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C o m p a n y n e w s w o r l d w i d e
which also would require the dismantling
of the press.
The Cleveland facility, and the big
press in particular, plays a critical role
in supplying large aluminium forgings
for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
for Lockheed Martin Co. Alcoa has
been able to produce the forgings
on other equipment at Cleveland,
although it is assumed in the aerospace
industry that the 50,000 t press
would be required for the aircraft’s
full production stage. Alcoa continues
to forge parts for the F-35.
The total cost to bring back the
press – believed to be one of only
three of its approximate size in the
United States – is estimated at more
than USD110m, including USD60m
million to USD70m for rebuilding the
press itself, with the remainder for
such associated projects as new manipulator
arms.
on the move
Alain Belda, Alcoa’s Executive Chairman,
retired as an executive officer on
1 August. But Belda will continue to
serve as Chairman of the Board until
his term as a director expires at the
next annual meeting of shareholders
on 23 April 2010. Belda was Alcoa’s
CEO from 2001 until May 2008.
Alcoa expects Klaus Kleinfeld,
Alcoa President and CEO, to succeed
Belda as chairman of the board. Additionally,
Alcoa appointed Tim D.
Myers President, Alcoa Wheel and
Transportation Products, with responsibility
for forged wheels and aluminium
structures.
Alcoa appointed Nicholas DeRoma
as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal
& Compliance Officer. In addition to
leading Alcoa’s legal and compliance
operations worldwide, Mr DeRoma
will also serve on the Alcoa Executive
Council. He succeeds Michael Schell,
who continues as Executive Vice President,
Business Development, and a
member of the Executive Council.
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba)’s Board
of Directors announced the appointment
of Mohammed Mahmoud as
Alba’s new Chief Operating Officer, a
newly created position.
In September 2008, Alcoa declared
force majeure on the press after cracks
were discovered in its lower base.
aluminium extruder to be sold
Patrick Industries Inc. has agreed to
sell its aluminium extrusion operation
in Mishawaka/Indiana to Patrick
Aluminum Inc. for USD7.4m. Although
classified as a discontinued
operation in the fourth quarter of
2008, the plant is capable of producing
and painting semi-fabricated and
fabricated aluminium extrusions for
structural and non-structural uses.
Patrick Aluminum is a unit of UMC
Acquisition Corp., Lynwood/California.
The extrusion operation will
continue to operate under the name
Patrick Metals.
asia
Hindalco plans to relocate
novelis plants to india
Hindalco Industries is making meticulous
plans to relocate plants owned
by its subsidiary Novelis to India from
Europe. The sheet mill at Rogerstone
in the UK employing 440 workers is
already closed, and one more plant in
the UK is also likely to be closed. Novelis
plants in Europe bought their metal
from Hindalco and other sources
for sheet making, and these shipping
costs can be avoided with the relocation.
Hindalco is reportedly talking
to five leading can makers to supply
aluminium sheet, including Poland’s
Rexam, which is building a plant near
Mumbai in Taloja, and Britain’s Can
Pac, which is setting up a plant to
make one billion cans a year in India.
India’s safeguard duty on rolled products
and foils protects it from cheap
imports for the next five years.
eUrope
armenal reports
increase in production
In June, Armenal produced nearly
2,500 tonnes of foil, a 12% improve-
ment on its nominal design capacity,
taking the rolling mill’s half-year production
to over 10,000 tonnes. The
company reported a 77% production
increase from January to June 2009
compared to the first half of 2008 and
expects to see its output double by the
end of this year.
Armenal, in parallel with the
expansion of output, was making
improvements in practically every
technical and economic indicator,
including a 60% reduction in production
costs and fewer rejects due to
production defects. The company has
enough orders on hand to keep the
foil mill running until the end of this
year. Its products are mainly exported
to the United States with the Middle
East becoming a rapidly growing market
for them.
sapa’s agreement
with indalex complete
At the end of July, Sapa completed its
purchase of the US aluminium extrusion
company Indalex. Sapa acquired
Indalex’s eleven active plants, six in
the US and five in Canada, with two
casthouses and 29 presses, and a
total capacity of about 315,000 tpy.
Indalex’s sales in 2008 were about
200,000 tonnes, representing US-
D900m. The company employs 1,400
The author
The author, Dipl.-Ing. R. P. Pawlek,
is founder of TS+C, Technical Info
Services and Consulting, Sierre
(Switzerland), a new service for the
primary aluminium industry. He is also
the publisher of the standard works
Alumina Refineries and Producers of
the World and Primary Aluminium
Smelters and Producers of the World.
These reference works are continually
updated and contain useful technical
and economic information on all
alumina refineries and primary aluminium
smelters of the world. They
are available as loose-leaf files and/or
CD-ROMs from the Aluminium-Verlag,
Marketing & Kommunikation GmbH
in Düsseldorf, Germany.
50 ALUMINIUM · 9/2009