Down-to-earth solutions Alcomet

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.

Alcomet 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. 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.

Diverse product range

In each of its business sectors, Alcomet offers an unrivalled range of high-quality aluminium products. This is particularly true of its portfolio of electrical metals and components for the energy sector. Its extensive range of products includes copper and aluminium earth tapes, tubular busbars and connectors, stranded conductors and cables as well as a broad range of earthing materials, tools and accessories. In addition, it offers oil circuit breaker contacts and GRP walkways and flooring.

Alcomet also produces standard and bespoke machine-engineered products, such as fabricated busbars, relay boxes, panels, brackets and other components made to a client’s individual specifications. Alcomet’s innovative theft prevention products, such as its award-winning Guardian Security Range, is designed to deter the ever increasing theft of copper and aluminium earthing tape.

expanding power connections

Extending its product portfolio still further, Alcomet has announced the continued expansion of its power connection range and specialist services. Following increased customer demand, the company has once again expanded its Tubular Busbar and Power Connector range of products in order to help meet the growing needs of industry.

SIAD Bulgaria

SIAD Bulgaria as part of SIAD Group has a strong, long lasting partnership with Alcomet for about 20 years. SIAD Bulgaria is the only supplier of industrial gases from 2014 and supplies Alcomet with liquid nitrogen, liquid argon, liquid carbon dioxide and other compressed gases.

The new project that SIAD Bulgaria started at Alcomet is a super insulated liquid nitrogen distribution system. The project is related to the increasing of production capacity at our customer and includes four main points:

1. Supply and installation of super insulated liquid nitrogen distribution system, including line and equipment to the new 2500 t. press for cooling the working matrix. 2. Increase the liquid nitrogen storage area with additional equipment and cryogenic tank in order to face the new consumption. 3. Replacement of existing liquid nitrogen distribution line from 1800t. to 1300t. press and a modification of connections. 4. upgrading the liquid nitrogen distribution line to the 2000t. press.

The objective of this new installed system is to assure the supply of liquid nitrogen at the right temperature to the point of use. This increases the production capacity and assure a long service life of the equipment at the press site. SIAD Bulgaria takes the advantages of the traditions, innovations, experience and knowledge of SIAD Group and its experts, focused on special applications at customers’ sites in different industries and processes. SIAD Bulgaria has realized similar projects again with vacuum insulated pipeline system not only for heavy industry and metal fabrication companies, but also in healthcare field, at tissue banks, where the responsibility of the supply of high quality liquid nitrogen is also a critical point of importance.

our technical assistance, safety support and trainings at any time are an essential part of our business. SIAD Bulgaria is well known in the Bulgarian market as a reliable supplier of compressed, liquid, pure gases and special mixtures. SIAD Bulgaria has developed an optimal distribution and logistics network with three filling stations and more than twenty selling points in the country, covering many important local and international infrastructural projects and all customers’ needs.

Alcomet also offers a connector requirement take-off service. This special customer service has been designed specifically to help combat lengthy lead times and their associated risks, from evaluation to design and despatch. Designs can be provided in 2D and 3D diagrams for added precision. The company’s in-house technical support teams offer a 24-hour turnaround on quotations and they maintain continued close contact throughout the procedure to ensure a fast, accurate and stress-free service.

Delivering system safety

Recently Alcomet was asked to provide a viable and cost-effective solution for cable trenches and covers to protect main electricity cables on the site of a new 132kV grid substation and provide a cost-effective alternative to concrete. This was required due to some specific challenges appertaining to the designated brownfield site. To guarantee the safety of the structure, the equipment and its occupants, an effective earthing system for the new substation was needed alongside a solution to combat metal theft. In response, Alcomet supplied multiple runs of Alcomet GRP cable trenches and covers on site, thus providing a solution for vehicular and pedestrian access. With its high strength to weight ratios, ease of installation and zero maintenance the Alcomet GRP range easily met the stringent requirements of the new sub-station project.

Alcomet also collaborated with project designers to accommodate specific layout requirements on site, producing bespoke mouldings to create various sizes of trenches and covers to meet the project’s specifications. Precision cutting was carried out at Alcomet’s GRP Processing Centre and held in stock for call-off by the client as and when required. To counter the problem of theft and vandalism in the area, specification of the award-winning ‘Alcomet Guardian Security Range’ was a clear choice. Tested and approved it offered the perfect solution to protect its customer’s investment.

Through its close collaboration with project managers and partners, Alcomet added real customer value to this successful venture from its early design stage to completion. n

For further details of Alcomet’s innovative range of products and services visit: www.alcomet.eu