Caption: Explosively forming aluminum at Martin Company, Denver, Colorado, in joint research with University of Denver.

Caption: Hot continuous sheet mill at Alcan's Oswego, New York, plant reduces aluminum sheet to 1/8 inch reroll stock.

Caption: The 72-inch continuous hot mill at the fabricating plant of Alcoa of Australia Proprietary Limited, Point Henry, Victoria. This mill, the only one of its kind in Australia, can roll aluminum to unusually thin gauges. It produces high quality re-roll stock for finish rolling in cold-milling facilities.

Caption: Pay-off section of the coating line at Brixite Manufacturing Co., South Kearney, New Jersey. The mill coil is shown entering the acumulator prior to pre-treatment.

Caption: Hot titanium billet is placed in 50,000-lb. steam drop hammer at Arcturus Manufacturing Corp. plant in Oxnard, California. The 50,000-lb. hammer is largest operating in the West. Equipment is used to forge titanium into hemispheres and other components for aerospace vehicles. Steam to operate the hammers is produced in natural gas-fired generator that has a capacity of 100,000-lb./hr. (Photo courtesy Southern Counties Gas Co.)

Caption: Aluminized plastic wrapped between layers of Alcoa aluminum tube aids operation of the world's largest cryogenic heat exchangers. Designed and fabricated by Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., 30 such units now are helping to produce helium at three new plants in the mid-West. Aluminum is employed in the "kingsized" heat exchangers because of its light weight, and ability to retain strength and resist becoming brittle at minus 320°F and lower. Selected over traditionally used copper and stainless steel, aluminum reduced this giant's weight by one hundred tons.

Caption: Hot "breakdown" reversing mill in the Oswego, New York, plant which will become part of the new Alcan Aluminum Corporation, U. S. fabricating subsidiary of Aluminium Limited (Alcan). Aluminum sheet is being reduced from 18-inch rolling ingot to one-inch thickness.

Caption: Coiling of Properzi rod at end of production line in new aluminum rod mill built by Nesca Aluminum Ltd., subsidiary of Reynolds Extrusion Company Ltd. at Riviere, La Malbaie, Quebec. Plant has a capacity of 50,000,000 lbs. per year of 3/8 inch redraw rod. Rod will be converted to cable for Quebec's Manicougan hydroelectric project.

Caption: Coils of aluminum sheet from the hot line are heat treated in furnaces and then brought to the four-high mill for rolling to thickness desired by customers at Alcoa's Tennessee Works.

Caption: One of two aluminum strip mills recently supplied to the Aluminio Earle, Amorebieta plant in the vicinity of Bilbao, Spain by Nouvelle Spidem of Paris. This is the first cold breakdown mill used in conjunction with an existing two high reversing hot mill. It is designed for a maxium starting thickness of 7 mm. and a minimum finished thickness of 1 mm. The mill stand is equipped with hydromechanical screwdown and is completed with a coil conditioning station and 2 coilers; the coiler No. 2 is used for coiling foil stock on a spool.

Caption: Work on the world's deepest diving submarine is rapidly nearing completion. The Aluminaut, first all-aluminum research submarine, which is being built for Reynolds International, Inc., is scheduled for launching this summer. Aluminum 1/8 to 3/16 inches thick, was fabricated in sections.

Caption: Scalping aluminum billets prior to rolling at Aluminum Company of America plant.

Caption: In the slitter operation at Alcoa, Tennessee, Works of Aluminum Company of America, coiled sheet is slit into narrow widths to order.

Caption: Milling architectural aluminum panel produced by a new casting process at Alcoa's Cleveland Works.

Caption: Operator prepares to charge light aluminum plate into a "skin pass mill" from new charging table installed at Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation's aluminum plant to facilitate material handling of heavier gauge products. The skin pass mill reduces the thickness of plate and sheet, controls their flatness and imparts the surface finish required for their end uses. The plant near Hannibal, Ohio, has just completed a two-year, multi-million-dollar expansion program.

Caption: Many of America's new ordinance tanks are powered by husky engines assembled from these 585-pound aluminum engine blocks, shown here being prepared for shipment from the sand foundry at Alcoa's Cleveland (Ohio) Works. The big castings, termed diesel crankcases by the trade, are five feet long, and eventually will develop 750 horsepower.

Caption: Die cast aluminum "crocodile snouts," coming down the production line at Alcoa's Chicago works. Some of the largest die castings ever produced, they are oil pans for 220-horsepower Cummins diesel engines. Although their weight (33 pounds) is not a record, the sheer length, width and breadth of the parts is considered extraordinary. The dimensions are four feet by 14 inches by 12 inches. Alcoa utilizes a machine with locking pressures of 2,000 tons. The steel dies weigh over 25 tons. The casting replaces a 55-pound aluminum permanent mold piece. If the same part were cast iron, says Cummins, it would weigh over 120 pounds.

Caption: High speed aluminum nail making machine features quality control of wire stock.