AMAG Austria Metall AG inaugurated a new surface treatment line at its headquarters in Ranshofen, Austria in February 2024. The new line provides advanced pickling capabilities that will enable the company to stay competitive and foster innovation, as well as increasing capacity to meet the demand for aluminum products with high quality surfaces in the architectural and other sectors. It also meets AMAG’s sustainability goals through the installation of new wastewater treatment capabilities.
“The new line underscores the pivotal role that surface-sensitive products play in AMAG’s product strategy and is key to securing the company’s leading position in this sector. By upgrading its facilities, AMAG not only ensures efficient production, but also strengthens its ability to tap into future market opportunities,” noted Dr. Helmut Kaufmann, CEO and COO of AMAG Austria Metall. “Over the recent years, there has been growing demand for surface-sensitive bright products that are used in the architectural sector, as well as decorative surfaces in consumer electronics and the cosmetics industry and as trim parts in the automotive industry.”
Company Background
AMAG is the largest aluminum business in Austria and one of the largest rolling operations in Europe. At its integrated site in Ranshofen, the company houses its recycling, casting, and rolling operations. It produces high quality aluminum rolled products in the form of sheet, strip, and plate in a full range of aluminum alloys (1xxx to 8xxx) for a variety of industries, including automotive, transportation, and aerospace, as well as industrial applications and consumer goods. The company has a strong presence in Europe, the U.S., and Asia.
Outside of Austria, AMAG runs a machining division in Germany called AMAG components, which operates out of two production sites in Übersee and Karlsruhe. This German machining operation was acquired in 2021, expanding the company’s presence in the aerospace market—producing ready-to-install aluminum and titanium components and assemblies for aerospace applications. In addition, the company holds a 20% stake in the Alouette smelter in Quebec, Canada, which is the largest aluminum smelter in North America and strategically secures the primary aluminum demand at the Ranshofen site.
In recent years, the company has invested heavily in its significant growth and transformation. This includes two major expansion projects—AMAG 2014 (involving the installation of a new hot rolling stand, a plate stretcher, heat treatment furnaces, a rolling slab casthouse, and aluminum plate production) and AMAG 2020 (encompassing a new cold rolling mill, a high bay warehouse and materials handling system for rolling slab, and expansion of its casting facilities)—which have significantly boosted production capacity and extended its product range.
Another significant project occurred in 2020, when AMAG invested in its Center for Material Innovation (CMI), a cutting-edge research and development center. This center focuses on application-driven innovation and product development, underscoring the company’s commitment to maintaining a competitive edge in high-quality, advanced materials.
In May 2022, AMAG launched its Smart Factory, which utilizes fully automated systems for material testing and production, with the ability to autonomously plan and execute production processes based on customer orders. The facility produces and inspects over twice the number of test samples compared to AMAG’s previous setup, significantly boosting productivity and quality control.
“AMAG’s mission is centered on sustainable aluminum production, material innovations, and creating added value for its customers through tailored solutions,” said Kaufmann. “These developments highlight AMAG’s strategic focus on innovation, sustainability, and expanding its product portfolio, while enhancing its production capabilities to meet market demands.”
New Surface Treatment Line
AMAG’s decision to invest in the new surface treatment line was driven by both technical and market-related factors. During the planning stage for this project, the company reached out to ANDRITZ Metals, headquartered in Graz, Austria, which delivered a plan for the new line that included innovative concepts focusing on the high-quality surface needed for bright products and efficient wastewater treatment. Based on this proposal and ANDRITZ’s high level of technical expertise in designing and manufacturing pickling lines, AMAG awarded the contract for the new line in September 2021.
“Another major reason for selecting ANDRITZ was their ability to offer short and fast supply chains across Europe, often sourcing components from nearby Germany and Austria,” explained Kaufmann. “This proximity not only ensured timely delivery, but also enhanced collaboration throughout the project.”
The collaboration between the two companies went smoothly and hot commissioning of the new surface treatment line began in October 2023, several weeks ahead of schedule. By September 2024, AMAG signed the final acceptance certificate, marking the official completion of a project that was delivered on time, on budget, and on specification.
The 115 m long plant was built in a new facility at AMAG’s Ranshofen plant, with building infrastructure implemented by the construction firm Swietelsky. “To optimize the process flow, the new line was strategically placed parallel to the existing bright rolling mill,” said Kaufmann. “This location minimizes the distance the surface-sensitive coils need to travel between different stages of the production process.”
ANDRITZ designed, engineered, and delivered the new line, as well as providing installation, commissioning, and production optimization. The core equipment for the project includes terminal and strip transport, a stitcher and taping machine to cover the stitch, the surface treatment section with a highly efficient spray pickling system, quality and surface inspection, an oiler with spray system, a foil applicator machine, an autonomous coil transport system, and a wastewater treatment plant.
In addition, electrical supply and line automation were provided by PA Innovations and SPRECHER Automation, both based in Linz, Austria. According to Kaufmann, this ensured the smooth integration and efficient operation of the new surface treatment line, enabling it to operate seamlessly with AMAG’s existing production processes (Figure 1).
“Their work provided the essential physical foundation needed to install the new line and support its long-term functionality,” noted Kaufmann. “These collaborations with local and regional partners contributed to the overall success of the project, ensuring that every element, from electrical systems to the building itself, aligned perfectly with AMAG’s goals.”
The new surface treatment line provides continuous aluminum strip processing using a highly efficient spray pickling process for a wide range of hot-rolled and cold-rolled aluminum strips. The line can handle both cladded and non-cladded aluminum alloys, processing materials with a thickness range of 0.8 to 5.0 mm and a maximum width of 1,750 mm. The pickling process can be performed either as an intermediate step or as the final production stage, making the line versatile across different production needs. Additionally, the line reduces the amount of chemicals consumed during processing, resulting in lower direct production costs and minimizing waste, contributing to more sustainable production practices.
“The design concept of the new surface treatment line placed a special focus on the gentle production of bright products by keeping the belt run as simple as possible,” noted Kaufmann. “Particular care was taken to minimize the number of rollers used for redirection, deoxidation, and building up the belt tension in order to keep the risk of damage as low as possible.”
According to Kaufmann, pickling is an important step for the surface-sensitive bright products that the company delivers to the architectural, consumer electronics, and automotive sectors. “These products require pickling as part of their production process to maintain high quality,” he said. “Outsourcing the pickling process was not a viable option due to concerns around process stability and potential damage during transportation.”
In addition to improving the surface appearance, the treatment process also has an impact on the functionality of the sheet product and the options for further processing, finishing, and coating. “For example, the pickling process removes residues, such as oxides that occur during the hot rolling process and impurities that may be present after cold rolling due to dust, oil, or grease,” said Kaufmann. “This results in a cleaner and more even coil surface and largely eliminates visual defects, such as uneven surfaces, cracks, or scratch-like damage.”
Furthermore, the new surface treatment line also benefits other product groups, such as braze clad materials used in manufacturing oil coolers. For these kinds of products, which are vacuum brazed over a large area, pickling leads to more stable processes and lower waste for the customer. “Additionally, the trend toward flux-free brazing is becoming more prominent,” noted Kaufman. “For the AMAG products specially developed for this purpose, the pickling step is also essential. Here, the surface of the brazing layer is subjected to a pickling treatment in order to create a surface with silicon particles while still maintaining low roughness, and thus counteracting increased wear on the customer’s sheet metal processing tools.”
The line implements a METRIS intelligent coil system, which allows for coil-specific evaluation of all relevant data, including quality metrics, energy usage, and media consumption. This data-driven approach optimizes resource allocation, enhances quality control, and improves overall efficiency. In addition, the line exclusively uses electrical heating powered by green energy. This shift to renewable energy significantly reduces carbon emissions, making the facility more sustainable and aligning with AMAG’s global decarbonization goals.
Another key aspect of the investment was the implementation of an autonomous coil transport system, with two fully automated, driverless transport vehicles that handle the automatic loading and unloading of the coils. This helps to streamline the operation, while also reducing manual handling, increasing safety, and enhancing production flow. This advanced logistical setup ensures a seamless and efficient connection between the surface treatment line and the rest of the production process at the site.
The sustainability of the new line is assured through the implementation of an advanced wastewater management system, which was built near the surface treatment line to manage the chemical by-products. The wastewater treatment includes a neutralization process, an evaporator for waste pickling, a filter press, and an unloading and storage area for chemicals used in the process. The system is able to partially recycle rinse and wastewater streams, which reduces overall water consumption and decreases the environmental impact of wastewater discharge, making the processing line more eco-friendly.
In addition, the used pickling solution (sodium aluminate) is treated and improved within the facility. The resulting sodium aluminate solution is handed over to an external partner, who uses this by-product to produce flocculation aids and other communal wastewater purification agents. “One of the standout features is the state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility, which ensures a closed-loop system for chemical use, aligning with AMAG’s focus on sustainability,” said Kaufmann.
Conclusion
The completion and startup of the new surface treatment line provides AMAG with a sustainable solution that improves the environmental footprint and ensures greater operational flexibility, resource efficiency, and product quality. This empowers the company to meet current and future demands while maintaining high quality and environmental standards. “AMAG has laid out several strategic approaches to ensure its continued success as a leading rolling company in the future. These strategies revolve around sustainability, technological innovation, market expansion, and value-added product development,” said Kaufmann. “Central to this, the company focuses on producing high-value, specialized aluminum products.”
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the December 2024 issue of Light Metal Age. To receive the current issue, please subscribe.