Aluminium International Today March April 2019 by Quartz Business Media

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THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

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CONTENTS 1

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LEADER

CHINA UPDATE 6 Production and exports to increase despite

Volume 32 No. 2 – March/April 2019

COVER

Editorial Editor: Nadine Bloxsome Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

FACTORY OF THE FUTURE

INDIA UPDATES 9 Indian market overview 12 Hindalco to uplift downstream capacity

www.aluminiumtoday.com March/April 2019—Vol.32 No.2

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

Sales

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low global prices

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NEWS

SUPPLIER PROFILE: GLAMA 14 New projects to support automation

Advertisement Production Production Executive: Martin Lawrence

INDUSTRY 4.0 17 Industry 4.0: Where is the revolution? 21 The future of aluminium manufacturing 22 Heavy Metals:

Managing Director: Steve Diprose Chief Executive Officer: Paul Michael

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FURNACES/HEAT TREATMENT 29 The amazing factory with 4.0 furnaces 30 Heat treatment of aluminium alloyed parts:

Addressing diverse challenges

Alicante cast house produces first slabs

after major revamp

Aluminium recycling furnace

ALUMINIUM INTERNATIONAL TODAY is published six times a year by Quartz Business Media Ltd, Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QX, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855000 Fax: +44 (0) 1737 855034 Email: aluminium@quartzltd.com Aluminium International Today (USO No; 022-344) is published bi-monthly by Quartz Business Ltd and distributed in the US by DSW, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Aluminium International c/o PO Box 437, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Printed in the UK by: Pensord, Tram Road, Pontlanfraith, Blackwood, Gwent, NP12 2YA, UK © Quartz Business Media Ltd 2019

Industry trends to watch in 2019

for Fonderie Pandolfo

ANALYSIS & TESTING 36 Advantages of automated surface inspection

AUTOMOTIVE 41 Aluminium to accelerate electric and

self-driving vehicles 45 SEARCH FOR ALUMINIUM INTERNATIONAL TODAY

Increasing die-casting productivity and

reducing costs

PACKAGING 51 Advantages of automated surface inspection

ISSN1475-455X

Aluminium International Today

Contents Template.indd 1

March/April 2019

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2 COMMENT

Potline reopens

Deal or No Deal? While the title of this month’s column implies a no frills TV game show with contestants gambling on uncertainty, it seems ironic that the UK is currently playing its own version, just thankfully minus Noel Edmonds...is he still in the jungle? I won’t profess to know all the ins and outs of what the outcome will be on 29th March and what it means for the UK aluminium industry. It has an essence of ‘Millennium Bug’ about it all and I am actually quite looking forward to being out of the country (on a tour of the Québec aluminium industry) on said date. Tom Jones, Chief Executive of ALFED confirms the consequences he believes a ‘no deal’ exit would bring: “Significant disruption of the supply chain across all industries, delays at customs, movement of all goods, including foods and medicines will impact on UK industry and those employed in it. “A secure withdrawal agreement, together with the right transition period would give business in the UK time to adapt and prepare to the new trading landscape, as well as ensure our future relationship with the European Union brings mutual growth and the right trading partnership.” In the meantime, if you’d rather avoid the ‘B’ word, then this issue has a large focus on the future of aluminium manufacturing, furnace and heat treatment technology, analysis & testing and a focus on value-added products. Enjoy! nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

Aldel located in Delfzijl, the Netherlands, has announced the reopening of potline one following the purchase of the business by York Capital in 2017. This is part of the on-going capital investment in both equipment and people as the plant moves towards full production by the end of 2019. Aldel’s return to the European

aluminium industry has been very well received and reflected by the strong support the business has received from customers and suppliers alike. As a result of the significant investment, Aldel is looking for employees. The main focus is in production and technical support roles, however further job opportunities are also available in the

commercial and IT departments too. Aldel currently has approximately 500 people on-site of whom 270 are employees, this is up from 175 when the business was acquired. Once at full production capacity, it is expected that more than 300 people will be directly employed.

ABx commences Bald Hill Project Australian Bauxite has awarded the contract for mining, processing and blending to Hazell Bros contractors. It has also commenced contract negotiations for transporting the product to the Bell Bay port. “ABx has long-standing relationships with experienced contractors

that are well known for meeting the strict tonnage-specification targets and complying with community and landholder requirements.” “ABx has contracted with QUBE Logistics at Bell Bay for the stevedoring services and stockpiling arrangements, in conjunction with TasPorts.

Monson Shipping have provided Shipping Agents services and Briar Maritime have provided independent ship surveys to date.” The company expects sales of fertiliser grade bauxite to continue throughout the year as the fertiliser product achieves wider market approval.

GFG Alliance inaugurates Dunkerque Sanjeev Gupta’s global GFG Alliance formally inaugurated Liberty Aluminium Dunkerque on 24th January 209, as part of its global network of businesses and declared its intention to expand strongly into France’s industrial supply chain. In the presence of the French Minister of Action and Public Accounts, Gérald Darmanin, Mr Gupta joined staff and up to 350 guests in Dunkerque to formally welcome Europe’s largest smelter, bought from Rio Tinto for around US$500m in December last year,

into the GFG fold. GFG aims to make the 570-worker plant the hub of an extensive manufacturing supply chain providing materials and components for French industry, particularly the automotive sector. The site currently produces 285,000 tonnes of primary aluminium a year. From June, Liberty Wheels France will supply the specialist French micro-car manufacturer Ligier with up to around 40% of its annual requirement for alloy wheels. It is the first contract won

since the Alliance acquired the facility, which is the only aluminium wheel manufacturer in France. The group has since implemented a turnaround plan to improve the plant’s efficiency and productivity. Managing Director of Liberty Aluminium Dunkerque, Guillaume de Goÿs, said: “Aluminium Dunkerque is very pleased to see the Liberty flag flying at our site. We are eager to play our role within the French supply chain, to support our customers and partners and through doing so, to become known as a Centre of Excellence for Aluminium. We have an ambitious programme to maximise the value of the aluminium we currently produce and to become a preferred supplier to the automotive and other growing industries in France. We’re looking forward to making that journey shoulder to shoulder with our Alliance partners and colleagues.”

March/April 2019

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INDUSTRY NEWS 3

ALBA: Line 6 ramp-up Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), soon to be the largest aluminium smelter in the world, is pleased to state that its flagship Line 6 Expansion Project is progressing as per schedule with the successful testing of 40 pots which are now fully operational. The Chairman of Alba’s Board of Directors, Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa, said: “We are delighted to have started Potline 6 ahead of schedule on 13 December 2018 and to have successfully started the first 40 pots. Alba is targeting Line 6 full rampup within Q3 2019 which will further position us to take advantage of the growing demand in global aluminium consumption. We also look forward to finish 2019 strong as Alba’s total production will top

1,350,000 metric tonnes with Potline 6. With 2019 Production Target, we will make a big step forward on the cost side which will bring us closer to achieve US$40 Million savings (Phase IV of Project Titan) in 2019.” One of the most remarkable achievements for Alba on this landmark Project is the Extreme Ownership on Safety by Alba employees and contractors. It is noteworthy that Line 6 Smelter clocked more than 32 million working-hours without Lost Time Injury (LTI), while Power Station 5 recorded more than 7 million working-hours without LTI and Power Distribution System achieved more than 2 million working-hours without LTI as of January 31, 2019.

RUSAL introduces AI-based system for electrolytic cells RUSAL is to implement an AIbased predictive system developed by Mechanica AI, a provider of AI-based solutions for process industries. The expected annual yield growth following the system roll-out is estimated to be over $10 million yearly for the first chosen plant. RUSAL is one of the world’s largest aluminium producers, and on going optimisation of production processes is an important part of the company’s strategy. To investigate whether innovative AI technologies can further support this task, RUSAL successfully completed a pilot project with Mechanica AI. Using accumulated historical data, Mechanica AI developed a machine learning system able to predict which electrolytic cells are likely to underperform in the near future. The goal was to address the periodic efficiency decrease of electrolytic cells that leads to lowered production output and thus lost revenue. The machine learning system

was integrated with existing process databases to receive input data on daily plant operations. For output, it generated a list of cells that were most likely to have an efficiency decrease in the next few days, allowing on-site experts to inspect them as part of their regular maintenance workflow. The system was tested on two RUSAL plants. Pilot results demonstrated that the machine learning system correctly identified at least twice as many underperforming cells compared to the current expert-led approach. Early alerts on unnoticed technical problems allowed plant experts to treat them in time, thus avoiding yield loss. The predictive system is now being deployed at the first chosen plant. Once the system is fully rolled out, the potential effect for this plant is estimated to be over $10m in yearly revenue. The gains will result from the timely prevention of cell inefficiencies and a corresponding increase of production levels by up to 0.7%.

NEWS IN BRIEF EGA: First bauxite train Emirates Global Aluminium has announced a milestone at its underconstruction Guinea bauxite mining project as the first loaded train travelled from its subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation’s mine to the coast. The 80-wagon train carried some 6,800 tonnes of bauxite ore from GAC’s mine to the company’s facilities at Kamsar. The ore will be used to begin building a base-layer of bauxite at GAC’s new stockyard. First bauxite exports are expected during the second half of 2019. GAC has a total budgeted project cost of approximately $1.4 billion and is the largest greenfield investment i n Guinea in the last four decades.

Decade-low demand According to an announcement by Alcoa, global demand for aluminium is likely to grow this year at its slowest pace since the global recession of 2009. Roy Harvey, Alcoa’s chief executive, said in a presentation to analysts that the company expected worldwide demand to grow by 3-4 per cent this year, which would be the slowest rate since the world market shrank during the downturn that followed the great financial crisis. Mr Harvey pledged to respond “with urgency to these dynamic conditions” in the coming year. He was speaking as Alcoa reported earnings for the fourth quarter of last year that were down 37 per cent from the equivalent period of 2017, but above analysts’ expectations.

GLAFRI re-elects President Göksal Güngör has been reelected as President of the Global Aluminium Foil Roller Initiative (GLAFRI) for a second term. Mr Güngor also serves as General Manager of Assan Alüminyum in Turkey and, before his election in 2018, had served on the board of the organisation as a VicePresident.

Nespresso commits to improve aluminium capsule recycling Nespresso has made a US$1.2 million commitment to better enable the recovery of its aluminium coffee capsules through New York City’s recycling programme. “Nespresso is deeply committed to the circular use of our products, choosing aluminium packaging because it both protects the quality of our exceptional coffees and can be recycled and reused again and again,” says Guillaume Le Cunff, President and CEO of Nespresso USA. “This collaboration will provide New York City-based consumers with another convenient way to recycle used capsules and other aluminium products at home, allowing these items to be given

many new lives.” Nespresso says its collaboration with the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), and Sims Municipal Recycling (SMR) will drive its recycling efforts further and provide consumers with additional options.

Aluminium International Today

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4 INDUSTRY NEWS

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TRIMET: New recycling furnace in operation With a capacity of around 40 tons, the new furnace will be replacing two of the three existing systems. The TRIMET Executive Board, headed by Chairman Philipp Schlüter, Plant Manager Jens Meinecke and the employees of TRIMET’s Gelsenkirchen plant ceremoniously put the new system into operation on 15th February 2019. “Around 90 percent of the

aluminium in circulation is recycled, and the total quantity of recycled light metal continues to increase as a result of increasing demand. So it is only logical for us to consistently invest in expanding our capacities and modernising our plants,” said Philipp Schlüter, Chairman of the Executive Board of TRIMET Aluminium SE. The new rotary furnace significantly increases remelting capacities at the TRIMET plant in Gelsenkirchen. Along with its installation, the infrastructure and exhaust system of the secondary smelter were modernised and expanded. “The employees have put their heart and soul into the planning and remodelling with a great deal of flexibility. We are proud of this, because only in this way could

everything be carried out smoothly without interrupting operations. At the same time, we are all happy that we can now concentrate fully on remelting aluminium scrap into high-quality products,” said Jens Meinecke, head of TRIMET’s Gelsenkirchen plant. The furnace has a self-controlling burner system that switches between oxygen and air during the production of the fuel mixture, depending on requirements. This not only significantly reduces energy consumption, it also increases the proportion of recycled metal. In addition, the furnace is equipped with intelligent charging technology, which enables faster filling and can process larger quantities of material per smelting process.

pected to be filled by projected customer demand. The project, which is expected to create 70 new jobs, is already underway and is expected to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2020. “This investment will add capacity to meet growing demand for industrial products and automotive aluminium sheet,” said Tim Myers, President of Arconic’s Global Rolled Products business. “With this expansion, we are fur-

March/April 2019

Nadine mar april.indd 3

aluminium billet. The company, which currently operates plants in Indiana, Ohio, and Ontario, Canada, said the proposed site in Wisconsin Rapids offered convenient access to its customers as well as a strong local labor force and quality of life, the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune reports. Matalco executives also credited a package of state and local incentives for helping to bring the project to the region; the local incentives, the paper noted, must still be approved by city officials. The Tribune said the facility ex-

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April 24 - 26 24th World Aluminium Conference* The event provides concise insight on supply, demand, price, premiums, sustainability and costs for the benefit of a highlyinfluential audience from the global aluminium industry. Held in London, UK www.events.crugroup.com/ aluminium/home

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ther diversifying the portfolio of one of our largest North American facilities.”

$80M billet plant planned Aluminium manufacturer Matalco has announced plans to build a new $80 million plant in central Wisconsin for the production of

March 25 - 27

May 22 - 23

Arconic expends capacity Arconic Inc. has announced an investment of approximately $100 million to expand its hot mill capability and add downstream equipment capabilities to manufacture industrial and automotive aluminium products in its Tennessee Operations facility near Knoxville, Tennessee. Customer commitments for the majority of the anticipated increase in capacity are already in place, and the remainder is ex-

2019 DIARY

pects to produce about 230 million pounds of billet, or aluminium logs, from mostly recycled scrap aluminium each year. Those pieces would then be sold to extrusion companies for cutting or pressing. Matalco expects to employ 80 full-time workers at the 110,000-square-foot plant. Officials reportedly expressed interested in training new employees in partnership with nearby Mid-State Technical College. If approved, construction would begin this spring and the facility would open in mid-2020.

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For a full listing visit www. aluminiumtoday.com and click on Events Diary Aluminium International Today

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6 CHINA UPDATE

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Production and exports to increase despite low global prices By Eugene Gerden* China is ready to further increase its domestic production of aluminium along with its exports this year, despite last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s records and the current low global prices for the metal, according to recent statements from senior state officials of the Chinese Ministry of Economy and major local producers. According to data from the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics, in December 2018, the volume of monthly primary aluminium production in the country for the first time in its history exceeded three million tons, which is 11% higher year-onyear. For the whole year, production grew

by 7.4% compared with 2017 to 35.8 million tons. Last year about 3.8 million tonnes of new aluminium capacities were officially commissioned in China, with about 2.8 million tonnes being decommissioned. In addition to production, exports also continue to grow. Last year they grew by a further 20%, in volume terms, compared to 2017. According to analysts of the Chinese Ministry of Economy, the growth of exports were mainly due to the devaluation of the Chinese national currency, the existing sanctions regime against Rusal and the

on-going trade wars between China and the US. In the meantime, despite the intention of the Chinese government and local producers to further increase both aluminium production and exports, experts from the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade predict tightening of completion in the global aluminium market. Official spokesman, Denis Manturov, Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Minister for Industry and Trade, (who is responsible for the development of the aluminium industry in the Russian government) said that will be mainly related with the recent long-awaited

*Russian Correspondent March/April 2019

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Aluminium International Today

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tbwom.com

CHINA UPDATE

lifting of sanctions against Rusal by the US and the predicted further decline of global prices for aluminium. The latter, according to him, will put additional pressure on the market and major producers. In the case of Rusal, the company is ready to significantly boost its export supplies already in Q2 of the current year and to achieve its pre-crisis levels of both production and exports. According to Manturov, this will provide an opportunity to Russia and its aluminium producers (particularly Rusal) to better compete with its Chinese rivals in the global market already. The growth of Russian production will also be supported by relatively low production costs of aluminium production. Denis Manturov expects global aluminium prices may resume their growth already over the next several months. That will be mainly due to the planned new wave of massive decommissioning of aluminium capacities in China, which is scheduled for the current year and will likely be the largest since the beginning of 2010. Implementation of these plans will be part of a large-scale reform of the Chinese metals’ industry, which has been conducting in the country since 2014. The main goal of the reform is cutting production costs in the industry and to raise its efficiency. The growth of prices will be also supported by the tightening environmental regulations in China and the existing risks of the resuming of trade wars with the US, despite some recent preliminary agreements. Currently the US still remains unhappy with the on-going subsidisation of the Chinese aluminium production by the national government, considering the introduction of duties on the exports of Chinese aluminium products to the US market. That mainly applies to the Chinese aluminium foil and other aluminium products. Analysts expect the on-going uncertainties and the existing risks of introduction of new trade barriers from the US may speed implementation of China’s plans for the cutting of its aluminiumproducing capacities. Overall, according to plans of the Chinese authorities, up to 15-17% aluminium capacities, which are located in 28 cities and provinces of the country, may already be cut by the end of the current year. These plans also involve a massive reduction of alumina production. According to some recent reports of Chinese South China Morning Post, the biggest cuts of production are planned for Shandong, Henan, Shanxi and Hebei provinces, where about 37% of Chinese aluminium and 78% of alumina are located. Analysts of the Chinese Ministry of Economy also believe the growth of global prices will be supported by the expected decline of the domestic demand. At present the domestic demand for aluminium in China remains high, which is mainly due to the implementation of some large-scale infrastructure projects. However, as most of them are expected to be completed already this year, this, along with deepening stagnation of the Chinese national economy, may result in the decline of a local demand for aluminium. This is especially important when taking into account that China itself remains the world’s largest aluminium consumer, where exports account for only 15% of its overall production. Still, according to Denis Manturov, China has big reserves for the maintaining of its production at high levels even amid the ever declining global prices, thanks to high energy efficiency, which has been achieved in the industry in the last 10 years. This is reﬂected by statistics of the Chinese International Aluminium Institute (IAI), which states that at present China uses on average 13,562 kWh of electricity for the production of one ton of aluminium. This is significantly lower than the European figures of 15,522 kWh, as well as the US 15,130 kWh. �

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INDIA UPDATE 9 5

Indian market overview The Indian aluminium industry is rapidly growing as one of the key global aluminium markets from a producing and consuming point of view. Though, currently the per capita consumption is very low when compared to the global average, but increasing urbanisation and industrialisation, supported by government initiatives on infrastructure and housing, continue to drive strong economic growth and generate demand for aluminium products. Here, Aluminium International Today presents an overview of Indian aluminium industry. By Seema Gahlaut* With primary aluminium production at 3.39 million tonnes in 2017-18, the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production grew by slightly more than 21 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in the last financial year, going past the 15.5 per cent rise in 2016-17. The rise in aluminium production was on account of better operational efficiencies owing to enhanced capacity utilisation at existing smelters. During 2017-18, Vedanta expanded the capacity of its potlines at the Jharsuguda and BALCO smelters (Chhattisgarh). The countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consumption of aluminium at 2.08 million tonnes rose by 4.3% during 2017-18, against a decline of 0.9% during financial year 2016-17. Aluminium consumption India is driven by its use in power (48%), automobiles (15%), construction (13%), packaging (8%), industrial (7%) and consumer

durables (7%) sectors and rest 2% for miscellaneous uses. According to the data of the Union commerce and industry ministry, in volume terms aluminium exports rose from 1.22 million tonnes at the end of 2016-17 to 1.66 million tonnes in 201718. In the comparable period, imports of aluminium dropped 14.7 per cent to 360,000 tonnes. Global aluminium markets faced a deficit

Financial Year

as demand for the white metal exceeded supply. This situation benefited Indian producers as aluminium is oversupplied in the domestic markets. South Korea accounted for the largest export of Indian aluminium products (31 per cent), followed by Malaysia (30 per cent) and the US (11 per cent). Turkey (9%), Japan (5%), Bangladesh (4%) and Spain (4%) were the other important export destinations for Indian producers.

Production

Growth over previous year

Exports

Imports

2015-16

2.425

12.07 %

0.829

0.421

2016-17

2.800

15.5 %

1.224

0.422

2017-18

3.392

21.07 %

1.669

0.360

Table Primary aluminium production, exports and imports in India over the years. Source: Indian Ministry of Commerce & Industry. All units in million tonnes

*Indian Correspondent Aluminium International Today

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10 INDIA UPDATE

Industry structure Aluminium consumption in India at 2.5kg per capita is much below the global average of 11kg per capita. To reach the global average of 11kg per capita, India will require an additional annual consumption of 16mn tonnes, thus, making it the second largest consumer in the world in absolute terms. Currently, the country is the fourth largest alumina producer, third largest aluminium producer and fifth largest consumer. The country is endowed with rich and good quality coal and bauxite reserves, which is fifth largest in the world for both the commodities. India’s unique advantage of abundant, good quality bauxite (compared to China which has high silica content) along with coal, which will enable the country to develop a globally competitive aluminium industry. India has a significant primary aluminium capacity of 4.1 million tonnes and downstream processing capacity of about 3.9 million tonnes. The Indian aluminium industry is characterised by companies ranging from fully integrated to product specialists. The upstream sector is dominated by three major players NALCO (PSU), Hindalco and Vedanta with a production of about 3.5 million tonnes and capacity of 4.1 million tonnes. The downstream segment comprises of more than 150 large and mid-sized companies. Concerns for Indian aluminium industry Imports, especially of aluminium scrap, continue to be a cause of concern for primary producers in India. Scrap imports recorded a spurt of 20.4 per cent in 201718 to 1.121 million tonnes. A low import duty of 2.5 per cent on import of scraps is driving imports. Primary producers have raised the concern of excessive imports of scraps as find this an issue as it is eating into the market share of domestic producers. Speaking at Earnings Conference Call in early November, Satish Pai, Managing Director of Hindalco said, “In the first nine months of 2018, consumption of aluminium registered a growth of 14% to 1.6 million tons. However, the increase in low cost imports of fake semis, wire rods from ASEAN and China, coupled with surge in scrap imports from the US impacted domestic demand of primary metal. Estimated fixed semis import from China increased 13 times to 66,000 t in April- September 2018 compared to the corresponding period last year. Scrap imports in April- September 2018 grew by 19% year-on-year to 644,000 tons, posing a threat to domestic manufacturers.” Cost of smelting in India is constantly rising due to increase in coal prices March/April 2019

India update.indd 2

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and constrained availabilities. Higher oil prices, mainly furnace oil and other carbon-related input costs during most of 2018 put considerable cost pressure on domestic producers. Aluminium is a highly power-intensive industry in which power accounts to 45% of production cost. Indian aluminium producers rely on coal-fired captive plants for power and fuel requirements. With the recent change in the regulations where the government has prioritised coal supplies to power stations to boost their inventories, aluminium producers are facing coal shortages thus increasing the reliance on expensive imported coal.

are still a number of opportunities in the downstream processing segment. State of Odisha in particular has attracted investments worth INR 95 billion during past few years. The state has attracted proposals from Bahrain-based Midal Cables and Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) subsidiary Grid Conductors. Midal Cables has proposed a rod and wire conductor unit at the park with an investment of INR 3.59 billion with an annual capacity of 60,000 tonnes per annum. Grid Conductors has proposed to establish an aluminium and aluminium alloy conductor unit in the state with an investment of INR 1.28 billion. “In the next five years, aluminium consumption in India will be doubled from existing level of 3.6 million tonne to 7.2 million tonne. Unless we focus on aluminium downstream unit, India will be importing around $5 billion worth downstream aluminium products,” Tapan Kumar Chand, CMD, National Aluminium Company said during the National Aluminium Network Meet 2018, held at New Delhi. The event was held under the aegis of Ministry of Mines and Jawaharlal Nehru Research & Development (JNRCD) in the month of October. Major aluminium producers in India Indian aluminium production is controlled by three major producers. Vedanta Limited, Hindalco and state owned National Aluminium Company cumulatively account for an installed capacity of 4.1 million tonnes.

Anti-dumping duty Indian aluminium producing companies have repeatedly urged the government and concerned authorities to impose anti-dumping duties and quantitative restrictions on imports for more than two years. Speaking to Aluminium International Today on condition of anonymity, a key executive from National Aluminium Company said, “Imposition of antidumping duty would not have much impact as most of aluminium imports are from ASEAN countries with which India has signed a free trade agreement. In fact, it would be better for the Government to impose quantitative restrictions so that the interest of domestic producers can be protected. The government can restrict imports to the average of last five years and ensure that there is no dumping.” Downstream processing Investments in aluminium downstream space have been gaining momentum in India for past few years. However, there

Vedanta Vedanta is the largest aluminium producer in India with an installed capacity of 2.3 million tonnes per annum. The company’s aluminium business is owned and operated by Vedanta Limited and Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) in which Vedanta Limited has a 51% interest, the rest 49 % is owned by the Government of India. Vedanta Limited’s aluminium operations include an alumina refinery and a 90 MW captive power plant (CPP) at Lanjigarh, two smelters (500 kt & 1,250 kt) and two captive power plants (1,215 MW & 1,800 MW) at Jharsuguda, both in the state of Odisha in Eastern India. BALCO’s operations include two bauxite mines, three captive power plants (270 MW, 540 MW and 600 MW), and two smelters (570 kt) and fabrication facilities in the state of Chhattisgarh in central India. Hindalco Hindalco Industries Ltd., a subsidiary of the Aditya Birla Group is among the three major aluminium producers in the country. Company’s smelting operations Aluminium International Today

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are located at Renukoot in state of Uttar Pradesh, Aditya Aluminium in Odisha, Mahan Aluminium in Madhya Pradesh and Hirakud in Odisha. Cumulatively, all these facilities have an installed capacity to produce around 1.3 million tonnes of primary aluminium in a year. Hindalco has a sizable presence in downstream segments, with presence across rolled products, extrusions, foil and packaging segments. Company’s rolled products plants are located at Hirakud in Odisha, Belur near Kolkata, Mouda near Nagpur in Maharashtra, Renukoot in Uttar Pradesh, and Taloja near Mumbai in Maharashtra, while its extrusion plants are located at Renukoot, Uttar Pradesh and Alupuram, Kerala. Hindalco’s three modern and well-equipped foil facilities are located at Mouda near Nagpur in Maharashtra; Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Kollur in Andhra Pradesh. Hindalco has recently signed two Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU) agreements with state governments of Gujarat and Orissa. The company plan to spend INR 50 – INR 60 billion over the next few years to double the company’s

downstream capacity. MOU with the Odisha government is for the expansion of the Hirakud downstream plant, while in Gujarat Hindalco will invest about INR 35 billion to set up the country’s biggest aluminium extrusion and recycling plant. The company plans to invest INR 20 billion in two phases for the extrusion plant, having an annual production capacity of 150,000 tonnes. The company will be investing an additional INR 15 billion in three phases for an aluminium recycling unit with a recycling capacity of 300,000 tonnes. National Aluminium Company Limited Government owned, National Aluminium Company Limited, abbreviated as NALCO, is one of the largest integrated bauxitealumina-aluminium-power complex in the country. The Company has a 6.825 million tonnes per annum bauxite mine, 2.1 million tonnes per annum alumina refinery located at Damanjodi, and 460,000 tonnes per annum aluminium smelter & 1200 MW captive power plant located at Angul.

Huge prospects India has huge potential for the aluminium industry in coming years. As the country strives to meet its economic growth targets, aluminium will be critical for its infrastructural needs. In a little over a decade, India is expected to be home to 1.5 billion people (from current 1.28 billion) and boast an economy worth US$6 trillion (from the current 2.7 trillion). This presents an exceptional opportunity for the aluminium producers in the primary and downstream sector, whose products will be essential to meet the country’s growing requirements for development, infrastructure development, assetcreation, mobility, housing, consumer goods and general consumption. India is one of the world’s largest electrical applications market for aluminium and the electrification programmes driven by the Government will drive the growth in aluminium consumption by steady numbers. The next wave of light weighting in the Indian railways combined with the ‘Make in India’ campaign is expected to herald new growth opportunities for new investments in the downstream aluminium segment. �

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Hindalco to uplift downstream capacity In a recent interview, Devotosh Kumar Das, Chief Marketing Ofﬁcer of Hindalco’s Aluminium Business commented that a large part of the Indian growth in aluminium is currently being met by imports.

How do you ﬁnd the Indian aluminium industry compared to the global standard? India is the second largest producer of aluminium outside China and the third largest consumer of aluminium in the world. We are only next to Russia in overall Production and USA and Germany in consumption of aluminium. India, given its economic growth has the potential to grow in aluminium consumption several times its current levels. India is currently at an economic inﬂexion point where from, we believe, it would experience a steep jump in overall aluminium consumption. Our per capita consumption is currently at 2.4kg as compared to countries like China at 24kg. Even if India grows half of this level, the overall consumption of aluminium would be about four times the current levels. “Growth in Aluminium consumption would be driven primarily through increased adoption of Aluminium in diverse applications.” What are the future prospects of the Indian aluminium industry? India’s domestic consumption, today, is skewed towards power sector, which is understandable as our economy is still in its formative stage. As our economy grows, we would witness aluminium consumption growing in other sectors viz. building and construction, transport, packaging and other industrial segments. Globally, more than 50% of aluminium consumption comes from transport and construction segments whereas in India only 30% of consumption comes from these segments. Growth in aluminium consumption would be driven primarily through increased adoption of aluminium in diverse applications. The government’s focus on growing railways, solar energy, EVs, defence and aerospace segments shall provide a huge potential for adoption of Aluminium in new areas and drive the growth in future. March/April 2019

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The government’s ‘Make in India’ policy would enable building suitable capacities and capabilities in Aluminium applications in India in future and support the inherent growth in demand. How is Hindalco catering to aluminium demand in various forms? Hindalco is the only fully integrated aluminium company in India. We manufacture products ranging from ingots and billets to ﬂat rolled products, extrusions and foils. We are the largest downstream player in India with presence across all key consumption sectors - Packaging, Consumer Durables, Printing, Power, Automotive and Construction. We engage with the industry, government and various other agencies to develop new applications in aluminium. We are also working on investing in developing our production capacities and capabilities to ensure that we can meet the current and future demand of aluminium in the country. A large part of Indian aluminium consumption and growth is being met through imports as we have no capability to make such products within the country. Hindalco is developing capabilities to produce all such products and replace the imports into the country through indigenous production. What does Hindalco have in store for the future? Hindalco has just gone through an aggressive phase of investment in growing its upstream capacity in aluminium. We have invested close to $5 billion in increasing our capacity from 600kt to 1.3 million tonne. Going forward, Hindalco would focus on investing in growth of its downstream capacity in the next 2-3 years. This will help us not only to meet the growing demand for aluminium in downstream applications, but also to substitute a signiﬁcant volume of imports, which are currently coming into India.

What support do you need from policy makers? A large part of the Indian growth in aluminium is currently being met by imports. This does not help local industry as they cannot compete against imports given the current scenario. The government needs to provide the Indian industry a level playing field if it wants them to grow and take the maximum benefit out of the ‘Make in India strategy’. The largest share of imports of aluminium into India is from China. The Chinese industry enjoys export incentives for downstream products which enable them to dump into India (and other Asian markets) at prices which local industry cannot compete with. Besides China, there are increasing imports coming in from countries, which have Free Trade Agreements with India. There is an urgent need for policy makers to recognise these issues and ensure that there is a level playing field provided to Indian local industry to enable them to invest and grow in a viable manner. The other area of policy intervention is in increasing adoption and driving demand. For example: There is a policy on FUEL for automobiles. However, the progress on the same is extremely tardy. Compared to the western countries, where there is increasing awareness about pollution norms and strict implementation on policy measures driving FUEL, we have a lot to catch upon, e.g. despite a stated policy on securitisation of vehicle registration plates, the implementation across states has been unsatisfactory. A large part of the aluminium demand in India is being met through growing imports of scrap. Given the current global dynamics, the Indian market is being dumped with cheap scrap from all across the world, without checks and controls. There is a need to adopt a policy of checks and balances on quality of scrap coming into India based on end use. This will also boost the local aluminium industry. � Aluminium International Today

11/03/2019 14:22:20

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14 SUPPLIER PROFILE: GLAMA

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New projects to support automation Since the company’s inception in 1961, GLAMA Maschinenbau GmbH has been at the forefront of manufacturing custom-made articles for smelting technology. Nadine Bloxsome, Editor, visited the site in Gladbeck, Germany to see how automation is driving new equipment for the aluminium industry.

The first Future Aluminium Forum last year saw Maarten Meijer, Sales Manager at GLAMA, present the concept of integrated automation and in particular Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) within a smelter, with the desired outcome being a positive impact on cell performance. “The challenge with automated technology is finding an answer for a mature industry,” says Maarten. “The infrastructure is not in place for fully automated vehicles, therefore a supplier needs to be ﬂexible. You are also required to work with existing applications and on Brownfield sites, which also means a level of aftersales care is essential.” While the aluminium-manufacturing sector is a focal point of the company’s business, the forging industry was first to experience the machinery with the development of a forging manipulator back in 1963.

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QUALITY DATA COLLECTION As a member of the Future Aluminium Advisory Board, Maarten is called up to offer his advice and expertise when it comes to associated technologies and where he sees the most development. In the following statement he gives his opinion on the next steps for the sector: “Over the last two years I am surprised to see how words like, big data, digital twin, Industry 4.0 and automatic guided vehicles have entered the vocabulary of many board rooms and conferences in the aluminium industry. Especially in the primary aluminium industry, this means an addition to the existing vocabulary and knowledge that is focused on the optimisation of the Hall Herault process into a cell. This enrichment of our vocabulary brings industry closer to operational excellence and slowly opens the door to combine detailed process know how with the benefits of modern material handling systems. It is our vision that the next step in process efficiency for primary aluminium production will come from improved handling efficiency and the data that comes to it. A typical example that Industry 4.0 is bringing us as an industry is the arrival of new sensors, very often used for something else but powerful enough to be used as a data source for many other questions we have. It’s only this year that at GLAMA we started to see the power of this sensors. While testing one of the latest 3D sensors that we intend to use for material handling robots we

realised that the accurate 3D image created is an ideal source to discover trends in operation. Real-time feedback to operations with regards to process data such as anode height, cell covers, heat distribution in the cell as well as inventory checks and sludge built up can easily be monitored and given trends to. The actual drop off and collection time of materials can become another valuable source of quality data about the process. Yes, we know it is indirect sensing technology and therefore not exactly what we look for. However, the fast amount of data collected together with sharp analysis do make it a source to good not to ignore. For anyone that doubts this kind of sensing, who would think that a temperature sensor one day would be used to switch of a device many of us use to listen music with (Bluetooth earphones)? Or a more complex task, your navigation system takes care of avoiding traffic based on cell phone data. It is this kind of research combined with our practical knowledge from the many robots and automation projects we already carried out for forge industry that gives us the determination to innovate and come up with robots and material handling solutions that add to our client’s operations. Supporting the Industry 4.0 discussion in aluminium industry then starts to feel comfortable since it fits right in what we are good in Integrated Material Handling Solutions that support your production lines.”

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By 1977 GLAMA was celebrating producing its 500th machine and the 1000th left the facility in 2001. A tour of the site highlighted that there is still a strong demand for equipment in this area and the size of the machines being designed and constructed under one roof was hard to comprehend. It is for this reason that the new production hall I was able to view was erected in 2008 to take on larger orders. Approximately 52 machines leave the facility each year (that’s a machine a week) destined for sites worldwide.

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focuses on the reduction of metal loss. The company tested this autonomous technology with on board route planning. Industry 4.0 applications While the term ‘Industry 4.0’ is banded around, it is only in recent years that the aluminium industry has opened up to the idea of innovation and started to see that it is feasible with the help of forwardthinking suppliers. “While the aluminium sector appears to

be quite conservative, there are pockets like semi-finished manufacturers and recyclers who are becoming more aware and accepting of working with new technologies,” says Maarten. Being a leader in innovation, GLAMA plans to continue to strive to offer the best solutions within the good tradition of German “Meisterschaft” and full machine integration up to the requirements of Industry 4.0. �

Years of development “We have been actively working on automation solutions for the last 20 years across different industries,” says Maarten. “This has enabled GLAMA to collect data which shows how long a process took for example, so we have detailed information needed for analysis and research.” The most recent developments have included the company successfully expanding the portfolio with a safe, robust solution for cleaning the dangerous area of a pot line basement. GLAMA also launched a new ladle discharge technology in 2018 that

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INDUSTRY 4.0 17 5

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Industry 4.0: Where is the revolution? By Dan Miller*

Industry 4.0 is in the press a lot at the moment. It is the latest buzzword (or set of buzzwords) that a company must use if it is to show itself to be at the leading edge of technology. It has generated many conferences across multiple industries, yet the benefits are somewhat nebulous. Indeed, the very concept of a new revolution in technology seems rather vague. In this article, I’ll talk about how the term originated, what many people perceive it to be and my own, slightly different, view. Fig. 1. The benefit of hindsight and the perspective of history does at least give some substance to the earlier industrial revolutions. The advent of mechanisation and the utilisation of engines running on water or steam power produced the Industrial Revolution. It resulted in many trade benefits for the leading industrial countries, together with a huge amount of social disruption. This came about as the agrarian economies readjusted and the workforce shifted and moulded to the new ways of working. The advent of mass production heralded the second industrial revolution. It saw the widespread use of electrically powered machinery, especially in assembly lines. This technological revolution of the late 19th century paved the way for the industrial methods we now take for granted. For example, steel production and the spread of systems such as electricity, water supply and telephones across the developed and developing countries. The third revolution happened only relatively recently. It comprises the rise of electronics, computers, digital technology, the Internet and the increased use of automation to achieve efficiencies. Is Industry 4.0 the 4th industrial revolution? Big data, analytics, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and robotics are terms we use to describe the current

Fig 1.The four industrial revolutions

revolution. Some see it as the means by which 50% of the jobs we have today will no longer be done by people. Instead, they’ll be carried out by some form of cyber-physical system. The building blocks of this “revolution” have been around for some time. In fact, it might be said to simply be the natural output of the third revolution. The great difference is that of the approach and the impact it may have both on our industry and the role of the workers in the future industrial environment. Many people perceived Industry 3.0 as how “industrialisation + automation” would relieve the burden of manual and

repetitive chores. Therefore, it would make the workplace a better and more enjoyable place. Industry 4.0 now takes this further by making intelligent (rational and hopefully correct!) decisions. These will lead to higher quality products, manufactured at lower cost, using less energy consumption and in a safer working environment. Or at least that’s the theory… Many suppliers in the industry seek to build up this “revolution” by starting with plant digitalisation. This creates an asset of the data and exploits the value of this asset through big data analysis. The slicing of this data exposes correlations that will

*Senior Process Consultant, Innoval Technology Ltd Aluminium International Today

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18 INDUSTRY 4.0

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Fig 3. Significantly increased and fully integrated data collection may not be necessary to achieve Industry 4.0’s benefits Fig 2. Industry 4.0 uses plant data to make intelligent decisions

hopefully bring more optimal operating conditions. (Fig. 2). A different view In some cases, the need for increased and integrated data collection can be a barrier. In our view it’s not a necessary step to achieving the benefits Industry 4.0 promises. For Innoval, with our deep knowledge of both the products and their requirements, as well as the equipment used in the process route, we envisage a somewhat different path. Fig. 3. We know full digitalisation is expensive and that data mining can be disappointing. After all, a correlation is not a causation. However, we do have effective models of key process stages that have been built upon robust physical principles and incorporate our depth of knowledge of the underlying materials behaviour. We can utilise our models to integrate the process and product dimensions. Furthermore, they can identify the key parameters that you need to monitor (and the controls you need to adjust dynamically) to ensure consistent quality and predictable delivery times. Industry 4.0 implementation End-users expect to receive from their suppliers a product with the right mechanical properties, that’s within the geometrical specification tolerances and is free of surface defects. What’s more, this should all be available at a competitive price and arrive within a guaranteed delivery window. This is not going to change with Industry 4.0 implementation. The expectation is that there will be greater certainty that all the criteria can be met. Furthermore, end-users may expect some of the benefits promised by Industry 4.0 to be reflected in a reduced price. There are however, significant opportunities for the producer in terms March/April 2019

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of cost reduction. This is through reduced scrap, optimising energy usage and improved machine utilisation. There is also a valuable by-product. We could store all the collected data in such a way that it dynamically updates associated knowledge maps. These can then become virtual ‘aluminium experts’. The ‘experts’ could then provide pertinent advice and likely solutions in real time for operators on the lines. This is a methodology Innoval is researching for our K-Maps. Dynamically adjusting downstream practices From our perspective, we see the key technological potential of Industry 4.0 implementation in the expansion of the identification data of the piece or coil (such as ID, width, thickness, alloy). This would include key quality parameter values at each stage of processing. The system would then use these values to dynamically adjust the downstream practices in order to guarantee quality. Similarly, it could reject or re-assign a work piece at the earliest point possible in the process flow. Fig. 3. We can demonstrate a simpler

Furnace design

application for this in the way we use preheat furnace models. We can use them to optimise the head temperature for a specific load based upon loading pattern, ingot size and actual ingot compositions. An on-line metallurgical model within the process control software can optimise the pre-heat in real-time to meet metallurgical requirements. Both of these would reduce energy usage by a minimum of 5%, even in a modern plant. Moreover, the use of intelligent automation would adjust furnace settings to match the real-time hot mill needs, ensuring predictable hot line throughput. It is of course important to ensure accurate temperature measurement of slabs for this to be effective. We cannot assume reliable accurate temperature measurement in our industry! Phased Industry 4.0 implementation Industry 4.0 implementation needs to be phased. This is both for technological reasons (there is still a lot of learning to be done!), and to ensure that incremental investments deliver the anticipated benefits.

Instrumented coils

Temperature profiles

Hardware specification Operating scheme

Model configuration

Cycle times Model revisions

Process data collection

Model calibration

Energy usage

Process prediction

Fig 3. The integration of process models into Industry 4.0

Routine calibration checks

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The first phase is an extension of current developments. This is the intelligent use of exception reports, the addition of tags relating to quality at each process stage and real-time guidance both to operators and maintenance personnel on the line. The second phase is the usage of online process/property models for each process stage. These, together with statistical trend analysis and monitoring of operator interventions, lead to trimming of standard operating practices in order to guarantee quality. This would deliver, not only improved quality to the end-user, but also improved equipment reliability and hence more optimal productivity and energy usage. Fig. 4. The last phase, and the real revolution of Industry 4.0, is a holistic process/product implementation. This means integrating all the data systems and knowledge systems (including, of course, the online models) across the process route. In doing so, the system must recognise the interactions that occur at the different stages. It must also understand the importance of earlier process stages in the evolution of the properties of the final product.

Fig 4. The holistic approach of Industry 4.0 implementation

Level 3 scheduler Level 3 set-up model/table Level 1/2 tuning parameter values

Preheat

Hot rolling On-line model

On-line model Customer tolerances

Inter-anneal/trim

Cold rolling On-line model

On-line model

Exception reports L3 standard reports

Operator realtime guidance Maintenance task generation

Malfunction identification Quality alert/ piece tagging

Data validation/ calibration monitoring

The intelligent factory If we can do all of this, then we might finally realise the benefits of Industry 4.0 implementation. Imagine a world where the customer will supply a list of requirements such as mechanical and geometrical properties, product form and surface characteristics.

Molten Metal Level Control

On-line model

Deliverables

- Use drifting or out of specification values for one step to determine whether scrap, rework, diversion or SOP modification is needed - Modify the overall schedule (longer processing times, additional process steps) to achieve total quality - Keep management & clients informed of schedule changes (qualification, delivery impacts)

HMI screens

Condition monitoring vibration

Finishing

The supplier’s system will automatically generate a time for manufacture, the process stages and appropriate practices, as well as the predicted cost, materials list and required ordering times. Quality and delivery requirements will be automatically embedded within the product. Then we would have a truly Intelligent Factory. �

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The future of aluminium manufacturing

Aluminium companies are continuing to incorporate more and more cutting edge digital technologies that fall under the Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) umbrella into their operations and it is expected to make considerable additional inroads in this direction over the next several years. Myra Pinkham* explains. “Innovation has always been at the core of our operations,” declares Alf Barrios, chief executive officer of Rio Tinto Aluminium. “We are now looking for new ways – whether through predictive mathematics, machine learning or advanced data modelling – to extract maximum value from the data we capture to improve the performance of our operations.” Somewhat universally, companies throughout the aluminium value chain have for a long time been generating and capturing real time data at a machine or plant operation level through the use of sensors on the equipment, Tony Barnes, senior manager for Crowe LLP’s metal industry consulting group, observes. This involves the collection of a wide range of possible data, including temperature and other production conditions and information about the quality of the material passing through the equipment as well as the condition of the equipment, such as how many passes the machine has made, how much the machine is vibrating

and whether there are any indications that it needs maintenance work. But what you are starting to see now is investments to allow the data that had been collected from various equipment and production lines, possibly at different facilities in different countries, being brought together in a central location to undergo real time analysis to provide real time insights to company executives. Stefan Koch, global metals lead for SAP SE, says this is enabling companies to start utilising such emerging digital technologies as machine learning and predictive maintenance, given that this could, for example, enable companies to compare the better performing and lesser performing production lines and to identify root causes for their performance levels. Right now, the technologies that most aluminium companies have either recently put in place or are actively pursuing could be classified as being advanced analytics, which Pierce Owen, principal analyst for

ABI Research’s industrial solutions group describes as being easy-to-use tools that look at the data from these sources to find patterns, or data fingerprints, which, in turn, could help them to optimise maintenance schedules to avoid unplanned downtime, to produce higher quality “golden batches” of product, to reduce waste by improving their production process performance, to increase their yields by identifying root causes of any anomalies in the production process and to reduce their carbon footprint by optimising their energy usage. This, he says, will be followed by applying more machine learning to those analytics to make them more effective by closing the feedback loop, and then to eventually incorporate the use of artificial intelligence to enable the industry to automate further and to provide greater connectivity. There are also other emerging technologies that could also help companies increase connectivity – not just

*US Correspondent Aluminium International Today

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22 INDUSTRY 4.0

internally but also with business partners. One example of this is the Blockchain open distributed ledger technology, which is best known for its use related to the Bitcoin cryptocurrency. It involves a growing chain of records or blocks that are linked using cryptography and are typically managed by a peer-to-peer network as opposed to through a centralised bank or other centralised clearinghouse. Barnes calls this technology a more seamless way for companies to share information with trading partners including suppliers, customers and outside processors. Koch agrees, noting that it could be used to track and trace the status of a specific piece of aluminium with everyone in the Blockchain verifying that everything is correct as opposed to relying upon one central source of information. One potential downside, however, is that a lot of energy is consumed to keep such Blockchain networks alive. But Koch says that cost could be brought down if the parties involved agree to shorten their Blockchain. “Then you have a very efficient manner to track and trace items within the logistics chain.” While machine learning continues to be refined in certain research and development laboratory settings, Koch says that the aluminium industry is already being widely used in certain contexts by the aluminium industry. He notes that it’s major use, at least at this point, has been with companies that for research applications, including the development of new aluminium grades and structures, although it is also already being used to promote worker safety by tracking and tracing worker movement through pictures of the plant. Now, he says, machine learning is also moving into aluminium companies’ business processes through the automation of certain now manual operations, including accounting tasks. Owen says that within the next year or two, the aluminium industry will likely March/April 2019

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step up its use of machine learning based on expected improvements in advanced analytics that will enable them to further close the feedback loop. He says that as this move toward greater automation is rolled out, it will enable companies to increase their productivity by guaranteeing a greater level of uptime. The aluminium industry’s use of artificial intelligence (AI), which is a technology in which companies would be able to train neural networks to essentially run certain processes autonomously and, therefore, potentially reducing human involvement in some areas of production, is further out – with Owen estimating that there will not be widespread adoption of this technology for several years. That isn’t to say that there hasn’t been any use of AI by the industry. Barnes says that a few larger companies are already leveraging some aspects of AI to enable them to be more predictive about customer behaviours. “This includes how AI could help them determine what their customers are likely to need or are likely to order by looking at historical ordering

information and their customers’ historical product sales,” he explains, comparing this to Amazon’s “if you like this, you might also like these things.” Koch says he believes that aluminium companies’ use of AI will pick up, with early adoption likely to be in some areas of research and development, including to determine the various options that they have regarding different types of processing, different production parameters and different material structures. The industry could see further use of AI in the future, Koch says, especially once larger networks and ecosystems are developed that will require companies to move beyond their classical borders, as, Koch says they will be able to apply intelligence to different structured or unstructured data from different sources or models – even those that aren’t coming from the aluminium industry itself – to make certain business or production decisions, including possibly finding new uses for their products or new ways to process their metal. It will, however, be a gradual evolution. One stepping stone that some companies are beginning to start to take to move toward AI is augmented or virtual reality, which unlike AI, is software driven as opposed to be driven by neural networks. Barnes says that while this technology, which involves wearing a headset that superimposes information, data or recommendations as the user looks at the real world in front of him, is still a few years away from being fully commercialised in the aluminium industry, some companies are already looking at it, especially for certain maintenance applications. Owen says that with this technology they could be provided maintenance instructions remotely either by a drawing on their screen or through a skeletal recognition tool showing the hand

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movements that they should copy. This, Barnes says, will likely to be followed up by its use to plan the plant layout of facilities that they are planning to build. Another gradually emerging technology is robotics. Koch says that the first stage, which is already starting to make its way into use, is robotic process automation (RPA), which involves using a software robot macro to quickly and reliably fill data into certain fields that used to be manually inputted into an interface or computer. Also, he notes, that robotics has been used for certain plant processes, such as laser cutting, for as much as 10 years and that “cobotics,” where a worker wears a robotic skeleton to aid him in certain lifting, repair and maintenance tasks, is emerging. However, the greatest use of robotics and of autonomous vehicles by the aluminium industry to date has been in pilot plants. In fact, Owen says that of the approximately 30,000 robots installed by the global primary metals industry, only a fraction of that is being employed by the aluminium industry.

Koch says as far as autonomous vehicles, there are some pilot projects running, but more for driverless vehicles that aren’t totally autonomous, but that are still being controlled remotely. He points out that one concern with both autonomous vehicles and robotics is how they could affect worker safety. “When you have a mixed environment of people and machines, if there is an error with the machine it could be very dangerous for the person next to it,” he explains. But on the other side of the coin, he notes that robots could help to improve plant safety by doing certain types of work in certain areas of the facility that might be very hot or dangerous for workers. So, by eliminating the need for workers in those areas of the plant, it could definitely make production safer. Koch says that in areas where both people and machines are working together, safety could be improved through worker training as well as through the tracking and tracing of employee movement. He notes that various industries have addressed this in different ways. For example, Amazon has recently rolled out a new worker safety

wearable that it calls its Robotic Tech Vest that makes the robots in their warehouses aware of the location of workers. “And because we have such technology as digital twins, data points and connectivity, companies can have a digital representation of reality and can make decisions based on that. With such automation they don’t have to have someone manually push a button to start production. They can do that remotely through digital software or other digital processes,” Koch points out. Owen estimates that the aluminium industry is currently somewhere in the middle of the pack as far as the adoption of technologies under the Industry 4.0/ IIoT umbrella – behind the automotive industry but ahead of paper and textiles. “Going forward I see it incorporating more connectiveness throughout the value chain,” Barnes says, noting that this sharing and leveraging of all types of data, coming not only from their company but from their customers, suppliers and others in the industry, will not only be a positive for individual companies but will lead to better collaboration. �

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Heavy Metals: Industry trends to watch in 2019

When more than 600 of the brightest minds in the metals industry recently convened in Prague to discuss how digital innovations can grow and improve business across the Metals, Mining, Building Materials, Paper, Packaging and Chemicals industries a common theme soon emerged: Company borders will continue to blur and future success will depend on deep collaboration while tapping the power of digital networks. With more than 25 customers presenting on topics like How to use IoT and Digital to Become an Intelligent Enterprise, Cementing the Foundation for a B2B and B3C Commerce Network and Extended Supply Chain for Enterprise Asset Management, here are five key takeaways that could easily apply to any industry.

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HOW TO MEET CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS? MORE FLEXIBILITY AND INFORMATION. True customer centricity means understanding the ultimate endcustomer, how their behaviours are changing and then make every business decision based on this insight. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dilemma for many metals companies is that they are disconnected from the customer as these relationships are typically owned by metal traders or fabricators, who apply services like material cutting, forming or coating before it is used by the final manufacturing customer. But thought leading companies are working more collaboratively and directly with customers - to interchange

data and find joint approaches to improve the delivery, implementation and use of metals materials and products. One customer talked about their customer order process and how they are working to make it much more responsive. Orders arrive centrally from the customer and not directly to a specific mill. They must decide which mill, which fabricator and how to deliver. Thankfully, they are using network optimisation technology and processes to make the best decision on how to get the order to the customer - based on costs, capacity, production plan, etc.

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2019 SAP Executive Advisory Council Dinner for Metals, Mining, Forest Products and Building Materials. Prague, Czech Republic

DIGITAL TWINS AND MACHINE LEARNING FOR SMART FACTORIES AND DIGITAL NETWORKS This is not new – that metals companies are focus on increasing automation and communication throughout all processes on the shop floor. What is new is the expanded focus and ability to work with the network outside the company to make this happen. The increasing use of the Digital Twin concept is making this a reality. Essentially, a digital twin establishes a direct connection between the physical product or asset and its designed, manufactured, and deployed digital representation. This relationship can be used to intelligently assess design integrity, operational characteristics, and maintenance projections for each uniquely defined product or asset. Visibility at this level can lead to improved and accelerated product design, more effective maintenance operations. Metals companies are talking about increasing machine to machine connectivity and collaboration, allowing autonomous decisions based on sensor data and machine learning algorithms. Intelligently connecting manufacturing, logistics and supply chains - including deeper cross company collaboration - allows companies to quickly address short term demand impulses, supply fluctuations and changes to customer orders. Intelligent machines will be part of the network and order material for re-stock or spare parts for maintenance automatically. One of our mining customers came in to discuss a brilliant new concept to apply supply chain planning thinking to improve the improve asset availability and reliability. Intelligent machines will be part of the network and order material for restock or spare parts for maintenance automatically. This concept will help ensure that companies can deliver on time, in full because their assets will always be working. March/April 2019

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INDIVIDUALISE MY ORDER, PLEASE As metals are highly flexible and can be formed and used in many different ways, customers are interested in products and solutions that are made exactly to meet their requirements. Often, these requirements are requested specifically to have a clear differentiator in the market. The need to meet these exact requirements forces metal manufacturers to move from large lot sizes, which can serve many customer orders at low cost, to smaller lot sizes.

As customers expect not to pay more than for a standard solution, manufacturers have to control cost of manufacturing and distribution to stay competitive and profitable. Multiple customers talked about projects using Internet of Things (IoT) for asset health monitoring, vibration sensing to monitor asset status and use of sensor data to monitor and track product quality in detail. All of this type of data can help in being able to produce and deliver individualised products.

NEW BUSINESS MODELS AND SERVICES WILL CONTINUE TO DISRUPT Metals companies talked about looking for new revenue streams from products or services. Many think differentiation can come from adding additional services such as information from the digitalisation and interconnection of products and services. This is becoming more possible with additional sensors and the means to collect and analyse data. For example, being able to provide additional data on products shipped or advice on the best use of a

complex product. One company talked about “smart steel” that could prolong the life cycle of steel by adding in as much information as possible about its properties, best use, etc. They talked about having “fingerprints” for steel. Another steel company talked boldly about a “commercial reshaping of the industry” with its offering of a new service model that operates an entire pipeline and charges per cubic meter transported.

PRODUCING FOR PURPOSE Many of the metals companies talked about how to address growing expectations from customers, investors, employees, and society. Topics include efficient production and logistics that contribute to lower emissions and energy use and reuse of materials that is part of the “circular economy and a closed-loop of material circulation. One company talked about a breakthrough they are working on in their production process. This is a longer term (20+ years) but it would not need a blast furnace, would replace coke with hydrogen with an output of H2O instead of CO2. Worker health and safety remains a top priority for metals companies and technology is providing lots of improvements here. Multiple companies

talked about testing remote assistance wearables such as smart glasses and helmets that track worker health. Another company talked about reducing incident significantly by scheduling more training directly after vacations. Research and analysis found that a higher percentage of workers forgot safety procedures and steps after extended vacations and a simple process of refreshing the training brought down incidents. To learn more about what SAP is doing in the metals industry, read our white paper: Digital Metals Business Inspire and shape a digital world that reinvents customer focus, productivity, and quality: www.sap. com/documents/2017/60d592b3-ba7c0010-82c7-eda71af511fa.html Aluminium International Today

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The amazing factory with 4.0 furnaces By Claudio Goldbach, Termica Solutions AGILITY!! This has been the greatest feature of successful companies. And it is the main role of the so-called Industry 4.0: accelerate information analysis so that processes can be adapted quickly. The faster an organisation adapts to an EVENT, the greater the profits. Events can be operational as a machine breakdown or strategic, with new demands that create changes for the manufactured goods or services provided. I often say that a business, which does not adapt quickly to new demands, will soon have no problems. It is not that demand will disappear, but the business will. To be practical, let’s dive in the world of thermal processes. Several thermal treatment furnaces have their thermal energy produced by heating elements. An inevitable and inherent EVENT of these processes is the rupture of heating elements. As they usually have a serial connection, the so-called “burnout” of one element ends up impacting another one. Therefore, an area in the furnace will be without heat. However, the control system compensates this lack of heat, increasing power in other heating elements. In other words, the temperature indicated by the thermocouple, which measures the average temperature of the specific area, is not influenced. Nevertheless, in this scenario we have some heaters that are off, and others being overwhelmed. Notice that, until now, the heater burnout has not been identified, since the controlled variable is the area temperature. Then, the load closer to the specific area lacking heat may not reach the treatment temperature, therefore, the desired physical feature may not be achieved. The least troublesome scenario would be for quality control to identify these parts and reject them. The worst scenario, which happens frequently, is delivering the item to the market and causing larger damages. Analysing the scenario in which the quality control identifies the problem in the load, we would have the follow timeline: Fig. 1 shows that between the “heating element burnout “ and the identification of the load quality problem, a considerable amount of time goes by, and it is called “perception time”. Only after identifying the problem is that the assessment of Aluminium International Today

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Fig 1

the root cause starts. A part of the load without its desired physical feature may have several potential causes and many loads may be treated in the same faulty equipment, while the root cause is being assessed. Having identified the root cause, decision time starts. Here, I believe that the decision is done quickly because the damage this event is causing in the operation is clear and evident. Once the decision has been made, action time starts, that is, time for exchanging the heating element. A spare part may not be in stock, then, the deadline is some days or weeks. Meanwhile, palliative solutions can be considered, such as increasing treatment time or repositioning heating elements. Anyway, damage has been done. This is so common that it is considered as part of operation, an inefficiency that has been incorporated to the system. This is when Industry 4.0 takes action! Sensors are installed in each heating elements and they track its operation in real time. When a heating element “burns”, the computational algorithm recognises the event, decides to extend the process time and modifies the treatment curve it is performing, since it understands that this action ensures that every load reaches their required physical features, without production losses. The harm is then restricted only to treatment delay. Fig. 2 sums up this new timeline. It is important to emphasise that as we drastically reduced the overall time, the

adapting value is very relevant. In addition to this action, the smart furnace sends maintenance alerts via SMS and email, warning about the need to change the heating element, once the longer treatment is complete. With the integrated systems, the purchasing department will receive the “burnout” information and, depending on the organisational maturity, even the heating element manufacturer will be notified. While there is no heating element exchange, every process will be extended to guarantee the production, even with less productivity. All technologies to obtain these benefits are already available, with low implementation costs. In other words, this can be today’s factory. In a near future, through a sensor and an algorithm that is being improved by TERMICA Solutions, the heating element “burnout” will allow it to be changed before its rupture, avoiding or minimising drastically current productivity losses. It will lead us to smarter processes, reducing the waste and increasing environmental and economical sustainability of industrial operations. The machines will be doing what they are good at and human beings will be doing much more relevant activities, developing their endless strengths. Long live the Revolution! � Contact: chg@termica.solutions

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Above: Heat treatment line for sophisticated parts requiring short cool-down times

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Heat treatment line for aluminium alloyed parts with basket transport system – a view into the assembly shop

Heat treatment of aluminium alloyed parts: Addressing diverse challenges Aluminium demand in the fields of automotive engineering, aerospace, transport and construction is forecast to grow. [1, 2] In these industries, compliance with relevant standards (e.g., AMS, CQI-9) is essential, raising require-ments on the heat treatment of castings and forgings. To fulfil these standards, custom solutions – i.e., processes tailored individually to the product to be annealed – are becoming increasingly important. At the same time, resource conservation, process reliability, automation and equipment availability play a major role. Addressing these challenges, Otto Junker offers various equipment types for heat treatment of alumini-um alloyed parts. Such heat treatment lines consist of a solution annealing furnace, a cooling system adapted to the annealed product, and an artificial ageing furnace. For energy saving purposes, hot flue gas from the solution annealing process is injected into the artificial ageing furnace. If the amount of waste heat is insufficient, a so-called ‘booster’ supplies additional heating capacity to ensure the

reliability of the process. The solution – e.g., for the automotive industry – is a heat treatment system (e.g., for wheels) based on walking beam technology. Otto Junker has installed several of these systems to date. The wheels pass through the furnace on a walking beam conveyor, which offers significant advantages over traditional conveyor concepts (such as roller hearths). First, it eliminates the need for product carri-ers and thus saves the energy needed to heat up such ‘dead weight’. The walking beam concept is also capable of handling different wheel sizes while providing highly accu-rate positioning without relative movements. Items that cannot be moved individually by the walking beam (e.g., slugs), or product not expected to meet particularly exacting standards, or highly sensitive parts posing particularly exacting requirements, for instance regarding touch-free conveyance, are placed in a basket or on a purpose-built product carrier and passed through the line on a roller conveyor. Although in this plant type the basket

must travel through the system as a ‘dead load’, it is necessary to find the proper equipment variant (walking beam or basket conveyor) for each given application case and customer specification. Particularly high demands in terms of short cool-down times are placed on parts in the aerospace indus-try. Here, Otto Junker uses a thermoprocessing line that provides particularly high temperature uniformity and minimum quenching times. Again, a separate ageing furnace can be added to the solution annealing furnace and the cooling system. All equipment types/versions are low maintenance and user-friendly and provide high availability rates. Progressively more exacting application requirements also drive improvements and new development in heat treatment. Therefore, Otto Junker provides facilities for carrying out industrial-scale trials in conjunc-tion with experienced engineers at its in-house Technology Centre. � Contact www.otto-junker.com

[1] www.aluminiuminsider.com, [2] Ducker Worldwide March/April 2019

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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 the opportunity to increase capacity while reducing reliance on external slab suppliers. It also allows Aludium to increase the volume of scrap they can recycle, cutting their 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. 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. 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. March/April 2019

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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. 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. 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. KEY DETAILS: ALICANTE CAST HOUSE � Cast house area: 5,700 m2 � Total cost of revamp: €7 million � New jobs: 23 full-time equivalent (FTE) � Total capacity: 28,000 tonnes � Output: Slabs and continuously cast coils

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 Aluminium International Today

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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. With the commissioning of the revamped cast house in Alicante, attention is turning to the multi-chamber furnace, which is being installed in Amorebieta.

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Aluminium recycling furnace for Fonderie Pandolfo Tenova LOI Thermprocess, supplier for custom-made heat treatment lines and furnaces and specialist for recycling plants for contaminated aluminium scrap, has received an important order from Fonderie Pandolfo, Italy, for the delivery and installation of a Twin-Chamber Melting Furnace TCF®. Fonderie Pandolfo is the recycling and melting enterprise within the Panalco Holding, specialised in processing of aluminium, mainly for extrusions. The casted billets are mainly extruded in the extrusion shops of the main European extruders. Currently, over 60,000 tons of refined and recycled aluminium are molten and cast into semi-products. Fonderie

March/April 2019

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Pandolfo already operates a set of TCF® and casting furnaces supplied by Tenova LOI Thermprocess in 2008. The new installation will double the production rate, aiming to satisfy the continuous market requests. The TCF®, with a capacity of 65,000 tons/year, is designed for aluminium scrap recycling. In order to cover a broad range of scrap and contamination degree, the TCF® combines pre-treatment and melting in one furnace. The beneficial TCF®-process relies on the efficient melting by limiting dross formation due to pre-treatment, while the evolving Volatile Organic Contents (VOCs) are combusted completely in the furnace to decrease the overall energy

consumption and fulfil the most restrictive environmental regulations. By combining regenerative air heating (CCR) and optimised thermal treatment of the organic scrap components, this proven furnace technology reaches an unmatched grade of energy and metal efficiency. A sophisticated automation technology, applied by Tenova LOI Thermprocess with the aim to streamline a fully automatic charging machine, increases efficiency further. The scope of supply contains the turnkey-installation, including a state-ofthe-art flue gas treatment plant. The TCF® is expected to go into operation at the end of 2019. �

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Advantages of automated surface inspection

There has always been a great demand for metal manufacturers to deliver high-quality aluminium products, and this has only increased in recent years. As techniques and applications grow ever more complex, end-users require increased productivity and aluminium that is certified defect-free.

To ensure optimal quality and yield from aluminium production processes, a flexible, fully customisable surface inspection is essential. That’s exactly what California-based AMETEK Surface Vision seeks to accomplish with SmartView, a market leader in surface detection platforms for the metal industry. Combining synchronised camera technology, high-intensity lighting and state-of-the-art software to capture defect images across multiple inspection angles, SmartView is continually evolving to meet new market needs. The system examines surface condition similarly to how a person would: Studying the area and comparing it against expectations and past experiences. SmartView, however, operates much faster by providing immediate results. The system consistently reports on surface quality per a configurable classification scale that measures defect type and severity. Using a modular, highly flexible approach, SmartView systems can be March/April 2019

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configured to meet the precise needs of individual processes, providing a unique, tailored solution. Powerful LED lights illuminate the metal surfaces uniformly to ensure the cameras can produce accurate, high-quality images across the process. This inspection data is then captured and analysed through high-performance servers and processed by sophisticated software tools for classification, control and reporting. One of the elements that makes SmartView unique is AMETEK Surface Vision’s decision to use the best hardware for each application, rather than impose own-brand products that may not suit the intended use or keep pace with the latest developments. For example, when selecting cameras to monitor the process, the resolutions and optical technologies that best fit the application can be used. The system’s architecture allows for the quick, seamless addition of cameras, allowing easy, modular upgrades to take advantage of advances in camera technology. Charge

coupled devices and complementary metal oxide semiconductor cameras are both compatible with SmartView. Lowering defects for manufacturers The can stock market is notoriously known as one of the most-demanding packaging markets in the world. Semi-fabricator Hulamin has maintained a significant market share, providing its global customers with products of consistent high quality by using SmartView. Historically, a significant number of surface defects would appear during the manufacturing process, from the hot and cold rolling mills to the finishing machine centers. The material inspections were carried out manually at each machine center via physical sampling. These defects can originate in the raw material (ingot phase) or be created during the rolling or coating processes. This leads to coils having to be scrapped completely or finishing with low yields. Taking advantage of SmartView’s flexible, scalable nature, the solution was installed Aluminium International Today

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over several years, allowing Hulamin to spread the capital expenditure cost over that period. Having installed the system, the operating team saw multiple benefits: 4% yield increase over four years while also seeing an increase in customer satisfaction, despite producing more complex products. Hulamin Surface Engineer Dominic Moreno noted: “The SmartView system has exceeded our expectations. Its realtime information has proved invaluable for problem solving. By eliminating the reliance on post-production physical strip inspection, we were able to overcome our most significant hurdles. “For example, on-line inspection allows us to monitor and troubleshoot our strip in mid-production, so the hot rolling mill can now be stopped after the second coil. This is because the process demands that the mill has to finish the existing coil and the next coil, which is already prepared – removing the sub-standard coil from the process at an early stage.” The installation currently provides highquality automated monitoring from the hot strip mill all the way down to the slitting and coating lines. Information, saved in a SQL database, allows post-production tracking using AMETEK Surface Vision’s Production Quality Advisor software suite. The system is now fully-integrated with Hulamin’s in-house data management software to ensure seamless data connectivity and exchange. The streaming video software also allows Hulamin to review a coil at any time without uncoiling and recoiling the material – a big time-saver when checking product quality. Moreno added: “Now integrated into our production process, troubleshooting and efficiency are at the heart of our

operations. This neatly positions us to produce more-demanding products.” Key features Ideally suited to flat-rolled metals processing, the SmartView system offers slit inspection capabilities for automatic surface quality inspection of products at the slitter line. This allows the tracking of defects on both sides of multiple coil slits, even at line speeds of greater than 1,000 feet per minute. Because it offers a complete, highresolution surface inspection at full line speeds, delivering immediate feedback, the operator can react swiftly to limit waste, increase yields, and safeguard product quality. As both sides of the metal strip are scanned simultaneously, fast slitter line speed is maintained. In addition, accurate mapping and reporting for each coil means there is no need to unwind the coil again to investigate quality issues. Consistent, reliable records are produced that can be used in supply chain management or quality assurance and archived for claim resolution. When a surface inspection system is commissioned, a customisable defect library is created, providing a reference structure that quickly becomes filled with data relevant to the process. As the process runs and defects are identified, a library of detection thresholds and inspection parameters is formed. This library is easily configured to deliver the required level of detection classification and visualisation of surface defects. One of the key features of SmartView is SmartLearn, the patented multi-step classification tool set which is supplied with each solution as standard. This software suite combines self-learning classification capabilities with expert

The SmartView’s system is a fully customisable, modular solution, designed to meet changing operational environments.

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Powerful software, state-of-the-art camera technology, high intensity lighting and unparalleled service support combine to acheive the highest standards

knowledge, creating multiple classification engines that can be perfectly tailored to each process and its unique requirements. By ensuring the correct defects are identified and classified according to type and severity, the software maximises the potential for improved product quality, higher production yields and fewer customer returns. Another important and powerful feature is streaming video functionality. This captures all image data for the inspected metal at the full camera resolution, using memory-based or disk-based image capture and display. Using this feature, operators can view and review a continuous, real-time video display of the metal’s surface using standard cameras and lighting, without having to unwind or reroll the coil. Modular software additions Future-proofing is a key aspect of AMETEK Surface Vision’s approach. This makes it easy for operators to start with a basic system and expand it as the process grows and budget allows, creating highlysophisticated inspection capabilities. This modular method also applies to the SmartView software platform, which offers a range of extensions and updates that build upon the basic package. Through this, operators can create a customised inspection and analysis solution on-demand. Among the additions offered are packages for coil grading, line synchronisation and system status monitoring. Other examples include: � The Inspection Stacking package identifies and maps the locations of machine-induced defects from the last stage of processing. Last-stage defects may March/April 2019

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be difficult to uncover, but with Inspection Stacking’s ability to deliver statistics over a larger number of coils, it becomes easier to identify clusters of these defects. � Parallel Classification is a function that enables up to four different classifiers to be run on an inspection file to check if they improve the identification of surface defects. This allows a user to set up test classifiers in parallel with existing versions, ensuring that defect detection is not affected or interrupted while the new classes are developed and refined. � The Production Quality Advisor (PQA) suite provides advanced data analysis and display tools for current and historical production quality data, using surface system archives stored on SmartView servers. This allows reviews and comparisons to improve the understanding of product quality across single production lines or the entire mill. Simple integration, easy operation All SmartView software is Windows based, providing seamless integration into existing systems, straightforward system start-up, and operational flexibility. It provides the user with total control of the interface, using intuitive dropdown menus and customisable windows to help narrow down results with precision. The high level of control permits an immediate response to worsening conditions, which helps reduce scrap product in the event of a process issue. SmartView’s software is regularly updated, and the latest upgrade provides the user with a synchronised web viewer, which allows multiple viewers to be opened. This enables different process views, or the same view with a variety of queries applied.

Video file system enhancements now make handling large numbers of inspection files more efficient, and there is improved support for PDF report printing. Long-term use of SmartView maximises results from the factory floor to the front office, with customisable user interfaces and reports. SmartView is designed for the metals industry, providing reliable surface inspection and full process visibility that helps aluminium producers meet their quality and yield optimisation goals. This product also brings the benefits of AMETEK Surface Vision’s expert application support, which helps deliver the optimal combination of lighting, cameras and other hardware to suit each customer’s unique situation. Technical back-up is provided via phone, email and direct remote access, with options available for on-site engineering visits and training courses. Future Aluminium Forum Visitors to the Future Aluminium Forum 2019 in Warsaw, Poland, can meet team members from AMETEK Surface Vision to learn more about the latest developments in surface inspection and monitoring systems for the aluminium industry. The experts will be at stand A06 from May 22-23 to answer questions about how automated inspection solutions can increase efficiency, streamline operations, improve product quality and reduce both costs and waste. Full details of AMETEK Surface Vision’s solution for fast, accurate inspection of metal surfaces can also be found in the company’s new metals brochure, which can be downloaded from www.ameteksurfacevision.com. � Aluminium International Today

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Aluminium to accelerate electric and self-driving vehicles Material takes on an ever-widening role in tomorrow’s vehicles. For more than a decade, concerns about fuel efﬁciency have been encouraging OEMS to replace steel with aluminium on vehicle bodies, doors, trunks, hoods, bumpers, crash boxes, brakes, cables and wheels. With the advent of electric and autonomous vehicles, OEMs worldwide are discovering new uses for aluminium. The need for battery casings and heat exchangers in electric vehicles, combined with autonomous vehicles’ demands for high visibility and structural integrity, is expected to exponentially increase the use of sheet aluminium in tomorrow’s cars, trucks and buses. Supporting the transition to batterypowered vehicles Four major design challenges confront OEMs in their transition to electric vehicles. � Extending vehicle range � Improving battery and passenger safety � Increasing passenger comfort � Optimising cooling systems for lithium-ion batteries The substitution of sheet aluminium for steel helps resolve OEM concerns.

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Extending range The lighter the vehicle, the longer its range. According to Ducker Worldwide, aluminium is expected to contribute more than half of the anticipated vehicle mass reduction demanded by electric vehicles (EVs) to extend range. Ducker reports that in North America alone, aluminium content in EVs will increase to nearly 565 pounds (256 kilograms) per vehicle by 2028. The larger the vehicle, the heavier the battery and casing required to optimise the EV’s range. It is the larger EVs, i.e., sedans, SUVs, taxis, trucks and buses, which will realise the greatest beneﬁts from a steelto-aluminium conversion. In the U.S., a vehicle’s gross weight determines which class of commercial driver’s license (CDL)

“ It is the larger EVs, i.e., sedans, SUVs, taxis, trucks and buses that will realise the greatest beneﬁts from a ” steel-to-aluminium conversion.

will be required. Without lightweighting, some EVs could demand a higher-class license or additional endorsements due to the added weight of the battery. In older European cities like Brussels or London, some bridges and tunnels only allow vehicles up to 3.5 tons in weight, a target that is very difficult to meet for larger EVs without lightweighting. For heavier material transport EVs such as trucks, weight reduction enables an increased payload, providing a significant monetary benefit. Generally, the larger the vehicle, the higher the payback. Particularly relevant for larger human transport EVs such as buses and taxis, the weight reduction made possible through aluminium provides the added benefit of reduced CO2 emissions and improved air quality, of value not only to vehicle operators, but to the communities they serve. Optimising battery and human safety The thermal and anti-corrosion properties of aluminium make it ideal for battery frames. Sea-water resistant, highly formable, highly surfaced aluminium alloys provide the strength necessary

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to pass side-impact crashworthiness testing, protecting passengers and the battery should impact occur. Casing ﬂoor plates made out of aluminium are not only strong, but also capable of resisting corrosion related to weather exposure. These characteristics enable aluminium battery casings to resist weather-related deterioration and impact from road debris, minimising the risk of related ﬁres and further securing passenger safety.

These specialised processes and materials address OEM concerns, ensuring adequate dissipation of the heat generated by battery-powered vehicles. An experienced aluminium processing partner can help OEMs specify the right process and alloys to meet speciﬁc vehicle temperature thresholds, ideally working side by side with OEM engineers early in the design process to maximise the performance of electric vehicles.

Dispersing heat The batteries used in EVs produce energy while charging and decharging, requiring the use of heat exchangers to dissipate heat. But the types of heat exchangers used in vehicle air conditioning systems are inadequate to meet this new challenge. Aluminium clad brazing (which connects multiple layers of aluminium together to disperse heat) requires heating in a controlled atmosphere (e.g., a vacuum) to achieve optimum joining. Aluminium heat exchangers designed speciﬁcally to meet the challenges presented by electric vehicles can use as many as ﬁve types of aluminium sandwiched together, with the layers providing gradient properties to optimise cooling.

Supporting the eventual transition to autonomous vehicles The luxury sedan market will likely be the ﬁrst to transition to self-driving electric vehicles. Passenger comfort and safety, and an expansive view of the surrounding environment, are expected to be top priorities for this market. The hefty B pillars used in conventional vehicles to meet structural requirements for crashworthiness are undesirable in a self-driving scenario. To enable large windows and an unobstructed view without sacriﬁcing passenger safety, lightweight aluminium will be the strong material of choice.

On-going environmental concerns In addition to the design challenges presented by EVs, society’s demand for sustainable solutions will likely continue to be a driver in the transition to aluminum-lightweighted vehicles. A Forschungsgesellschaft Kraftfahrwesen mbH Aachen (fka) study, using a Volkswagen Golf as its reference vehicle, determined that an electric aluminiumbased vehicle could meet the same safety standards as its steel-based equivalent, while emitting 1.5 tons less greenhouse gases over its lifecycle, taking into consideration production, a total driving distance of more than 93,000 miles (150,000 kilometres) and eventual recycling. Conclusion Aluminium alloys are ideally suited to the design challenges presented by electric and autonomous vehicles. By aligning with aluminium partners deeply experienced in developing processes and alloys to meet demanding performance requirements, transportation vehicle OEMs are accelerating the pace of EV and self-driving vehicle adoption throughout North America. �

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Increasing die-casting productivity and reducing costs As manufacturers within the automotive industry strive to meet the challenges of a highly competitive global marketplace – particularly within the realms of fuel efficiency and environmental impact – the die casting industry is undergoing a period of change and development. Tim Butler at Ultraseal International discusses these trends and how Lubrolene water-free die-release technology can bring about quality, cost, productivity and environmental benefits for manufacturers. In recent years we’ve seen a shift towards lightweighting in the automotive industry with increasing use of aluminium for powertrain components and a rapid growth in aluminium structural components such as shock towers, rails and torque boxes. In fact, structural casting is now being adopted in higher volume, mid-sized vehicle platforms that need to be manufactured to a consistent quality in multiple global locations. Fundamental in delivering that functionality is the process of die-casting. Supporting manufacturers to move away from multi-component welded assemblies for vehicle structures, high-pressure vacuum die-casting technology is able to provide a complex, one-piece structural component, significantly reducing the assembly, number and weight of components in a vehicle. In practice, substituting traditionally steel components with lightweight, one-piece structures contributes significantly to reduced vehicle weights. That means greater Aluminium International Today

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efficiency, reduced fuel consumption and lower levels of CO2 emissions – all key focusses for automotive manufacturers as legislation around the world places greater emphasis on fuel efficiency, emissions and the environmental impact of vehicles. Further to this, lightweight structures, and the weight reduction associated, are essential for the increasing adoption of electrified vehicles. A segment of the market forecast to grow strongly in the medium term, major OEMs are investing significantly to develop the necessary technology cost-effectively. Developments in die-casting technology have facilitated the design of larger, more complex, structural components which assist the automotive industry with its weight reduction goals. This approach accommodates larger components such as door and window frames, instrument panels and cross members to be produced by die-casting, and has led to a trend toward larger die-casting machines and increasing shot weights.

However, the complexity of large onepiece components makes it difficult to design internal cooling which successfully reduces the temperature of all parts of the die uniformly. This can lead to localised hot spots and solder problems. Overcoming challenges To avoid compromising quality and increasing costs in the creation of large, complex components, specifying the correct die-casting lubricant is essential to ensure an adequate release lubricant film is formed over the die surface. However, the surface temperature of the die makes this difficult with water-based lubricants. To ensure the oil film is successfully formed on the die surface some water-based lubricant will remain in the die cavities. This may cause porosity problems and water stain on the casting surface. Whilst residual water on the die surface can be dried using compressed air, this extends cycle times and is a costly consumer of electrical energy, increasing processing costs. March/April 2019

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spray gun, the application of Lubrolene WFR further reduces soldering problems, providing full, unrivalled coverage. Once the practicalities of complex, onepiece die casting are resolved through the implementation of new technologies and solutions, the benefits for automotive manufacturers begin to emerge fully. Reduced spray time, increased die life and a low reject rate all lead to

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Aluminium for all-round packaging Ball recently developed a new 360° aerosol can for perfume and cosmetic packaging. According to the company, the aerosol technology provides a new dimension to can contouring, offering an advantage to brand owners and customers. Nadine Bloxsome* spoke to Kathleen Pitre** and Jason Galley*** to find out more. 1. How important is aluminium as a material of choice when developing new concepts and designs like this new 360° can? Is aluminium a good material to work with? Kathleen Pitre (KP): Absolutely, Ball leverages its experience with aluminium to develop a variety of new shapes and sizes of beverage and aerosol cans, aluminium bottles as well as graphics that pop off the shelf. The versatility of aluminium and Ball’s expertise allow us to help our customers differentiate their brands on the shelf. (For example, 360° can requires a strong, yet highly formable metal. This concept is only possible today in aluminium. To compare, steel cans are prohibitively expensive to shape, which is why they are not often seen on the market.) Aluminium offers sustainability credentials, versatility in occasions where you drink out of a beverage can or spray an aerosol can, as well an incredible canvas for brands to communicate with consumers. 2. How long was the process between initial design and production? Was there a dedicated R&D team? Jason Galley (JG): Bringing a product like 360° from concept to commercialization requires a dedicated team of experts. We started with a concept developed by one of our trusted suppliers, skilled in tooling design and manufacturing, coupled that with our can making expertise to develop a commercial production process, and involved our marketing and design experts to finish the prototype and create Ballbranded samples. This whole process took around two years. With our team of designers and engineers, and the expertise of our resource partners, we are now in a position to develop new and even more complex can shapes for customers who want to use the unique look and feel of 360° to elevate their brand’s presence onshelf and with the end consumer.

3. What are the main ideas behind this particular design and how can it benefit clients and consumers alike? What makes this can different from any other can? JG: We are very excited about 360°, as its shaping effects permit asymmetrical form. This asymmetry not only guarantees a high functionality of grip but also allows customized shaping. The main idea behind the design is to align the shape to the decoration, and provide our customers’ marketing teams a new way and platform to communicate their brand. The number of combinations is really limitless, and our customers can suggest how to design the recessed area of the can. We can also create a 3D effect for any object they want – be it our customer’s logo, a fruit, mountains or whatever the brand wants to convey. In addition, the customers benefit from our global reach - 360° from Ball is available in all the regions in which our Aerosol Packaging business operates, allowing multinational clients to deliver the solution worldwide.

4. How is Ball working to promote the sustainable elements that aluminium packaging offers to consumers? KP: Recycling is an essential part of metal packaging’s life cycle, and aluminium cans represent a perfect example of truly recyclable packaging and a product that fits a circular economy model very well. We are committed to raise public awareness of this and other sustainability credentials of aluminium packaging, and to ensure that these facts are strong in the consumer’s mind. We work together with various industry associations and our customers. For example, to highlight the infinite recyclability of aluminium and dedication to sustainability, we encourage our customers to include the Metal Recycles Forever logo on their products. JG: When it comes to aluminium aerosol packaging, we lead and participate in industry efforts such as Mist:Understood (www.mistunderstood.com), and are also undertaking some communications campaigns of our own which will commence this spring. We see aluminium cans as a real solution that can be offered to consumers today. So much of the dialogue about plastic pollution centres on long term commitments and requires innovations that would need to be brought to scale. We want to empower consumers to begin making an impact immediately through their personal choices. 5. How far do you think aluminium has to go before becoming the packaging of choice over PET? KP: There is a massive amount of plastic packaging produced each year. PET bottles alone are approximately 480 billion units annually not to mention plastic used in personal care and other food packaging. And the vast majority of it is not even collected for recycling. So the scale of the issue is very large. We see aluminium as a near term and positive solution for some key product areas including deodorant,

**Vice President Sustainability and Public Affairs, Ball Corporation ***Jason Galley, Director Innovations, Ball Aerosol Packaging Aluminium International Today

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52 PACKAGING

and other personal care products as well as beverage. We work collaboratively with our customers to offer solutions to them to shift from plastic to aluminium. We are seeing a lot of momentum right now and we are focused on communicating the sustainability credentials of aluminium to consumers and to our customers. 6. Where does Ball source its aluminium? Is it recycled content or primary aluminium? KP: Aluminium is an amazing material. It can be reused again and again without losing its inherent properties. As you may know, 75% of aluminium ever produced is still in use today. So yes, a very high percentage of aluminium has been in use for a long time and our suppliers do an excellent job of incorporating used beverage cans, aerosol cans and other scrap into the aluminium products they provide. Our main goal is that any metal can is being recycled once it has been emptied – whether that material then replaces the aluminium required for a new car, a

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window frame, or another beverage or aerosol can is not that relevant as long as it replaces the need for more energy intensive primary aluminium.

7. Are there any programmes in place to develop recycling of Ball aluminium packaging products? KP: With aluminium, a permanent material which can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing its properties, the biggest environmental benefit is to keep

aluminium in play after use by recycling. Ball drives recycling through many projects around the world. For example, in the UK, Europe’s largest aerosol can market, Ball supports the MetalMatters program. 8. What do you think packaging of the future will look like? Are we there already? KP: We are gaining momentum for a shift in how we think about packaging. At present we have far too much packaging, which was not designed to be easily and infinitely recycled. We are now coming to grips with the impacts of that way of thinking. Although still too focused in our view on end of life remedies for products, which were not designed with end of life in mind – there is a growing awareness of what a circular economy and infinite recyclability and real recycling means i.e. product to product or material to material recycling instead of down cycling. We see aluminium as a critical material, which can demonstrate that this is a reality today, and is a positive solution for the plastic pollution crisis. �

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