The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) decided to self-initiate an antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigation on imports of common alloy sheet from the People’s Republic of China. This is unusual, as such cases are generally started based on petitions filed by U.S. companies alleging that dumped or unfairly subsidized goods are being […]
Arconic Inc. plans to invest $137 million to install a new horizontal heat treat furnace at its Davenport Works facility in Iowa. Heat treatment is a required step in the production of certain high-strength products, and is essential for products intended for large aerospace and industrial applications. This new furnace will enable Arconic to heat treat […]
The 5th edition of the Lightweight Vehicle Manufacturing Detroit Summit has been rebranded as the Lightweight Materials and EV Body Structures Manufacturing Technologies Summit. The event will occur in Detroit, Michigan, on February 21-22, 2018. Automotive OEMs are currently utilizing mixed-material components for automotive manufacturing to optimize structural integrity and achieve weight reduction objectives. This […]
Aleris officially opened its aluminum automotive body sheet production facility in Lewisport, Kentucky. The $400 million project positions the company to meet significant growth in North American automotive demand as the industry pursues broader aluminum use for the production of lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles. The facility has the capacity to produce 480 million lbs of aluminum auto body sheet […]
Sonaca Montreal started up operation of a new high speed, technologically-advanced 5-axis gantry mill at its fully integrated manufacturing operation in Mirabel, Quebec. The 240,000 sq ft facility provides machining, forming, surface treatment and assembly capabilities for the production of large aluminum aerostuctures up to 60 ft (18 m) in length. Its core products include wing and empennage skins, stringers, spars, […]
BECKER CAD-CAM-CAST, a tier one supplier of engineered aluminum automotive components, ordered a Mk1 liquid 3D printer from Vader Systems. This is the first order for the printer, which uses MagnetoJet technology to 3D print components from molten aluminum. “VADER’S printing technology is a game changer for cost-effective, low-volume production of aluminum components,” said Michael Becker, CEO of […]
China Railway Corporation debuted its “Fuxing Hao” (Renaissance), a new electric multiple unit (EMU) bullet train, on its Beijing to Shanghai route, running at 350 km/h (as of September 23, 2017). The Renaissance EMU is the first bullet train designed and manufactured entirely in China. The use of lightweight aluminum components was key in providing the enhanced speed, safety, […]
For a number of years, the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) has conducted the annual Key Indicator Survey, which provided information on the press performance (pounds per press hour, scrap percentage, etc.) of participating AEC members. In early 2017, the AEC initiated a new survey program, the Press Productivity Survey, which replaces the prior version and […]
