By Dr. George N. Oh, Nathan Sheffield, and Yechan Kang, Quaker Houghton, Metal Finishing Group. Abstract Quality of anodized aluminum, both mechanical and aesthetic, is affected by a number of parameters. Two parameters that have larger effects on finish and quality are anodize temperature and current density. This study shows that these parameters affect coating […]
By Rose Eaton, Light Metal Age. Surfing is a widely enjoyed activity all over the world where the sea meets the land. Since the Polynesians brought surfing into Hawaii in the 1800s, the surfboard itself has been constructed of a variety of materials. The main requirements for a sturdy surfboard are that it is lightweight, buoyant, […]
By Andrea Svendsen, Managing Editor. Ellwood Aluminum, a division of the 110 year old family-owned steel manufacturer Ellwood Group, has constructed and started up operation of its new secondary aluminum casthouse in Hubbard, Ohio (Figure 1). The new facility, which represents the company’s first entry into aluminum melting and casting, enables them to diversify their […]
By Martin Lawrence, Reed Hendershot, and Avishek Guha, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., and Mike Dines, Tandom Metallurgical Abstract Significant improvements can be made to aluminum remelting by optimizing furnace performance using Industry 4.0 methodology and by applying the digital twin concept to the melting process. In metal remelting applications, the current practice relies heavily […]
The U.S. White House announced it would reinstate Section 232 tariffs on P1020 aluminum from Canada. This decision comes after the recent signing of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Section 232 tariffs were initially imposed in 2018, with exemptions later granted to Canada and Mexico in 2019. For many in the aluminum industry, the reimposition of 10% tariffs at this stage is […]
The 2021 Ford F-150 pick-up truck was unveiled in June, and the new model is headed to showrooms this fall. Ford stuck with the all-aluminum body for the 2021 model, which rides on a steel frame. According to Ford, despite looking similar to current models, every exterior aluminum body panel on the F-150 is newly […]
Hospital-acquired infections (called nosocomial infections) are a common problem, causing the deaths of around 8-12,000 people per year in Canada and around 80,000 people per year in the U.S. A3 Surfaces, a start-up based in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada, is focused on making the world a safer place by eliminating cross contamination in healthcare institutions with […]
Lightweighting has been and continues to be a major concern for the aerospace, automotive, and transportation industries. Whether it’s an airplane, automobile, boat, or train, the use of lightweight materials, such as aluminum, provide significant fuel savings and performance benefits. Like its competitors in the lightweighting arena (steel, composites, etc.), aluminum is working to continually […]
By Jinlong “Marshall” Wang, Aluminum Association; Jessica Sanderson, Novelis North America; Chris Moore, Consultant for Arconic; Duncan Pitchford, Hydro North America; Jerome Fourmann, Rio Tinto North America; Karah Davenport, Stratacomm; and Kenneth Martchek, Martchek Consulting The steel industry has made sensational life cycle assessment (LCA) claims about its products in automotive lightweighting applications over comparable […]
