Rolling out excellence Elval Group

ROLLING OUT EXCELLENCE

The Elval Group is a global leader in the development and manufacture of flat rolled aluminium engineering products. Philip Yorke looks at how the company is optimising its productivity across a broad range of industrial applications and at its strong growth in the field of rigid packaging.

The Elval Group is the aluminium processing and trading division of the international conglomerate, Viohalco. The company was founded in Greece in 1973 and is now one of the most important aluminium rolling industries in the world and the only group in Greece that is focused exclusively on this business activity. The company’s success is compounded by its diverse manufacturing facilities, its built-in flexibility and its powerful presence worldwide. This is notwithstanding its global distribution network and strategic partnership with other world-class players in the aluminium industry.

The extensive manufacturing base of the Elval Group includes 12 state-of-the-art production plants located throughout Greece, Bulgaria and the UK. Their combined expertise is utilised across a diverse range of manufacturing industries such as those involved in shipbuilding, food, automotive, construction and printing.

The Elval group comprises four main subsidiaries: Elval Colour specialises in the production of coated rolled aluminium products for composite aluminium panels and corrugated and perforated sheets; Etem focuses on the manufacture of aluminium profiles and components for the construction sector; and Symetal is active in the production of aluminium foil and flexible aluminium packaging for the tobacco and food industries.

In addition, Bridgnorth Aluminium, based in the UK, is focused on the production of lithographic sheets and semi-finished coils and is among the world’s leading litho sheet manufacturers.

The company has grown significantly over the past four decades from a medium-sized regional manufacturer to a true global leader in its various fields of aluminium engineering expertise. The company puts its success down to its continuous programme of improvement, its ongoing investments in the latest technology and its diverse range of innovative products created by the group’s world class research and development facilities. Today the Elval Group is present on all five continents and in more than 60 countries, including the USA, China, the EU, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and the Middle East.

Increasing demand for high-strength components

The growing global appetite for more lightweight, high-strength aluminium products has led the Elval group to focus its combined expertise on the development of alloys that offer advanced mechanical properties with improved weldability and corrosion resistance. The extended use of magnesium as an alloying element, with additional modifications to the remaining chemical composition and production procedures, has led to a breakthrough, which offers remarkable results combined with excellent durability and corrosion resistance. These latest high-strength, premium aluminium products are ideal for the construction of fast ferries, yachts and general shipbuilding applications, as well as land transportation vehicles such as trains, trucks, trailers and road tankers.

Elval’s high-magnesium family of products consists of aluminium sheets and plates in AA5083, 5086 and 5454 alloys. The company’s alloy known as Poseidon is particularly suitable for marine applications and all offer elevated mechanical properties, such as high yield strength and optimal tensile strength as well as supreme corrosion resistance and optimal weldability.

Endless creative options

When it comes to achieving awardwinning architectural designs, the product of choice is high-strength aluminium, as it offers flexibility, low-weight/strength

ratios and proven durability. The addition of Elval’s alloy strengthening composition makes it the optimal choice for an infinite variety of building and construction applications. These advanced aluminium materials provide architects and designers with endless options for achieving high aesthetic values and energy savings. This has been clearly demonstrated by its success in the winning of several coveted Architectural Imagination Awards.

Elval offers premium coated aluminium sheets and coils which are designed specifically for building and architectural purposes in plain, corrugated and stucco finishes. Following the pre-treatment of the metal substrate, a liquid-based paint is applied to the coil ensuring homogeneity of the coating film. Polyester, polyurethane and PVDF systems are also available according to individual customer specifications. Elval’s special coil coating process has been proved to result in the achievement of an optimal, even, colour finish as well as maximum durability.

In addition, Elval offers aluminium sheets, coils, circles and tread plates of premium quality for a diverse range of industrial applications from construction and electronics to cookware and the automotive sector. The group’s latest state-of-the-art machinery enables the company to produce the most exacting tolerances, which in turn results in materials with excellent properties and workability. Elval has obtained global recognition for its premium, flat rolled products used for general engineering applications, and all its products are produced to EN and AA/ ASTM standards or to a customer’s specific requirements. Elval customers can rely on immediate delivery through their access to the company’s off-the-shelf ‘Eurostock material’ which is available in sheet form in a range of various alloys and standard dimensions.

Demand for rigid packaging driving sales

The rigid packaging operations of the Elval Group show no signs of slowing down. Combining their latest high-tech manufacturing processes with their in-depth knowledge of the can making process has meant that Elval can offer the very best quality in the production of metal for beverage cans, food cans and closures. The company’s new 6hi, extra wide cold rolling mill guarantees optimal efficiency in the can making lines, combined with its own proven ability in ‘lightweighting’ aluminium processes. In addition, it has recently installed an advanced lacquering line, which produces coated aluminium for ‘Easy-Open-Ends’ and tabs. Furthermore, PVC-free, Badge-Free and Solvent-free water based lacquering systems can be easily applied to any individual customer requirements.

Elval also produces pre-treated and precoated coils or straight-cut sheets for the production of pilfer-proof caps. The material used is of the highest non-earing quality and is suitable for one- or two-step drawn caps. The company’s main end products in this sector are caps for carbonated or non-carbonated beverages, closures for alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks and pharmaceutical products. n