Down-to-earth solutions Alcomet is a leading European manufacturer of rolled and extruded aluminium products. The company offers a wide range of aluminium and semi-finished items for a broad range of industrial applications. It is currently targeting new markets for its latest addedvalue products in the energy and power distribution industries, as Philip Yorke reports.
A
lcomet was founded in Bulgaria in 1981 and has since gained an enviable reputation as a producer of high quality rolled and extruded aluminium products. Today the company produces foils and anodised powder coated profiles, sheets and strips that covers cast, rolled extruded and packaging products. With an annual capacity of more than 80,000 tonnes, Alcomet is one of Europe’s biggest suppliers of aluminium products as well as household foils for the consumer market. It is also one of Europe’s leading suppliers of electrical metals and components to the energy, transmission and power distribution markets. Alcomet’s state-of-the-art plant in North Eastern Bulgaria covers more than 370,000 square metres and has benefited recently from a €75 million facility upgrade which has helped to quadruple its output over the last ten years. A further investment of €40 million will see the purchase of the very latest process technology and an additional 18,800 square metres of covered production space. These new facilities are due to be commissioned during the first quarter of 2019. For its compliance with the highest quality management and environmental standards the company has been fully certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and EN 15088:2005. 134 Industry Europe
Continuous investment programme Alcomet has been investing continuously since its establishment to acquire new technologies and upgrade its facilities. This is designed to meet the latest technological standards to satisfy the more challenging demands of its clients, as well as to drive its move into new markets. The company’s latest investment programme spans a period of three years and will double production capacity and expand its production facilities by a further 13,000 square metres upon completion. On the aluminium rolling side, the investment involves the commissioning of a new cold-rolling mill with a max width of 2200mm, a continuous casting line, heat treatment facilities and new finishing lines. Whilst on the extrusion side, a new generation 25MN HybrEx® extrusion press will allow Alcomet to extrude profiles with a CCD of up to 310mm and a wall thickness as low as 0.8mm. The new, high-tech cold rolling mill is being supplied by the leading German manufacturer: the SMS Group. This additional production capacity will help the company to increase its presence in the US and North African markets.
