Meet the team of Building and Construction Growing for the future The Cast House strategy Re-opening cast house in Alicante
Aludium Magazine January 2019 | Issue 08
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Index
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Welcome
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Meet Joaquim Vaz
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Meet the team of B&C
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How Aludium's Cindal R&D centre supports customers in B&C
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Aludium’s customer service team
12 Growing for the future 15 Meet Silvia Ruiz January 2019 | Issue 08
16 Re-opening cast house Alicante 18 Safety week
Colophon Editorial staff: Elsy Aelvoet, Bob Van Cauwenberghe, Dan Smith Contributors: Arnaud de Weert, Joaquim Vaz, Markus Plakolm, Philippe Barraud, Stefan Kammerer, Dr Segundo Sanchez Martinez, Silvia Ruiz, José A. Baeza Díaz, Igor Cacho Marin, Estíbaliz Perez Martinez, Patricia Paire.
Your opinion counts! Please email your suggestions or comments to: marketing@aludium.com
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Alicante passes 2018 audit for OHSAS 18001 compliance
Investment programme for the future
Welcome to the latest issue of Aludium Today. It’s been a busy six months since our last edition. One of the highlights was our presence at the Aluminium 2018 tradeshow held in Düsseldorf (Germany) during October. Aludium’s stand attracted large crowds of visitors – including new and existing customers – who came to meet the team and examine our comprehensive range of products first-hand.
On the stand we had samples of Decorandum® D40, a new addition to our lightweight range of alternatives to stainless steel. For the first time we were also able to show real products realised with Texturandum®. This unique product allows customers to tailor the finish of their products using almost any pattern. Both were extremely popular with visitors. Aludium’s investment programme for the future continues with an extensive works programme in both Alicante and Amorebieta. Despite the very tight schedule, works to reopen our Alicante cast house have been completed on schedule. The first material was cast in the facility during December 2018. In Amorebieta, the installation of the multi-chamber furnace is on track. The works are major – more than 100 truckloads of material have been moved to the site. When it comes onstream early this year, the multi-chamber furnace will increase Aludium’s ability to recycle post-consumer scrap dramatically. It will have a corresponding, and positive impact, on our carbon footprint. There have also been some changes in our top-level personnel. I’d like to welcome Joaquim Vaz, Aludium’s new Human Resources and EHS Vice President. Our team has also been strengthened through the addition of Stefan Kammerer, who takes over from Philippe Barraud as Sales Director for our architectural products, and Markus Plakolm – the new plant director for Amorebieta. We’re also saying goodbye to Manuel Ruano. As COO, Manuel oversaw the start-up of Aludium, and he will continue to guide the company through his new position as a member of the Atlas Holdings Board of Managers. We’d like to thank him for the contribution he has made to the success of Aludium. In October, Aludium held our third annual Safety Week. This company-wide event involves all personnel at all three facilities as well as local stakeholders from the community and emergency services. Our visitors and the Aludium staff gained a lot of new knowledge from the events that were held. We hope this continued focus on the importance of safety will help us to maintain our enviable record. I’d like to end by wishing all our employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders a very happy start to the new year. We look forward to working with you again in 2019. Arnaud de Weert, Aludium CEO
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Meet
Joaquim Vaz Joaquim Vaz was born in Angola, but moved to Portugal when he was very young. He grew up in a city close to the border with Spain. After he finished university, Joaquim moved to Lisbon for work. He lived there until the beginning of 2016 when he relocated to the Murcia region of Spain. When he joined Aludium in September 2018, Joaquim moved to Alicante. Joaquim gained a BA in HR Management from Castelo Branco University (Portugal) before gaining a post-graduate degree HR Strategic Management and an Executive MBA. As well as spending time with his family, Joaquim’s hobbies include sports and reading. Joaquim Vaz, Vice President of Human Resources and EH&S
Joaquim Vaz was appointed as Vice President of Human Resources and EH&S at Aludium in September 2018. In this interview we talk to him about his vision for human resources at Aludium, the challenges the company faces, and how we can recruit the next generation of people who will carry the company forward.
Over the long term, we need to position Aludium as the reference company in our sector. Internally that means people must be proud to work here. And from an external point of view, we want people to see Aludium as a great place to work and as a reference for best practices.
Aludium Today (AT): Joaquim, tell us a little abou t your background? Joaquim Vaz (JV): I’ve spent over 18 years in human resources working for several multinational companies including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Delphi Automotive Systems, CSM, and Crown Holdings. My experience includes organisation development, focussed talent management, and the development of strategies which adapt the HR organisation to the business. I consider myself an HR Director who can facilitate profitability through the development and management of human resources.
AT: How hard is it for Aludium to attract the people it needs to grow and how can that be improved? JV: There are very few technical people in the market and that is one of our biggest challenges. We need to mitigate this situation by developing programmes with universities and professional schools, and by creating opportunities which attract young and talented people.
AT: What attracted you to Aludium? JV: I want to be part of a growing and challenging company that will give me opportunities to develop professionally and personally. And, I want to work in an environment where I can contribute my professional experience. The fact that Aludium is a part of Atlas Holdings was another important reason why I embraced this challenging opportunity.
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AT: What makes you happy in your job? JV: I enjoy helping people to achieve their goals and using HR to add value to the business. I am happiest when we have an excellent environment in the workplace, engaged people, and internal and external customers who are receiving the right level of support. AT: What makes Aludium’s existing workforce unique? JV: We have a team of highly technical people that are not easy to find in the market. Aludium’s people are committed to the company and focussed on guaranteeing that our targets are achieved. But it is important to create the right tools to ensure our people continue to be focused on the business. AT: What needs to change in the short and long term? JV: We need to improve our communication approach, and adapt our HR tools to the current demands of the business and our markets.
AT: Which ‘soft’ skills are the most important when you are looking for new talent? JV: At Aludium we value people who can demonstrate passion for what they do. They should also be result oriented, have strong communication skills, be able to work as part of a team, and exhibit strong values and ethics. AT: What kind of profiles are we looking for today? JV: We are always looking to recruit talented people. Our most immediate needs are in operations and sales.
HR news
AT: Do you believe that employer branding is important? JV: Employer branding is critical if you want to retain good talent. By creating a strong employer brand, we are creating a good image of the company within the market. And if we have a good employer brand we can attract better talent and became an employer of reference. AT: How can we realise our goal of having no injuries in the workplace? JV: We need to continue developing a safety culture mindset and have clear and constant safety communication. That requires commitment from all levels of the business.
Major challenges With regards to human resources, what are the major challenges for Aludium? I can see that we have four main challenges: 1. Simplification of processes and tasks. If we can achieve this, we can become more efficient at delivering results. We also need to develop our strengths in the HR areas that really matter to Aludium such as recruitment, training, and talent management. 2. Training and development. We already have a good strategy in place, but we need to improve our succession planning. 3. Talent recruitment. As well as finding the best candidates for key positions, we need to create programmes which attract young candidates who will become the future leaders of the business. 4. Communication. Our internal communication channels need to be improved. A good communication policy is critical for success and to ensure our employees are engaged.
AT: What are the most important things for you as a HR Director? JV: Trust and respect. Trust in the culture is a priority, and we must have respect for everyone. We also need to constantly ask for feedback and the participation of all employees. In terms of safety, that means responding promptly to identified hazards and taking immediate steps to remove them. AT: Which KPIs are the most important for you? JV: The success of our HR policies are measured through absenteeism, staff turnover, customer satisfaction, and the employee survey. In the future I’d also like to see KPIs related to employee suggestions, productivity, and profitability. In terms of safety, the main KPIs are those related to incidents, accidents, near misses, the status of corrective actions, and the number of training hours in safety. AT: How will you develop a diverse and engaged workforce? JV: Having open and honest communication is the first step to ensuring people are engaged. We need to have efficient communication where the goals are clear. People also need to feel respected and encouraged to propose ideas and give feedback. To improve our diversity, we need to increase the number of people from the different demographics in our society and get them interested in working for Aludium. It’s also important that we don’t ignore their individual values and orientations. AT: What about engagement of women? JV: To encourage more women into Aludium, and management, we need to give priority to creating a good work-life balance and flexibility. And there should be equal access to vacancies and promotions. This can be measured through KPIs such as the percentage of women in our workforce, and the percentage of women in senior leadership and board-level positions. Measuring these KPIs will help us to plan for the future. AT: What about human rights and sound labour practices? JV: My priority is to create an environment where human rights are respected in our daily work. Aludium’s company values and code of conduct are
“At Aludium we value people who can demonstrate passion for what they do. ”
clear signs of our attitude to basic human rights and our labour practices. AT: Do you believe trade unions and the Aludium Works Council have a role to play? JV: Unions and works councils will play an important role in the future of our company. Together we need to work hard to achieve common goals so Aludium can remain competitive in this challenging market. We already have an excellent relationship with our trade unions and Works Council and this contributes to the success of Aludium. My approach is to be open and transparent with both and to encourage constant communication. By having constant dialogue with union representatives we create opportunities to discuss matters of common interest. It also helps our employees gain a complete understanding of Aludium’s activities and business objectives. AT: Why is training such an important focus for you? JV: Focusing on training helps us to retain our talent and reduce staff turnover. Training allows employees to acquire new skills, improve existing skills, perform better, and increase productivity. This is a win-win situation for all. Our employees feel valued and motivated and the company retains engaged and satisfied employees. AT: Which areas require more training? JV: We need to continue our focus on safety and develop competencies such as leadership, communication, and employee engagement. Technical training is another area that is critically important for a business such as Aludium’s. ■
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Seeing
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Philippe Barraud, Aludium’s current Sales Director for Architectural products, will retire in January 2019. On the eve of Aluminium 2018 in Dusseldorf, Aludium Today sat down with Philippe and Stefan Kammerer who will take
Meet
Philippe Barraud Philippe Barraud has worked for Aludium since the company acquired Alcoa’s Spanish-French rolling assets in January 2015. Philippe joined Alcoa in 1980. He has always worked in sales but has covered a range of products and markets. Philippe will retire as Aludium’s Sales Director Architectural in January 2019.
Aludium Today (AT): Philippe, can you tell us what have been your biggest challenges as Sales Director for Aludium’s Architectural offer? Philippe Barraud (PB): Our highly demanding customers! They have very specific needs, particularly with regards to quality and logistics. On-time delivery is critical for the success of their business for example. After that, it’s providing customers with the products that match, and set, market trends in building and construction. Architects are demanding special surfaces now. Achieving what they want requires constant R&D, in cooperation with customers and our in-house Cindal R&D team. AT: Stefan, you’ve only been with Aludium since July 2018, but what do you see as the major challenges? Stefan Kammerer (SK): I’d agree with Philippe’s comments. I have also noticed that providing the right service at the right time is important. For example, when we are providing quotes, delivery dates, or technical information.
communication. For example, the logistics department of Aludium has direct and regular contact with the corresponding team at our customers. This is quite unique in our industry, and valuable for both sides. AT: Everyone in your team works remotely from each other. How can you lead and inspire such a widespread team? SK: Compared to traditional teams, virtual teams place higher, and different, demands on team members and team leadership. As members of a virtual team work more independently, trust is an important success factor. But virtual teams have some advantages. They can play a key role in helping organisations to achieve their goals because they bring together the best expertise for an individual customer, region, or market – and for the company.
AT: How do you think Aludium is performing compared to our competitors? PB: Many of the architectural alloys we make are commodity products, so Aludium’s level of service makes the difference with customers. And we need to prove that they can rely on us long-term. Our reaction time is already quite quick compared to our competitors across all key departments – R&D, quality, logistics. SK: We know from feedback that our customers appreciate the efficiency of our
Aludium’s central warehouse can store up to 200 coils and is at the heart of our short lead time concept 6
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over the role. We discussed the strengths of Aludium’s offer for the building and construction sector, the opportunities ahead, and Philippe and Stefan’s plans for the future.
AT: You share some sales team members with other key segments such as Distribution? Does this create advantages? SK: By sharing team members we are helping Aludium to service different market locations efficiently. It also promotes cross-departmental and interdisciplinary thinking. PB: And we have close relationships and good contact with the other Sales Directors within Aludium. We can also make sure our messages to our account managers are consistent. AT: What has been the biggest success of the Architectural sales team to date? PB: Every day we have success! That’s why we have been able to increase our sales of architectural aluminium products by 60 percent since Aludium was formed.
AT: What has been the biggest change for your team since Aludium was formed? PB: Sales, the mills, quality, logistics, and R&D are now more integrated and there’s good communication. We’re also involving the mills at the customer level. Direct contacts between the mill teams, particularly quality and logistics, have been established with larger customers. The role of Cindal has also changed from internal support to customer support. That’s solving problems, but they are also helping our customers to develop new products. SK: Cindal is a vital connection between Aludium and our customers. With its reputation and experience, Cindal can help the customer and Aludium create value together. One prominent example is the development of our Texturandum® technology. This unique product can be finished in almost any pattern and then immediately used directly from the mill. The benefits for customers are immense as they save on both time and money. It’s a similar case for Decorandum®, Aludium’s lightweight alternative to stainless steel. AT: Who are the key contacts for the Architectural sales team within Cindal and at the mills? PB: At Cindal, our main contacts are Segundo Sanchez and Mario Allet. Within the mills we work very closely with the quality managers: Alfredo Callejon in Alicante, Juan Del Rio, and Joaquin Rodriguez in Amorebieta. The quality managers now handle customer claims. As well as speeding up the process for customers, this allows them to identify potential issues in their mill. Having a
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Stefan Kammerer Before joining Aludium on 1 July 2018, Stefan Kammerer worked for three years at Liebherr as Head of Sales for mobile tower cranes. His territory included Europe and parts of Asia. Before this Stefan worked at Novelis for eight years as Segment Lead Architecture. He has also worked for Colt International as a technical consultant and project manager. Stefan gained a Dipl.-Ing. in Civil Engineering and Project Management from the Biberach University of Applied Sciences in southern Germany. He speaks German and English and his hobbies include biking, hiking, and skiing. Stefan will work from Germany. The location gives him quick access to Aludium’s mills in Spain and France, as well as customers across Europe.
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face-to-face relationship with the customer helps the quality manager see their problems more clearly. It’s a big change and a positive one for customers and Aludium. AT: Where do you see new opportunities for Aludium’s architectural portfolio? PB: We need to develop new surfaces and gain a better understanding of what the end-customer needs. That requires more contact with the architects and designers who are setting the trends. SK: We are seeing higher demand for bright and brushed material, and alloys which can be used to create transparent lacquered facades or anodised finishes. We’re already working to develop and qualify these types of surfaces jointly with Aludium customers. AT: How is the transition from Philippe to Stefan as Sales Director Architectural going? PB: Quite well – there has been a good overlap. Stefan spent two months in the mills to understand their capabilities and get to know the teams. And I’m looking
Supplier of choice for coil coaters Aludium is the supplier of choice for many of Europe’s leading coil coaters. That’s thanks to our long-term strategy to support our coil coating customers rather than invest in our own lacquering or anodising lines. Our customers can also rely on Aludium to provide them with the technical support they need to develop the most innovative architectural products which anticipate current and future demands. For more information about our offer for the Architectural sector visit: www.aludium.com/markets/ architectural/
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forward to introducing him to our customers at Aluminium 2018. After the fair we plan to visit some customers together. For others, Stefan will go with the account manager from Aludium. Stefan has strong experience in this market and we’re sharing information every day. SK: We’re currently working on the negotiations for the 2019 contracts. That gives me a unique chance to get to know the customers and their requirements. AT: 2019 is likely to bring you both very different things. Starting with Stefan, what do you see as the main ones in your new role? SK: Providing a unique service level to customers. I want the team to continue focussing on delivery performance, quality, and maintaining Aludium’s current high level of service. We need to monitor the needs of the market by being very close to customers. That will enable us to continue identifying ideas and practices which add value for Aludium and our customers. My personal goal in this new role is to inspire my team to bring their best to work. And above all, people should have fun at work.
Courtesy of Miralu® - Rectorat de Dijon Photo: Lisa Riciotti
AT: And Philippe, what does 2019 – and retirement – hold for you? PB: I’m looking forward to spending time with family and friends and enjoying some nice wine! I’ve spent a lot of time travelling for my work, which I loved, but now I want to take trips for myself without the pressure. And I’d like to do more sport – I enjoy swimming and cycling. I also have a motorcycle, so I plan to continue discovering Europe and the rest of the world. ■
Support from Cindal: How Aludium's Cindal R&D centre supports customers Dr Segundo Sanchez Martinez
Many of Aludium’s existing capabilities and new investments are focused on producing high quality products for the architectural market. Like other players in this competitive sector, Aludium supplies several common alloys from the 1xxx, 3xxx, and 5xxx series. But unlike many other aluminium producers, Aludium can develop and industrialise variations in these products to meet specific customer demands. That allows us to offer a wide selection of semi-finished and finished material for exterior and interior architectural applications.
Team in the SP
Aludium’s
customer service team Since Aludium was formed, the Customer Service department has been re-oriented to ensure customer satisfaction comes first. “This direction came from top management and has become a daily mantra for the team,” notes Juan Jose Adan Dimeck, customer support representative (CSR) Manager for Aludium. Despite the disruption caused by the implementation of Aludium’s new IT infrastructure, the CSR team has led a number of customer satisfaction projects, as Juan Jose Adan Dimeck explains: “Those projects have included colleagues from Sales, Logistics, Quality, and the Cindal teams. While many of these projects have led to successful improvements in customer satisfaction, they have all helped us to gain a better understanding of the needs of our customers.”
Tailor-made products Aludium’s alloys can be finished in a range of ways – from a standard mill finish to the special patterns offered by our Decorandum® and Texturandum® products. Our extensive knowledge allows Aludium’s Cindal R&D team to recommend an appropriate alloy with the required mechanical properties, surface response, and aesthetic finish for the final application. We can also adjust some attributes of the aluminium substrate to ensure better performance when it is submitted to different processes, intermediate transformations (such as coating and anodising), or to atmospheric exposure during its lifetime. Cindal can offer Aludium’s customers a wide variety of technical approaches to any issue related to architectural products. That includes alloy selection, prototyping,
During the summer of 2018, the CSR team also conducted a face-to-face survey with customers to understand their service experience with Aludium. “The results have been quite good,” says Juan Jose Adan Dimeck. “Around 80 percent of customers gave us a positive assessment overall. We rated very highly (above 85 percent) in commercial attention and availability. But we also received a lot of suggestions from customers. After the first face-to-face interviews, we had 67 suggestions from our customers. Of these, 17 have already been implemented, we have developed an action plan for another 20, and 20 are being assessed by the CSR team and the other departments involved. There is room for improvement at Aludium and our
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people are really involved in this. It’s a part of Aludium’s customer service DNA.”
The link between Aludium and customers Aludium’s customer service team supports the company’s clients in all sectors including architectural. “We are the link the customer and Aludium,” explains Aurelio Lopez Perez who has worked as an Aludium customer support representative (CSR) since 2015. “That means almost every concern goes through us – from order confirmation to delivery information.” The CSR team also acts as the customer’s voice with Aludium, as Argiñe Lopez Davalillo, a member of the CSR team since 2017, notes: “We listen to the customer’s requests, worries, and needs and then inform the rest of the Aludium team so we can improve the level of customer satisfaction. We’re always looking for opportunities to improve our level of service.”
Close contact across Aludium That job is made easier thanks to the close contact between CSR and other parts of Aludium. “We have a continuous
simulations, and characterisations. The centre is equipped with cutting-edge technologies that give customers all the support they need: from basic literature research to complex technical assessments, customised training, and dedicated analysis. New alloys and process technologies The technical support provided by Cindal is not limited to existing materials and technologies supplied to our direct customer. We also research new solutions which focus on the demands of any architectural project. Our advice always considers everyone involved in the design, construction, maintenance, and use of the building. Our ability to research and combine properties in a new alloy allows Aludium’s customers to significantly
reduce the costs of developing new products, and the time needed to bring them to market. The service that Cindal offers is sustained by highly prepared scientific staff (including technicians, engineers, and doctors). Our team follows a series of best practices and uses the research knowledge from Cindal’s 50 years of experience. We also follow international standards to ensure the quality of the results. Cindal is fully certified under UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025, which gives Aludium’s customers reassurance about our technical and scientific capabilities. To find out how Aludium’s Cindal R&D centre can help you get the best out of our products, visit: https://aludium.com/ cindal-rd-in-aluminium/ ■
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communication flow with the account managers,” says Lucia Gomez who joined the CSR team in 2013. “There is also a very strong connection to logistics to get accurate information about production and deliveries. CSR is also in charge of managing customer orders and claims, so that connects us to the administrative parts of the organisation, and the Cindal R&D team.”
Challenging situations require good communication
“The CSR team is a real support to customers when they need to deal with the order process or issues arising from them,” notes Itizar Franco Cabezas.
But even when delays occur, the team aim to keep customer satisfaction high. “It can be hard to do,” says Itizar Franco Cabezas. “However, we continue to work hard for our customers to maintain our position as their best supplier.”
The responsibilities of the CSR team are wide and varied. “My main tasks are order entry, metal hedging, reserving material, and providing information on the progress of orders,” says Minerva Gullick, another member of the team. “I also supply any information requested by the customer, sometimes daily.” “We have to be prepared to react quickly to many unforeseen events,” says Aurelio Lopez Perez. “That requires us to focus on problem solving.”
CSR is also responsible for making quotations and informing customers about changes to their orders. It’s the later which is one of the hardest tasks as Lucia Gomez explains: “The most challenging situation occurs when there are production delays. Our task is to inform customers immediately and accurately.”
One of Aludium’s biggest strengths is the inhouse Cindal R&D centre, as CSR Eleonora Conti explains: “The difference between Aludium and our competitors is our ability to manage and solve technical enquiries thanks to the support of the quality and Cindal teams.”
Special projects improve performance In addition to their day to day work, members of the customer service team
also work on projects which aim to improve service to customers and reduce costs for Aludium. A recent project saw members of the CSR team work with logistics to improve our delivery performance to France. “Thanks to this project, we have optimised our deliveries to our French customers and distributors,” says Argine Lopez Davalillo. The performance of the CSR team is measured by several key performance indicators (KPIs). “Delivery performance is probably the most important,” says Minerva Gullick. “All customers rely on their orders being delivered on time. Any failure will have an impact on their business.” Despite the stresses of the job, members of the CSR team find their work very satisfying as Aurelio Lopez Perez explains: “We are continually establishing personal relationships with customers. Creating a pleasant atmosphere between both is what makes me happiest. And when a client asks about your family or your weekend, I think it shows that we've managed to establish a lasting relationship.” ■
Aludium marks successful visit to Aluminium 2018 Aluminium 2018, the biennial tradeshow for the European aluminium industry, was held in Düsseldorf (Germany) during early October. For the first time, our stand featured sample products made with our Texturandum® finish. Also on display was Decorandum® D40, a new development in our range of mill-finished aluminium solutions.
Aludium’s stand was popular with visitors across all three days of the show
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The stand attracted a record number of existing and potential customers who came to meet Aludium’s management team, representatives from Atlas Holdings, our complete sales team, and staff from other
parts of the business including finance and the plants. At times the stand’s meeting room capacity was fully occupied. During 2019, Aludium plans to be present at two tradeshows dedicated to the automotive industry: • Automotive Interiors in Stuttgart (Germany) from 21 to 23 May 2019 • Automotive Engineering in Nurnberg (Germany) on 4 and 5 June 2019 We’ll also be back for Aluminium 2020 in Düsseldorf during October 2020. ■
Based in Germany, Musa has over 20 years of experience in the aluminium industry. He joined Aludium from Alcoa in September 2015 and took responsibility for Aludium’s commercial strategy in the European industrial market. His primary focus is automotive components and trim, but he also supports architectural customers. The key concerns for Musa’s customers in the architectural sector are service, quality, delivery performance, and competitive pricing. The long-term partnerships Musa has established with his customers (up to 15 years for one client already), demonstrate that Aludium is already performing well in these areas. Musa speaks English, German, and Turkish fluently and is currently learning Spanish. He enjoys working with people in different cultures both at Aludium and our customers.
Luigi Barbella Luigi joined Aludium in September 2015 with twelve years of experience in the aluminium market. Prior to starting his career, Luigi graduated from the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio (Italy) with a bachelor’s degree in economics and business. He also gained a Masters’ degree in business studies from the CIS Institute in Reggio Emilia (Italy). While Luigi’s main focus is packaging, he also promotes niche products such as Decorandum® and Texturandum® to the architectural market. He believes Aludium has a deep knowledge of market trends in the sector and can make the difference to customers by being ready to support them with documentation and quick feedback on their questions. Luigi works with architectural customers to imagine new products together. By shaping the idea and developing new surfaces, customers and Aludium can create workable solutions to meet their needs. A devoted Juventus fan, Luigi also enjoys jogging, live concerts, and has recently taken up tennis lessons. He speaks Italian, English, and has been improving his Spanish since joining Aludium.
Thierry Peton studied business before taking up his first job with a Belgian producer of steel products. He then moved to a manufacturer of aluminium profiles. In this role, Thierry was responsible for the development of the French market for the company’s industrial, building, and distribution products. He joined Alcoa in 2010, becoming an Aludium employee at the beginning of 2015. Since joining Alcoa, Thierry has worked with architectural customers. These customers utilise Aludium alloys in products ranging from roofing to signboards. One of his key customers is Miralu which specialises in powder coating. They utilise Aludium coils in high-level architectural projects.
Account Manager
Thierry Peton
He works closely with his colleagues in the Commercial team and Aludium’s Quality department. Thierry believes the interface between Aludium and the customer is well managed and provides the customer with quality service and products. In addition to French, Thierry speaks Dutch and English. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and hiking.
Joseba Reboredo Joseba Reboredo joined Alcoa in 2009 and moved to Aludium when the company was formed in 2015. His first job was as an information technology (IT) for an insurance company. Joseba later moved to the IT department of an aluminium producer, eventually becoming Iberian sales manager for their products. Today Joseba is responsible for selling Aludium’s products to distribution, industrial and architectural customers in Spain and Portugal. For customers in the architectural sector, on-time deliveries are critical for success. Joseba also helps his customers identify the right alloy for each application and resolve technical questions with the support of Aludium’s Cindal R&D centre. In his spare time Joseba likes to spend time with family and friends, playing sports, and cooking. He’s a fan of the Real Sociedad football team based in San Sebastian (Spain). Joseba speaks Basque, English, and Spanish.
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Rainer Grünberg Rainer Grünberg joined Aludium from Alcoa when the company was formed on 1 January 2015. Since then he has taken responsibility for selling Aludium’s architectural products in key markets such as Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Rainer is also responsible for sales of industrial and automotive products. Rainer believes that Aludium’s personal relationships with our customers are the basis for success. Balancing the needs of customers against the capabilities of Aludium’s plants is also crucial. His key customers include Kalzip – a leading producer of roofing and facade solutions, and Schenker Storen, a producer of sun protection systems for private and industrial buildings. At the start of his career, Rainer joined W & O. Bergmann, a metals wholesaler based in Düsseldorf (Germany). He then joined Aluteam where he ran a trainee programme for two years. He has also held sales positions with several metalproducing or trading companies selling aluminium, copper, ferro-alloys, and other metals. As well as German, Rainer speaks English, French, and Russian. His hobbies including reading historical fiction, bicycling, and sailing.
Account Manager
Musa Barlasakli
Account Manager
Account Manager
Account Manager
Meet the account managers for Aludium’s architectural customers
Account Manager
Team in the SP
René Spronk René Spronk studied commerce and economics before taking up a position in his family’s shoe business. As he readily admits, René had little passion for fashion, so he joined one of the largest advertising agencies in the Netherlands as a media buyer. In 1984 he took up a position with Alcoa as a customer service representative before becoming an account manager. René joined Aludium when the company was formed in 2015. René spends around half of his day supporting Aludium’s architectural customers. His role is to ensure the customer is satisfied and to check if that all actions Aludium promises are carried out. Weekly conference calls or personal meetings are held with major customers to discuss quality and logistics. One of René’s major passions is scuba diving, a hobby he has practiced since 1999. He has more than 1,100 logged dives at locations around the world. In his spare time, René and his wife can be found skiing, walking, or spending time with their two adult sons and their girlfriends.
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Strategy
Growing for
the future
Markus Plakolm took up the position of Director of Growth Projects at Aludium in May 2018. Initially his focus is on the installation of the new multi-chamber furnace in Aludium Amorebieta, and the reopening of the Alicante cast house. Aludium Today spoke with Markus to find out how these projects are progressing.
Meet
Markus Plakolm Markus Plakolm was born and raised in a small Austrian village close to Salzburg. He is married with two grown children who are also both engineers. His hobbies include repairing tractors, renovating houses, skiing, and walking. Markus gained the rank of captain in the Austrian army’s special mountain forces reserves. Markus studied mechanical engineering and has spent most of his career in the metal industry. Markus worked for Alcoa from 2001 until he joined Aludium in May 2018. During his time at Alcoa, Markus was responsible for rolling mills and cast houses in Hungary, Italy, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Aludium Today (AT): What are the main challenges in realising the new multichamber furnace, and the reopening of the Alicante cast house? Markus Plakolm (MP): It probably goes without saying that our priority is to deliver both projects on time and within budget. We’re achieving this by focusing on progress every day, and reacting immediately if necessary. But it’s not just the physical building works. We need to look forward to the commissioning of both projects. That means preparing for operations by ensuring we have the people we need, that they are trained, and that we have procedures in place for them to follow. And we have to make sure that the equipment is ready, and we have enough scrap in the pipeline to begin operations. And of course we need to get the permits and other paperwork completed in time. Luckily we have good support from the local authorities in both Alicante and Amorebieta. AT: Are there factors that make these projects harder to achieve? MP: One of the biggest considerations is that we are working in ‘brownfield’ sites. That means we are building our new equipment in existing facilities that have been in use for many decades. In a brownfield site you uncover a lot of unforeseen issues which can severely
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impact the project. Working in greenfield sites, where you are starting from nothing, is much easier. In Amorebieta for example, the situation is quite complicated because we need to produce material in the same place where we are completing a very big project. That has a big impact on the cast house, especially when we need to carry out work during production. AT: How do you react when unforeseen problems arise? MP: Over the years I’ve learnt to look at the ‘surprises’ in isolation first. If you look at the full impact it could have on the project, it can seem to be a bigger problem than it is in reality. AT: How do you see the role of Director of Aludium’s Growth Projects? MP: From the start, Aludium has defined three pillars for growth in the future: grow the business, optimise the cost of metal, and to optimise the product portfolio mix. I think we have a good chance to grow the business further, but more investments are needed and that’s where my role comes in. AT: The rotary furnace in Amorebieta is already in operation. Has that helped us achieve ‘metal independence’? MP: The investment in the rotary furnace was the first step in our strategy to become more independent of third-party
Strategy
Front view of the multi-chamber furnace installation (October 2018)
suppliers and reduce our costs. For the first time, Aludium also has the ability to melt dross, painted, and thin-layer scrap. One of the key challenges has been sourcing external suppliers of recycled material. Our metal team has established closed loop recycling with some of our customers to ensure we have the maximum amount of material available. With the installation of the multi-chamber furnace and the reopening of the cast house in Alicante we need to step this up a gear. AT: Did the rotary furnace have a negative or positive impact on Aludium’s carbon footprint? MP: The rotary furnace uses gas as a heat source. That’s already the cleanest material that we can use. But we minimise the amount of gas used because we melt painted scrap. The paint that is burnt during the melting process also raises the temperature in the furnace and that saves a lot of energy. When we installed this equipment we also built a fume treatment plant to reduce emissions to air to an absolute minimum. AT: Why was it necessary to also install the multi-chamber furnace? MP: There are two major reasons. Firstly, it
Installation of the fume treatment plant for the new multi-chamber furnace
reduces our dependence on external slab suppliers by approximately 55,000 tonnes annually. Secondly, it allows to reduce our slab costs further. The Herwich furnace we have chosen is one of the largest and most modern in the world. It can efficiently melt almost any type of aluminium scrap. And it’s designed so we can recuperate heat from the burner and reuse it to preheat the scrap before it goes into the furnace. This reduces melting time and energy use significantly. AT: Installing the multi-chamber furnace is a major operation. What have been the main challenges? MP: The size of the project is one. The equipment has been manufactured in different locations across Europe. We needed around 100 trucks to deliver everything to Amorebieta. The second major challenge is that we must install the multi-chamber furnace while the cast house is still operational. There are up to 150 contractors on site as well as our regular personnel. Maintaining the safety of everyone during the work has been very challenging. But I’m pleased to say we have succeeded in this so far with the support of the Amorebieta safety team.
AT: Are you installing other equipment in addition to the furnace itself? MP: The multi-chamber furnace is linked to a new holding furnace that is being provided by GHI, a company from Bilbao. In the holder, we can optimise the chemistry of the alloy and control the temperature. From there, the liquid aluminium is moved to the casting pit. The holder is also where the liquid aluminium is filtered and degassed. These two steps ensure that we produce high-quality aluminium slabs. We’re also installing a brand-new casting facility from Rodabell, a Spanish company. The pit will allow us to cast up to five slabs at a time. The casting pit is highly automated and allows us to operate in a very safe way. It starts by itself, so nobody needs to come close to the casting area. AT: What alloys will the multi-chamber furnace produce? MP: Mainly alloys from the 5xxx family, but also from the 3xxx. These alloys are commonly used in architectural, industrial, and distribution sectors. It’s important to note that the multichamber furnace is Aludium’s first continuous melting technology. That means it will work 24/7, giving us high
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Strategy
Scrap loading installation
productivity to meet the demands of our customers in these sectors. Five full-time equivalent (FTE) positions per shift are needed to operate this new melting and casting unit to achieve this level of productivity. AT: What are the benefits of the multichamber furnace to Aludium’s operations? MP: When it comes onstream in 2019, the new multi-chamber furnace will be able to melt up to 55,000 tonnes of painted or thin scrap annually. Compared to primary metal production, recycling aluminium reduces energy consumption by 95% or 14 megawatt hours (MWh) per tonne of aluminium. With this project, Aludium expects to reduce CO2 emissions by 250,000 tonnes annually.
How the multi-chamber works
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The civil works for the new pit
AT: You were involved in closing the cast house at Aludium Alicante in 2008. How do you feel about being responsible for reopening this facility? MP: I’m very happy that the Board of Aludium decided to reopen the cast house again. That decision was taken in May 2018, and by December we will be ready to begin production again. We were well prepared, but this is still a very fast turnaround. AT: What is the strategy for the Alicante cast house? MP: In Alicante, we will be able to cast up to three slabs in each batch, while the continuous caster will cast coils. Most of this material will be produced from internal scrap. Slabs will be shipped to Amorebieta for further processing in the
hot mill. Together with the improvements in the Amorebieta cast house, this will ensure our slabs are cost-effective and reduce our dependence on external slab suppliers. Coils produced in the continuous caster will be further processed in Alicante. This will help to reduce the bottleneck in the Amorebieta hot mill. AT: What do you enjoy most about your job? MP: I like to see something growing and reaching the expected target. I also appreciate working with the professional project teams led by Nerea Camporredondo in Amorebieta and Raoul Aubry in Alicante. ■
Colleague SP
TLIGHT
Silvia and her daughter Clàudia also got to explore the local region
For most Aludium employees, summer means relaxing on holidays and getting away from it all. But for Silvia Ruiz, international account manager for Aludium’s specialty products, summer 2018 saw her volunteering at an orphanage in Ghana. And the experience has changed her life – and perhaps her holiday plans – forever. Silvia discovered the Marcoff Children’s Home in Nsutam (Ghana) through an international agency which matches potential volunteers with organisations that need help. Although she planned to do the trip alone, Silvia's family had other ideas: “When I told everyone what I planned to do, my 17-year-old daughter Clàudia expressed such determination to join me, I had to take her along. It was a great decision!”
Supporting school and orphanage In the time she was in Nsutam, Silvia provided assistance in the school and the orphanage. “In school I assisted the teacher, taught maths, English, and creative arts. I noticed that the learning style involved memorising things without understanding them. So I offered some ideas and techniques to the teacher. For example, we gave the first basic Spanish lessons using games and songs.” After school finished each day, Silvia and the other volunteers turned their attention to the orphanage. “Some children go home after school, but many live at the orphanage full-time. We helped to care for them and Clàudia gave lessons in acrobatics, gymnastics, and dancing. There were also daily chores to help with such as collecting fruit from the farm.”
Unique public transport solution During the week Silvia was busy with her work as a volunteer, but on the weekends she got to explore the local region with Clàudia. And there was an unusual local form of public transport. “Public transport in this part of Ghana consists of sharing a ‘tro-tro’. They are vans, parked at specific places, where drivers shout out to ask you where you’re going. They direct you to the right tro-tro and once it is (apparently) full, it leaves. There are no official stops, but all the way to your destination the tro-tro stops often to collect or drop somebody. Of course, there are none of the standard safety features we are used to, which makes it a distressing ride! But we got to visit some amazing places such as Boti
Falls and the Cape Coast.” So, will she go back? “Absolutely yes, as long as I can afford the high cost of the flight. It’s such a rewarding experience! You are constantly being challenged, so every time you achieve a goal (even something as simple as getting the children to form a line) you feel pride and full of joy. “But what really touched my heart was the first genuine smile and hug I got from one of the children at the orphanage. Until then he had been rather hostile and suspicious, wary of any physical human contact, and deliberately isolating himself. That hug and that smile made my senses quiver.”
Adding value to your ‘real’ life Silvia believes that a volunteer experience like hers can add value for Aludium or any employer. “Many of the skills you acquire are transferable to your paid work. Coordination, organisation, leadership, involvement, engagement, participation, and initiative are just some of the skills I’ve embedded in my ‘regular’ life. And you learn to put things in perspective!” If you or your family are interested in volunteering or finding out more about Silvia’s experience, she is happy to chat. “My details are in the Aludium address book, so please feel free to get in touch.” ■
About the Marcoff Children’s Home Marcoff was founded in 2002 by a local woman, Mary Badjo Coffie, with the assistance of her adult children. With Mary reaching retirement age, Marcoff has been integrated into the Kofi Adomako Foundation – a private NGO which provides skill training, education, and advocacy for vulnerable people in society. Today Marcoff Children’s Home includes an orphanage for around 30 children and offers vocational training to older children. To find out more about the Marcoff Children’s Home, visit: www.kofi-adomako-foundation.org www.marcoffchildrenshome.wordpress.com
Meet
Silvia Ruiz
Silvia with some of the children from the school at Marcoff Children’s Home
Do you do something remarkable in your spare time? We’d love to hear from you for future editions of Aludium Today. Email us at: marketing@aludium.com
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Re-opening cast house Alicante
Alicante cast house
produces first slabs after major revamp On 12 December 2018, Aludium Alicante cast the first trial slabs following a six-month revamp of the mill’s cast house. The decision to re-open the cast house was taken by Aludium’s Board in May 2018, with work commencing a month later. Trials will continue until February 2019 when the facility is expected to be fully operational and producing up to 28,000 tonnes of aluminium annually using clean scrap as feedstock. The Alicante cast house was closed in 2009 due to the economic downturn which hit the global economy. But with demand for Aludium’s products rising, reopening the cast house gives us the opportunity to increase capacity while reducing our reliance on external slab suppliers. It also allows Aludium to increase the volume of scrap we can recycle, cutting our environmental footprint. The project to reopen the cast house was led by Raoul Aubry, Project Manager, and Mario Allet, Programme and R&D Director. They were supported by Dr Ignacio Gil and the Cindal R&D team, maintenance manager Javier Pena, and Laura Rodriguez from the engineering department. Additional engineering and process support was supplied by the Amorebieta cast house team led by Ana Lopez.
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New operators have been employed to run the cast house. They have already received two months of training in both continuous and direct casting in preparation for the reopening. Training was conducted in cooperation with the Cindal team for theoretical topics, Aludium Amorebieta for direct casting, and Alumasa for continuous casting.
Two casting options The Alicante cast house will have two lines, one of which will produce slabs for further processing at Aludium Amorebieta. The second line will use continuous casting technology to produce coils which will be processed in Alicante. A significant benefit of the continuous casting line is that the coils do not need further processing in the Amorebieta hot rolling mill. This will free up about 13,000 tonnes of capacity in Amorebieta.
Aludium will use the continuously cast material produced in Alicante to widen our product portfolio, particularly for the Architectural sector.
Furnace revamp to meet latest standards Work to ready the cast house for full production has included revamping the facility’s direct casting furnaces. Manufactured by Guinea Hornos Industriales and first installed in 1992 and 1999, the furnaces feed the direct casting pit to produce slabs. Both are equipped with natural gas burners. Each furnace has a holding capacity of 10 tonnes. During the revamp new pressure and bath-temperature controls were installed, and the refractory lining was completely renewed. The direct casting facility in Alicante will utilise scrap from the 8xxx family as well as the 3105 alloy. Source material will come from internal scrap produced in Alicante, avoiding the need to move material.
Re-opening cast house Alicante
Slab capabilities enhanced The liquid metal will be cast into a pit originally built by Guinea Hermanos in 1973. The pit can be used to produce up to three slabs at a time. Each slab is 5.3 metres in length, while widths can vary from 990 to 1770 mm. Standard slab thickness is 575 mm. Slabs weigh between 10 and 14 tonnes and up to 16,000 tonnes of material can be cast annually. Changes to the pit have included the installation of a new casting table, degassing unit, ceramic-foam filter, level control system, tilting frame, and pivot cylinder. An automatic start-up system has also been installed to ensure that no operators need to be close to the casting pit. All casting operations can be controlled remotely from a protected cabin which gives operators a view of the casting operation while keeping them safe. Four cameras underneath the casting table enable the operators to monitor the casting operation closely.
Continuous caster uses latest technology Two separate furnaces will feed the continuous casting line. Manufactured by Gautschi in 1961, they have holding capacities of 22 and 26 tonnes. Changes to these furnaces included the installation of a new door to improve safety and
reliability. Regenerative burners of the last generation and new pressure and bath temperature controls were installed. With around 12,000 tonnes of capacity annually, the line uses technology supplied by SCAL (now Novelis PAE) in the late 1970s. The current revamp was performed by Bruno Presezzi, an Italian company which is the global leader in continuous casting technology. The installation in Alicante is now the first aluminium continuous caster in the world with automatic start-up. The continuous caster will be used to create coils in alloys from the 3xxx family. As there is no need to transport and hot roll the material, it is a very cost-effective option for Aludium’s customers, particularly for non-visible or structural applications. The line can produce coils up to 1600 mm wide and 5.5 mm thick. Each coil weighs about eight tonnes. With the commissioning of the revamped cast house in Alicante, attention is turning to the multi-chamber furnace which is being installed in Amorebieta. When that is completed in May 2019, Aludium will have a full set of melting technologies which enable us to recycle an unprecedented volume of clean and dirty scrap annually. â–
Key details: Alicante cast house Cast house area: 5,700 m2 Total cost of revamp: â‚Ź7 million New jobs: 23 full-time equivalent (FTE) Total capacity: 28,000 tonnes Output: Slabs and continuously cast coils
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Safety week
Safety Week 2018 another success
Aludium held its third annual Safety Week from 22 to 26 October 2018. Actions were organised at all three plants to raise awareness of safety in the workplace. The activities involved all Aludium personnel as well as representatives of local emergency services, other industrial companies operating near Aludium facilities, and local stakeholders. Safety Week events in Castelsarrasin included a wide range of events organised by Patricia Paire, the plant’s EHS Manager. One of the first was a meeting with representatives from the city and other organisations to discuss safety issues. After the meeting, the participants undertook a plant tour to identify potential risks. The Castelsarrasin Fire Brigade also visited the plant during Safety Week. During a tour of the plant, the fire brigade familiarised themselves with the layout of the plant. Fire risks and the plant’s fire-fighting equipment was also reviewed. Several exercises were held during the week which demonstrated how employees should react in the event of an emergency. A number scenarios were simulated including a cut to the hand of an employee on the shop floor, a foot becoming trapped under a steel beam, and the collapse of a staff member in the office. The exercises helped staff to understand which telephone number
Confined space rescue exercise in Alicante
they need to call in the event of an emergency, and the messages that they need to pass on to the emergency personnel. Several workshops were also held. Two workshops were held to familiarise staff with how to use a defibrillator in the event of cardiac arrest. Two sessions on stress management were also very popular. In Amorebieta, Safety Week was led by Estibaliz Perez Martinez, EHS Manager at the plant. During Safety Week department managers held safety awareness talks with shop floor employees. The meetings were well attended and lead to positive remarks from both employees and managers. An ‘Unsafe behaviour/Risks’ contest was held to encourage people to identify and report risks. The contest was very popular with
Alicante passes 2018 audit for
OHSAS 18001 compliance Aludium Alicante has again passed its annual health and safety audit against the international OHSAS 18001 standard. There have been no non-compliance issues at Aludium Alicante since the beginning of 2015 when Aludium was formed.
The three-day audit was conducted by ONDOAN. The company is authorised to conduct OHSAS 18001 audits by the local labour authorities. The audit focussed on employee health and industrial safety. The audit involved
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many members of the Aludium team including management, union safety representatives, employees, technical personnel from Cindal, engineers, and the members of the EHS team. ONDOAN’s audit team noted the high level of
cooperation they received from Aludium’s personnel. They also noted that Aludium’s new risk evaluation project, the human performance programme, and our healthy company project were all examples of best practices. ■
Safety week
identify potential risks in the plant. Similar exercises have been carried in the past two Safety Weeks. In 2017, participants identified 107 potential risks, all of which had been resolved successfully by Safety Week 2018. Of the 107 risks identified in 2017, 32 related to fall prevention. Another 36 related to good housekeeping. Some concrete examples of solutions are : dedicated and well indicated parking zones for the forklift trucks, specific signage on the shopfloor to distict zones for rails and pedestrians,….
Confined space rescue exercise in Amorebieta
employees and helped to confirm that they have good risk perception in the workplace. A practical exercise on a confined space incident and rescue was also held. The exercise was well received. Many employees expressed their preference for practical training such as this exercise, rather than long and theoretical training sessions. During Safety Week 2018, the Alicante EHS team carried out four workshops in cooperation with suppliers such as Aludium’s insurance provider. Experts on different subjects ranging from noise emissions to podiatry also gave presentations. The feedback was extremely positive from the 180 staff from head office and the plant who took part took in these workshops. Colleagues from 15 external industrial and partners companies were also invited to Alicante to take part in an observation tour to
Alberto Ruiz, Plant Director Alicante; Joaquim Vaz, HR & EHS Vice President ; and Jose Antonio Baeza, EHS Manager Alicante also spoke about how EHS challenges related to the re-opening of the Alicante cast house, planned for December 2018, were solved. This was a complex exercise because of the involvement of subcontractors. While eight of the subcontractors were familiar with the risks of a plant such as Aludium Alicante, another 15 were new to this type of facility. During 2018, over €360,000 was invested in EHS in Alicante. The investments have helped to keep incident rates very low across the company. ■ Aludium Incident Rates LWDR
TRR
2.500 2.006 2.000 1.497 1.500 1.102
1.225
1.187
1.115
1.006
1.058
1.000 0.333
0.315
0.500
0.175 0.000
0.159 0.000
0.000
2013
2014
0.000
0.000 2010
2011
2012
H
A
2015
P
2016
2017
2018YTD
P Y
2019 Maialen Alburquerque – 2 years
Aimar Iglesias – 9 years
Winners of the Aludium Christmas Drawing Contest
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Feliz Navidad y Feliz Año Nuevo Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année
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“Working together for a better, brighter future�
ACR II Aluminium Group cooperatief U.A. Prof J.H. Bavincklaan 2-4 1183 AT Amstelveen The Netherlands +31 20 7237 218 www.aludium.com
Aludium Amorebieta Barrio Ibarguren s/n E-48340 Amorebieta, Vizcaya Spain +34 944 887 500
Aludium Alicante Avda. de Elche, 109 E-03008 Alicante Spain +34 965 989 500
Aludium Castelsarrasin 294 chemin de Lavalette 82100 Castelsarrasin France + 33 5 63 32 80 00
Cindal R & D Avda. de Elche, 109 E-03008 Alicante Spain +34 679 518 645