By Andrew Halonen, Mayflower Consulting LLC. Regardless of whether a vehicle features an electric or internal combustion engine (ICE), there are many factors that affect the fuel efficiency and range in its design. Efficiency losses can come in many forms, but are generally affected by factors such as aerodynamics, rolling resistance, friction losses, and weight. […]
By Andrea Svendsen, Managing Editor. Alumobility is a new non-profit organization recently launched by Novelis and Constellium in January 2021. Acting as a global ecosystem, the organization fosters collaboration between leading aluminum manufacturers and downstream technology partners, with input from vehicle OEMs, in order to advance the adoption of aluminum body sheet in the automotive […]
By Dr. Anne Deacon Juhl, AluConsult and AnodizingSchool. Editor’s Note: Aluminum manufacturers are not always consistently satisfied with the surface quality of the anodized extrusion and sheet products returned from their anodizers. The anodized products may have patchy surfaces, color variations, or corrosion pits, causing rejects, higher cost, and frustration. Therefore, it is crucial that […]
By Alexandre de la Chevrotière and Laurent Gérin, MAADI Group, and Martin Hartlieb, Viami International Inc. The amount and severity of natural disasters is increasing, and very often existing bridges get destroyed, requiring the construction of a new bridge in order to bring urgently needed material into the affected area or to transport people out […]
Benkam Alu Extrusions, owned by AKFA Group, is one of the major manufacturers of aluminum profiles in Central Asia. Located in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the company recently announced that it is launching a multi-year expansion project, which will more than double its aluminum extrusion production capabilities. This expansion is a part of the company’s overall strategic […]
By Andrea Svendsen, Managing Editor. With a growing worldwide focus on sustainability, the automotive industry has been shifting its designs towards more environmentally friendly models. The initial focus was on lightweighting using aluminum, magnesium, higher strength steels, and other materials in order to improve fuel economy. Much of the current attention is now focused on […]
UC Rusal, a metals segment of En+ Group, successfully produced low carbon aluminum using its proprietary inert anode technology. According to the company, it has achieved the world’s lowest carbon aluminum footprint — less than 0.01 tonnes of CO2eq per tonne of aluminum (based on GHG Protocol’s Scope 1 and 2 guidance for direct and […]
By Simone Ehrenberger, Institute for Vehicle Concepts, and Dr. Martin Tauber, IMA Achieving zero CO2 emission levels has been a major driver for sustainability goals around the world, with many governments and companies declaring ambitious goals for a circular economy through 2030 and beyond.1 For large, traditional primary metal or processing industries, such as magnesium, […]
By Alton Tabereaux, Contributing Editor. Spent potlining (SPL) disposal is one of the largest environmental waste management challenges confronting worldwide primary aluminum smelters due to its toxicity. The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) asserts that 1.6 million tons of SPL were generated from primary aluminum production in 2019,1 making it the second largest waste volume produced […]
