ALUMINUM PROCESSING NEWS

Swedish Aluminum Supplier Gränges Increasing Tennessee Presence

A Swedish supplier of rolled aluminum products that has operations in Sweden, China, and the U.S. recently announced an expansion project that will incorporate investment in heat treat equipment, including annealing furnaces.

Johan Menckel, Gränges CEO

Gränges of Stockholm, Sweden, will invest $110 million (U.S.) to increase the capacity of its aluminum rolling operation in Huntingdon, Tennessee, from 160K tons to  nearly 200K tons per year, creating 85 permanent full-time jobs and servicing its North American market with light gauge foil, automotive heat exchanger materials, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) applications. This is the company’s second major investment in Huntingdon since 2000.

“The expansion in Huntingdon marks the next step in our strategic growth plan for the North American market. Gränges has built a strong reputation in the aluminum rolling industry, and this expansion allows us to further support our customers’ growth”, says Gränges CEO Johan Menckel. Other expansion projects will include buildings, casters, cold rolling mills, and
slitters.

Patrick Lawlor, Gränges Americas President

“The investment represents a long-term commitment to our customers, employees, and shareholders as we grow in support of our strategic markets”, says Gränges Americas President, Patrick Lawlor.

The expansion was supported by Tennessee (TN) Governor Bill Haslam, the TN Department of Economic and Community Development, Tennessee Valley Authority, and local Huntingdon Officials.

“In TN, we take pride in the fact that our hardworking residents still make things,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. “The Gränges facility is a vital part of the Carroll County community and I’d like to thank Gränges for committing to create new jobs in Huntingdon and bringing us closer to making TN the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high-quality jobs.”

 

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U.S.-Produced Aluminum Cladding Adorns Façade of South African Mall

 

Source: AlCircle

 

To achieve a distinctive look that can be seen from a distance, a shopping mall in the economically developing township of Waterfall City, located between Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa, has turned to a U.S. manufacturer of flat-rolled aluminum products to cover the cladding of its parking garage with a façade made of sheets of aluminum measuring 1,437 x 3,880 mm (4.7 x 12.7 ft.), each treated with weather-resistant coating and classified for fire protection. The unique wave-look of the façade was achieved by laying aluminum plates horizontally.

Read more: “Novelis Does Cladding for South Africa Mall with Its ff2 Pre-Painted Aluminum Facade”

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Novelis-Kobe South Korean Joint Venture Includes Pusher & Annealing Furnaces

Arial mage of the mill in Ulsan, South Korea
Arial mage of the mill in Ulsan, South Korea

A new aluminum rolling entity located in the industrial hub of Ulsan, South Korea, is the result of a global joint venture project designed to support the increasing demand for high-strength and lightweight aluminum for automotive and specialty products including electronics and building materials in Asia.  This comes four years after a major expansion at the site that included a new three-stand hot finishing mill, as well as a pusher furnace and annealing furnaces.

Ulsan Aluminum Ltd. was formed by Novelis, the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, selling to Kobe Steel, a producer of aluminum rolled products in Japan, its ownership interest in its Ulsan, South Korea, facility for $315 million. Novelis and Kobe Steel together own the Ulsan Aluminum Ltd. facility, with each company remaining responsible for its own metal supply and commercial relationships.

All 600 employees at the plant are now employed by Ulsan Aluminum. Novelis’ interest in Ulsan Aluminum will remain a key part of its Asian manufacturing interests, which also includes the Yeongju facility in South Korea and the Changzhou facility in China.

“This strategic partnership further supports Novelis’ continued commitment to growth in the Asian automotive industry and creates new capabilities to meet the increasing demand for aluminum sheet,” said Sachin Satpute, President of Novelis Asia. “Through an increase in operational efficiencies and process enhancements, this partnership will provide our global customers greater access to the numerous benefits of aluminum.”

Ulsan facility officials at groundbreaking of furnace expansion, 2013.

 

“Ulsan Aluminum is committed to providing first-class rolled aluminum products and services to benefit our customers in the region. We will continue to operate with a high-quality and safety-first mentality, and will support the local market with innovative aluminum products,” said Jerry Quick, President and CEO of Ulsan Aluminum Ltd.

 

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Aluminum Aging Oven Shipped to Aerospace Parts Manufacturer

An aerospace parts manufacturer recently acquired an electrically heated aluminum aging oven as part of an upgrade of its line. The SWH series batch oven was ordered to replace antiquated equipment in order to facilitate compliance with AMS 2750E Class 2 specifications. Wisconsin Ovens, a Thermal Product Solutions (“TPS”) brand, completed the shipment in August 2017.

 

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Austal Delivers Aluminum EPF Catamaran to U.S. Navy

  Source: Light Metal Age

Austal USA recently delivered the USNS Yuma, the eighth Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel, an aluminum catamaran, to the U.S. Navy. The 338-foot long Yuma is capable of transporting 600 tons 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots and is designed to operate in austere ports and waterways, providing added flexibility to U.S. warfighters worldwide.

Around 700 tonnes of aluminum in the form of plate, extrusions, and forgings is used in the construction of the Yuma. Custom panels created by friction stir welding are joined with custom extrusions using a combination of TIG and gas metal arc welding. Although no surface treatment is used above the waterline, the hull is painted below the waterline. Aluminum provides a strong weight ratio and enables Austal to produce a ship that can efficiently achieve high speeds with a shallow draft. The structure weight of an aluminum ship is approximately half that of a steel ship and is comparable to fiberglass. Other benefits of using aluminum in marine applications are that it is also easy to form, resistant to corrosion, doesn’t require paint to protect the surface, can be welded with well-established commercial processes, and is easy to repair.

Read more: Austal Delivers Aluminum EPF Catamaran to U.S. Navy

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Hydro Acquires Sapa to Become a Global, Integrated Aluminum Company

  Source:  Light Metal Age

Norsk Hydro signed an agreement with Orkla to acquire its 50% interest in Sapa for a total enterprise value of NOK 27 billion (~US$3.24 billion), giving Hydro full ownership of the global leader in extruded aluminium solutions.

Read more:  Hydro Acquires Sapa to Become a Global, Integrated Aluminum Company by Light Metal Age

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R&D Aids Aluminum Use for Auto Industry

  Source:  Advanced Manufacturing Media – SME

Automakers such as General Motors Co. are introducing new assembly materials and challenging their engineers to develop new approaches to manufacturing. Consequently, GM, for instance, is using more aluminum and aluminum extrusions because engineers find them resilient, easy to work with and more corrosion-resistant than low-carbon steel. It uses extruded aluminum for frame rails, sheet aluminum for body panels and complex aluminum castings as substitutes for multicomponent assemblies that require assembly into a large unit. 

Read more:  R & D Aids Aluminum Use by Dave Lukasak

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Weldaloy’s Aluminum Heat-treating Capacity Increased

On the heels of a recent expansion of their seamless rolled ring capabilities, Weldaloy continues to grow with the addition of a new low temperature aluminum aging oven. The new oven will increase Weldaloy’s aluminum heat-treating capacity.

Ovens created specifically for aluminum can reduce cycle times and increase productivity by optimizing temperature uniformity through adequate airflow. This translates to a better product that can be made in a repeatable recipe.

“We’re receiving more and more requests for large aluminum work, so we needed to add this low temperature aluminum aging oven to be able to increase our capacity and meet production needs. This addition will allow us to produce more parts in the same amount of time for our customers while maintaining quality,” said Kurt Ruppenthal, Vice President & General Manager at Weldaloy.

Many of the new opportunities for aluminum work have come from the oil and gas industry and the aerospace industry, as well as from the private space sector. Weldaloy recently achieved the AS9100C certification for their Quality Management System, which has opened the door for them to work with more aerospace companies that require certification of their suppliers.

“We look forward to continuing to grow our aluminum capabilities to meet the increase in demand,” said Ruppenthal.

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Drive Aluminum: Safety

Drive Aluminum is a four-segment video series published by the Aluminum Association (www.aluminum.org). Featuring former NASA astronaut, Dan Tani, these videos are meant to promote the use of aluminum among automakers and are full of interesting facts about the fuel efficiency, strength, carbon footprint/life cycle assessment, and safety of aluminum. This segment highlights Safety.

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Drive Aluminum: Strength

Drive Aluminum is a four-segment video series published by the Aluminum Association (www.aluminum.org). Featuring former NASA astronaut, Dan Tani, these videos are meant to promote the use of aluminum among automakers and are full of interesting facts about the fuel efficiency, strength, carbon footprint/life cycle assessment, and safety of aluminum. This segment highlights Strength.

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