By Jean-Denis Carrier, Hatch, and Saif Alhashmi, EGA. Introduction Regardless of the market price, the aluminum industry has continuously been working to improve its cost position by optimizing the utilization of existing assets. This push for optimization has been especially true in the challenging market conditions prevailing since the global financial crisis of 2008. The […]
The idea of flying cars zooming across the sky has long been a futuristic dream of mankind. Now this dream is being realized in electric vertical take-off and landing aircrafts (eVTOLs). The new space race has begun, and instead of shooting for the moon, companies around the world are vying to produce electric aircraft that […]
In today’s automotive design environment, balancing vehicle structural safety against the need for lightweighting has become a ubiquitous challenge. Systems such as seat belt restraints, air bags, antilock braking (ABS), adaptive headlights, and emergency stop assistance technologies have made vehicles safer based on the reduced number of accident deaths per mile driven. But with all […]
By Andrea Svendsen, Managing Editor. Vobev is an innovative startup company that aims to shake up the beverage industry. The company is currently completing its massive manufacturing campus in Salt Lake City, UT, which will start up operation by the end of 2021. The facility includes both aluminum beverage can production and can filling—making it […]
By Tommaso Pinter, Almax Mori. The material on the circumferential surface of an aluminum billet, the skin, contains several contaminants like oxides, dust, and other impurities collected during billet shipping, pre-heating, and loading into the press. The skin is, therefore, usually marked by a different chemical composition or microstructure than the inner material, a difference […]
By Yahya Mahmoodkhani and Paul Robbins, Castool Tooling Systems. Abstract This paper will discuss the most important aspects of material selection for extrusion tooling in detail. Correct material selection and proper heat treatment for tooling are vital factors of profitability. A good decision theory must consider different aspects and variables, including cost, longevity, cycle time, […]
By Andrew Halonen, Mayflower Consulting LLC. The automotive business is rife with change as OEMs introduce new powertrains for hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs). Car companies are also spending billions in big bets on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), ride sharing, artificial intelligence (AI), and service businesses in an attempt to shift dollars from the […]
Shape Corp., a global tier-one automotive supplier, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Aluminum Center of Excellence to be located in Trenton, OH (Figure 1). The 322,000 sq ft facility will allow the company to expand its manufacturing capacity for the production of tight tolerance aluminum extrusions and assemblies, while also providing research […]
Matalco Inc., a division of the Giampaolo Group, started up production at its new $80 million remelt and casting facility in Wisconsin Rapids, WI — making it the company’s fifth production plant in North America. The greenfield facility is capable of producing over 250 million lbs of billet or rolling ingot per year and is […]
