Kingston Metals & Materials Inc. (KM&M-Aluminum) started up a new aluminum facility in Kingston, ON, Canada (Figure 1). The company focuses on supporting the development of specialty aluminum alloys, products, and processes by providing equipment, analysis, and decades of expertise in one central operation. With the launch of this new facility, KM&M is now the […]
By Mark Butterfield, Metal Exchange Corporation. Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of six articles (available in the print magazine) in which the author will explore opportunities for the aluminum extrusion industry in the automotive market. The series will specifically address the supply chain, raw material supply, extrusion, fabrication, and assembly. With […]
By Alicia Hartlieb and Martin Hartlieb, Viami International Inc. Numerous studies, especially from Ducker-Carlisle, have shown that aluminum usage in light vehicles has been growing for decades, having surpassed 500 lbs (227 kg) per light vehicle in North America and 396 lbs (180 kg) per vehicle in Europe. Until now, castings have been the predominant […]
Novelis Inc. started up a new roll forming development line at its automotive Customer Solution Center in Novi, a suburb of Detroit, MI. Novelis is the first flat-rolled aluminum company to invest in its own roll forming development line, which will enable the company to conduct research and development with the aim of meeting industry demand […]
By Praveen Hewage, Alumex PLC, and Craig Werner, Werner Extrusion Solutions LLC. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to reshape the modern world in profound ways, using computer-based systems to augment human intelligence with capabilities, such as perception, learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. AI learns from data and makes decisions based on those learnings. It […]
Matalco Inc. completed the construction and startup of its seventh remelt facility, located in Franklin, KY, which will operate under the name Matalco Kentucky LLC. The $65 million investment represents the company’s third new plant project in the last eight years. The new plant will focus on the production of rolling ingot — affirming the […]
By Michael R. Kramer, Bosch Rexroth Corporation. There is a growing recognition in the extrusion industry of the value of fully committing to the connected future offered by Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technology platforms. These smart, efficient, and highly connected systems provide opportunities for increased productivity and profitability, reduced downtime, lower maintenance costs, improved quality, and […]
By Andrea Svendsen, Managing Editor. Service Center Metals (SCM), an aluminum extrusion manufacturing company headquartered in Prince George, VA, is celebrating 20 years of continuous operation this year. As the company moves into its third decade, it is completing a $127 million investment in a new remelt and casting plant and new extrusion plant near […]
By Lynn Brown, Long Point Associates. Environmental Product Declaration (EPDs) are essentially an “environmental nutrition label” for a product. But rather than telling the customer how many calories or saturated fat in a package of chips, EPDs provide data on the environmental impact resulting from the production of a specified industrial product, like aluminum extrusion. […]
