanghai, Qinhuangdao, 

Kunshan, Suzhou, 

Guangzhou and Hong Kong. 

Alcoa’s advanced alloys and 

materials are used on China’s 

first home-produced regional 

jet, the ARJ21-700. 

www.alcoa.com/aerospace 

www.alcoa.com 

Ebner receives 

order for pusher 

furnaces from 

Shandong Nanshan 

Shandong Nanshan Aluminium 

Co. Ltd recently 

signed another contract 

with Ebner, a leading producer 

of heat treatment 

facilities, for two ‘Hicon’ 

pusher furnace facilities to 

homogenise and reheat aluminium 

ingots. 

The entire facility will then 

consist of four Hicon pushertype 

furnaces. Each furnace 

can heat-treat 25 ingots 

with a maximum combined 

net weight of 750 tonnes. 

The ingot handling system, 

already commissioned for the 

first two furnaces in 2006, will 

be expanded to serve the two 

new furnaces as well. As with 

the existing facilities, the new 

one will be equipped with a 

state-of-the-art automation 

system with integrated ingot 

tracking and ingot temperature 

measuring to enable fully 

automatic operation. 

The facility will be turnkey 

installed by Ebner. Commissioning 

of the facility is scheduled 

for the end of 2010. 

www.ebnerfurnaces.com 

Photo: Business Wire 

Rusnano and Alcoa Sign a 

Memorandum of Understanding 

Alcoa president and CEO 

Klaus Kleinfeld and Rusnano 

CEO Anatoly Chubais 

have signed a memorandum 

of understanding to explore 

opportunities for applying 

nanotechnology in the aluminium 

industry. 

The two companies have 

identified several promising 

technical and commercial 

fields to begin pursuing 

together. These include 

off-shore oil and gas dril- 

ling systems, high-efficiency 

power transmission, nextgeneration 

lighting, energyefficient 

buildings and transportation 

systems and green 

packaging. 

The signing took place 

during a visit by a Rusnano 

delegation to Alcoa’s New 

York headquarters and the 

Alcoa Technical Center in 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Commenting on the 

results of the visit, Klaus 

Kleinfeld said: “This partnership 

with Rusnano offers 

great promise for Alcoa and 

the entire aluminium industry. 

Building on our existing 

investment and presence in 

Russia, we are proud to be a 

partner of the leading Russian 

nanotechnology institution.” 

Alcoa has been present in 

Russia since 1993. In 2005, the 

company purchased two leading 

aluminium fabricating 

facilities Alcoa SMZ (formerly 

the Samara metallurgical 

plant) and Alcoa Metallurg 

Rus (formerly Belaya Kalitva 

metallurgical production 

plant.). Alcoa has modernized 

the facilities, investing 

more than USD750 million 

in upgrades. Together with 

Rusnano, Alcoa continues 

that modernization with the 

new development of cuttingedge, 

advanced technologies 

for aluminium production in 

Russia. 

The Company anticipates 

the partnership will not only 

contribute to the increase in 

the aluminium products consumption 

in the country, but 

will also assist in diversifying 

and innovating the Russian 

economy. 

Rusnano CEO Anatoly 

Chubais stated: “Having been 

established in 2007, our cor- 

poration has occupied a very 

active position in working 

with the world’s leading companies 

and scientific institutions 

on developing and localizing 

the nanotechnologies in 

Russia. We work in cooperation 

with the most renowned 

Russian scientists and experts 

to identify and commercialize 

the innovative technologies 

that will take the Russian 

economy to the next level of 

development. I am confident 

that the memorandum of 

understanding that we signed 

with Alcoa, one of the global 

leaders in the production of 

aluminium and aluminium 

products, is a first step on the 

road to a very beneficial joint 

cooperation that will heavily 

rely on both parties’ expansive 

knowledge and expertise. 

With Alcoa, we are looking 

forward to the implementation 

of the concrete projects 

of bringing nanotechnologies’ 

advantage for the creation of 

the new generation aluminium 

products for the Russian 

and export markets.” 

The Russian Corporation 

of Nanotechnologies (Rusna- 

Opening of the most modern plant 

for the production of aluminum profiles 

by Montana Tech Components AG 

Montana Tech Components 

AG, Menziken (Switzerland), 

opened the most 

modern production plant 

for aluminium profiles in 

Baia Mare in Romania. The 

plant was built to fulfil a 

long-term contract with 

EADS/Airbus Industries. 


AG (MTC) inaugurated 

on November 11, 2009 

together with its Romanian 

daughter company UAC 

Europe S.R.L a new production 

plant for aluminium profiles 

for the aerospace industry 

in Baia Mare/Dumbravita 

in the province Maramures in 

Romania. A 5-year long-term 

contract with Airbus Industries 

built the basis for the 

construction of the plant by 

the MTC division Aerospace 

& Industrial Components. 

The contract is supposed 

to gene-rate a yearly turnover 

of about EUR25 million and 

secures the base load from 

2010 on. The certification 

process by Airbus Industries 

is already partly finished. Also 

with Boeing the production 

of aluminium components 

may be set up. 

The production with the 

1 st press started in May 2009. 

Currently already three presses 

are running and the 4 th 

press will start in the beginning 

of 2010. 

The plant will have a yearly 

capacity of 2.000 tonnes at 

full use of capacity and holds 

a yearly turnover potential of 

about EUR30 million. 

The reason for the location 

was the wage costs which are 

15% less than in Switzerland. 

Klaus Sernetz, CEO the Montana 

Tech Components AG: 

„To be able to compete with 

international market prices 

we had to transfer the production 

to a low cost country.“ 

The volume of the project 

amounts to EUR30 million in 

total. In 2010 a cast house will 

be built on the factory premise 

Alcan Automotive 

creates joint venture in China 

Alcan Engineered and 

Automotive Solutions 

(EAS), part of Alcan Engineered 

Products, signed a 

joint venture (JV) agreement 

with Changchun Engley 

Automobile Parts Co. 

Ltd (Engley). 

The JV company will be 

based in the northeastern 

Chinese city of Changchun 

with a second manufacturing 

plant located in Kunshan, 

close to Shanghai, to serve 

several car manufacturers 

in both the northern and 

southern regions of China. 

Alcan Automotive will be 

the majority shareholder and 

expects to start supplying 

products in late 2009. 

Alcan Engley Automotive 

Structures Co. Ltd will 

develop and produce crash 

management systems, instrument 

panel beams and other 

structural modules made of 

aluminium. The company 

sees a strong demand for 

its products, which help to 

develop the next generation 

of greener, more fuel-efficient 

cars in China and Asia. 

“China is posting double digit 

growth in car sales and will 

continue to offer exceptional 

growth opportunities for our 

engineered products in the 

coming years”, says Wolfgang 

Schmitz, president EAS. 

Through several project 

acquisitions in recent years, 

Alcan EAS has become a 

strong supplier of advanced 

lightweight solutions in 

Europe and North America. 

Incorporating the partnership 

with Engley is the next logical 

step to tackle the Chinese and 

Asian markets. 

no) was established in 2007 

to effect government policy 

in the field of nanotechnology. 

Rusnano co-invests in 

nanotechnology industry 

projects that have high commercial 

potential or considerable 

social benefit. Earlystage 

investment by Rusnano 

lowers the risks to partners in 

investment from the private 

sector. 

Rusnano participates in 

building nanotechnology 

infrastructure, provides educational 

programs, and supports 

the popularization of 

nanoscience and nanotechnology. 

To enable the Russian 

nanotechnology industry to 

strengthen its international 

links and to advance to the 

global market, Rusnano 

develops partnerships with 

the world’s leading nano-technology 

centers and organizes 

the annual Nanotechnology 

International Forum in 

Russia. 

www.rusnano.com 

www.alcoa.com 

and including this expansion 

the turnover shall be tripled 

over the next 3-4 years. 


AG (MTC) focuses on 

selected key technologies in 

global markets which show a 

particularly rapid growth and 

a strong growth potential in 

the medium term. 


AG wants to 

consistently further 

develop its three divisions 

Aerospace & Industrial Components, 

Metal Tech and Varta 

Micro Power. 

www.montanatechcomponents.com 

Engley, a Taiwan-owned 

enterprise, is headquartered 

in Changchun City, Jilin 

Province of China. 

In both Suzhou and 

Changchun, Engley has a 

strong production base for 

automotive parts and mould 

manufacturing. Engley is not 

only a supplier of steel and aluminium 

crash management 

and body-in-white modules, 

but is also the largest Chinese 

supplier of long glass fibre 

thermoplastic parts. 

www.alcan.com


1 Smelting 

technology 

1.1 Primary metal products 

1.2 Storage facilities 

for smelting 

1.3 Anode production 

1.4 Anode rodding 

1.5 Casthouse (foundry) 

1.6 Casting machines 

1.7 Current supply 

1.8 Electrolysis cell (pot) 

1.9 Potroom 

1.10 Laboratory 

1.11 Emptying the cathode shell 

1.12 Cathode repair shop 

1.13 Second-hand plant 

1.14 Aluminium alloys 

1.1 Primary metal products 

TRIMET ALUMINIUM AG 

Niederlassung Düsseldorf 

Heinrichstr. 155 

D-40239 Düsseldorf 

Tel.: +49 (0) 211 / 96180-0 

Fax: +49 (0) 211 / 96180-60 

Internet: www.trimet.de 

Rolling ingots 

Alcan Aluminium Valais SA 

CH-3960 Sierre 

Telefon: 0041 27 / 4575111 

Telefax: 0041 27 / 4576425 

1.2 Storage facilities 

for smelting 

FLSmidth MöLLER GmbH 

Haderslebener Straße 7 

D-25421 Pinneberg 

Telefon: 04101 788-0 

Telefax: 04101 788-115 

E-Mail: moeller@flsmidth.com 

Internet: www.flsmidthmoeller.com 

Kontakt: Herr Dipl.-Ing. Timo Letz 

Outotec GmbH 

Albin-Köbis-Str. 8, D-51147 Köln 

Phone: +49 (0) 2203 / 9921-0 

E-mail: aluminium@outotec.com 

www.outotec.com 

1.3 Anode production 

Anode mix production 

(kneading) 

Buss AG 

CH-4133 Pratteln 

E-Mail: info@busscorp.com 

Internet: www.busscorp.com 

Hydraulic presses for 

prebaked anodes 

LAEIS GmbH 

Am Scheerleck 7, L-6868 Wecker, Luxembourg 

Phone:+352 27612 0 

Fax: +352 27612 109 

E-Mail: info@laeis-gmbh.com 

Internet: www.laeis-gmbh.com 

Contact: Dr. Alfred Kaiser 

1.4 Anode rodding 

Removal of bath residues from 

the surface of spent anodes 

GLAMA Maschinenbau GmbH 

Hornstraße 19 

D-45964 Gladbeck 

Telefon 02043 / 9738-0 

Telefax 02043 / 9738-50 

Transport of finished anode 

elements to the pot room 

1.5 Casthouse 

HERTWICH ENGINEERING GmbH 

Maschinen und Industrieanlagen 

Weinbergerstraße 6, A-5280 Braunau am Inn 

Phone +437722/806-0 

Fax +437722/806-122 

E-Mail: info@hertwich.com 

Internet: www.hertwich.com 

INOTHERM INDUSTRIEOFEN- 

UND WÄRMETECHNIK GMBH 

Konstantinstraße 1a 

D 41238 Mönchengladbach 

Phone: +49 (02166) 987990 

Fax: +49 (02166) 987996 

Mail: info@inotherm-gmbh.de 

Web: www.inotherm-gmbh.de 

Stopinc AG 

Bösch 83 a 

CH-6331 Hünenberg 

Tel. +41/41-785 75 00 

Fax +41/41-785 75 01 

E-Mail: interstop@stopinc.ch 

Internet: www.stopinc.ch 

Sawing 

Hovestr. 10 . D-48431 Rheine 

Telefon + 49 (0) 59 7158-0 

Fax + 49 (0) 59 7158-209 

E-Mail info@windhoff.de 

Internetwww.windhoff.de 


Holding / melting furnaces 

LOI Thermprocess GmbH 

Am Lichtbogen 29, D-45141 Essen 

Tel. +49 (0) 201-1891-1, Fax -1891-321 

E-Mail: info@loi-italimpianti.de 

Internet: www.loi-italimpianti.com 

343 Chemin du Stade 

38210 Saint Quentin sur Isère 

Tel. +33 (0) 476 074 242 

Fax +33 (0) 476 936 776 

E-Mail: sermas@sermas.com 

Internet: www.sermas.com 

Vertical continuous casting 



Tel. +49 (0) 201-1891-1, Fax -1891-321 



Vertical semi-continuous DC 

casting 

Wagstaff, Inc. 

3910 N. Flora Rd. 

Spokane, WA 99216 USA 

+1 509 922 1404 phone 

+1 509 924 0241 fax 

E-Mail: info@wagstaff.com 

Internet: www.wagstaff.com 

2 Extrusion 

2.1 Extrusion billet preparation 

2.2 Extrusion equipment 

2.3 Section handling 

2.4 Heat treatment 

2.5 Measurement and 

control equipment 

2.6 Die preparation and care 

2.7 Second-hand extrusion 

plant 

2.8 Consultancy, expert opinion 

2.9 Surface finishing of sections 

2.10 Machining of sections 

2.11 Equipment and accessories 

2.12 Services 

www.otto-junker-group.com 

OTTO JUNKER GmbH 

Jägerhausstr. 22 

D – 52152 Simmerath 

Phone +49 2473 601 0 

Fax +49 2473 601 600 

E-Mail info@otto-junker.de 

Contact Mr. Teichert / Heat Treatmant Plants 

Dr. Menzler / Extrusion Plants 

Mr. Donsbach / Foundry Plants 

OTTO JUNKER (UK) LTD. 

Kingsbury Road, Curdworth 

UK - SUTTON COLDFIELD B76 9EE 

Phone +44 1675 470551 

Fax +44 1675 470645 

E-Mail info@otto-junker.co.uk 

Contact Mr. Hall 

IUT INDUSTRIELL UGNSTEKNIK AB 

Industrivägen 2 

SE - 438 92 Härryda 

Phone +46 301 508000 

Fax +46 301 30479 

E-Mail office@iut.se 

Contact Mr. Berge 

2.1 Extrusion billet 

preparation 

SIGNODE® SySTEM GMBH 

Packaging Equipment 

Non-Ferrous Specialist Team DSWE 

Magnusstr. 18, 46535 Dinslaken/Germany 

Telefon: +49 (0) 2064 / 69-210 

Telefax: +49 (0) 2064 / 69-489 

E-Mail: g.laks@signode-europe.com 

Internet: www.signode.com 

Contact: Mr. Gerard Laks 

Billet heating furnaces 

Sistem Teknik Ltd. Sti. 

DES San. Sit. 102 SOK No: 6/8 

Y.Dudullu, TR-34775 Istanbul/Turkey 

Tel.: +90 216 420 86 24 

Fax: +90 216 420 23 22 

E-Mail: info@sistemteknik.com 

Internet: www.sistemteknik.com 

2.2 Extrusion equipment 

SMS Meer GmbH 

Schloemann Extrusion 

Ohlerkirchweg 66 

41069 Mönchengladbach, Germany 

Phone: +49 (0) 2161 350-0 

Fax: +49 (0) 2161 350-1667 

Mail: info@sms-meer.com 

Web: www.sms-meer.com 

Containers 

SMS Meer GmbH 

see Extrusion equipment 2.2 

Press control systems 

SMS Meer GmbH 


Temperature measurement 

SMS Meer GmbH 


2.3 Section handling 

Packaging equipment 

Vollert Anlagenbau 

GmbH + Co. KG 

Stadtseestraße 12 

D-74189 Weinsberg 

Tel. +49 (0) 7134 / 52-220 

Fax +49 (0) 7134 / 52-222 

E-Mail intralogistik@vollert.de 

Internet www.vollert.de 

Puller equipment 

SMS Meer GmbH 


Section cooling 

SMS Meer GmbH 


Section saws 

SMS Meer GmbH 


Section store equipment 


GmbH + Co. KG 

see Packaging equipment 2.3 

Section transport equipment 

SMS Meer GmbH 


Stackers / Destackers 

SMS Meer GmbH 


Stretching equipment 

SMS Meer GmbH 


Transport equipment for 

extruded sections 


GmbH + Co. KG 



Heat treatment furnaces 



see Casthouse (foundry) 1.5 

2.5 Measurement and 

control equipment 

Extrusion plant control systems 

SMS Meer GmbH 


2.7 Second hand 

extrusion plant 

17 

BSN Thermprozesstechnik GmbH 

Kammerbruchstraße 64 

D-52152 Simmerath 

Tel. 02473-9277-0 · Fax: 02473-9277-111 

info@bsn-therm.de · www.bsn-therm.de 

Ofenanlagen zum Wärmebehandeln von Aluminiumlegierungen, 

Buntmetallen und Stählen 

2.6 Die preparation and care 

Die heating furnaces 

Nijverheidsweg 3 

NL-7071 CH Ulft Netherlands 

Tel.: +31 315 641352 

Fax: +31 315 641852 

E-Mail: info@unifour.nl 

Internet: www.unifour.nl 

Sales Contact: Paul Overmans 

Qualiteam International/ExtruPreX 

Champs Elyséesweg 17, NL-6213 AA Maastricht 

Tel. +31-43-3 25 67 77 

Internet: www.extruprex.com

18 Supply SourcES 

3 Rolling mill 

technology 

3.1 Casting equipment 

3.2 Rolling bar machining 

3.3 Rolling bar furnaces 

3.4 Hot rolling equipment 

3.5 Strip casting units and 

accessories 

3.6 Cold rolling equipment 

3.7 Thin strip / foil rolling plant 

3.8 Auxiliary equipment 

3.9 Adjustment devices 

3.10 Process technology / 

Automation technology 

3.11 Coolant / lubricant preparation 

3.12 Air extraction systems 

3.13 Fire extinguishing units 

3.14 Storage and dispatch 

3.15 Second-hand rolling 

equipment 

3.16 Coil storage systems 

3.17 Strip Processing Lines 

3.0 Rolling mill technology 

SMS Siemag Aktiengesellschaft 

Eduard-Schloemann-Straße 4 


Phone: +49 (0) 211 881-0 

Fax: +49 (0) 211 881-4902 

Web: www.sms-siemag.com 

Mail: communications@sms-siemag.com 

Geschäftsbereiche: 

Warmflach- und Kaltwalzwerke 

Wiesenstraße 30 

57271 Hilchenbach-Dahlbruch, Germany 

Phone: +49 (0) 2733 29-0 

Fax: +49 (0) 2733 29-2852 

Bandanlagen 

Walderstraße 51-53 

40724 Hilden, Germany 

Phone: +49 (0) 211 881-5100 

Fax: +49 (0) 211 881-5200 

Elektrik + Automation 

Ivo-Beucker-Straße 43 


Phone: +49 (0) 211 881-5895 

Fax: +49 (0) 211 881-775895 

Graf-Recke-Straße 82 


Telefon: +49 (0) 211 881-0 

Telefax: +49 (0) 211 881-4902 

SMS Siemag GmbH 

Logistiksysteme 

Obere Industriestraße 8 

57250 Nephten, Germany 

Phone: +49 (0) 2738 21-0 

Fax: +49 (0) 2738 21-1299 

Web: www.sms-siemag.com 

Mail: info@sms-siemag.com 

3.1 Casting equipment 

Melting and holding furnaces 



Tel. +49 (0) 201-1891-1, Fax -1891-321 



3.2 Rolling bar machining 

Bar scalping 

SMS Meer GmbH 

Ohlerkirchweg 66 

41069 Mönchengladbach, Germany 

Phone: +49 (0) 2161 350-0 

Fax: +49 (0) 2161 350-1667 

Mail: info@sms-meer.com 

Web: www.sms-meer.com 

Slab milling machines 

SMS Meer GmbH 

see Rolling bar machining 3.2 

3.3 Rolling bar furnaces 

Annealing furnaces 

EBNER Industrieofenbau Ges.m.b.H. 

Ruflinger Str. 111, A-4060 Leonding 

Tel. +43 / 732 / 68 68 

Fax +43 / 732 / 68 68-1000 

Internet: www.ebner.cc 

E-Mail: sales@ebner.cc 

3.4 Hot rolling equipment 

SIEMAG GmbH 

Obere Industriestraße 8 

D-57250 Netphen 

Tel.: +49 (0) 2738 / 21-0 

Fax: +49 (0) 2738 / 21-1299 

E-Mail: info@siemag.com 

Internet: www.siemag.com 

Coil transport systems 


GmbH + Co. KG 


Drive systems 


see Rolling mill technology 3.0 

Hot rolling units / 

complete plants 



Rolling mill modernisation 



Spools 



3.6 Cold rolling equipment 

Achenbach Buschhütten GmbH 

Siegener Str. 152, D-57223 Kreuztal 

Tel. +49 (0) 2732/7990, info@achenbach.de 

Internet: www.achenbach.de 

Coil annealing furnaces 



Tel. +49 (0) 201-1891-1, Fax -1891-321 



www.vits.com 

see Cold rolling equipment 3.6 

Coil transport systems 


GmbH + Co. KG 


Cold rolling units / 

complete plants 



Drive systems 



Process simulation 



Roll exchange equipment 




GmbH + Co. KG 


Strip shears 



Trimming equipment 



4 | 12-2009 APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 

3.7 Thin strip / 

foil rolling plant 

Coil annealing furnaces 



Tel. +49 (0) 201-1891-1, Fax -1891-321 



Heating furnaces 



see Casthouse (foundry) 1.5 

Thin strip / foil rolling mills / 

complete plant 



3.9 Adjustment devices / 

Sheet and plate stretchers 

SMS Meer GmbH 


Cable sheathing presses 

SMS Meer GmbH 


Cable undulating machines 

SMS Meer GmbH 


3.10 Process technology / 

Automation technology 

Process control technology 



Strip flatness measurement 

and control equipment 



Strip thickness measurement 

and control equipment 

ABB Automation Technologies AB 

Force Measurement 

S-72159 Västeras, Sweden 

Phone: +46 21 325000 

Fax: +46 21 340005 

E-Mail: pressductor@se.abb.com 

Internet: www.abb.com/pressductor 



3.11 Coolant / lubricant 

preparation 

Rolling oil rectification units 



Rolling oil recovery and 

treatment units 




Exhaust air purification 

systems (active) 



3.16 Coil storage systems 


GmbH + Co. KG 


3.17 Strip Processing Lines 

Strip Processing Lines 

BWG Bergwerk- und Walzwerk- 

Maschinenbau GmbH 

Mercatorstraße 74 – 78 

D-47051 Duisburg 

Tel.: +49 (0) 203-9929-0 

Fax: +49 (0) 203-9929-400 

E-Mail: bwg@bwg-online.de 

Internet: www.bwg-online.com 


Filtering plants and systems 

Dantherm Filtration GmbH 

Industriestr. 9, D-77948 Friesenheim 

Tel.: +49 (0) 7821 / 966-0, Fax: - 966-245 

E-Mail: info.de@danthermfiltration.com 

Internet: www.danthermfiltration.com


4 Foundry 

4.1 Work protection and 

ergonomics 

4.2 Heat-resistant technology 

4.3 Conveyor and storage 

technology 

4.4 Mould and core production 

4.5 Mould accessories and 

accessory materials 

4.6 Foundry equipment 

4.7 Casting machines and 

equipment 

4.8 Handling technology 

4.9 Construction and design 

4.10 Measurement technology 

and materials testing 

4.11 Metallic charge materials 

4.12 Finshing of raw castings 

4.13 Melt operations 

4.14 Melt preparation 

4.15 Melt treatment devices 

4.16 Control and regulation 

technology 

4.17 Environment protection 

and disposal 

4.18 Dross recovery 

4.3 Conveyor and storage 

technology 


GmbH + Co. KG 



Casting machines 



Tel. +49 (0) 201-1891-1, Fax -1891-321 



Heat treatment furnaces 



Tel. +49 (0) 201-1891-1, Fax -1891-321 



Please mark the main group relevant to you 

ERNST REINHARDT GMBH 

Postfach 1880, D-78008 VS-Villingen 

Tel. 07721/8441-0, Fax 8441-44 

E-Mail: info@ernstreinhardt.de 

Internet: www.Ernst-Reinhardt.com 


and equipment 

Molten Metall Level Control 

Ostra Hamnen 7 

SE-430 91 Hono / Schweden 

Tel.: +46 31 764 5520 

Fax: +46 31 764 5529 

E-mail: info@precimeter.com 

Internet: www.precimeter.com 

Sales Contact: Jan Strömbeck 

How do your products and services 

come to appear every issue in the list of 

supply sources published by APT News? 

o 1 Smelting technology o 8 Services, Subconfracting, 

o 2 Extrusion Jobbing Constructors 

o 3 Rolling mill technology o 9 Intermediate Products 

o 4 Foundry o 10 Machines, tools, facilities 

o 5 Materials and Recycling for aluminium processing 

o 6 Machining and Application o 11 Finished Products 

o 7 Fairs and Exhibitions o 12 Literature 

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Fax number For information Giesel Verlag GmbH, APT News 

+49-511/7304-157 Tel.: -142 Rehkamp 3, D-30916 Isernhagen 

We will gladly send you a quotation! 

Solution annealing 

furnaces/plant 



Tel. +49 (0) 201-1891-1, Fax -1891-321 



Mould parting agents 

Schröder KG 

Schmierstofftechnik 

Postfach 1170 

D-57251 

Freudenberg 

Tel. 02734/7071 

Fax 02734/20784 

www.schroeder-schmierstoffe.de 

4.8 Handling technology 


GmbH + Co. KG 


4.11 Metallic charge 

materials 

Aluminium alloys 

ALERIS Recycling (German Works) GmbH 

Aluminiumstraße 3 

D-41515 Grevenbroich 

Telefon +49 (0) 2181/16 45 0 

Telefax +49 (0) 2181/16 45 100 

E-Mail: recycling@aleris.com 

Internet: www.aleris-recycling.com 

Alu Menziken Extrusion 

Hauptstrasse 35 

CH-5737 Menziken (Schweiz) 

Telefon: 0041-62 / 765 2121 

Telefax: 0041-62 / 765 2104 

E-Mail: extrusion@alu-menziken.com 

Internet: www.alu-menziken.com/extrusion 

4.17 Environment protection 

and disposal 

Flue gas cleaning 

Dantherm Filtration GmbH 

Industriestr. 9, D-77948 Friesenheim 

Tel.: +49 (0) 7821 / 966-0, Fax: - 966-245 

E-Mail: info.de@danthermfiltration.com 

Internet: www.danthermfiltration.com 

9 Aluminium products 

9.1 Semis-finished products 

9.2 Finished products 

9.1 Semis-finished products 

Sapa GmbH 

Vertriebsbüro Düsseldorf 

Wanheimer Str. 45 

D-40472 Düsseldorf 

Telefon: (0) 211 436 1-0 

Telefax: (0) 781 9487645 

E-Mail: vertrieb@sapagroup.com 

Internet: sapagroup.com 

Sapa Aluminium Profile AG 

Verkaufsbüro Schweiz 

Bubikerstrasse 33 

CH-8633 Wolfhausen ZH 

Telefon: +41 55 263 27 77 

Telefax: +41 55 263 27 78 

E-Mail: vertrieb@sapagroup.com 

Internet: sapagroup.com 

Supply SourcES 

Alloyed and unalloyed 

electrical conductor wire 

Lumpi-Berndorf 

Draht und Seilwerk GmbH 

Binderlandweg 7, A-4030 Linz 

Telefon 0043732/383848-0 

Telefax 0043732/383848-20 

E-Mail: office@lumpi-berndorf.at 

10 Machines, 

tools, facilities 

for aluminium 

processing 

10.1 Profile processing 

10.2 Chip-forming machining 

10.3 Sawing and separation 

technology 

10.4 Joining technology 

10.5 Sheet-metal forming 

10.6 Plate finishing 


10.8 Surface technology, 

corrosion protection 

10.9 Metal construction workshop 

10.10 Tool and mould construction 

10.11 Measurement and testing 


10.13 Extraction / 

enviromental technology 

10.2 Chip-forming machinery 

Erbo GmbH 

Robert-Bosch-Straße 21 

D-71106 Magstadt 

Phone: +49 (0) 7159 / 40869-0 

Fax: +49 (0) 7159 / 40869-277 

Mail: info@erbo-gmbh.de 

Web: www.erbo-gmbh.de 

10.7. Heat treatment 

12 Literature 

Technical journals 


Ein Unternehmen der Klett-Gruppe 

Rehkamp 3 · D-30916 Isernhagen 

Tel. +49 (0) 511 / 73 04-122 

Fax +49 (0) 511 / 73 04-157 

19

20 FAIRS / ON THE MOVE 4 | 12-2009 APT ALUMINIUM NEWS 

The London View 

Aluminium prices 

hold up against all odds 

One so-called deadline after 

the other goes without proper 

results. Oleg Deripaska, once 

seen as the richest oligarch 

in Russia, still struggles to 

get his house in order. He is 

deeply indebted and even 

more is his UC RusAl, the 

world’s biggest or second 

biggest aluminium group. 

Deripaska most urgently has 

to agree a restructuring deal 

with foreign creditors on at 

least 7.3 Billion US dollar 

(USD) in debt before he can 

seriously think about listing 

RusAl at the Hong Kong 

Stock Exchange. 

However, even if the 

former oligarch reaches such 

an agreement he must still 

race to win creditor committee 

approval from more 

than 70 banks and find a new 

lead adviser for the planned 

IPO (Initial Public Offering). 

The latter became necessary 

because the chosen investment 

bank Goldman Sachs 

withdrew as lead adviser. 

According to traders at the 

London Metal Exchange 

(LME) this underlines the 

risks surrounding what could 

become one of the biggest listings 

in Hong Kong this year. 

Deripaska initially talked 

already two years ago about 

an IPO for RusAl at the London 

Stock Exchange (LSE). 

However, London obviously 

lost its lustre for Deripaska, be 

it because of the strict rules at 

the LSE or be it the fact that 

Michael Cherney, a former 

Russian partner, is suing him 

in London’s High Court for a 

stake in RusAl. Deripaska has 

no cash to pay out Cherney. 

Depending on the verdict 

– giving him a stake in Rus- 

Al would cost Deripaska his 

anyway already thinned out 

majority. 

However, the Hong Kong 

Stock Exchange is said to have 

started to ask a lot of awkward 

questions about the Cherney 

case. And it is by far not clear 

what drives the few banks 

which are now assumed to 

be in leading positions at 

RusAl: BNP Paribas, Credit 

Suisse, Merrill Lynch/Bank 

of America and Renaissance 

Capital, the Moscow investment 

bank. All are thought 

to be big creditors of RusAl. 

The Bank of China obviously 

has its own reasons 

to get involved. Anyway, to 

assume the Hong Kong Stock 

Exchange or the Financial 

Authorities in the Far East or 

both of them are more lenient 

than London would be a grave 

error. Deripaska, however, 

has even more urgent problems 

that drive him to an IPO 

for RusAl. After an agreement 

with three other big shareholders 

in RusAl he must 

make “a serious attempt” for 

an IPO of RusAl or start buying 

out their shares. But these 

shareholders are probably 

still better off than Deripaska 

himself: Mikhail Prokhorov 

and Viktor Vekselberg are 

still said to be billionaires 

and Glencore, the Swiss mining 

and metal trading group, 

has financially even less difficulties. 

Nevertheless, to pay 

them out Deripaska would 

need another – preferably 

rich – partner or a successful 

IPO. He tried to win over the 

Libyan Investment Authority 

(LIA), but the talks failed in 

September. Now the listing in 

Hong Kong seems to be no 

longer a safe and easy option 

either. 

Rio Tinto/Alcan, by production 

capacity one of the 

world’s top players in the 

aluminium market, seems 

to cover up its aluminium 

business. Nearly all news the 

company publishes are dealing 

with iron ore. Paul Skinner, 

the former non-executive 

chairman who was seen 

as champion of the rather 

overpriced, ill timed and so 

far ill-fated acquisition of 

Alcan in 2007, is gone. The 

new chairman Jan du Plessis 

tries to refresh the board 

by changes until the next 

annual meeting in April next 

year. Until then he hopes for 

higher iron ore prices and an 

even cleaner balance sheet. 

With help of very successful 

credit default swaps Rio Tinto 

is worlds away from the danger 

of having to seek protection 

via Chapter 11 or going 

into receivership. Even his in 

late spring still highly praised 

plan for a joint venture with 

rival BHP Billiton in West 

Australia’s iron ore mining 

seems to be abandoned by 

now. What neither du Plessis 

nor Rio Tinto’s CEO Tom 

Albanese can change is the 

operational legacy of Alcan. 

Base metals rallied this year 

thanks to high demand 

from China. Aluminium 

prices rose to a level around 

USD1900 to over USD2000 

per tonne. That has prompted 

a lot of restarting of idled 

aluminium smelters. International 

banks like HSBC foresee 

that their production will 

be exacerbating oversupply. 

After already almost three 

years of excess capacity and 

considering huge new smelters 

coming on stream like 

Qatalum the bank does not 

even for the next four years 

expect a lack of aluminium 

or any shortages of the light 

metal. That sounds like an 

over-due downward correction 

of the aluminium markets. 

However, up to midst 

of November the markets 

did not seem to be bothered 

by all these gloomy forecasts. 

In spite of the troubles Rio 

Tinto and RusAl may have in 

their headquarters, their production 

and marketing units 

obviously did nothing to disturb 

the aluminium markets. 

Futures at the LME went up 

further: primary aluminium 

on a 15 month prompt date 

to USD2050 per tonne and 

under a 27 month contract 

to USD2123 per ton. At this 

price level the time of bad 

losses for the former Alcandivisions 

may be over soon. 

Dr. Katharina Otzen- 

Odrich, London 

International trade fair for the aluminium industry premieres in Istanbul 

aluexpo 2009 gets off to a good start 

aluexpo, the first trade fair 

for the aluminium sector 

in Turkey made a good 

start and focussed on every 

aspect of modern aluminium 

technology, including 

foundry and smelting 

products, metalworking 

and processing machinery, 

as well as a broad range of 

related services. Its successful 

debut confirmed the 

organizers’ confident view 

that it has big potential. 

From 15-18 October, the 

15,000 square metre display 

area of the IDTM Istanbul 

Expo Center was booked to 

full capacity as 201 exhibitors 

from 21 countries, including 

companies from India, Bahrain, 

PR China, Italy, Germany, 

the Netherlands and 

Turkey, showed products for 

the aluminium industry to 

an audience of 9,229 trade 

visitors. 

aluexpo 2009: event receives top marks from 201 

international exhibitors 

Exhibiting companies 

later reported that they had 

negotiated major business 

deals and orders, so it was 

not surprising that the overall 

verdict of the exhibitors was 

clearly positive. Consequently, 

numerous applications for 

stand space have already been 

received for the next aluexpo 

in 2011. 

Parallel to the trade fair, 

the Turkish industry association 

TALSAD staged its 

4 th Aluminium Symposium. 

Throughout the two-day sym- 

Photo: deutsche Messe 

posium numerous experts 

discussed the latest trends and 

future-focussed issues affecting 

the aluminium industry, 

thus augmenting the trade 

fair content. This supporting 

event was well received by the 

large number of trade visitors 

who attended. 

aluexpo was organized 

by Hannover-Messe Ankiros 

Fuarcilik A.Ş., Ankara, a 

subsidiary of Deutsche Messe 

Hannover. The organization 

of the trade fair was supported 

up by TALSAD, the association 

that represents the 

interests of the Turkish aluminium 

industry. The next 

aluexpo will take place from 

13-16 October 2011, once 

again at the IDTM Istanbul 

Expo Center. 

Further information 

about the trade fair can be 

found online at 

www.aluexpo.com 

EMAL names new CEO 

The board of directors of 

EMAL has appointed Saeed 

Al Mazrooei as new CEO. 

The former CEO Duncan 

Hedditch will continue to 

serve EMAL in an advisory 

capacity. 

The board of directors 

confirmed the appointment 

of Mr Mazrooei unanimously 

and thanked Mr Hedditch for 

his exemplary efforts in delivering 

the project on budget 

and to schedule. “As EMAL 

moves from construction to 

operations, it is natural that 

we begin to shift our focus to 

the operational aspects of the 

smelter. Saeed brings years of 

valuable experience in managing 

day to day operations 

to EMAL, and we have every 

confidence in his abilities to 

lead this project into the next 

New Technical 

Manager at Dienes 

Dienes Werke in Overath, 

Germany. succeeded in 

binding a new Technical 

Manager by contract. 

Since 1. November 2009 

Mr Josef Nelles has been 

responsible for the departments 

CAD, Manufacture, 

Process Planning and Development. 

Mr Nelles has a degree 

in Mechanical Engineering 

and started his professional 

carrier as constructing engineer 

at Ackermann-Fruehauf 

GmbH, followed by SIG 

Combibloc and worked many 

years for Voith Paper GmbH. 

His long years of experience 

in Technical Manage- 

phase,” said EMAL chairman, 

Mr Khaldoon Al Mubarak. 

Saeed Al Mazrooei brings 

more than 25 years experience 

to EMAL. Prior to his 

role as vice president of UAE 

Operations at Dolphin Energy, 

he held key management 

positions with ARCO Dubai. 

He holds a BSc in Mechanical 

Engineering from Gonzaga 

University, USA and an MSc 

in Gas Engineering and Management 

from the University of 

Salford, UK. Over the next few 

months, Mr Mazrooei and Mr 

Hedditch will focus on the 

completion of phase one of the 

construction and a smooth 

transition. EMAL’s staff was 

informed of the management 

transition at a CEO assembly 

meeting. 

Josef Nelles 

www.emal.ae 

ment and Constructional 

Engineering will help Dienes 

to keep their technical lead in 

the field of industrial slitting 

and supplier of components. 

Second edition of 

ALUMINIUM INDIA 2010 

As a new industry trade fair 

for one of the fastest growing 

aluminium markets, 

ALUMINIUM INDIA cele- 

brated its successful premiere 

last year. The fair will 

now be held for the second 

time from 25 to 27 February 

2010. Over 150 international 

exhibitors are expected to 

attend at the Bombay Exhibition 

Centre in Mumbai. 

Something was made very 

clear when ALUMINIUM 

CHINA closed in Shanghai 

at the beginning of July: the 

Asian market is currently 

recovering from the economic 

downturn. This is confirmed 

by the great demand for 

spaces for ALUMINIUM 

INDIA. 

Fata Hunter, Indo Foil, 

Jiwanram Sheoduttrai Group 

(J.S. Group), Five Solios, 

Pyrotek or Wagstaff – the 

major players on the Indian 

market will be represented 

in Mumbai. Bhoruka Alu- 

www.dienes.de 

minium Ltd, India’s leading 

extruder is taking part in the 

fair as an associate sponsor. 

London Metal Exchange will 

also be present in Mumbai. 

India is one of the fastest 

growing markets for the 

aluminium industry. Even 

though the per capita consumption 

of aluminium in 

India is still one of the lowest 

(about 1 kg per capita), in 

absolute production figures, 

the subcontinent takes 8 th 

place and also holds around 10 

percent of the bauxite deposits 

worldwide. The demand 

comes primarily from the 

electrical, transportation, 

packaging and construction 

sectors. Once again in 2010, 

ALUMINIUM INDIA will 

be accompanied by Alcastek 

International Conference, 

the internationally renowned 

convention on aluminium 

casting, rolling and extrusion 

technology. 

www.aluminium-india.com

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