Aluminium International Today Sept Oct 2016 by Quartz

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www.aluminiumtoday.com September/October 2016â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Vol.28 No.5

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

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We transform ... the world of extrusion.

Use of servomotors

Visit us at ALUMINIUM 2016 Hall 9, Booth No. 9C20 Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 Düsseldorf, Germany

Compact hydraulic system

HybrEx®: A new generation of extrusion presses. Extrusion is a 140-year-old process and was considered exhausted from a technological point of view. Unfairly so, as proved by the HybrEx® concept – productivity has been increased by up to 20 percent. With the hybrid drive concept many of the movements that were previously generated hydraulically are now produced by electric servomotors. These offer more efficient, faster and more precise operation, resulting in a reduction in energy consumption of up to 55 percent. For this HybrEx® was awarded the Ecoplants mark for ecological and economical processes from SMS.

With their innovative technologies and integrated automation, SMS group presses give our customers the greatest possible flexibility when designing their individual production programs.

ecoplants

SMS GROUP GMBH

Ohlerkirchweg 66 41069 Mönchengladbach, Germany

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Phone: +49 2161 350-2321 Fax: +49 2161 350-2318

communications@sms-group.com www.sms-group.com

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CONTENTS 1

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LEADER

NEWS

2 MINUTES WITH... Geoff Scamans

Volume 28 No. 5 – September/October 2016 Editorial Editor: Nadine Bloxsome Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

COVER INDUSTRY NEWS

EVENT PREVIEWS Arabal & Aluminium 2016

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

REGIONAL UPDATES

SECONDARY

UPDATES

Consulting Editor: Tim Smith PhD, CEng, MIM Production Editor: Annie Baker

www.aluminiumtoday.com September/October 2016—Vol.28 No.5

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

Sales Sales Manager: Anne Considine anneconsidine@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855139

IRAN - Iran hosts aluminium industry

BRAZIL - Brazil and the aluminum industry saga

Sales Director: Ken Clark kenclark@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855117

GCC - Gulf growth

RUSSIA - Russian aluminium industry on the verge of big changes

Advertisement Production Production Executive: Martin Lawrence Managing Director: Steve Diprose Chief Executive Ofﬁcer: Paul Michael

IMEDAL

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Cover picture courtesy of EGA

Supporters of Aluminium International Today

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ASSOCIATION UPDATE

PROJECTS & PRODUCTS PRIMARY

Opening the window of opportunity

Case Study: AP60 managing risk

Waste heat recovery solutions

Focus on EGA

CASTHOUSE

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Talex casthouse: Successful start of operation

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

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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

SPL and salt slags recycling

Focus on India

Targeting more post-consumed scrap

Metals recycling takes centre stage

ROLLING 66

Evolution of aluminium strip production technologies

Designing a world-class aluminium plant

ANALYSIS & TESTING @AluminiumToday ISSN1475-455X

Aluminium International Today

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2 COMMENT

INDUSTRY NEWS

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Joint venture amendments Alcoa and Alumina Limited have agreed to make certain changes to the Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC) joint venture that will enhance value for Alcoa, Alumina Limited, and their respective shareholders. In conjunction with these amendments, the parties have agreed to terminate their litigation

Spot the difference The eagle-eyed among you might have already spotted a change in this issue of the magazine. On paper it’s not a big change, but I will certainly have to get used to spelling my new surname ‘Bloxsome’ straight after I have said it! My new Husband and I were married at the end of August in a beautiful ceremony on a clifftop in Santorini. He thought I picked the location so he didn’t have an easy escape route, but I assured him it was for the sunset... I am writing this after trawling through emails and trying to catch up on what I might have missed while my phone remained off. It’s not often we get time to switch ourselves off, but it’s important from time to time and means I feel refreshed and ready for the busy times ahead. Hopefully you are reading this issue at one of the many industry events taking place across the next few months. It is likely that myself or other members of the AIT team will also be in attendance, so don’t hesitate to hunt us down if you’d like to know more about the magazine or if you’d like to be involved in 2017. We have lots of exciting new supplements and digital issues planned, meaning even more opportunities to promote your company or products to the international aluminium industry. Back to this issue and as usual we have squeezed in as much industry news, regional updates, technical features and product innovation as possible. I hope you enjoy the issue! nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

in the Delaware Court of Chancery relating to Alcoa’s pending separation into two independent, publicly traded companies. Alcoa Inc. remains on track to complete its separation in the second half of 2016. In general, the changes to the joint venture agreements are intended to align more closely the partners’ interests in

AWAC, while establishing greater strategic flexibility and autonomy for both partners. Effective upon the completion of Alcoa’s separation, certain changes will be made to the governance and financial policies of the joint venture, intended to enhance the cooperation between the shareholders.

Rusal: First output of scandium oxide Rusal has produced scandium oxide for the first time with the concentration exceeding 99%. The new product output commenced at the Urals aluminium smelter (UAZ) after the installation and launch of the pilot unit for the processing of scandium concentrate into scandium oxide. Experts at Rusal Engineering and Technology Centre earlier developed the unique carbonisation technology for scandium extraction from the red mud and this technology makes no negative effect on alumina production. Productivity of the pilot unit has made 96kg of scandium per year and the project investment has totalled about 64 million roubles. At the moment there are works in progress on the pilot unit aiming to further improve the technology to reduce the product costs. The scandium oxide produced

will be used for the production of aluminium-scandium alloys at Rusal’s smelters. The use of the scandium as a micro alloying element improves the consumer

properties of aluminium alloys. Producing its own raw materials for the production of alloys will allow the Company to reduce costs associated with the purchase of such materials.

“Scandium has vast potentials in aerospace, transport and energy industries. As of today, global consumption of scandium oxide estimates at 10-15 tonnes per year. In this regard, Rusal has plans to develop a modular unit capable of increasing the capacity keeping up with market demand. The production will rely on the company’s own raw material base and will fully meet demand not only in Russia, but globally,” said Victor Mann, Director of Rusal’s Research and Development. Works on scandium extraction from red mud have been conducted at UAZ since 2013. During its earlier stage, the unit for the production of flux agents for ferrous metallurgy was launched within the framework of the project to create the technology and pilot production unit for red mud processing at UAZ.

Fluor bauxite expansion project Fluor Corporation has announced that Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG) awarded Fluor an engineering, procurement and construction management contract for the Bauxite Production Expansion Project in Kamsar, Guinea. Fluor booked the $501 million contract value into backlog in the second quarter of 2016. The project will expand bauxite production from 14.5 million to 18.5 million tons per year and is the company’s first of a planned three-phase expansion. The scope includes expansion of the mine infrastructure, rail system, port facility and processing plant infrastructure and utilities. Fluor has

been involved since the project’s early stages executing the feasibility study and early engineering.

“Fluor has worked with CBG to develop a capital-efficient solution that combines delivery predictability and flexibility for maintenance and future expansions,” said Rick Koumouris, president of Fluor’s Mining & Metals business. “Given the project’s location and unique logistical challenges, Fluor will bring unmatched technical and execution expertise, as well as the requisite Guinea experience, to deliver this project safely, on schedule and on budget.” The expansion is expected to complete in 2018. CBG is jointly owned by the Government of Guinea and the Halco Mining consortium, which includes Alcoa, Rio Tinto and Dadco Investments.

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INDUSTRY NEWS 3 APPOINTMENTS UK Metals Chair Council

Offshore aluminium Sapa is investing in new machinery offering super-large and light products for the offshore and maritime industry with equipment that can produce panels up to 18 metres long and 3.5 metres wide. “Our ability to join thin-walled lightweight designs into large panels will make a big difference for customers in the marine and offshore industries, where such sizes are best suited, and where cost savings are key. Reducing lead time significantly is another benefit,” says John Thuestad, executive vice president responsible for Sapa’s extrusion organisation in Europe. Sapa has installed a new large-

scale friction stir welding machine in Sweden offering single-sided and double-sided welding of aluminium profiles with material thicknesses up to 16mm, produced as 18 x 3.5-metre panels. The panels can be produced curved as well as flat. Sapa is enhancing the technology by combining it with specially tailored alloys for marine and offshore use. The friction stir welding (FSW) machine that Sapa has installed at its plant in Finspång, Sweden, is the largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It will become fully operational in October. FSW joins flush metal surfaces

through the effects of a rotary tool, pressure and heat. No filling is needed, and FSW provides better properties and less heat deformation than other forms of welding. Double-sided welding is faster and generally produces higher quality results than single-sided welding. The offshore and marine industries use aluminium commonly in structural applications, such as floors, framework, housing modules and helipads. In this area, Sapa develops and delivers machined, pre-assembled and finished components using its extrusion technology and friction stir welding techniques.

Simon MacVicker, managing director of Bridgnorth Aluminium, has been appointed Chair of the newly-formed UK Metals Council. This body, linked to Metals Forum, comprises leading UK metals companies, and speaks out for the UK metals sector with government and BIS. One of its primary roles is to deliver the UK Metals Industry Strategy, which was launched last year.

Aleris secures Airbus contract Why the S8 TIGER?

Aleris has signed a new multi-year contract with Airbus to supply aluminium plate and sheet to be used in the production of all Airbus aircraft programs. The contract starts in 2017 and also includes the supply of technically advanced wing skin material. The agreement further strengthens a long-standing partnership with Airbus, demonstrating how Aleris continues to meet the high expectations required of a strategic supplier to the aerospace industry. “This vote of confidence from Airbus validates our strategy to expand our global rolled products footprint and invest in technology as we are now able to extend our range of aerospace products and better serve Airbus,” says Sean Stack, President & CEO of Aleris. “With world class facilities strategically positioned in Koblenz, Ger-

many and Zhenjiang, China we are in a strong position to support the significant growth projected in the aerospace industry, particularly in the Asia Pacific region.” The agreement itself significantly extends the Aleris relationship with Airbus, as it includes aluminium plate and sheet that are used in applications including aircraft fuselage and wing structures, but it now includes the supply of wing skins – a highly specialised product that requires additional processing and pre-machining. The contract includes the supply of material from the company’s facilities in Koblenz, Germany and Zhenjiang, China, the latter of which represents a $350 Million greenfield project for Aleris. This facility was qualified by Airbus for the production of aerospace material in 2015.

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Ozeos, the ultimate scrubbing technology, ensures the lowest emissions and a richer alumina for the benefit of your smelter operation. Thanks to the significant improvements achieved in terms of environmental, maintenance and operational performance, the Ozeos dry scrubber module was awarded the Fives Engineered Sustainability label in 2014. It combines a low velocity integrated reactor and long filter bags into an optimized footprint. In comparison with other state-of-the-art technologies, Ozeos is 5% less energy consuming. Its maintenance is easier and emissions are further reduced by 20%.

INDUSTRY NEWS 5 APPOINTMENTS New EA Chairman

Aluminium in cars up 30% A Ducker Worldwide study forecasts the aluminium content in cars to increase by up to 30% over the next 10 years. This surge is mainly from rolled and extruded products, where Auto Body Sheet leads the growth with an expected increase of 110% over the same period. The growth is largely attributed to aluminium’s role in lightweighting cars, thereby contributing to low emission mobility. The amount of aluminium used in cars is expected to see a significant increase by 2025, accord-

ing to a study recently published by consulting and research firm Ducker Worldwide. The study, commissioned by European Aluminium, predicts that the aluminium content of cars produced in Europe could reach nearly 200kg per vehicle by 2025, up from 150kg today. “We expect the aluminium content in cars to continue its growth trajectory by as much as 30% in the next ten years,” stated Wouter Vogelaar from Ducker Worldwide. “Although we find total content growth in all forming processes,

Kobe Steel breaks ground

Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions Inc. (or KPEX) broke ground on its production facility on 9th August in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA, officially marking the start of construction. Approximately 50 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony. A subsidiary of Kobe Steel, Ltd., KPEX will manufacture and sell aluminium bumper beam material and car frame material for the automotive industry in the United Aluminium International Today

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States. Fabrication operations will begin in the second half of 2017 and the melting to extrusion processes will begin in the second half of 2018. Major participants in the groundbreaking ceremony included Bowling Green Mayor Bruce Wilkerson and Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon of Warren County. From Kobe Steel, Managing Executive Officer Takumi Fujii attended the event.

rolled and extruded products have been particularly identified as replacing steel in many instances for products used in body closures and body structures. For example, we expect the use of Auto Body Sheet to double over the next decade.” Ducker Worldwide also found that the share of rolled products grew significantly in the last four years due to the increased penetration rate for body closures and body structures. The share of forgings and extrusions in the total aluminium consumption remained relatively stable.

Kjetil Ebbesberg, Hydro, will take on the position of Chairman of European Aluminium until the next General Assembly, replacing Pierre Vareille. Mr Vareille, CEO of Constellium since 2012, spent two years at the helm of the European Aluminium Executive Committee and over four years as a member. He retired from his position at Constellium, consequently resigning from his role as Chairman of European Aluminium.

Why the S8 TIGER?

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September/October 2016

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ALUMINIUM 2016

Visions become reality.

11th World Trade Fair & Conference

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29 Nov â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 Dec 2016 Messe DĂźsseldorf, Germany www.aluminium-messe.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS 7

Jaguar XE recycling milestone As the Jaguar XE celebrates its first full-year of sales, ‘REALCAR’, the pioneering recycled aluminium project that contributes to the awarding winning saloon’s aluminium-intensive body has reached a significant milestone. Jaguar Land Rover has reclaimed over 50,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap, the weight of 200,000 XE body shells, back into the production process during 2015/16, preventing more than

500,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent from entering the atmosphere by not using primary aluminium material. The figures are a result of project ‘REALCAR’ which involves 11 UK press shops implementing a closed-loop, segregating waste aluminium scrap so that it can be sent back into production to be re-melted into recycled aluminium sheet for use in Jaguar Land Rover vehicles.

APPOINTMENTS Rusal appointments

The Jaguar Land Rover-led research project, part funded by Innovate UK, also saw the development of a recycled aluminium-based alloy which can accept a higher percentage of the recovered scrap. In 2014, the Jaguar XE became the first car in the world to use this innovative high-strength aluminium alloy, developed by project partner Novelis.

Aluminium demand remains strong Ina recent report, Norsk Hydro announced that it expects aluminium demand to remain strong. The improved company results reflected higher realised aluminium and alumina prices and stronger sales volumes, partly offset by currency developments. “We have lifted annual global aluminium demand growth forecast to 4-5 percent for 2016, up from previous forecast 3-4 percent. Higher-than-expected activity in China means that we now see primary aluminium de-

mand in China alone to grow by 5-7 percent in 2016. Globally, we expect a largely balanced aluminium market for the full year, “ says President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg “For this quarter, we see that increasing aluminium and alumina prices, along with lower costs and higher volumes are partly offset by currency developments,” Brandtzæg says. “I am also pleased to see the continued progress of our ambitious Better improvement programs, and I am happy to see

IN BRIEF

Alufoil Trophy EAFA, the European Aluminium Foil Association has announced that entries for the 2017 competition are now open and will be accepted until 18 November 2016. A particular benefit for 2017 winners is that their products will be presented on the Association’s stand at interpack, the world’s largest packaging exhibition, in Düsseldorf, Germany next May.

that we are on track to reach total improvements of NOK 2.9 billion in 2019.”

UC Rusal has announced senior staff appointments within the company’s Aluminium Division. Oleg Buts has been appointed as Managing Director of Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter (IrkAZ). Prior to the appointment, Mr Buts worked as the Director of Department for Production System Training at Production development Directorate of UC RUSAL. He will replace Evgeny Kuriyanov, who has been appointed as Managing Director of Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter (KrAZ).

Aluminum Association Announced the addition of three new member companies – UC Rusal, Tri-Star Glove and MAGNECO/METREL. The Association also introduced a new member category and its first ever individual membership for Professor Diran Apelian of Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Why the S8 TIGER?

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Aluminium International Today

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Forging a Stronger Future

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INDUSTRY NEWS 9

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ASI update ASI is targeting the launch of its certification program for the end of 2017. The organisation is currently on track with the development of all the required normative documents, and are preparing a public consultation process on the draft Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard to start in October this year. There are a range of normative documents needed to design and

run a standards system and certification program. These documents set out the key elements for how ASI Certification will be designed,

IN BRIEF Four million hours no LTIs implemented, overseen and improved over time. ASI has developed an orientation document “ASI Standards Documents Overview”, also available in French, Portuguese and Chinese, to introduce stakeholders to these various elements. It describes each of the normative documents that are being developed for the ASI Certification program and their current status. An important point is that these elements need to be well integrated with each other, and consider the desired outcomes of the program and likely implementation challenges. ASI will be working with the ASI Standards Committee, ASI members, potential auditors and stakeholders to inform the finalisation of these critical documents.

For up-to-date news & views www.aluminiumtoday.com

Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) finished the first half of 2016 by attaining its Four Million Plantwide Hours without Lost Time Injuries (LTIs).

AFRC partnership Mitsubishi Materials Group has signed up to be the latest member of the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. The AFRC will act as a test facility for the development of new products and manufacturing processes, which will be used to produce metal components for use in a range of industries – including oil and gas, aerospace and automotive.

charges. If enacted, the first capped charges would come into effect on 1 April 2017.

Constellium partners with Nespresso Constellium was chosen by Nespresso to participate in the recycling of used capsules as part of Second Life, an innovative project conducted in Switzerland where Nespresso is headquartered. The campaign aims at integrating sustainability across Nespresso’s value chain by giving the coloured coffee capsules a new life through aluminium recycling.

LME warehouse charges The London Metal Exchange (LME) is initiating a market-wide consultation proposing to control escalating warehousing costs by imposing caps on maximum

2016/2017 DIARY October 03 - 06 ICSOBA* The International Committee for Study of Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium (ICSOBA). www.icsoba.org/icsoba-2016canada

November/December 08 - 11 Metal Expo* The 22nd International Industrial Exhibition will be held in Moscow. www.metal-expo.ru

22 - 24 ARABAL* Arab International Aluminium Conference held in Dubai, UAE. www.arabal.com

29 - 01 ALUMINIUM 2016* The world’s leading trade show and B2B-platform for the aluminium industry. www.aluminium-messe.com

February/March 2017 07 - 08 14th International Aluminium Recycling Congress* The congress focus on market trends and technology applications in the field of aluminium recycling and circular economy.

26 - 02 TMS* Join your colleagues from nearly 70 nations at the meeting that the global minerals, metals, and materials community calls home.

April 2017 25 - 27 7th International Conference on Electrodes for Primary Aluminium Smelters As before, the conference topic will include both anodes and cathodes. www.rodding-conference.is

*Pick up a free copy of Aluminium International Today at this event For a full listing visit www.aluminiumtoday.com and click on Events Diary Aluminium International Today

Nadine sept oct.indd 5

Why the S8 TIGER?

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September/October 2016

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You can

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our footprints

2 minutes with…

in all

1. What do you enjoy most about your job? No two days are the same and I’ve always had the freedom to work in areas that are close to my main interests.

of the world

2. How did you get into the aluminium industry? Metallurgy was a good choice as it combines physics chemistry and maths and is an applied rather than a pure science. I also read that there would be jobs for metallurgists when I graduated in 1970. This was not the case and that was one of the reasons I stayed on to complete a PhD on the stress corrosion cracking of stainless steel. I then did a year of post-doctoral research on stress corrosion of high strength aluminium alloys that caught the attention of Alcan so they offered me a job at their Banbury research centre and I started working on the wondermetal there in November 1974.

corners

Dry bulk handling that you can rely on youtube.com/siwertell siwertell.com 2 minutes with.indd 1

3. Best piece of advice you’ve been given? When I started work I was told that I could work on a number of projects or I could “do what I like”. I’ve worked that way ever since. I was also advised not to “peak too early” and “to keep my head below the parapet” for a long career. This has worked well and I’m still in an under-aged condition with little or no management responsibility. I also like other maxims like the kiss philosophy “keep it simple stupid”, “revenge is a dish best enjoyed cold”, “life is not a la carte, you have to take

Geoff Scamans* the set menu” and for sport “get your retaliation in ﬁrst” from the 1974 Lions tour. 4. What is something we don’t know about you? I am an Archers’ addict, a family history geek and a lifelong West Ham fan. 5. Your most prized possession? Something frivolous like my 1964 Cup Final programme when West Ham beat Preston before going on to win the European Cup Winners Cup in 1965 and then the World Cup (with some help) in 1966. 6. If you weren’t working with aluminium what would you be doing? I’d be at home still trying to play the guitar working my way through the Leonard Cohen songbook and endless blues variations. 7. Proudest moment? Obviously the birth of our children Alexia and Oliver and then the birth of our grandchildren Mack, Dexter and Orla. All magic moments. 8. Last TV series you watched? I think it was the second series of “Happy Valley” or the third series of “Line of Duty”. I couldn’t get into Wolf Hall and I’m not sure if Versailles is good or bad yet but I’m still watching. �

*Chief Scientiﬁc Ofﬁcer, Innoval Technology

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12 EVENT PREVIEWS

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Global challenges: ALUMINIUM Seeking solutions 2016

The Arab International Aluminium Conference (ARABAL) combines a strategic conference with an international exhibition. It is the premium trade event for the Middle East’s aluminium industry and the only conference attended by every primary smelter in the region. This will be the 20th edition of ARABAL and the event will be hosted by Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) from the 22 – 24 November at the Madinat Jumeirah Conference Centre, Dubai. Conference The ARABAL conference will unite the world’s leading aluminium companies and manufacturers. This year the theme will be ‘Global challenges - seeking solutions’. Exhibition Alongside the conference will be a two-day, international exhibition, gathering the biggest names from the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors.

For more information, visit: www.arabal.com/contact

September/October 2016

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ALUMINIUM trade fair in Germany provides an overview of the entire aluminium industry. It is the international meeting place for suppliers of raw material, semi-finished and finished products, surface treatment and producers of machinery, plant and equipment for aluminium processing and manufacturing. Light-metals trade, consultancy and expert opinions. Visitors Around 27,000 international trade visitors look for new solutions and technologies, not only from producers of the raw material but also processors, refiners, suppliers for the automotive or building industry e.g. producers of sections, suppliers of the latest technologies for extrusion, heat treatment, casting, sawing or surface refinement. This year, the event will take place from 29 November – 1st December, 2016. For more information, visit: www.aluminium-messe.com/contact

Aluminium International Today

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14 IRAN UPDATE

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Iran hosts aluminium industry The 4th Iran International Aluminium Conference, with the cooperation of Iranian Mines and Mining Industrials Development and Renovation Organisation (IMIDRO), the Iran Aluminium Research Centre and the Iran University of Science & Technology (IUST), took place on 11-12th May 2016 at the Tehran Olympic Hotel. The conference covered a range of subjects, including foreign investment opportunities in Iran’s aluminium industry, aluminium and its related markets, future progresses in aluminium production and its application, aluminium reduction technology, raw materials, casting and solidification, mechanical properties and forming, recycling and environment, powder metallurgy, nanotechnology, heat treatment, welding and bonding, composites materials, refractory materials, corrosion and surface engineering, modelling and automation and energy consumption management in aluminium industries. At the opening ceremony, Dr. Mahdi Karbasian (Deputy Minister of industry, mine and trade and Chairman of the Board of IMIDRO), Dr. Mohammad ali Barkhordari Bafghi (IUST University Presidents), Dr Mansour Soltanieh (conference chair) and representatives from Danieli of Italy, SMS Group from Germany and RUSAL from Russia took to the stand. Afterwards, Nick Collier from CRU group opened the exhibition, with a focus on “Evaluating the alumina market perspective and aluminium and opportunities for Iran.” The conference With more than 200 abstracts received, it was a job to organise the final conference programme! In the end, just over 105 September/October 2016

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articles were approved and presented in two sections: Oral presentation and poster. During the conference, companies such as Danieli, Rusal, Outotec, SMS group, Fives and NFC held technical sessions. Danieli’s session focused on equipment and production lines of aluminium extrusion and rolling, while Rusal and SMS group looked at neutral anodes in aluminium reduction and equipment, as well as lines of production, and forming of metals. Fives also discussed sustainable methods for emission reduction in the reduction cell. For the first time, an environmental panel was held during this part of the conference. This was alongside expert panels on upstream and downstream industries. A professional workshop on the aluminium industry was also organised for delegates. These included: � Aluminium reduction technology, by professor Harald Øye � Anodising and surface treatment of aluminium, by Dr. Jude M.Runge � Anodising and surface treatment of aluminium, by Dr. Dalla Barba � Aluminium extrusion technology, by Dr. abbas Bahrami and Dr. Alireza Ivani � New aspect on aluminium alloys casting (piece and ingot), by Dr. Seid Mahdi MirEsmaeli and Eng. Siamak Fathi

The exhibition The exhibition and its related industries are now established and provide a platform for the latest products and achievements of domestic and foreign companies. This international event, which has been held for the fourth time is known for its ability to absorb big companies around the globe. Attendance of big domestic and foreign companies in the exhibition has converted the conference to a unique event. Regarding the domestic and foreign company acceptance, the exhibition includes four halls in which more than 70 companies now attend. In comparison to the previous period, foreign attendance has grown by 30%. Participating Foreign companies included: Rusal from Russia, Danieli from Italy, SMS Group from Germany, Outotec from Germany, NFC from China, NKM Noell from Germany, Fives from France, Salico from Spain, Stroibis from Rusia, Sinosteel from China, Sermas from France, Foundry Alfe Chem from Italy, Faro Club from Italy, Italtecno from Italy, Foundry Ecocer from Italy, and Sat Aluminium from Italy. Well-known domestic companies and organisations attending included: Iranian Mines and Mining industrials development and renovation organisation (IMIDRO), IRALCO, South Aluminium Company, Kaveh Khozestan Aluminium, Jajarm Aluminium, Arak Navard Aluminium, Pars Aluminium International Today

15/09/2016 11:34:03

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16 IRAN UPDATE

Alumankar, Abeskun, Akpa, and Peyman Aluminium. Iran’s industry The event saw more than 1000 national and international participants gather to discuss Iran’s growing aluminium industry. In the opening ceremony, Dr. Soltanieh pointed out IIAC’s commitment to its motto: “Aluminium is key to a sustainable industry.” He also highlighted the vast investment opportunities in the Iranian aluminium industry arising for foreign investors. Following Dr. Soltanieh’s speech, Mehdi Karbasian said: “Although four decades have passed since the foundation of Iran’s aluminium industry, this industry is proceeding slowly. Having said this, other countries in the Middle East are profiting from great gas resources, which has made them major rivals in the aluminium industry.” Karbasian continued: “According to statistics reported by the International Aluminium Institute, global aluminium production reached 57.8 million tons in 2015, which shows an annual growth of 7.2%. Also, aluminium shows an annual 5% growth in demand, which is considered a good opportunity for aluminium producing countries. “Approximately 30% of aluminium production costs are related to energy consumed in this industry and Iran has an outstanding advantage in this area. Numbers also show that Arabian countries in the Persian Gulf region, along with Egypt, have invested 42 billion USD from 2010 to 2014 in the aluminium industry. The production capacity of these countries mounts up to 5.7 million tons on an annual basis, which is 8.5% of international aluminium production. Iran has only invested 2.5 billion USD in the aluminium chain.” The CEO of IMIDRO pointed out that the nominal aluminium production capacity in Iran is 470,000 ton per annum, of which 350,000 tons is stated as actual capacity. Karbasian added that the difference between the nominal capacity and actual capacity is related to securing enough electricity, energy, raw material and financial difficulties arising in this industry. “According to governmental predictions on the long-term plan up to 2025 (or 1404 solar year), the production of 1.5 million tons of aluminium is foreseen, which we hope with the support of the government and society, we are able to revise this digit.” Karbasian continued. With regards to bauxite resources, Karbasian claimed: “Iran does not have enough bauxite reserves, which could be a problem in this industry. The solution to this problem was securing a 25-year September/October 2016

IRAN.indd 2

www.aluminiumtoday.com

contract with the Guinea government. We are also cooperating with German consultants and negotiating with Brazilian and Australian companies in order to secure enough raw materials to supply our needs. Also, we have prepared an agreement with Nalco of India to start a mutual venture, which with the presence of the Indian Prime Minister in upcoming months, we hope we can take our cooperation to the next level. Other projects in this area of expertise are Jajarm Aluminium project which will be activated on the end of this year or earlier next year.” Finally Karbasian said: “I promise that the governmental policy will be directed to supporting local and foreign investment in the area of the mining industry.” Representatives from SMS group, Rusal, NFC and Danieli appointed Iran as a perfect market and opportunity for production, consumption and export of aluminium. Ralf Ohrndorf from SMS group said that this conference is a great opportunity to introduce Iran as a growing aluminium market in the region. He added: “Due to long-term plans in various countries including Iran, we are likely to witness growth in the aluminium consumption of downstream industries soon. This is only orchestrated through development and investment in this industry.” Roman Berstenev from Rusal, one of the biggest aluminium producing giants in the world, pointed to the sanctions against Iran being lifted across the globe and said: “Various opportunities and deficits in the Iranian aluminium industry will be mentioned in this conference.” Berstenev pointed to the process of supply and demand of aluminium and its effect on prices and continued: “Different industries such as automotive and aerospace are extending their application for aluminium and this is exactly why aluminium producing companies are competing to control and decrease aluminium production costs.” Berstenev emphasised on the role of energy and said: “Energy plays a key role in the determination of competing prices and Iran holds abundant energy resources.” Qin Junmen, from NFC of China, pointed to the development of the aluminium industry in China: “In the past few years China has turned to high technology in aluminium production in order to optimise its productivity.” Junmen continued: “Ingot production technology in our company has reached 600kA from 175kA in the beginning of 2014. Having said this I must add that Iralco’s new production line, which was commissioned in 2007, has the technology to work with 200ka currency.”

Giovanni Nigris from the Danieli group also made a speech in the conference. “The increase in worldwide population alongside the increased interest of various industries to aluminium, has led to consumption growth of this metal.” Nigris continued: “It is foreseen that aluminium consumption will have an upward trend until 2025, which in this case the automotive industry has an important role, as aluminium is used immensely in the body and other parts of vehicles. Also, aluminium consumption will increase in the construction and aerospace industry.” With regards to the development of the aluminium industry in Iran, Nigris added: “Unique geographical location, abundant energy, access to free waters and talented human resources, all in all leave no doubts for a positive future viewpoint of the aluminium industry in Iran.” The Danieli representative pointed to the collaboration between Danieli and Iran since 1980 and said: “With the endorsement of cooperation pact between the two parties in the past few months, Danieli has decided to invest in Iran’s aluminium and steel industry which will lead to the construction of related plants.” He stated that this mission is done through a joint venture and the establishment of Parsian Metalics (which has been newly established).” Apart from Dr. Runge, Eng. Houshang Goudarzi (Chairman of the Board of Directors in Iran Aluminium Syndicate) took the stand by saying: “The sanctions against Iran have been lifted and so many opportunities for investment in Iran’s aluminium industry have been provided.” Goudarzi pointed to the opportunities made for foreign investors in Iran, which will lead to great profits. He added: “Investment in Iran’s aluminium industry has an economic view. The Arab nations in the gulf region have the capacity to produce five million tons of aluminium per annum. Meanwhile their area is somewhat smaller than some of the islands belonging to Iran. These countries don’t even have enough workforces and import their needs. Their only advantage is their abundant energy which in this field Iran has also outstanding privilege.” Goudarzi assured delegates that Iran is the safest spot in the region for investment and said: “Foreign investors are in need of a partner in order to invest in Iran’s aluminium industry and Iran’s Aluminium Syndicate can help all investors to find a suitable partner.”� The next Iran International Aluminium Conference is due to take place in 2018. Find out more: www.iiac.iust.ac.ir Aluminium International Today

15/09/2016 11:34:03

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18 BRAZIL UPDATE

Bauxite mining in Paragominas, in the state of Pará. Source Abal

Brazil and the aluminum industry saga Despite the challenging economic and political environment, a potential consumer market and the industry’s recovery give new impetus to the Brazilian aluminium market. By Milton Rego* The metal used to forge the Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Games torch in 2016 has overcome intense fluctuations in the competitions’ host country. Important changes in the political environment and a persistent contraction of the economy have driven away some investors and made many others wait before they move ahead with their plans. The performance of the Brazilian aluminium industry was not immune to this scenario. In 2015, the domestic market for manufactured aluminium products declined 8.5% and closed the year with a total of 1.3 million tons. Nevertheless, the result was better than the 9.7% fall of the Brazilian manufacturing industry, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, for its Portuguese acronym), driven by a particularly strong downturn in the automotive industry (see chart). The types of transformed aluminium products that most influenced the decline in total consumption were extruded and casting items, reflecting the weak performance in 2015 of their major consumer markets, such as civil construction and transport. On the other hand, in the packaging segment, whose

production fell less than in other sectors, the aluminium consumption remained almost steady, growing 0.5% last year. But as there is no evil that lasts forever, recent news brought some hope. The industry production returned to an upward trend in the last four consecutive months. Add to that the first positive result of the year, reported in August, for capital, semi-finished and all types of consumer goods. Data suggests that the Brazilian economy has reached a turning point and will, finally, show positive signs. Upstream In 2015, the production of bauxite and alumina increased. Last year, there was a record output of bauxite and alumina, with 37 million tons and 10.5 million tons, respectively. Exports of bauxite and alumina, responsible for maintaining a trade surplus in the sector, also hit a record. Throughout the year, 9.34 million tons of bauxite were exported versus 8.35 million tons in 2014, representing an 11% increase. In the case of alumina, the country exported an additional 286,000 tons in comparison with 2014, bringing the total to 8.47 million tons in 2015.

The leading destinations of the national bauxite in 2015 were the United States, Ireland, China, and Canada, while the main consumer markets of the domestic alumina in the same year were Canada, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, Iceland, Argentina, the United States, Qatar, China, and Russia. In turn, the most extreme negative aspect of the sector was recorded in the production of primary aluminium, which fell 19.7%, totalling 772,200 tons in the year, thus returning to the levels of production reported in 1986 in Brazil. The decrease in volume last year is largely due to the temporary closure of the Consórcio de Alumínio do Maranhão (Alumar) plant, located in the State of Maranhão, with an annual installed capacity of 457,000 tons. As for other plants that shut down their activities, this extreme choice was a consequence of the sharp drop in the commodity price, aligned with the successive increases in production costs, especially those of the purchased electric power – which, for the average of the Brazilian industry, accounts for 62% of the total costs.

*Deputy President, Brazilian Aluminium Association September/October 2016

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Aluminium International Today

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BRAZIL UPDATE 19

a Sustainability and competitiveness Despite the difficult moment, aluminium has been gaining ground in several of its consumer markets. One of the factors that makes us believe that the decline in the consumption of aluminium over the past years was slower than that of its consumer markets is that the metal has been earning market share from its competing materials, as a result of the demand for more efficient, lighter and sustainable products. In the case of the transport sector, there is a positive outlook for an increase in the use of road equipment made of aluminium in the replacement of steel. ABAL is currently leading a project for the development of a Dry-Cargo Truck Body, which is 100% made of aluminium. The project is in the final phase of its performance test. The trucks that have been using this body already show significant results, including a 13% reduction in fuel consumption in comparison with the same truck using a steel body. Other promising markets are those that seek energy efficiency, such as the use of aluminium in wind turbines and wind power generators, as well as in frames and structures of photovoltaic panels, whose consumption is expected to substantially increase when the country develops a more favourable and clear regulation to Aluminium International Today

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implement smart grids. In an increasingly globalised world, the local industry has been intensively working to promote the differentials of the products made in Brazil. One of these initiatives was the study led by the Brazilian government, with metrics and standards developed together with the environmental consultancy Carbon Trust and the National Association of Technical Standards (ABNT, for its Portuguese acronym), for a measuring system that will certify companies and products with lower carbon footprint and reduced water consumption in Brazil. Four industries in the sector are participating in this project, each with a product being assessed. They are the Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio, General Cable, Novelis, and ReciclaBR. If this project spreads out, it will open a much wider competitive advantage. The certification will be a business-to-business tool, meaning that the market will be able to select more sustainable suppliers. Still aligned with the competitiveness via a sustainability strategy, The Brazilian Aluminum Association (ABAL) recently joined the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), a global organisation whose main goal is to define standards for sustainability performance within the aluminium value chain. By joining the ASI, we bring our support, which represents the entire aluminium chain in Brazil, to an initiative that strengthens sustainable practices, from mining to the manufacturing of finished products, and that constantly pursues higher sustainability standards. With that, ABAL seeks to be part

of international discussions; share comparative advantages of Brazilian bauxite, alumina and aluminium, such as clean energy and low carbon footprint; influence the protocols and governance definitions; in addition to participating in an ASI committee that will discuss sustainable mining. What tomorrow will bring When this article is published, it is very likely that the results of the president Dilma Rousseff impeachment voting will be finished. Also this year, in October, we will have municipal elections. In other words, Brazil is yet to go through another period of political uncertainty that will certainly delay the recovery of the country’s economy. As a result of this environment, the forecast for the Brazilian aluminium market in 2016 is still conservative. We believe in a new fall in the consumption of manufactured aluminium products, but this time in the range of 6.0%. However, it is a significantly lower rate when compared to 2015. One more time, aluminium plates and sheets, which are expected to grow approximately 1%, will be the products that will drive the sector’s performance. Nevertheless, as said at the beginning, there is no evil that lasts forever. For that reason, we foresee that in 2017 there will be more trust in the market and an upturn in the national economy, which will reflect in the recovery of the Brazilian aluminium industry. � Contact www.abal.org.br

% versus the previous year 0% -3.8%

-4.3%

-10%

-8.5%

-9.7% -12.6%

-20%

-22.8%

-30%

-40%

-44.8%

-50% Brazil GDP

Packaging Industry Physical Production

Aluminium Domestic Consumption

Manufacturing Industry GDP

Construction Materials Sales

Automotive Production

Road Equipment Sales

2015 Indicators - Sources: IBGE, Abramat, Anfavea, Anfir, Abre and ABal

September/October 2016

15/09/2016 11:42:40

20 ADVERTORIAL

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AVORA wastewater pre-treatment plant at Clariant’s subsidiary Infrapark Baselland in Muttenz, Switzerland.

sustainability of processes and products with the same priority. As the aluminium products are based on a variety of specialty chemical products, the chemistry requires carefully designed end-to-end development and a dedicated production set-up including an ingeniously designed waste treatment facility to handle all kinds of waste streams. Clariant has set up its Swiss-made aluminium production in such a way that waste streams are already separated within the manufacturing process. Additionally, the wastewater pre-treatment is specifically structured to efficiently clean those various waste streams. Metal-containing waste streams are sent to a separate pre-treatment facility at Infrapark Baselland (Clariant’s fully owned subsidiary) where heavy metals are eliminated by hydroxide precipitation. The process eliminates more than 99 % of all heavy metals from the wastewater. Some of the resulting metal hydroxides can be recycled as raw material and used again within metal production processes. Waste streams containing organic residues will be sent to the Fenton oxidation within the wastewater pre-treatment facility, which will break down organic impurities into biodegradable molecules. Fenton’s reagent is a solution of hydrogen peroxide with iron(II) sulphate employed as a catalyst to oxidize contaminants of the waste water. This reduces the chemical and biological oxygen demand by more than 30% and effectively pre-purifies the waste stream. Thereafter the pre-treated and pre-purified water is jointly sent to the general biological wastewater treatment facility as used by most chemical sites. The final resulting water is close to drinking water quality and can be reused for many purposes. Through constant innovation, we cover the requirements for future technologies and applications and develop new products and services that address the needs of today and the trends of tomorrow. We continuously and permanently work on developments for metal-free products, and improve our working processes in order to offer new and sustainable products. Clariant has a strong and dedicated commitment to the environment and has subscribed to Responsible Care®, a voluntary commitment by the global chemical industry to drive continuous improvement and achieve excellence in environmental, health, safety and security performance. Clariant is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and has been recognised as one of the most sustainable chemical companies in Europe and also worldwide. As a result of its track record in sustainability, Clariant was recognised with a Silver Class distinction in the RobecoSAM Sustainability Yearbook 2016. �

www.clariant.com September/October 2016

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Aluminium International Today

16/09/2016 11:23:45

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22 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

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Gulf growth Aluminium production in the GCC has become the major non-oil industry sector and contributor to the economic growth in the region. Collectively, the five smelters (Aluminium Bahrain – Alba, Emirates Global Aluminium – EGA, Ma’aden Aluminium, Sohar Aluminium and Qatar Aluminium - Qatar) produce 5.2 million tons of aluminium annually, which constitutes 10% of the total aluminium production and 20% of the world production excluding China. In three years’ time production is expected to reach six million tons annually. The growth of the aluminium sector has led to a number of downstream industries in the Gulf for local consumption and export to different regions of the world. Overall, the total investment in the aluminium industry in the Gulf is around US$ 40 billion with additional expected expenditure of another US$ 3 billion for line 6, and the expansion of Alba. The growth of the aluminium business in the Gulf is attributed to a number of reasons. First is the regional drive to diverse the economy away from reliance on oil by utilising gas as a main source of energy helped by excellent infrastructure, good transportation and logistical facilities and properly located between different markets of the eastern and the western countries.

Tonnes

Over the years, Gulf smelters and downstream producers have built an outstanding reputation on executing aluminium projects, development of technology, operating the smelters and becoming a reliable source of good quality metal with exceptional care for the environment. It is therefore natural for the industry to establish a coordinating body to safeguard the achievement and to represent such an important industry. The Gulf Aluminium Council (GAC) is established to support the successful growth of the aluminium industry in the Gulf by enhancing the working environment in the industry through the adaptation of highest safety work practices, commitment to protecting the environment and safeguarding the health and well being of its employees and communities. To do that, GAC have a number of committees that are concerned to reduce cost, improve reliability, improve efficiency such as power station committees and a plant maintenance committee. The health committee is formed to exchange best practices, issues of common concerns and areas that members can

benefit from workable policies or studies related to health and hygiene. One of the key areas in this regard is heat stress management due to high temperature and humidity during the summer period in the Gulf. The Safety and Environment Committee share and benchmark safety results, exchange accidents and incidents, lessons learned and best practices for accident preventions. In addition, the GAC acts as a coordinating body to deal with common strategic issues related to the aluminium industry in the Gulf and the International policies that have an impact on the aluminium business. GAC represents all the GCC Aluminium smelters (Alba – Bahrain, EGA – UAE, Ma’aden Aluminium – KSA, Sohar Aluminium – Oman, Qatalum – Qatar) and major Aluminium downstream (Gulf extrusions – UAE, Garmco – Bahrain, Balexco – Bahrain, Alupco – KSA, Midal Cables – Bahrain, Oman Aluminium Processing Industris – Oman, Oman Aluminium Rolling Co – Oman, Al Taiseer Aluminium Extrusion – KSA, Qalex – Qatar). �

Total 5,274,729 Metric tonnes 5000

2,464,000

4500

2,000,000

4000 3500 1000 mt/year

1,500,000 1,000,000 960,643

835,000

1,000,000

637,900

2500 2000 1500

377,186 500,000

1000 500

0 EGA

ALBA

GCC primary aluminium production 2015

September/October 2016

GULF.indd 1

3000

MA’ADEN ALUMINIUM

QATALUM

SOHAR ALUMINIUM

1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2015

GCC primary aluminium production in Mt. 1971-2015

Aluminium International Today

19/09/2016 11:57:20

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24 RUSSIA UPDATE

Russian aluminium industry on the verge of big changes Eugene Gerden* reports The Russian aluminium industry is on the verge of big changes, due to the recently announced state plans to establish the large-scale production of secondary aluminium production within the country. As part of these plans, the Aluminium Valley, a cluster of enterprises, which specialises in the production of secondary aluminium, will soon be established within the Krasnoyarsk Territory, one of Russia’s most economically developed regions, located in Siberia. The project will be jointly implemented by Rusal and the Russian Aluminium Association, the public association, which unites Russia’s leading aluminium producers and will involve the participation of a number of Russia’s leading aluminium producers, among which are the Krasnoyarsk Metallurgical Plant, the “Segal” casting-forging factory, the “K & K” alloy wheels factory, the Scud foundry-mechanical plant, as well as the Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Plant. According to Roman Andryushin, sales director of Rusal Russia and CIS countries, the project involves the establishment of a cluster of aluminium enterprises, which will focus on the production of high value added aluminium products. The Russian government hopes that the establishment of a new cluster will provide an impetus for the development of the Russian industry of secondary aluminium and will create more than 20,000 new jobs. To date, the government of Krasnoyarsk Territory has already promised investors to provide all the needed benefits for the implementation of the project.

According to Viktor Tolokonskiy, the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the authorities of the Krasnoyarsk region, together with the Russian federal government, plans to design a special mechanism of state support of the investors, that will establish their production capacities within the territory of the cluster. The planned mechanism will include tax benefits, the abolishment of customs duties, as well as the provision of measures of social support. The project also involves the establishment of a research centre, that will be established on the basis of the Siberian Federal University (SFU), one of Russia’s leading technical universities, as well as Rusal’s Engineering and Technical Centre and will focus on the conduction of R&D activities in the field of alumunium. According to an official spokesman of Denis Manturov, Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade, in addition to domestic investors, an interest for the establishment of production and processing facilities within the territory of the Alumunium Valley has been expressed by some foreign investors, of which names, however, are currently not disclosed. In the case of foreigners, according to some sources close to the authorities of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, an interest to the project has already been expressed by some investors from China, while negotiations are currently underway. According to Oleg Deripaska, president of Rusal, and one of the major initiators of the project, the volume of foreign investments in the new Aluminium Valley

only at the initial stage will exceed RUB 17 billion (US$400 million), with the possibility of a significant increase during the next several years. Implementation of the project is personally controlled by Russia’s PrimeMinister Dmitry Medvedev. Production of the Valley will be supplied both to the domestic and foreign markets. According to Denis Manturov, the establishment of the new Aluminium Valley is an acute need, that will help to achieve one of the most ambitious goals of the Russian government and to increase the domestic aluminium consumption up to two million tonnes per year. This will also ensure doubling the production of aluminium products in Russia over the next several years. The new Valley will also receive some Western technologies, and in particular those, which are currently not a subject of sanctions’ regime against Russia. Victor Tolokonski comments: “We are trying to create the most favourable conditions for investors, which are interested in the establishment of capacities for deep processing of primary aluminum within the territory of the Aluminium Valley. The Krasnoyarsk region has already had the status of a centre of aluminium production in Russia, producing more than 1.1 million tonnes of aluminium per year and there is a possibility that these figures will be increased up to 1.6 million tonnes. These results will be achieved due to the planned establishment of the new aluminium cluster within the territory of the region.

*Russian Correspondent September/October 2016

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RUSSIA UPDATE 25 At the initial stage, the new valley will mostly focus on the production of rolled aluminium and aluminium railcars with the possibility of a significant expansion of its range over the next several years. In the case of railcars, the service life of such cars is six years longer, compared to conventional ones. They are also lighter by 2-4.5 metres, which increases their capacity, compared to their conventional analogues. The majority of future production will be supplied for the needs of the Russian shipbuilding, aviation and space industries, while the remaining will be exported to abroad, and in particular to Asian and the EU states. Analysts of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade believe that the establishment of the new cluster is an acute need, as the consumption of aluminium in Russia will be steadily growing over the next few years. According to calculations of Rusal, the biggest increase of consumption is expected to be observed from the automotive industry (+ 235,000 tonnes by 2020), construction industry (+210,000 tonnes), transportation (+400 000 tonnes) and the cable industry (+183,000 tonnes). Aluminium will also be actively used in the production of low-voltage wires and cables for the automotive industry. Currently, among the major consumers of aluminium in Russia are transport and food industry, however there is a possibility that the demand from other industries will also grow next year, due to the beginning of the process of recovery of the Russian economy from the economic crisis, caused by Western sanctions. In addition to Rusal, plans to establish production and processing capacities within the territory of the cluster were preliminary announced by such companies as the Russian state defense corporation Rostec, Alcoa, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC). To date, these companies have announced the establishment of an association of producers and consumers of aluminium, that became a public association, lobbying the interests of Russian and global aluminium producers, in the Russian government. State support In the meantime, according to plans of the Russian government, the majority of the production of the new cluster should be supplied to the domestic market. As part of these plans, the Russian government also plans to set protective duties on the imports of a number of aluminium products out of the country. For example, in the case of aluminium wheels, it is planned that the duties will be set at the level of 20-30% of their cost. It is planned that the same rate will be introduced for certain types of foil and extrusion. Currently, the level of duties on aluminium and aluminiumcontaining products in Russia are varied in the range from 0% (for aircraft engines) to 17.5% (for the shutters of aluminium strips) and will be increased in the coming years, which is also due to Russia’s WTO obligations. At the same time, according to state plans, the establishment of the new cluster will allow for a reduction in the volume of imports of secondary aluminium to Russia, which is currently estimated at 450,000 tonnes, as well as will help to speed the solution of other problems of the Russian aluminium industry. In addition to Western sanctions, among the major problems of the segment of secondary aluminium, which, to date, have prevented the development of the market are high cost of loans to producers, the inability to hedge transactions, as well as the uncontrolled growth prices for energy, triggered by some Russian natural monopolies, which leads to a significant increase of production costs in the Russian aluminium industry.� September/October 2016

RUSSIAN.indd 2

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15/09/2016 12:42:32

26 ASSOCIATION UPDATE Nadine Bloxsome caught up with Artemisa Alba, Executive Director, Mexican Aluminium Institute (IMEDAL) 1.

What is the role of IMEDAL? We are the liaison between the Mexican government and the private sector. The institute was created in order to promote the use of aluminium in general as well as to support the Mexican aluminium industry. We have been representing the Mexican aluminium industry for more than 42 years. Our membership comprises over 60% of the aluminium industry in Mexico. 2. How does IMEDAL work with the Mexican aluminium industry? As our mission says: Represent and promote the interests of members by encouraging sustainability, innovation in the generation of knowledge and integration of the Mexican aluminium industry. That is how we work with the industry; through the key objectives such as: � Be the link between industry and the various institutions, national and international organisations. � Spreading knowledge, generation, advocacy, communication of knowledge and best practices. � Be the link between consumers and producers. � Develop and disseminate statistics and national and international indicators of production and consumption of aluminium. � Attract, develop and retain the talent needed to fulﬁl the mission and vision. 3. What is the current state of the Mexican aluminium industry? Our industry is constantly growing in a number of areas, such as automotive, aerospace, etc. We have had sustained growth since 2011 and these industries continue to grow. 4. Is the industry more focused on upstream or downstream operations? I believe that the industry is focused in both efforts. 5. Does Mexico mainly manufacture aluminium for use in the region, or is it an exporter? Mainly is for domestic use, however against the last year we have registered an increase of about 10%, and in addition to this, the Mexican producers are investing in orders to increase production and supply not only the Mexican market, but also abroad. 6. What challenges has the industry recently faced or is it facing? The demand is mainly coming from the automotive market; new requirements, and ways of working. 7. How is the Mexican aluminium industry making more sustainable manufacturing efforts? All the industry is looking for new processes that are more effective, and which help to make new projects like alloys etc. 8. What is the short and long-term outlook for the Mexican aluminium industry and what is next for IMEDAL? The outlook for our Mexican aluminium industry is to continue growing, with the investment, etc. we believe that the industry has not yet reached its best; the best is yet to come with new challenges. � September/October 2016

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28 PROJECTS & PRODUCTS

The aluminium industry is constantly embarking on new projects and developing new products. In this new regular feature, Aluminium International Today presents the latest announcements in these areas. If you’d like the opportunity to be considered for publication, please contact nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

Conveyor forging furnace contract

Digital multi-mode pyrometer AMETEK Land has developed a new pyrometer that provides high accuracy and a three-in-one capability specifically for aluminium applications, including extrusion press exit, extrusion press quench zone, and aluminium strip mills. The SPOT AL EQS (SPOT Aluminium Extrusion, Quench and Strip) pyrometer is a flexible instrument with pre-configured algorithms that make it especially suitable for use at the extruder press exit and quench position as well as at mill entry and exit positions in hot rolling mills. In addition, the pyrometer’s algorithms can be customised and tuned for bespoke applications and specific aluminium grades. This latest addition to the LAND range of

SPOT pyrometers was speciﬁcally designed to work in low emissivity environments where regular pyrometers might struggle to provide accurate and reliable readings. It has the ability to measure a wide temperature range from 200o to 700°C /392o to 1292°F. Utilising the latest, cutting-edge temperature detector design in combination with the most-advanced data processing algorithms, Land has created an extremely accurate and repeatable pyrometer with an industry-leading response time. For more details, visit www.landinst.com/products/spot-al-eqs and www.spotthermometer.com or email land.enquiry@ametek.com.

New Generation: Crust Breaker and Alumina Feeding Device (CBAFD)

CAN-ENG Furnaces International Limited has been contracted for the design, manufacture and commissioning of an Aluminium Conveyor Forging Furnace for Weber Metals Inc. of Paramount California - Long Beach Facility. Weber Metals Inc. is a major supplier of aluminium and titanium forgings to the Aerospace Industry and is a subsidiary of Otto Fuchs KG of Meinerzhagen, Germany, an operating unit of the Otto Fuchs Aerospace Group. This automated furnace system will heat aluminium alloy preforms and billets prior to forging. The Aluminum Conveyor Forging Furnace is part of Weber Metals’, 60, 000 ton Press Expansion Project. This new forging press will allow Weber Metals to manufacture larger components, utilising more advanced materials for applications globally. The new facility will house the largest aerospace forging press in the Americas making some of the world’s largest monolithic forging components. For further information please contact Tim Donofrio - Vice President, Sales at tdonofrio@ can-eng.com or visit www.can-eng.com

In 2013 the collaboration between MAC Valves, pneumatic valves manufacturer and LECQ INDUSTRIE has developed and manufactured an CBAFD with all the functions, saving compressed air, life time improvement the life of the Chisel/ Tip and reduce ecological footprint. Valves set to control the function of the breaker and feeder

Pneumatic cylinder for the feeding function

The Lecq Industrie CBAFD in addition to their qualities of robustness and reliability has been equipped with a bath sensing system to save energy (80% saving compared to the ﬁrst generation), an end of the stroke sensor switch (preserves the chisel), a mechanical latching (helps for handling). An electronic data acquisition card, settling without any changes in the CBAFD wiring, allows the operator to have all the information on the number of taps/breaking. As manufacturers Mac Valves and Lecq industrie have complete mastery of the design to the manufacturing of the CBAFD. The CBAFD components are machined from certiﬁed materials, gaskets and the assembly grease were selected to ensure optimum life time of the CBAFD. Alumina dosing mechanism

Pneumatic cylinder for the breaking function

Crust breaking mechanism

For more information, visit www.aluminiumtoday.com/ features

Better – Faster - Safer with tapping vehicles With tapping vehicles from HMR Hydeq one person can tap, weigh, transport, de-dross and discharge the molten aluminium in a safe and efﬁcient way. One vehicle with a capacity of 6.7 ton can move more than 200 tons of liquid metal in 24 hours. No splashing, no overloading, no metal loss, one machine and one operator only. The vehicle does not need any ancillary equipment, like compressed air, crane, tilting platform, etc. nor other operators on the ﬂoor. Hot metal is discharged trough a tubing system from the bottom of the crucible in a way insur-

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ing that the dross remains in the crucible. No skimming or de-drossing are necessary. The HMR tapping vehicle is integrated with a crucible cleaner, tube cleaner and tube pre-heater. Together they form a Complete Closed Tapping System. The closed system and the short cycle time together reduce metal oxidation and the temperature drop, which again saves energy for re-melting in the cast house. The environment gains from the closed system too, since the exhaust from the crucible during tapping is fed under the pot hooding. www.hmr.no

19/09/2016 16:04:56

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EnPot can be retro-fitted to 90% of the world’s aluminium smelters. While all smelters would be able to reduce energy consumption when fitted with EnPot technology (go down in Al production), some smelters would require additional infrastructure upgrades before they could increase energy consumption (go up in Al production).

Opening the window of opportunity Can breaking the constraints of the current cell designs and opening up the operating energy-use window, create new opportunities for aluminium smelters? By Dr. Linda Wright* “The current problem with aluminium smelting” says Dr. Mark Dorreen, Director of the Light Metals Research Centre at The University of Auckland, in New Zealand, “is that we have been completely accepting of the fact that the existing primary aluminium production process doesn’t allow the energy input of a smelter to be varied by much more than plus or minus five percent. “Not only does this create a number of significant problems for the aluminium industry”, he says, “but it also makes us oblivious to the opportunities that exist for smelters when the energy-use window is opened.” Dr. Dorreen’s work on the EnPot shell heat exchanger technology for New Zealand company Energia Potior Ltd has led him to the conclusion that being able to open up the energy-use window, to plus or minus 30%, presents new opportunities that haven’t existed or even been contemplated before now. “The maximum-production straightjacket we have been in for the last 125 years effectively means that aluminium smelters are huge dead-end users of power. That is, an enormous

quantity of power goes into a smelter at a constant rate, and aluminium comes out, with almost no tolerance for variation. “We have found that modulating energy use up and down fundamentally changes the way smelters consume energy. Not only is this a cheaper way to make aluminium, but it can also free up power for other users.” Dr. Dorreen says that this presents new opportunities for smelter operators. “Smelters are able to turn up production at times of oversupply in power generation when prices are very low, and then turn down production when demand on the grid is high. “Smelters with their own dedicated hydro or geothermal electricity generation may even contemplate entering the energy supply market and sell power into the grid at times of peak pricing. There is also opportunity for smelters to supply electricity to subsidiary industries when the smelter is modulating down,” he says. Accommodating intermittency in a renewables grid Dr. Dorreen says that as nations seek to generate a higher percentage of their

electricity from renewable sources, it will become increasingly more difficult for smelters to live with the resulting intermittency of power supply. “Being able to modulate energy use will mean that smelters are no longer just dead-end users of electricity and fundamentally changes how smelters will be able to negotiate their power contracts in the future. It allows for unprecedented public-private partnerships and cooperation between power suppliers and smelters. As an example of what is possible, Dr. Dorreen points to what TRIMET Aluminium SE are seeking to achieve in Germany with the use of EnPot heat exchanger technology in their smelters. The EnPot system was installed in a partitioned section of TRIMET Aluminium SE’s smelter in Essen, Germany in June 2014. Dr. Martin Iffert, CEO of TRIMET Aluminium SE, believes that the EnPot technology could be used like a virtual battery to buffer demand against supply in Germany, as the country seeks to increase its use of renewable power generation under the Energiewende programme.

*PhD, BSc (Hons) 1st Class, Director, OneWorld Renewable Energy Consultants Ltd. Aluminium International Today

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CURRENT MODEL Aluminium smelters are dead-end users, requiring large amounts of electricity continuously. GRID

ALUMINIUM SMELTER

GRID-INTEGRATED MODEL Aluminium smelters can modulate +/- 30%, which can free up power for the grid at times of low generation or peak demand. POWER-SHARING MODEL Aluminium smelters can modulate +/-30%, which can free up power for secondary batch-processing smelters or other complimentary industries, if energy use is synchronised.

Modulation of energy consumption presents new opportunities for aluminium smelters. GRID

GRID

ENPOT ENABLED ALUMINIUM SMELTER

“TRIMET’s trials of the EnPot technology indicate that by being able to dynamically increase or decrease our energy use by 25%, TRIMET could in fact become the energy bridge buffering supply and demand in Germany. “This would effectively enable TRIMET to become a significant part of Germany’s energy storage capacity,” Dr. Iffert says. “To further investigate this potential, one full potline of 120 cells is planned to be equipped with EnPot technology.” Geoff Matthews, Vice President of Energia Potior Ltd says a medium sized aluminium smelter could free up 150 MW when modulating, which is enough electricity to power over 230,000 western households during peak demand or at times of low generation. “The capital cost of constructing this amount of new power generation (150MW) from renewable energy would be closer to US$1 billion, depending on the technology used,” Geoff Matthews says. “This makes the EnPot technology a very attractive proposition for any country facing the considerable costs associated with increasing renewable power generation.” Geoff Matthews says that smelters that are able to modulate energy use and integrate with the grid, also have the opportunity to enter into new contractual arrangements for electricity that offer substantial economic benefits for the smelter. “The most obvious example is for a smelter to move to a demand-and-call electricity supply arrangement where it would take the maximum power it could from its supplier at the lowest possible price. Then at times of low generation the electricity supplier would call-back the power from the smelter and pay a significant premium to do so.” Geoff Matthews says this would be a September/October 2016

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SILICA SMELTER

win-win situation for both the smelter and the power supplier, as well as resulting in a more stable and resilient grid. “The supplier avoids the significant capital cost of developing new back-up generation by being able to call back power at times of low generation, and is able to offset the cost of the premium with peak pricing to the consumer.” “The smelter on the other hand, may negotiate significantly reduced rates for the demand-and-call supply, as well as being compensated for lost production when called upon to free up power.” Matthews says this sort of arrangement was simply not possible before now. The ability to increase production above normal capacity at the turn of a dial will enable smelters to take advantage of significantly lower, or even negative pricing in the grid at times of over-supply. This will be particularly appealing as new sources of solar and wind generation continue to come online. In addition to real-time short duration modulation, EnPot heat exchangers also allow for permanent or semi-permanent variations in energy consumption. For example, a smelter could go down for several months at a time to accommodate grid shortages from drought conditions or peak demand periods caused by sub zero temperatures and reduced daylight hours. Energia Potior has been asked to quantify how EnPot could be used to help mitigate an unstable grid situation where a smelter is having power outages several times a week during peak demand times. Geoff Matthews says EnPot would allow the smelter to turn down electricity consumption by 30% during peak demand times for five hours a day, thus helping to avoid frequent power outages. The additional bonus being that it would enable the smelter to increase energy use and production during the 10 hours of low demand each day.

“This would allow the smelter to increase annual production and reduce the average unit cost at the same time, which is a significantly better outcome than shutting down a potline or having to deal with continued outages on a weekly basis. “The return on investment in such circumstances can be measured in terms of months rather than years.” Matthews says he has no doubt that EnPot technology will enable new dialogue to occur between public and private sectors, and that aluminium smelter owners and operators will build new relationships with electricity generators and transmission utilities. “What TRIMET are seeking to achieve with power modulation is to future-proof their business so they can operate in a renewables grid, and become part of the solution to the problem of intermittency to the benefit of all energy consumers in Germany. “It enables a very different dialogue to occur between power suppliers and smelters than what was possible in the past.” he says. Dr. Mark Dorreen also points out that being able to increase or decrease production for longer periods means smelters are better able to match supply and demand of aluminium production. “Currently the entire aluminium smelting industry is geared towards maximum production, no matter the market conditions. When there is an oversupply, this leads to stockpiling, which keeps prices depressed long after the oversupply has ended. “To wind back production currently, it would mean shutting down sections of potlines or even an entire potline, which is time consuming and costly. EnPot allows production to be substantially increased or decreased with the turn of a dial to match market conditions, provided smelters can reorganise other parts of their business to cope with changes in production. “The ability to increase production by using EnPot when times are good and aluminium prices are high, will also be much more cost effective than building new smelting capacity to accommodate increased consumer demand, which is predicted to rise over the next two decades. “This gives existing smelters a strategic advantage. For example, a company with a number of smelters in its portfolio could bring on stream the equivalent production of an entire new smelter for a fraction of the cost, by retro fitting EnPot to its existing smelters and increasing their output capacity,” Dr. Dorreen says. Aluminium International Today

19/09/2016 16:36:11

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Results from the Essen installation show that EnPot provided significant improvement to both current efficiency and energy consumption, due to stabilised ledge and heat transfer dynamics.

How EnPot works The EnPot system provides dynamic control of the pot heat balance by placing up to 60 intricate heat exchangers against the outside of each pot and connecting them to an external ducting system. The airflow to each exchanger can be varied by using a series of precisely controlled extractor fans allowing the exchangers to either cool the pot, or keep it warm, depending on what is needed. Dr. Pretesh Patel, Chief Engineer at Energia Potior, says the EnPot system is cost effective at around US$20 million installed for a medium sized smelter. “The EnPot system does not change the intrinsic nature of the process, is totally non-invasive and carries no integrity risk to the smelter. It is also retro-fitted while the pots are fully operational,” he says. Dr. Patel, who has been intimately involved in the design and development of EnPot, says that the heat exchangers have been specifically designed to include the maximum amount of insulation possible, so that in the situation of a serious power failure the pots will be insulated, which doubles the time before pots begin to freeze. Dr. Patel says that modulating also brings a number of process efficiencies. “The power savings that EnPot has achieved even in normal operating mode was 1.8%, which increased to 7% when modulating. “At today’s current metal price, these savings would be around US$3.6m per annum for a medium sized smelter (300,000mt) using EnPot in normal operating mode,” Dr patel says. Dr. Patel also says that modulation opens up an opportunity to distribute excess power to complimentary industries September/October 2016

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located in close proximity to an aluminium smelter. “For example, Energia Potior has been asked to model the operating parameters of locating a silicon metal smelter alongside an existing aluminium smelter. “The silicon smelter would be interfaced with the aluminium smelter using a batch processing method to take advantage of the power supply liberated when the aluminium smelter is modulated down. Smelting two metals from a single power source would certainly have significant cost benefits, as well as adding to a smelter’s sustainability credentials. “This sort of power sharing model could be used for other complimentary industries where energy consumption could be synchronised with the modulating smelter.” Dr. Patel says. A sustainable future Energia Potior supports the progress being made to achieve sustainability in the aluminium industry. It is a General Member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) and will be contributing to the ASI Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Working Group, which will convene at the Aluminium 2016 World Trade Fair & Conference in Germany this November. COP21 made significant progress in adopting international goals for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. The ASI Performance Standards, which explicitly recognises the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, requires entities seeking ASI Certification to commit to reducing both their GHG and energy use by source on an annual basis, publish time-bound emissions reduction targets, and implement a plan to achieve the targets.

As approximately 80% of all GHG emissions in the aluminium industry worldwide relate to the energy-intensive smelting process, the ASI Performance Standard includes two smelter-specific criteria for both existing and post 2020 commissioned smelters. Even those smelters with dedicated hydro or geothermal power generation will need to consider their impact on GHG emissions if their exclusive use of hydro or geothermal power results in other users of the national grid relying on electricity generated from fossil fuels. These requirements represent a shift towards a lowered emissions profile for the primary aluminium production sector that is both significant and long-term. A new way of thinking As with any new technology that has the potential to transform markets, it often requires new ways of thinking to take advantage of the new opportunities. While only incremental technological gains have been made in the aluminium smelting industry for over a century, it is evident that we are now entering an era where change will be a prerequisite to success. With the unprecedented global focus on reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions and increasing renewable energy capacity, it no longer seems an option, or appropriate, for the aluminium smelting industry to continue the status quo of producing aluminium in the confines of a maximum-production straightjacket. Any new technology that enables primary aluminium production to evolve from a dead-end energy user, to a more sustainable and profitable industry longterm should be welcomed. It seems that smelters that can adapt and utilise the new flexibility that EnPot provides, will equip themselves best for survival and improved profitability going forward. In an industry where just 200 businesses consume the equivalent power as 1.2 billion people do domestically, it is inevitable that aluminium smelting will be subject to increased international scrutiny going forward. Breaking the constraints of the current cell designs and opening up the operating energy-use window will undoubtedly create new and exciting technological and contractual opportunities for aluminium smelters to embrace. In terms of gross economic efficiency and improved environmental performance, EnPot technology is likely to be the most significant breakthrough in aluminium smelting for the last 125 years.� Visit www.energiapotior.com for more information Aluminium International Today

19/09/2016 16:36:16

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Fig 1. AP60 phase 1 plant

Case Study: AP60 Managing Risk Successfully managing a technological risk on a major industrial capital project within a full EPCM organisation and a tight schedule. By Bernard Pelletier*, Jean-Pierre Desmoulins**, & Sylvain Larouche*** The Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) AP60 phase 1 aluminium smelter project faced many technological challenges and risks, since it was the first industrial construction implementing the new AP60 technology aluminium production technology. Typically, on a major industrial project, technology development is completed before starting the project execution phase to minimise the risk of cost and schedule overrun. In this paper, we will focus on one technological challenge that was identified as an important project risk, and explain how this risk was successfully managed during project execution. In the case of the AP60 project, one of the main threats was the amperage used in the production resulted in a magnetic field much higher than in any existing smelting plant or normal industrial facilities, potentially affecting critical equipment. The technological risk in this case was that the equipment impacted by the high magnetic field may not operate at all or may not function as expected. The impact of the magnetic field on the equipment was identified as a class III (severe) risk (threat) on a scale that ranges from I to IV during a risk session held during the feasibility phase. A class III risk (threat) on the RTA matrix requires proactive management. At that time, there were three possible options identified to manage this risk:

1. Transfer the risk to all suppliers and contractors; 2. Assign the risk according to the suppliers’ or contractors’ knowledge and capabilities;   3. The project takes the risk entirely by doing all technological development. Option 2 was selected by the project team for the following reasons: Optimal risk allocation to whom is in the best position to mitigate it;   � Collaborative approach with suppliers who do not have the knowledge and capabilities to  make the equipment reliable under a high magnetic field.  As a proactive action, a fully engaged team was put in place to manage this specific technological risk from the very beginning until the end of the project realisation, and a specific budget was provided. The objectives of the risk management team were to minimise the impacts on the project schedule, cost and equipment functionality.   Nearly 600 devices and equipment were tested and altered to be made reliable in a high magnetic field when required. These 600 devices and equipment were supplied through 40 different procurement packages over a 24-month project calendar. Due to the risk mitigations implemented, no impacts were measured on the overall project schedule, cost and

functionalities. Key success factors were: � Optimal risk allocation to whom is in the best position to mitigate it;   � Risk management team put in place early in the project; � Good management practices with KPIs defined early, regular meetings and close follow-  up with contractors and suppliers with a collaborative approach. Project definition and context The AP60 phase 1 project consisted of the construction of the demonstration phase of the new AP60 technology. The plant consists of 38 AP60 technology electrolytic cells (pots) and the required services and auxiliary equipment. AP60 phase 1 is located on the existing RTA Jonquière complex, in Jonquière, Quebec, Canada. The location is the site of a previously demolished smelter. This project, like most major projects, was conducted using multi-stage gate phases. The project identification, project definition and project implementation phases were executed with the client’s approval prior to each phase. The AP60 project identification started in 2007. The notice to proceed was received in December 2010 and the project was completed in December 2012. The construction required more than 5 million site working hours, the mobilisation of

*P. Eng., M. A. Sc., Hatch **Managing Director, REEL Alesa LTD ***P. Eng., Rio Tinto Aluminium International Today

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Most serious consequence V. Low

Low

Moderate

High

Highly likely

Class II

Class III

Class IV

Probable

Class II

Class III

Class IV

Unlikely

Class I

Class II

Class III

Class IV

Very unlikely

Class I

Class II

Class III

Risk class

Response

Class I

Risks that are below the risk acceptance threshold and do not require active

Class II

Risks that lie on the risk acceptance threshold and require active monitoring

Classs III

Risks that exceed the risk acceptance threshold ad require proactive management

Class IV

Risks that significantly exceed the risk acceptance threshold and need urgent and immediate attention

Fig 2. Risk matrix scheme utilised on the AP60 project

over 100 equipment suppliers and 50 installation contractors. The capital value of the AP60 phase 1 project was CAD 1.3 billion. The AP60 aluminium plant was officially handed over to the client in December 2012. The AP60 phase 1 project won the PMI 2014 Best Project Award1. The AP60 project has been honoured by Project Management Institute (PMI) as the winner of the profession’s highest accolade at the 2014 PMI Project of the Year Award. Project organisation As a joint venture, Hatch and SNC-Lavalin were awarded the full engineering, procurement, construction and management (EPCM) services. Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) gathered together their own highly-skilled personnel and selected the most experienced people from the joint venture pool to form the project management team. All project study and engineering phases were conducted by this integrated team of 250 people at its peak. The project management team was responsible for integrating all project activities: Engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning – toward common project objectives with regards to scope, schedule, cost, quality and performance. They were responsible for providing all resources and tools required to deliver the project to RTA’s satisfaction. Project risk management organisation A project risk manager was appointed by the project manager early in the feasibility study. The project risk management team involved the following personnel: � Project manager � Project risk manager � HSE risk registers coordinators � Risk owners � Project planner An essential feature was to identify individuals who would be responsible for each identified significant risk and its related responses. The project manager or his representative nominated risk owners Aluminium International Today

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responsible for each risk. The risk manager prepared, with the project planner, a plan of the risk management activities for the project duration. The nominated risk owners collaborated with the risk manager and health and safety and environment (HSE) risk coordinators to further identify, propose and implement appropriate risk responses. Risk identification-evaluation activities were conducted during periodic meetings. Risk owners are identified and are responsible for monitoring the progress of mitigation actions, in collaboration with the risk manager and HSE coordinators through the periodic meeting-interview process. At the AP60 project phase 1, we utilised the correct techniques and deployed a risk management plan and philosophy to avoid the typical mistake2 in risk management. Risk definition What is a risk? A risk refers to a potential/ uncertain event or circumstance, which, if it occurs, could result in adverse or positive impact on the outcomes of a project3. If the consequence is negative, the risk will be treated as a threat to the project objectives. Objectives and challenge The RTA AP60 phase 1 project had many technological challenges and risks, since it was the first industrial construction implementing the AP60 new technology. In this paper, we focus on one technological challenge that was identified as an important project risk, and explain how this risk was successfully managed to minimise impact on project schedule, cost and equipment functionality. Typically, in a major industrial project, technology development is completed before starting the project execution phase to minimise the risk. The AP60 technology has been developed by RTA as part of an R&D program, but had never been scaled up to the industrial scale. This was the objective of the AP60 phase 1 project implemented at the Jonquière Complex. In the case of the AP60 project, one of

the main threats (unwanted but uncertain event) was that the amperage used resulted in a corresponding magnetic field much higher than in any existing smelting plant and because of which some critical equipment might be affected. In an aluminium electrolysis pot room, the intensive direct current that flows through the conductors (busbars) creates a stable magnetic field (constant intensity). Equipment impacted by the magnetic field may not operate at all, or may not function as expected. In this case, the technological risk is equipment not working at all, or not functioning as intended due to the high magnetic field developed by the busbars (main electrical conductors). More specifically, the non-operating or malfunction (erratic behaviour) of a critical device may have the following consequences: � Safety risk for the employees and workers (minor to severe injury);   � Damage to the equipment or device;  � Difficulty or impossibility to operate the smelter.   Thus, equipment impacted by the magnetic field was identified as an important threat to some of the project objectives. During a risk review session review held at the feasibility stage of the project, it was identified as a class III (Severe) risk (threat) on a scale that ranges from I to IV. A class III risk (threat) on the RTA matrix requires proactive management as per the risk matrix scheme in fig 2.   It should be noted that any object made of magnetisable material (ironbased material), placed inside a magnetic field is subjected to a force that aligns this object with the magnetic field lines, or this object starts to move or move unexpectedly. Thus, a device such as a contact relay or a solenoid valve may have an erratic behaviour when submitted to a high magnetic field. An electronic device may overheat or not operate at all or as intended.  The operation of an aluminium smelter plant requires hundreds of different types of devices or equipment that may malfunction in a high magnetic field.   RTA, through their internal technology supplier, has significant knowledge of the impact of high magnetic fields on equipment as a result of their work at their research laboratory located at Saint– Jean-de-Maurienne, France, where they operate three pots. Based on the modeling study, the RTA technology supplier has developed a magnetic field map for the AP60 phase 1 project. This map was used to identify magnetic field intensity and orientation September/October 2016

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Risk manager (Jean-Pierre Desmoulins, RTA)

Fig 3. High magnetic field risk management team organisation chart

Packages risk coordinator (Bernard Pelletier, Hatch)

Technical lead (Sylvain Larouche, RTA)

Suppliers and contractors

Mobile equipment suppliers and internal suppliers

on equipment dependent of their location within the plant. RTA has also incorporated high magnetic field design recommendations (general and specific for some equipment) as part of their AP60 pilot plant specifications issued to the EPCM team. From a project management perspective, mitigation actions have to be identified to address the possible consequences related to the above threats – i.e. potential equipment malfunction – which may lead to severe equipment damage or employees being injured. Consequently, one of the challenges is to identify all equipment, components or devices that may not work properly when exposed to a high magnetic field. Once these equipment, components or devices are identified, the objective is to take the necessary actions early in the project execution phase to ensure suppliers take appropriate measures to make them reliable, thus minimising the impact on the project schedule or cost. A detailed and specific list of equipment or devices reliable or not in a high magnetic field had to be built throughout the project execution of the AP60 phase 1. With the experience gained at the SaintJean-de-Maurienne research laboratory, RTA established a preliminary list of equipment or devices that are reliable when operating in a high magnetic field. But even then, their reliability has to be confirmed for the main following reasons: � The plant design is not the same (many devices were not included in this initial design);   � Devices and equipment technologies change over time, i.e. a specific contact relay from  a supplier can be modified by the supplier, which makes it unreliable in a high magnetic field.   A major project like AP60 phase 1 is divided into many purchase or contract packages that are essential to optimise Aluminium International Today

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Testing team (Fabconcept)

project requirements versus suppliers’ or contractors’ capabilities and facilitate the required management. For the AP60 project, there were nearly 150 contracts or purchase packages.  The normal execution of a major project can be summarised by these steps for each package: 1. Prepare technical and commercial documents for tender calls; 2. Tenders offer technical and commercial analysis, clarification and recommendation;   3. Contract issuance to the selected suppliers or contractors; 4. Supplier or contractor execution and contract management by the EPCM team. During the first two steps, the EPCM team’s objective is to provide all technical and commercial information required by the bidders to avoid any impact at the stage where the supplier or contractor executes their contract. Any missing information or misunderstanding represents a risk for the project execution, and may have an impact on project objectives (plant throughput, health and safety of employees, capital and operating cost and schedule). The unknown technical information (uncertainty) regarding the impact of the high magnetic field on equipment,   components and devices, while the EPCM was preparing technical and commercial documents for tender calls, is the main challenge discussed in this paper. This paper will present how the project team successfully managed this risk. Risk management approaches As stated earlier, this risk was identified as an important risk during the risk review held at the feasibility stage of the project. This requires proactive management. Three risk management options were possible at the time: 1. Transfer the risk to all suppliers and contractors by including the magnetic

field specifications to meet in the technical bid document. That meant transferring the responsibility to suppliers and contractors to supply equipment and devices working in the specified magnetic field and mandate that they prove it with supporting technical documents provided to the project team.   2. Assign the risk according to the supplier’s or contractor’s capabilities to mitigate it. Contractor’s capabilities assessed based on his knowledge and methodologies relative to technological development and involve them in defined activities (i.e.: specific technical reviews);   3. The project takes on the entire risk by doing all technological development, and provides the technical information to the suppliers and contractors before issuing the contract for each package. Option 1 was not retained by the project team since we considered that transferring the risk to suppliers or contractors that do not have the knowledge and capabilities to mitigate this risk was not the best solution, and may affect the project outcomes: � The suppliers and contractors will increase their bid price to bear the risk.   � The probability that they will effectively supply equipment reliable in a high magnetic field  is very low since they do not have the knowledge and capabilities to mitigate this risk.   � Any equipment that is not reliable in a high magnetic field represents a significant probability of postponement of the commissioning and the plant startup. At the end, the project team will be responsible to make the equipment working to so that the investment  of CAD 1.3 billion is profitable as soon as possible.   Poor risk allocation strategies can easily turn projects into contractual battlefields and leads to all considerable time spent resolving contractual claims4. This can have a direct impact on projects cost, quality and delay. For technological risk, this approach would be a value destructive approach and would prevent RTA from achieving their business objectives.  Option 3 was not retained by the project either, since it would require considerable time and resources and will have a direct impact on the overall project schedule. Also, it would not be possible since most suppliers and contractors need to do the engineering first to define a detailed list of equipment and devices when they are awarded the contract. That means the project cannot provide a detailed list of equipment and devices reliable in a high magnetic field prior issuing the contact.   September/October 2016

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Option 2 was selected by the project team for the following reasons: � Optimal risk allocation to those in the best position to mitigate it. As stated earlier, the project was divided into 150 packages, and after a first technical review, 40 packages were found to be at risk (involving a significant threat) i.e. impacted by the high magnetic field. Of these 40 packages, less than 10% were under suppliers and contractors that had the knowledge and capabilities to make the equipment reliable under a high magnetic field. For these packages, the technological development and the risk associated were under their responsibility.  � A collaborative approach with suppliers that do not have the knowledge and capabilities to make the equipment reliable under a high magnetic field. The project requested that the suppliers and contractors add 2 to 3 technical meeting reviews with our technical specialist in their proposal to identify equipment, components and devices that may not work in a high magnetic field, and work together to find the best solution to minimize the impact on their contract in terms of cost and schedule. Equipment testing was the project’s responsibility.  To manage the risk (threat) based on the selected approach, we put in place a management strategy and a team as follows. Risk management strategy A budget was established at the beginning of the project to cover: � Added project team resources to manage the risk;   � Testing activities; � Equipment purchasing (equipment to be tested);   � Contract changes due to necessary design modifications by the suppliers to make their  equipment reliable in a high magnetic field.  Different sites within the RTA smelters group were identified to perform component and equipment testing in magnetic field prior deploying at the AP60 plant. To complete the risk mitigation work, 10 days were added to the commissioning schedule of the reduction plant to cover activities for equipment testing in the real magnetic field. To meet this tight testing schedule, several small teams were put in place to work in parallel under the owner’s responsibility for the preparation and testing in the real magnetic field.   Specific Key performance indexes (KPIs) were defined and tracked during project execution: Budget spending index: Total 1. actual budget spent over the total budget allocated for the packages altered to be September/October 2016

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made reliable in a high magnetic field. 2. Ratio of number of equipment to make reliable over the number of equipment identified that could not work in a high magnetic field.   3. Schedule index: number of packages that may represent a risk to their delivery schedule due to the high magnetic field development. For those representing a threat, specific actions were put in place to mitigate them.   A monthly steering committee meeting was held with the project management team during which the progress, KPIs and challenges were presented. In addition, a weekly coordination meeting to discuss short-term activities was held.   Our collaborative approach with our suppliers and contractors involved to closely follow up these steps for each package: At the package kick-off meeting with the supplier or contractor, a more detailed explanation about this risk was given, as well as the intended collaboration strategy.   During both the supplier’s and the contractor’s design activities, design review meetings were held to identify equipment or devices that may not be reliable in a high magnetic field. In the case where testing was required, it was performed by the project and the results were shared with the supplier or contractor to identify the best solution. The solution could be replacing a device, changing the physical location of the equipment or adding a shield. Risk management team organisation chart A fully engaged team from the very beginning of the project until the end was put in place to manage this specific technological risk, as shown in the organisation chart (fig 3).   This specific risk management team (risk owners) reported to the overall AP60 project risk manager. The risk manager’s role was to conduct a monthly steering committee meeting with the project management team during which the KPIs and challenges were presented, and to hold a weekly coordination meeting to discuss shortterm activities identify priorities and remove road blocks. The packages risk coordinator’s role was to maintain a close collaboration with suppliers and contractors and help the risk manager to prepare and hold the monthly steering committee meeting. The technical lead’s role was to maintain a database of the equipment or devices tested and altered to be made reliable in a high magnetic field, work with suppliers and contractors to find solutions, do the

coordination and manage the testing team, as well as help the risk manager to prepare and hold the monthly steering committee meeting. Results Nearly 600 devices and equipment were tested and altered to be made reliable in a high magnetic field when required. These 600 devices and equipment were supplied through 40 different packages on a 24-month project calendar. The majority were altered to be made reliable in close collaboration with suppliers and contractors at the testing step within the RTA smelters group. Only 75% of the mitigation budget was used, there was no impact on the overall project execution schedule or cost, and the equipment was tested and altered to be made reliable in a real magnetic field within the 10 days planned. There were some remaining equipment to modify to be made reliable in a high magnetic field after this testing period, but were not identified as critical for plant start-up. Conclusion Often in the industry4, risk is allocated according to whom does not want it, rather than who can best manage it. We did the complete opposite to successfully mitigate this risk (threat) throughout project execution. Proactive actions were identified and taken as soon as the risk was identified during the risk session review held at the project feasibility study step. We identified the best people to manage this threat early in the project, and we kept them involved until the plant was fully commissioned. We followed the best practices in project risk management as well explained in Practice Standard for Project Risk Management, published by Project Management Institute3. The key success factors were: � Optimal risk allocation to whom is in the best position to mitigate it;   � Risk management team put in place early in the project; � Good management practices with KPIs defined early, regular meetings, and close follow-  up with contractors and suppliers with a collaborative approach. �  References 1. Project Management Network, November 2014, Project of the year producing more for less. 2. Top 10 mistakes Made in Managing Project Risks, Joseph Lucas & Rick Clare, PMI Global Congress Proceedings, Dallas, Texas, 2011. 3. Practice Standard for project risk management, published by Project Management Institute, 2009. 4. Scope of improvement 2011, Project riskgetting the right balance and outcomes, Blake Dawson, 2011.   Aluminium International Today

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Waste heat recovery solutions By Adélaïde Faux, Antoine de Gromard, Aurélie Gonzalez, El Hani Bouhabila & Mathieu Coulon*

Electrolysis pots require huge quantities of electricity, among which more than half (7 kWh/kg) is lost as heat. Even if such heat is mainly dissipated through the electrolysis pot structure, an important part of it goes through gases exhausted, composed of air with hydrogen fluoride content (HF), to the Gas Treatment Centre (GTC) treating those gases. Gases at pot outlet reach temperatures between 80°C and 170°C, depending on ambient temperature, plant intensity and pot operation. For a GTC treating 2,000,000 Nm3/h of gas, a 30°C cooling of these gases would represent 21.8 MWth. An 80°C cooling (e.g. from 150°C to 70°C) would similarly represent 58 MWth. Why gas cooling? In hot countries such as the Persian Gulf countries, the latest developments in electrolysis pot technologies combined with extreme ambient temperatures have led to gas temperatures at pots outlet reaching up to 190°C. This factor generates two major process

incompatibilities regarding gases cleaning. First of all, the filter bag media (polyester felt) is suited for temperatures up to 140°C. Excess gas heat would cause media pyrolysis and a decreased lifetime to such filter bags. Other media suitable for such temperatures have been tested – such as PTFE – but they are far more expensive than polyester. Furthermore, filtering efficiency is severely downgraded at high temperatures, whatever the filter bag media. Fig 1 shows a direct correlation between gas temperature and HF emissions. With no gas cooling, HF emissions at GTC outlet in hot countries could reach 0.8-1 mgHF/ Nm3 with classic filtering technologies, i.e. far above 1 mgHF/Nm3 commonly required by latest regulations such as BREF. For these two reasons, gas cooling requires upstream filters. An overview of existing gas cooling techniques The most common technique for gas

cooling upstream filters is air dilution. Ambient air is drafted in the ductwork with the pot off-gases. Though efficient, it significantly increases total flow rate, thus requiring additional filters and increasing fans electrical consumption. Over the past decade, Fives Solios has been developing and supplying to aluminium plants other gas cooling techniques such as hairpin coolers, water injection and heat exchangers. Among such techniques, only the heat exchanger allows heat recovery and re-use. Inside the heat exchanger, the heat is transferred to a thermal medium; most of the time a liquid. This medium is generally in a closed network: It must transfer its heat to another medium before returning to the heat exchanger, at the design temperature. If such closed network is connected to a waste heat recovery system, such heat is then transferred to the system. Otherwise, it must be returned to the environment, with aero coolers or seawater heat exchangers.

21MW

Electrolysis pots

Heat exchangers 21MW

Aero condensers

GTC

Fig 1. Relationship between HF emissions and gas temperature (measured in Alcoa Deschambault in 2004)

Fig 2. Process diagram: Gas cooling without heat recovery

*Fives Solios - Le Pecq, France Aluminium International Today

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Condenser

Concentrater Hot water from GTC (85°C)

Cold water

F S

13°C Cooled water 7°C

VC Absorber

Evaporator

Liquid refrigerant Vapor refrigerant Diluted absorbing solution

Concentrated absorbing solution

Fig 3. Hydraulic scheme absorption cooler

The main specifity of those gases is the highly fouling dust they contain. It implies not any heat exchanger can be used because of such a fouling. That is why Fives Solios has developed a specific heat exchanger for pot exhaust gases (Fig 2). Recovering waste heat There are several technologies dedicated to industrial waste heat re-use but not all are suitable for GTC off-gases, which present the specificity of very large flow rates and relatively low temperatures. Below are the most common technologies for waste heat recovery on GTC flue gases. Calculations are based on a large recent smelter with four GTCs treating 2.106 Nm3/h of off-gases (150°C at pots outlet). The gases temperature is dropped by 30°C unless specified otherwise. Reusing heat by producing heat The easiest, cheapest and most efficient way to re-use waste heat is... to heat! A heat source can only heat something up to its own temperature in theory, and rather 10°C less in practice (typical exchanger pinch to avoid over-costs). For a recent smelter with four GTCs, a 30°C heat recovery with water would provide more than 85 MWth of free heat (21.8 MWth per GTC). Such excess heat is not required in the GTC process. However, inside an aluminium smelter, some raw materials require pre-heating September/October 2016

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Fig 4. Multi effects distillation scheme

and the recovered heat could possibly be reused for this purpose. However, this would require a very specific plant design to locate adjacently to the GTCs and the pre-heating area. Other options could exist, such as selling such heat to another plant nearby, providing heating for plant offices or selling heat to a city for re-use in an urban heating network (applicable in cold and temperate countries). Reusing heat by producing cold However, hot countries are generally more interested in obtaining cold rather than heat. Cold can be obtained by absorption and adsorption machines which require an external heat input. A working fluid with low boiling point, typically water, vaporises in a low pressure cell called an evaporator. Its vaporisation removes heat from the environment, thus creating cold. On the scheme above, chilled water, which passes through the evaporator, is cooled down from 15°C to 10°C. The gas resulting from the evaporation is either absorbed by a liquid or adsorbed by a porous solid, mainly depending on the heat source temperature (80-120°C for absorbent such as lithium bromide solution, 65-80°C for adsorbent such as silica gel). Once saturated, the liquid or solid is then heated by the external heat source (here GTC exhaust gases) in a generator,

and the working fluid is desorbed as a gas. The gaseous absorbant is sent back to the absorber through an expansion device, while the gaseous cycle fluid goes through another heat exchanger to condense again, thanks to a cold source (here liquid water connected to a cooling tower basin), and etc (Fig 3). The coefficient of performance (COP) of such a machine is defined by the ratio between the amount of cold produced compared to the amount of heat used. Typical values for a simple effect absorption machine are 0.75 and for adsorption 0.6; for a double effect absorption machine this efficiency can reach 1.2. Based on the electricity price of 430€/ MWh (typical figure for Gulf area), replacing an air conditioning machine (COP = 2.8) with absorption machines (COP = 0.75) would save 1.38M€ on AC consumption for an existing plant. For a new aluminium plant, considering four GTCs with 2.106 Nm3/h of flue gases at 150°C each, and recovering only 30°C on those gases, the cold production could be above 90 MWth of cold at 5°C, using double effect absorption chillers that reach coefficient of performance (COP) of 1.1. Producing drinking water by desalination Hot countries can be exposed to a shortage of drinking water and may therefore be interested in desalination solutions. Aluminium International Today

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Cooling fluid circuit

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Turbine

Electricity

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Evaporator

Hot source temperature (°C)

500 400 300 200

100 0

Condenser Flue gas

Fig 5. Rankine Cycle scheme

Among the various processes which exist to transform seawater into drinking water, multi-effect distillation requires heat. This process consists of evaporating seawater in several chambers whose pressures and temperatures are lower and lower. In Fig 4, vapour is represented in pink, liquid seawater in pale blue and liquid distilled water in bright blue. The vapour obtained from one chamber then crosses the next chamber via a pipe. As the temperature is colder than in the previous chamber, such vapour condenses in its pipe and the latent heat resulting from condensation is released in the chamber, vapourising the seawater. The required inputs are seawater (F), heat (S) in the first chamber to vapourise and relative cold (O) in the last one to condense. The optimum heat source temperature for desalination is around 70 - 80°C. The more chambers a plant has, the better its yield is since in each new chamber the same amount of vapour is created as in the first one. Thus technical and economic considerations generally limit the number of chambers to six when using waste heat. The number of chambers has to minimise the payback time and differs according to the heat source available, in our case it is close to three or four effects. Building a multi-effect distillation plant near an aluminium factory would allow the desalination plant to have cheap heat and the smelter to sell this heat otherwise wasted. For four 2.106Nm3/h GTCs, more than 3.5.106m3 of drinking water could be produced per year. If the same investor was to build the smelter and the water desalination plant, the pay-back for the MED plant alone would be 4.3 years. Electricity production Another way of using waste heat is to turn it into electricity. The idea is the same September/October 2016

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Heat/chill consumer or cooling system

2000

4000

6000

8000

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Net electric power (kW)

Fig 6. ORC proposed by suppliers in 2014 (purple square highlights the specific zone for GTC gases)

as in thermoelectrical plants: A fluid is vapourised thanks to the heat source in the radiator (Fig 5), then expanded through a turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity. Downstream in the turbine, the fluid is condensed in a cooler thanks to a heat sink and the liquid is pressurised by a pump, before going back to the radiator. More electricity is obtained at the generator than used by the pump because compressing a liquid requires much less energy than compressing a gas. Unlike thermoelectrical plants whose working fluid is water, heat between 150 and 400°C needs an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) that uses a fluid other than water and requires less maintenance. Other cycles exist such as Kalina, using an ammonia-water mix, or supercritical ORC. Those last two technologies are still in development whereas ORC is a mature technology. Despite being technically feasible, the relatively low temperature of electrolysis cell gases (maximum 170°C in most recent smelters) and the cheap electricity accessible to smelters currently limit the payback of such configuration to 7-10 years. That is too much for an industrial application. However, as cell manufacturers announce a further increase of gas temperatures for their future products, such an opportunity may become interesting in the near future. Possible carbon taxation may also encourage the adaptation of this technology to smelters. With four GTCs of 2.106 Nm3/h with gases at 150°C, current technologies would allow recovering 190 MW of heat by cooling down gases by 65°C. Such heat would produce 16MW of electricity, thus producing from 50% to 75% of GTCs electrical consumption (Fig 6).

Conclusion Besides the ecological point of view that a global effort to reduce our raw material and energy consumption is necessary, waste heat recovery is at middle term an important source of savings. Aluminium smelters have a great advantage compared to other sector plants, which enhances coupling: They run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The best options are, depending on the plant location and before ORC becomes economically interesting, heating in cold countries, producing water in hot and dry countries and cooling in hot countries that do not need to desalinate water. �

Bibliography 1. H. Vendette, N. Dando, A. Moras, E. Marion and W. Xu, “Alumina Dry-Scrubbing Technology: Development of a Cascade Feeding System for Improved Capture Efficiencies”, Light Metals 2007, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, pp. 187-191. 2. E. Bouhabila, B. Cloutier, Ph. Martineau, T. Malard, H.Vendette, “Electrolytic Cell Gas Cooling Upstream of Treatment Center”, Light Metal 2012 3. E. Næss: An experimental study of heat transfer and pressure drop in serrated-fin tube bundles and Investigation of particulate fouling in waste heat recovery heat exchangers, Dr.ing.-thesis 2007:70, NTNU, 2007 4. Figure 2: http://www.energieplus-lesite. be/index.php?id=11175#c6325 5. Figure 3: https://commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/File%3ADiss_ME.png Aluminium International Today

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Focus on EGA With a current hot metal production capacity in excess of 2.4 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), set to increase to 2.5 Mtpa, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) is not only the largest primary aluminium producer in the Middle East, but also one of the five largest primary aluminium producers in the world. Niche-focused on value added products, EGA consistently operates at full capacity, manufacturing to order and delivering direct to over 300 customers in at least 60 countries, predominantly in Asia, Europe, the MENA region and the Americas. Boasting a collective history exceeding 40 years, EGA’s two midstream assets in the UAE – Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL, also known as Jebel Ali Operations) and Emirates Aluminium (EMAL, also known as Al Taweelah Operations) – manufacture products in three main categories: High purity and foundry re-melt products (for electronics and aerospace, and automotive applications respectively); rolled products (for packaging, lithographic sheets and the automotive industry); and billets for extrusion and forging (for construction, industrial, transportation and automotive purposes). Busbars and anode bars are also made for internal use in the electrolytic process used to produce primary aluminium from alumina. Both smelter complexes are renowned worldwide for using some of the most advanced Aluminium International Today

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technologies, many developed in-house, to produce the highest quality products while simultaneously containing their operations’ impact on the environment. Indeed, from the day the first metal was poured at DUBAL back in 1979, EGA has been committed to continuous innovation in the aluminium smelting process. Substantial investments in R&D over the years have led to the development of advanced reduction technologies that not only increase productivity in terms of yield per pot, but also reduce EGA’s environmental impact through improved energy-efficiency and reduced emission levels. The active use of its proprietary technologies, together with ongoing improvements to processes across its operations, are integral to a corporate drive to ensure EGA’s longterm competitiveness in an industry that is sensitive to product quality, costs and environmental performance. These attributes, among others, have contributed to EGA’s well-established reputation for technological innovation and business performance excellence. Leading edge high amperage technologies The high amperage proprietary reduction technologies developed in-house by EGA have made the company a respected competitor in this sector of the global

aluminium industry. Indeed, EGA’s DX+ Technology and DX+ Ultra Technology currently rank among the most efficient reduction technologies available. The five demonstration cells in the Eagle pilot line at Jebel Ali Operations began operating DX+ Technology at 420 kA in 2010, with the amperage being increased in successive increments to 450 kA by the end of 2013. DX+ Technology was installed at Al Taweelah Operations Phase II (444 cells in a single potline). Fully commissioned by mid-2014, the cells began operating stably at 440 kA and increased to 462.5 kA since April 2016. Inherently robust, DX+ Technology offers operating benefits: � Productivity of 3.51 t/pot/day, on average, at exceptionally high purity levels (above 99.92%). This gives rapid returns on capital expenditure, plus excellent creep potential, promising even better yields per pot. � An energy-efficient design that enables specific energy consumption of less than 13.5 kWh/kg Al and current efficiency above 94.2%. This saves energy and reduces operating costs. � Reduced environmental impact through lower fossil fuel consumption (a direct benefit of enhanced energyefficiency) and reduced carbon consumption (anodes) of less than 0.415 kg C/kg Al. Moreover, the anode effect (AE) September/October 2016

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frequency of DX+ Technology cells is very low (less than 0.10 AE/pot/day) but more importantly, EGA’s proprietary advanced control logic restricts the average duration of AEs to less than 10 seconds. This results in PFC emissions of below 20 kg CO2eq/t Al (a world benchmark for lowering PFC emissions). � Fully engineered versatility, allowing operating capability plus inherent potential for developing even higher amperage performance capacity. Further efforts to develop even lower energy, high amperage reduction cells have led to the design of DX+ Ultra Technology. In 2014, five DX+ Ultra Technology demonstration cells were built and commissioned in EGA’s Eagle line, replacing the five DX+ Technology cells. By introducing various voltage drop initiatives that address the key energy consumers in a reduction cells, DX+ Ultra Technology achieves substantially reduced specific energy consumption than earlier generation cells. DX+ Ultra Technology industrial cells are projected to operate at above 440 kA with specific energy consumption of around 12.5 kWh/kg. Moreover, enhancements to overall cell design enable shorter pot-to-pot distance, in turn translating into lower CAPEX per installed tonne of capacity and higher production per building surface area. One of the demonstration pots also has a heat recovery system in place and has, since start-up in May 2014, achieved a heat recovery rate of around 200 kW. Other smelters have shown interest in EGA’s technologies. Aluminium Bahrain BSC (Alba) initially selected DX+ Technology for its Line 6 Bankable Feasibility Study in December 2012 and confirmed the selection when the project go-ahead was announced in early-June 2015. Alba subsequently decided to upgrade its choice to DX+ Ultra Smelting Technology based on the strength of the demonstration cells’ performance, and signed a Technology Licence Agreement with EGA in February 2016. The Alba Line 6 expansion project entails a new 1.5 km long potline that will boost Alba’s production by an additional 540,000 tpa. First hot metal is scheduled for early-2019. The sale of DX+ Ultra Technology to Alba marked a major milestone for EGA and the UAE. Not only was this the first sale of EGA’s advanced, state-of-theart technology; but also the first such sale outside the UAE – the combination affirming the country’s place among the world’s innovation-driven nations. Moving forward, EGA is already working Aluminium International Today

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on a new smelting technology concept that relies on building a high amperage technology (above 600 kA) with even lower energy consumption (below 12 kWh/kg Al), which is expected to compete extremely well against other technologies. Optimising energy efficiency through retrofitment EGA’s intensive research and innovation has given the company the expertise to retrofit older potlines. This was successfully demonstrated in a pilot project within Jebel Ali Operations Potline 1, where seven D18 Technology cells were completely modernised. The new D18+ Technology cells are the product of extensive in-house modelling aimed at incorporating more modern technologies and offer improved performance and economic competitiveness. Net specific energy has reduced from approximately 15 kWh/kg Al to below 13 kWh/kg Al; and current efficiency is greater than 94.5%. Coupled with EGA’s proprietary cell control logic, the AE frequency of the new D18+ Technology cells is less than 0.05/cell/ day, thereby containing PFC emissions to less than 20 kg CO2 eq/kg Al – placing D18+ Technology on par environmentally with EGA’s advanced high amperage technologies. Based on these performance parameters, Jebel Ali Operations has proceeded with replacing the remaining 513 pots in Potlines 1 to 3 with D18+ Technology cells. This is the first EGA project to install new technology in an existing potline. When the project is completed in 2017, the operating amperage of Potlines 1 to 3 will have increased from 205 kA to 230 kA, increasing production by about 40,000 tpa, while using similar power as the existing D18 potlines. Inspired by the success of the D18+ Technology pilot project in maximising production with the available power, EGA introduced experimental modifications to modernise seven existing D20 Technology cells in Potline 5B at Jebel Ali Operations, however, this time under live conditions. The live modifications on the seven cells started in May 2016 and completion is scheduled for August 2016. This reduced specific energy consumption is targeted at below 13 kWh/kg Al versus 14 kWh/kg Al in D20 cells. Patenting intellectual property EGA’s commitment to continuous improvement and innovation has yielded multiple other in-house developed technologies and inventions that enhance production processes, achieve higher

production volumes, optimise raw material and energy consumption levels, improve operational safety and minimise environmental impact. Efforts have therefore been launched to protect the company’s inventions through applications to patent EGA’s proprietary technologies, working closely with Takamul since 2014 in developing and submitting the required patent application documentation. An innovation support programme developed and operated by the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC), Takamul’s mission is to help Emirati individuals, universities and enterprises in Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE, to protect and commercialise their ideas. To date, EGA has filed 16 patent applications and received financial support from Takamul for seven of the same. The latter innovations include: � An Anode and Rod Tracking System that tracks individual anodes and rods at each stage of the process, thereby creating a comprehensive data cycle. Net and gross carbon consumption can now be measured more accurately, anode problems can be evaluated, raw material performance can be assessed, rod assemblies can be managed, and individual/collective pot performance can be monitored. � A new pot start-up fuse developed for pots short-circuited with wedges on the cathode busbars. It is simple, safe and easy to use; and offers more reliable pot start-up as well as the versatility for use at any stage of potline operations when pots have to be re-started as it can be mounted by clamping. � A new, tall cathode structure that successfully reduces metal velocity in the electrolytic cells, enabling the cells to be operated at lower voltage such that the electrolysis process consumes less energy. Moreover, the new structure entails an inherently simple adjustment to the former cathode design, such that there is no significant change required to the electrolytic cell construction, the cell preheating equipment or the cell start-up process. � A removable hinged top cover, comprising manually movable covers, that provides easy access to the intercalary space between the potshells of two adjacent electrolysis cells, enabling easy insertion of wedges into the busbar system underneath the top cover and facilitating pot inspection activities. The improved access created by the unique top cover design has improved the operational efficiency of the plant substantially. � September/October 2016

19/09/2016 16:06:46

OMOTING TH PR E

YEARS

FOR MORE T RY H ST

INIUM IND UM U AL

EDITORIAL FEATURES

EDITORIAL FEATURES LIST FOR 2017

EVENT DISTRIBUTION

Jan/Feb

Primary: Aluminium production technology; anode manufacture and rodding; power supply; pot room equipment; metal transfer. Casthouse: Aluminium transfer and casting; degassing; treatment; sawing. Recycling Supplement

14th International Aluminium Recycling Congress, UK (7–8 Feb 2017) TMS, USA (26 Feb-2 March 2017)

March/April

Extrusion: Billet heating; low saws; extrusion presses; die production and maintenance; handling extruded products; cutting; value-added products. Furnaces/heat treatment: Homogenising furnaces; slab heating furnaces; ageing ovens; annealing furnaces; solution heat treatment furnaces; die heaters; log and billet heaters and associated handling equipment; refractories; heat measurement technology. Italian Supplement DIGITAL ISSUE: Packaging.

Anode Rodding, Iceland (25-27 April 2017) Aluminium Middle East, Dubai (15–17 May 2017)

May/June

Rolling: Hot and cold rolling technology; annealing; alloys; strip casting; twin-roll casting; twin-belt casting; rolled products. Transport & handling: Tyred vehicles, rail vehicles, pot room vehicles; cranes; bundling and strapping; wrapping.

Metal + Metallurgy China 2017 (13-16 June 2017) Metef & Aluminium Two Thousand, Italy (20-24 June 2017) Aluminium China (19-21 July 2017)

July/August

Secondary: Aluminium scrap processing; metal recovery; contaminated scrap; dross recovery; metal filtration. Analysis & Testing: Mechanical testing; spectrometry; measurement; software. Anode Supplement DIGITAL ISSUE: Sustainability.

Alminium India (7–9 Sept 2017)

September/ October

Aluminium USA (25-26 October 2017) AluExpo (5-7 October 2017)

November/ December

Rolling: Hot and cold rolling technology; annealing; alloys; strip casting; twin-roll casting; twin-belt casting; rolled products. Furnaces/Heat treatment: Homogenising furnaces; slab heating furnaces; ageing ovens; coil and foil annealing furnaces; solution heat treatment furnaces; die heaters; log and billet heaters and associated handling equipment; refractories; heat measurement technology. Health & Safety: Safety at work; protective wear; training. Arabic Language Supplement

ARABAL (date/venue to be confirmed)

Foreign Language Issues Regular foreign issues enable advertisers to reach different markets around the world. If required translation services are available on request. ISSUE

LANGUAGE

MONTH

ADVERTISING COPY DEADLINE

KEY EVENTS FOR DISTRIBUTION

Russian

August

08/06/2017

International Congress Exhibition Non-Ferrous and Minerals

China

June

28/04/2017

Aluminium China 19-21 July 2017

Aluminium International Today contains a digest of global news, events, and statistics, as well as more detailed technical articles, company and country profiles, conference reports and regular regional economic briefings. In order to keep the journal up-to-date with changing markets and innovation, a select number of features have been omitted from the list and will instead be included on a regular basis.

These are: • Environment/Sustainability • Automotive • Value-added products • Aerospace • Pricing & Warehousing • Packaging Any companies wishing to supply articles on these topics can contact Nadine Bloxsome, Editor on nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com. Tel: +44 1737 855115

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+44 1737 855139 20/09/2016 09:39:56

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TALEX casthouse: Successful start of operation The new TALEX extrusion plant in Abu Dhabi operates by processing its own extrusion scrap to produce billets. The casthouse, which started operating in February 2016 was built as a turnkey plant by Hertwich Engineering. Annual current capacity is 36,000 tons and after implementation of the second phase, the annual output will be increased up to 45,000 tons of extrusion billets. In the first phase of the project TALEX set up two extrusion lines, two anodising lines short and Long, two fully automated warehouses, one horizontal powder coating line and a casthouse for casting extrusion billets. In addition to recycling scrap from the company’s own production and scrap from the co-operation partner Gulfex also molten metal from the adjacent smelter will be processed.    The material supplied by Hertwich includes: � A charging machine for scrap, charge weight up to three tonnes � An Ecomelt-PR80 multi-chamber melting furnace, � A casting furnace, capacity 30 tonnes, � Equipment for melt refining, � A cooling water plant � A vertical casting machine, including HYCAST GC (gas cushion) moulds, � A complete continuous homogenising line including ultrasonic testing unit and a sawing and packing station. The plant has been designed for the subsequent integration of a second casting furnace and a batch-type homogenising unit. With this equipment, the plant’s planned capacity and alloy variation will be reached in the final stage.   At TALEX, an “Ecomelt PR” twochamber furnace with a preheat ramp was installed, which is particularly suitable for melting post-consumer scrap containing moderate amounts of volatile organic compounds (V.O.C). The Ecomelt-PR 80 melting furnace type is designed for a melting performance of four tonnes per hour. The concept is based on a multi-chamber furnace in which the processes of preheating, gasification of organics and melting are combined in a single unit.  Aluminium International Today

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The material to be melted is deposited at the preheat ramp above the melt bath level by the charging machine. There, it is preheated to around 500°C, during which time the VOC’s contained within the scrap are gasified and used to generate energy. The heated material is pushed directly into the metal bath of the melting chamber, where it is completely immersed in the bath and melted. As a result, the melt loss is reduced to a minimum. The molten metal is circulated between the melting and main chambers by an electromagnetic pump.  The melt is transferred via a launder system from the

furnace each individual log is checked for centre cracks by ultrasonic inspection. For this, the logs are deposited on a storage magazine and then moved individually through the inspection station on a roller table. In the inspection method used in this case, two test heads are arranged at an angle of 90 degrees.  Logs free from defects pass through the homogenising furnace orientated horizontally and arranged parallel to one another. In the first furnace section (heating zone) the logs are heated to the homogenising temperature. In the subsequent holding zone they are held at that temperature for

Ecomelt melting furnace to the holding and casting furnace. The molten metal from there is sent to the casting station via the I-60 SIR inline degassing and filtration units. For degassing, filtration and the VDC casting process, TALEX decided in favour of Hycast technology. The vertically cast logs are lifted out of the casting pit by a crane and laid down at a transfer station. To obtain the desired structural condition, cast materials have to undergo a high-temperature annealing treatment (homogenisation) before hot deformation. In this first expansion TALEX opted for continuous homogenising.     Before entering the homogenising

a certain time. At the end of the holding period, the logs are transferred directly to the high volume air-cooling unit. The cooling station is followed by the saw for cutting off the head and butt ends to produce long billets between 4.000 to 7.500mm. The cut billets are transported by a further roller table to a stacking machine and from there, finally, to a semiautomatic strapping station and onward to a weighing machine. The scrap produced at the saw is also disposed of automatically: The head and butt ends into a container, while the swarf is drawn off by suction and briquetted. All the scrap is returned to the melting furnace. � September/October 2016

20/09/2016 08:53:02

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SPL and salt slags recycling Across the world, recycling has become more and more important at all levels of the value chain, attempting to preserve natural resources and make processes much more sustainable, and to achieve the transformation of Europe in a Circular Economy. Befesa Aluminium provides recycling, recovery and revaluation of the different kinds of residues that are produced by the aluminium industry. As part of this process the company manufactures a range of aluminium alloys with various specifications, for use in casting industry, using tilting rotary furnaces and holding furnaces. The casting lines are automated, along with the stack and strapping systems. Liquid aluminium in specially designed containers is produced and shipped from several or the aluminium recycling plants. SPL and salt slags recycling Salt slag and dross are residues generated by the secondary aluminium industry from fixed axle and tilting rotary furnace applications in which a salt flux, typically 70% sodium chloride and 30% potassium chloride are added to form a liquid cover to minimise oxidation. Salt Slags are classified as hazardous residues and were previously sent to landfill in Europe but are now fully recycled. A typical salt slag contains 4% – 6% free aluminium and 30% – 45% recoverable salt. The recycling process is a combination of four distinct stages: � Crushing process, which removes the aluminium as a concentrate, which is screened and collected for sale back in to the secondary aluminium sector. The dust from this stage provides a uniform feed to the chemical treatment plant. � Reaction and dissolution of the hazardous components and salts, where the material is blended with water and processed through a series of reaction vessels to neutralise any active ingredients, and also to contain any high temperatures or gases generated. � The next part of the process separates the aluminium oxide from the saline solution. A series of washing stages prepares and cleans the remaining oxides to ensure they can be used as secondary products in many other industry sectors. � The brine is then concentrated by boiling and salt is re-crystallised which is suitable for re-use in the secondary aluminium industry. September/October 2016

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Catalysts & oxidation chemicals

Aluminium Wastes Milling

Fertiliser Boiler Process gases

Dust/fines <0.8mm

Gas cleaning

Reaction

Dissolution

Washing/filtering Recycled products

water Aluminium

Brine

Steam

Water condensates

Evaporation

Fresh water

Flare

Boiler salt

Salt slag Befesa has further adopted the salt slags treatment and recycling process to ensure that this patented process can be used for the treatment of Spent Pot Linings (SPL). The process of producing primary aluminium metal takes place in a reduction cell, or pot, which consists of a reinforced steel shell, lined with refractory brick, and carbon liner. When a pot "fails" the refractory brick and the carbon block layers are discharged from the cell or pot and are then termed SPL residue. SPL is classified as a hazardous residue and in many countries is either landfilled or stored in huge quantities. Befesa’s treatment and recycling process provides a sustainable option to landfill and disposal. The Befesa process is a full recycling process; no residue remains after processing the SPL and the salt slags. It has been included in the European BREF document who describes the Best Available Technologies (BAT) for the nonferrous metal industry. An overview of the recycling process for salt slags and spent pot liner can be seen in the schematic below. Technology and equipment Befesa Aluminium designs, constructs, assembles and commissions facilities so that they are ready for use, in the aluminium, zinc and lead industries. This department has been working since the 1970s and has a broad list of references. The main products are:

� Casting lines for the manufacturing of ingots with average weight of 5-25 Kg. Befesa is a leader in this type of installations for the primary aluminium market. � Casting wheels: This part belongs to the casting line and is a connecting piece that ensures that the casting is done without skimming generation and assures a uniform result in ingots form. These are also manufactured to suit the requirements for other casting lines that already exist. � Truck loader: Befesa has developed a continuous charging system that loads the trucks directly with the bundles from the casting line. � Rotary furnaces with a capacity between 25 and 60t, with a higher productivity and a lower energy consumption that is specifically developed for materials with a low metal content. � Salt slag cooling system: This process has shown a high efficiency worldwide. It cools the salt slag and classifies it depending on the metal content of the customer’s requirements. This process is important to contain the fumes and prevent the combustion of the metals so that it increases average metal content of the salt slag. � Facilities for dross treatments: Befesa has developed a process to enrich drosses with a minimal loss of metal. The milling process recovers the metal part and only mills the non-metal part. � Contact www.befesa.com

Aluminium International Today

19/09/2016 16:07:22

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Focus on India Dipanwita Gupta* reports on how India needs to step up its aluminium scrap recovery pursuits. Environmental sustainability is integral to the existence and growth of any industry. Aluminium, as a highly energy intensive industry, has always attracted a lot of attention from the global R&D fraternity which, time and again, has come up with solutions aimed at reducing the consumption of non-renewable energy and emission of greenhouse gases. In the process, remarkable advances have been made in aluminium scrap recovery and recycling, which has eventually resulted in the growth of a fully-fledged aluminium scrap industry. Globally, aluminium products such as used beverage and aerosol cans, aluminium foils, architectural components and automotive parts are recycled in huge volumes to extract secondary aluminium. Aluminium industry scrap too is re-melted to yield reasonably high-purity molten metal. Secondary aluminium is essential to the industry’s survival because even new (primary) metal often requires the use of an optimised combination of recycled materials. This is in addition to the fact that secondary aluminium production is about 95% less power-intensive vis-à-vis primary aluminium production. In most countries, there exists a wellestablished market for recycled aluminium with firmly defined distribution chains. Indian aluminium scrap industry scenario India recycles a considerable amount of municipal solid wastes (MSW), thanks to the rag pickers and human recyclers, who pick all non-degradable items metal, glass, plastic etc. from the waste generated every day, and send them for reprocessing. However, the volume of material recycled by them is mostly unaccounted for and difficult to gauge since no concrete data is available from any industry source. All activities related to aluminium scrap recovery are limited mainly to the unorganised sector, catering mostly to the utensil and casting industries. There are hardly any laws governing the scrap sector except for those pertaining to e-waste which came into existence in 2011. India’s current metal recycling rate is just about 25%. The country is yet to emerge

in a big way as an aluminium recycling country, but given the fact that India’s per capita consumption of aluminium is still one of the lowest at 2.2 kg against a world average of ~8 kg and against 2225 kg in developed nations, it is still too early to form concrete opinions. Aluminium recycling rate, for the matter of fact, is directly correlated to consumption in the packaging and automobile sectors. Since India’s aluminium consumption is mostly in the electrical and construction sectors, where it takes longer for the metal to get recovered, its aluminium recycling rate is considerably slow. Currently, Hindalco has its own aluminium scrap recycling unit at Taloja. The plant with an annual capacity of 25,000 tonnes, after having faced a series of challenges, is now operating at 80% of the rated capacity as against earlier capacity utilisation of 60%. Other secondary players from the organised sector include Century Metal Recycling, Varron Group and Ess Dee Aluminium. Earlier, these companies would use seconds and scrap generated in-house mainly for captive consumption. Now, they also cater to the domestic demand for aluminium scrap, although in limited volumes. The unorganised sector, on the other hand, is characterised by the presence of more than 1000 SMEs spread primarily across Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. They depend mostly on clean, sorted, imported aluminium scrap, which they use to produce various aluminium products including some for auto grades. What’s stopping India from recycling more aluminium scrap? A Frost & Sullivan Metals and Minerals Practice report published in early 2015 said the Indian Metal Recycling industry was “challenged by key interlocking crises of minimal existence of a metal scrap recycling ecosystem and lack of any domestic laws and legislation that assist and apply to the industry.” This is partly the reason behind the lack of proper statistics for aluminium recycling in India. The aluminium recycling business

here needs awareness among various participants within the metals ecosystem and requires monitoring and promotion from the government. Also, there is no viable domestic aluminium scrap market here, and to top it all, there is a protectionist environment in place on the import of metal scrap (including aluminium). Why should India take aluminium scrap recycling more seriously? The Frost & Sullivan report on ‘Metals and Minerals Practice’ has noted that since the sector is currently unorganised and large volumes of unaccountable/nonsegregated scrap are being “inadequately utilised,” there is more burden on primary production, leading to the depletion of India’s natural resources. If India increases the percentage of recycled metal from the existing 20-30% to the world benchmark of 45%, it will be able to conserve 8 lakh tones of bauxite reserves every year! Secondly, making a transition to aluminium scrap recovery and recycling to generate more metal for reuse will help the country to cut down on its yearly power consumption substantially. Consumption of aluminium foil, beverage cans, and other packaging is rising steadily, thanks to growing urbanisation and changing lifestyle of people in India. Hence, to keep the surroundings clutter-free, it is necessary that these domestic wastes are collected and treated properly for sustainable reuse purposes. Finally, an organised scrap industry will help create employment opportunities, opening up scope for entrepreneurship, skill development and enhancement of overall safety standards that are presently lacking in the unregulated sector. Changing trends Realisation is creeping in, albeit slowly, that recycling metal scrap is a must in today’s scenario, as India badly needs to reduce its carbon footprint while making judicious use of its natural resources. The Modi government soon after coming to power at the Centre had compelled the Metal Recycling Association of India

*Senior Executive – Content, AlCircle Pte Ltd, www.alcircle.com September/October 2016

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Aluminium International Today

15/09/2016 15:43:56

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2014-2015

2015-2016

% Growth

Import (Kgs) 947,425.95 865,175.42

-8.68

Export (Kgs) 306.37 64.62

-78.91

Source: Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Dept. of Commerce

India’s Total Export Import Volume of Aluminium Scrap Covered by ISRI code

(MRAI), a representative trade body, to ask the federal government to frame and implement a Metal Recycling Policy and accord it “industry status.” For the Indian recycling industry this was a much-needed wakeup call to convert large amounts of metal scrap into recycled raw material. After all, India is the third largest importer of metal scrap, importing 6.48 million tonnes against its annual requirement of 20.40 million tonnes. Another change is in the offing the government is finally considering incentives to encourage vehicle owners to scrap old cars, a scheme that will deliver multiple benefits including reducing pollution, boosting growth of the industry and generating jobs, said Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping. The scheme, awaiting Cabinet approval, will create a lot of business opportunities for metal/

aluminium scrap dealers, suppliers, and exporters in India. Recent developments in aluminium scrap recycling The “Make in India” drive has provided a new impetus to the country’s existing companies as well as to the start-ups for taking up metal/aluminium scrap recycling in a more organised manner. The following are some of the projects that took off in the recent past: 1. A Nagpur-based NGO, Centre Sustainable Development (CSD), has carried out a survey to quantify Tetra Pak waste generated in the city in a view to recycle them at a later stage. Tetra Pak contains 60% cardboard and 40% aluminium foil. 2. Gravita India Ltd started a recycling plant at Phagi, Jaipur with an initial capacity of 6000 MTPA of

aluminium alloy production from recycled aluminium scrap. 3. Chandigarh-based start-up Trestor is building a machine that can provide clean drinking water to urban poor in lieu of a used aluminium beverage can or aerosol can or a plastic bottle that needs to be put inside the machine. 4. Mahindra Intertrade has signed a MoU with MSTC to set up India’s first auto-shredding facility. The proposed facility will be equipped with state-of-theart, fully automated end-of-life vehicle recycling equipment and will be India’s first such facility. It is observed that the proportion of recycled aluminium would soon reach a figure of about 35-40% of total aluminium consumption. To achieve that target substantially more efforts have to be put in by the government as well as by the industry. With the need for industry development and employment generation growing stronger and State initiatives like ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ gaining momentum, it is expected that the aluminium scrap industry too will become organised and significantly more technologically advanced in the years to come. �

22-24 November 2016 Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

September/October 2016

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Targeting more post-consumed scrap With newly commissioned plants in Germany and Luxembourg, Hydro is boosting its capacity for post-consumed scrap recycling.

In an effort to become carbon neutral by 2020, Hydro is increasing its share of recycling of post-consumed aluminium scrap. In 2015, the Norway based aluminium company recycled 134,000 metric tons of post-consumed scrap. The target is to boost this to more than 250,000 tons by 2020. Three recent projects and acquisitions are essential measures initiated by the company to reach the target: The commissioning of a new recycling plant for used beverage cans (UBC) in Germany, modernising of its recycling plant in Luxembourg, as well as the acquisition of the world’s most advanced scrap shredding and sorting technology. New UBC recycling line In May, Hydro opened its brand new EUR 45 million recycling line for used beverage cans at its Neuss plant in Germany. With a capacity to recycle up to 50,000 metric tons of beverage cans, this plant alone will recycle 3.3 billion cans in a closed loop. “With this new recycling line, we offer our international customers a closed recycling loop, literally turning old cans into new cans. This underlines our commitment to can makers as a close, responsible partner, and a leader in technology,” said head of the Rolled Products business area in Hydro, Kjetil Ebbesberg, at the opening ceremony in May. Used beverage can recycling in Neuss will save 350,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year, compared to the use of primary aluminium. Energy needed to produce primary aluminium for one can is enough to recycle 20 cans, and cans are among the most used aluminium products. September/October 2016

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As used beverage cans get recycled, refilled and back to the retailer within just 60 days, the manifold benefits of can recycling are obvious.

Acquired by Hydro in 1996, the Clervaux plant serves markets for extrusion ingot in Germany, France, Italy and the Benelux countries.

Modernised and expanded capacity in Luxembourg Another strategic measure to reach the carbon neutrality target Hydro has set forth is a comprehensive revamp of the recycling plant in Clervaux, Luxembourg. Using new furnaces with electromagnetic stirring, the plant’s annual output capacity increases to 100,000 metric tons, and the addition of a de-lacquering unit makes it possible to target more post-consumed scrap. Roland Scharf-Bergmann, who is responsible for seven of Hydro’s recycling plants based in Europe and the U.S., says recycling plays an important role in Hydro’s long-term strategy. “The Clervaux investment is very much a strategic move for us, ensuring growth within post consumed scrap recycling, and thus lowering the carbon footprint of our operations,” he says. The recycling plant in Clervaux opened its latest production line in June, with the presence of His Royal Highness le GrandDuc Héritier of Luxembourg and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. “In this project we are taking the best from the conveying systems, the delacquering technology, and developing a new way of submerging the 6060 shredded alloys. In that respect, the Clervaux plant is a pioneer in the aluminium remelting and recycling business,” says ScharfBergmann.

Advanced sorting technology Last year, Hydro acquired a shredding and sorting facility in Dormagen, Germany. The plant utilises a patented technology setup, which is known to be the most advanced in the world. By use of various laser and X-Ray technologies, combined with optical density measurement and sophisticated evaluation software, the system is able to differentiate between alloy series and sort the metal fractions accordingly. “Separation of the various alloys, allows for a much more efficient recycling process, and therefore this type of sorting technology is important for the future viability of aluminium,” says ScharfBergmann. The shredding and sorting plant in Dormagen processes around 36,000 metric tons per year, and the metal is sent to Hydro’s recycling plants, for instance in Leipzig, Germany, or Clervaux, Luxembourg. “In order to produce the alloy composition our customers require, we need full control over the alloy composition of the input factors we put into the furnaces. For this reason, developing and utilising efficient sorting technology for scrap is of key importance for our recycling business,” he says. “Only when we sort the scrap effectively can we utilise the positive recycling properties of aluminium to the full extent,” says Scharf-Bergmann. � Aluminium International Today

15/09/2016 15:45:47

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Metals recycling takes centre stage With the World Bank Group lowering its forecasts for 2016 and margins being squeezed, there’s no two-ways about it, the current state of the metals market is making life difficult for scrap merchants and those connected with the sector. It’s crucial to remember that it’s not going to remain this way forever... As metal is the largest and most valuable waste stream, it has become necessary for the metals recycling industry to have an event dedicated to the improvement and advancement of the sector. Certain metals, such as aluminium, are fast becoming priorities as industries across the world strive for circular economy business models. For example, increased targets for the recycling of aluminium packaging were proposed in the European Commission’s revised circular economy package, announced in December 2015, with a target of 75% by 2025. Closing the loop Aluminium, which is completely recyclable, can be melted down and reformed without losing any quality and therefore holds its value. In fact, the process can be repeated over and over again, saving approximately 95% of the energy required for primary production. Thus, recycling saves raw materials and energy, reduces emissions and the demand on landfill sites, and in doing so, helps to create a sustainable closed loop in supply operations. In particular, aluminium’s use in automotive manufacturing continues to grow. The material allows a weight saving of up to 50% over competing materials, making it an attractive choice for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) looking to improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicles through decreased weight. This is a vital consideration with increasingly September/October 2016

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stringent fuel economy standards around the world. For example, there is a proposed target in the US which requires all car manufacturers to improve the average fuel efficiency of their fleets to 54.5 mpg by 2025. Not only is it cost effective to incorporate aluminium as a secondary material in production, it is also environmentally friendly. Apart from the automotive industry, aluminium has a much wider prominence in our everyday lives, from aerosols to cans, and then of course, foil products. In 2014, more than 170,000 tonnes of aluminium packaging – primarily drinks cans, aluminium foil and aerosols – was placed on the UK market. When collected for recycling, this material would be worth in excess of £60 million (US$ 94 million) to collectors. And it’s a growing market, with increasing sales of goods packaged in aluminium. Why is it such an important sector? Overall, metals recycling is a £5.6 billion UK industry, processing ferrous and nonferrous metal scrap into vital secondary raw materials for the smelting of new metals. The industry employs more than 8,000 people and contributes more to the UK economy than motor and aerospace combined. It encapsulates the wider recycling industry and is a focal point of environmental responsibility. EU figures indicate that using recycled raw materials, including metals, cuts CO2 emissions by some 200 million

tonnes every year . There are also other environmental benefits, for example, using recycled steel to make new steel enables reductions such as: � 86% in air pollution � 40% in water use � 76% in water pollution Also worth noting is that metals recycling supplies a major worldwide industry. Manufacturing of metals continues to be one of the largest UK manufacturing sectors. Growth in China, and to a lesser extent India, means that export markets are growing. Of the millions of tonnes of metal recycled in the UK, around 40% is used in the UK and the remaining 60% is exported worldwide. Through this activity, the UK is one of the five largest metal scrap exporting countries in the world. Thus recycled metals have significant economic value for us here in the UK – and so scrap metal is rarely discarded or sent to landfill. Worldwide, over 400 million tonnes of metal is recycled each year. As we use metals in more or less everything we do and create, it’s more efficient to recycle than to make more and most metals hold their market value over time. As such, it is common sense that we should be investing time and efforts into ensuring we’re getting the most from this valuable resource. � Contact www.metalsrecyclingevent.com

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ALUMINUM recycling is worthwhile: with up to 95% of energy savings when compared to the laborious extraction of primary aluminum, smelters gain new and cheaper sources of material by separating aluminum alloys and heavy metals with high precision, so that aluminum purities of 98 - 99% can be achieved. www.tomra.com/recycling

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Evolution of aluminium strip production technologies By Phil Lawlor* Aluminium is produced for many end uses such as flat rolled products, extrusions, wire and doubtless several other applications. The requirements in terms of dimensions of finished product, quality and tolerances are driven ultimately by the end users. For example, the widths for foil and can sheet are driven by the can making and foil packaging companies. It is the role of the equipment supplier to work with its customers to anticipate these trends and to develop solutions. Through its predecessor companies Primetals Technologies has played a leading role in the developments that have taken place in the history of aluminium rolling. We were the first with hydraulic AGC and one of the first with AFC. Foil rolling The history of foil rolling goes back about 100 years. The Gautschi pack rolling patent dates from 1908. In those days production was very limited â&#x20AC;&#x201C; various sources quote production rates of 200kg per month by Neher and Lauber at Singen. Back then rolling speeds were down at 20m/min or so. By the 1930s speeds had crept up to the order of 300 metres per minute as in Figure 1 from an article in a 1977 issue of Light Metal Age by our then Chief Foil Mill Engineer illustrates. Nowadays strip widths are up at 2,000mm and rolling speeds of 2,000 mpm are regularly achieved on modern four high foil mills such as the Primetals Technologies foil mills at Shenhuo Aluminium, shown in Fig 2. Coil weights have also significantly increased. To achieve this level of performance on thin foil requires a very good understanding of the whole process and attention to detail in the machine design and control. And of course you need very good quality feedstock. To give just one example of how Primetals Technologies led the way in mill design just consider the mill bearings. High speeds are not possible without good quality bearings. If you look in the

literature you will find statements about mills speeds being limited to 150 feet per minute due to high power losses with the original grease filled bearings. This was overcome with the introduction first of fluid film bearings and more latterly of rolling element bearings. Two predecessor companies of Primetals Technologies both developed fluid film bearings for rolling mills. W.H.A. Robertson developed their flood bearing in 1928 and Morgan patented the Morgoil bearing in 1931. We then went to rolling element bearings as their quality

and capability improved. Now for the highest foil mill speeds, fluid film bearings (Morgoils) are again under consideration as a means of removing heat. Cold rolling The big changes here are in terms of strip width and gauge. Mills are getting wider â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not only for the can makers but also for the autobody sheet market. Can makers have also significantly downgauged in recent years. These two aspects present particular challenges. The first challenge is the control of flatness on sheet of widely varying widths. This requires flatness actuators with a large effective range. Primetals Technologies has two solutions to this challenge: The Primetals Technologies six high UCM mill and the DSR mill. UCM Six High The UCM six high is a long stroke six high using parallel intermediate rolls, as illustrated in Fig 3. Fig 1. (left) The first 4 high foil mill in Europe Fig 2. Primetals High-Speed Foil Mill in China

*Senior Process Expert, Primetals Technologies Limited, UK September/October 2016

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By positioning the edge of the intermediate roll in proximity to the strip edge the workroll blending range can be maximised – thus improving flatness control. This also eliminates high localised loads within the roll stack. Recent UCM installations have been in the Far East for mills at strip widths of 2,150mm and speeds of up to 2,000mpm. The parallel rolls give a distinct advantage over contoured rolls – the peripheral roll speed is constant at all points across the strip width – this ensures a uniform strip finish – something that is of paramount importance for autobody and lithographic sheet. The DSR roll is an hollow shell backup roll that is loaded by a series of internal pads. In this way the load can be applied precisely where it is required. This roll is a development of the Sulzer NIPCO roll from the paper industry. The paper industry produces webs much wider than is common in flat rolled metal rolling and we believe that the DSR will become increasingly important as mill widths push out past three metres. Both types of Primetals Technologies cold mill feature optimised coil change equipment - to get the full benefit of high rolling speeds you also need short coil change times. The downgauging challenge is addressed with modern AGC techniques which we will describe later. Automatic ﬂatness control Automatic flatness control is a prerequisite for high-speed foil rolling. It is commonly accepted that the introduction of flatness control thirty to forty years ago enabled an increase in rolling speeds of around 30%. Primetals Technologies were at the forefront of this development. We took out a license on the British Alcan air bearing shapemeter developed by W.J Pearson. Initially this device was used for measurement but it was the closing of the loop that revolutionised mill operation. One of the earliest shapemeter installations is shown below in Fig 4.

FStrip

Fig 3. UCM Six High

High speed rolling As mill speeds increase mill vibration problems can be experienced. Primetals Technologies have developed an antichatter solution using high-performance servo valves. These valves are mounted directly onto the roll load cylinders as shown in Fig 6. Fig 4. Vidimon – First Generation Shapemeter

Incredible as it might seem the display was implemented on an oscilloscope – no flat screen computer monitors in those days! Automatic gauge control The development of modern hydraulic AGC started back in the immediate post war period. Meyer in Germany had a patent in the mid 1930’s covering a constant gap mill and the Rorschach Works had a method of controlling thickness using entry tension. Hydraulic AGC required a number of things to come together: Moog servo valves, modern electronics and some innovative engineers being but some of the elements. Davy, a predecessor company to Primetals Technologies company, worked closely with engineers at the British Iron and Steel Research Institute (BISRA) to develop hydraulic AGC and one of the first installations was at British Aluminium Falkirk on the hot tandem mill. BISRA Gaugemeter was one of the first modes developed, followed by

Measurement

CECO (including plant model)

Future developments The metals industry faces many challenges as we see regularly in the financial press. The focus of investment is on improving the economics of the process. Primetals Technologies continue to work to address the challenges of the future. Our customers are interested in yield, quality and ease of operation – our current developments focus on these themes. Another key objective for our customers is to reduce work in progress. We are working to leverage our steel cooling technology, MULPIC, into the aluminium field. Interstand and slab cooling help improve rolling speeds on hot mills. Cooling technologies also help get coil temperatures down for rerolling, minimising the time a coil is held between process steps. Yield improvements focus on AFC/AGC improvements. AGC enhancements to get on gauge as quickly as possible improve yield. Techniques such as area/weight optimisation in foil rolling maximise recoveries as do taper rolling techniques for plate rolling. �

Fig 6. Anti-Chatter Servo Valve

nCoil

Measurement

simple feedback control and now by advanced modes such as massflow which significantly improves head and tail performance. Thin gauge rolling threading presents particular challenges and modes such as force threading have been developed – in this mode we thread in force to prevent buckled head ends and poor coil starts and then switch to gap on the fly. Enhancements such as coil eccentricity compensation have been developed by experts and have been shown to improve overall thickness performance.

Current control

MComp

^ MDrive

MDrive

Plant parameters

Fig 5. Coil Eccentricity Compensation

September/October 2016

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Designing a world-class aluminium rolling plant Over the years Innoval Technology has provided technical support to potential investors in many new rolling operations. These investors recognised that, by involving the correct aluminium technical expertise, they were able to reduce the risk of not achieving the intended financial returns on their capital investments. Dr Tom Farley* explains At Innoval we have a very methodical approach to aluminium rolling plant design, as you can see by the flow diagram in fig 1. In this article we explain a little about whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s involved in the different stages of this design process. A methodical approach Fig 1 highlights the need to optimise products and volumes in order to make best use of the chosen equipment and to increase the viability of the plant. This must be done with a good technical knowledge of product quality specifications, product margins and equipment capabilities, which can be an iterative process. For example the proposed equipment to manufacture a particular product mix (as determined by the market study) may have some spare capacity that can be used to produce more products within the given mix or indeed to produce some different products. Consequently it is necessary to return to the market study assumptions and to redefine the product mix, as appropriate. When the product mix is defined, the plant equipment can then be correctly specified and the capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) calculated for use in a process and product cost model. The cost model can then be used to evaluate financial performance and viability of the proposed investment using metrics such as Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Net Present Value (NPV) calculations. If financial viability is not achieved then a significant change to the product mix and equipment may be required to achieve the desired financial return on investment. Once a viable configuration has been achieved then the project can move forward to more detailed studies, design and finally to construction and operation.

Market analysis The first step in designing a new aluminium rolling plant is a thorough analysis of the potential home and export markets for the plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products. As a technical partner, we can add a useful end-user perspective to compliment this analysis by verifying any assumptions and ensuring logical conclusions are obtained. We can ensure that products within the mix are compatible, for example a plant producing surface critical products such as lithographic sheet would have to be aware of the potential surface impact from other products in the mix. Also we will consider the compatibility of certain products with the available sources of aluminium feeding the plant, for example the impact on product quality of trace elements within the source metal. In this way the choice of product mix will dictate the mixture of different sources of aluminium that will be required to feed the plant and this will affect the estimate of the raw material costs to run the plant. It will also define the scrap segregation equipment required to avoid mixing of certain alloys within the plant. Fig 2 Data on product sale prices must be gathered for use later in the cost modelling. Some products are more complex to manufacture and therefore cost more to produce and so a high sale price does not necessarily result in a high profit for the business. For example the product may require more cold rolling passes and so will take a greater fraction of the mill capacity and its annual running cost. The product may also require specific heat treatments or complex finishing opera-

tions leading to significant extra CAPEX and OPEX. This has to be understood carefully for all products in the mix. The analysis must include an assessment of the competitors active within the same markets, either locally or abroad. Decisions to compete locally or within export markets can have an impact on the product quality standards that will be need to be achieved. This can influence the choice of equipment technology in the plant and the operating costs. The final outcome of this analysis will be the proposed initial product mix for the plant. Assessing the technical challenges The exact product requirements will determine the choice of equipment and technology required in the aluminium rolling plant. For example, a state-of-theart Hot Reversing Mill (HRM) followed by a 3 or 4 stand Hot Finishing Mill (HFM) is capable of rolling all products to world class quality requirements and has the largest capacity of all options. A coilto-coil Hot Reversing Mill has a lower capacity and may result in different quality attributes for some rolled products.

*Managing Director, Innoval Technology September/October 2016

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Traditional continuous casting technologies, such as belt or twin roll casting, have lower capacities and present further limitations on the range of worldclass products that can be produced. However, some of these limitations are now being overcome by new technologies such as Alcoaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MicromillTM. Consideration should also be given to future-proofing the equipment to meet evolving customer needs, such as tightening of product specifications and increasing coil widths and lengths. Equipment specification and capacity calculations Clearly it is important to get the number of machines and the size of each machine correct. This requires careful capacity calculations and the results are often dependent on the technology choices and the mix of products being processed. Because some equipment is only available in certain sizes, this can be the source of spare capacity in the proposed design. It is important to assess this as an opportunity to process and sell more product volume if the market can sustain it. It is also crucial to have a good understanding of the magnitude of process losses at every stage of the operation (recoveries) and how these will evolve and improve during the ramp up of a new aluminium rolling plant. This knowledge will determine the product volumes which need to be processed throughout the plant to meet the customer requirements. These losses need to be realistic values that can

be achieved by a world-class operation, not simply theoretical engineered recovery losses. For example, to ship 100,000 tonnes of a specific final product to a client may require a DC casting centre capable of producing 140,000 tonnes of cast ingots for that product. These losses can be surprisingly high, particularly in the production of aluminium aerospace plate products. A rolling mill, particularly a hot mill, represents a significant fraction of the total investment CAPEX so it must be specified very carefully. To calculate the correct rolling mill capacity, we have developed Use spare capacity

Product

Market analysis

volumes

equipment

Product prices CAPEX

Cost modelling

Equipment specification

Plant design

OPEX IRR, NPV, etc.

Viable? no yes

Final design

Fig 1. Schematic flow diagram illustrating the main process steps in designing a successful and viable aluminium processing plant

complex physically-based models that can take account of the capabilities of the mill and the metallurgical and surface requirements of the products. These models also account for all potential mill stoppages and aluminium losses within the process. Fig 3 shows an example how a complex rolling mill model can be used to assess the potential for speed increases on a hot mill resulting from the installation of advanced slab cooling technology. The example is for a multistand hot finishing mill where the maximum rolling speeds are typically constrained by the need to coil within a specific range of temperature. The addition of slab precooling and/or interstand cooling allows the maximum speed to be increased until the drive power or maximum speed of one of the mill stands is reached. Further speed increases are then possible using more powerful or faster drive motors. Clearly these extra technologies could be specified for the new mill to achieve a higher overall capacity for the new plant or could be calculated, designed and retrofitted to increase the productivity of an existing hot line. Fig 4 shows the overall capacity of a cold rolling mill and the effect of varying the value of some key input parameters. The capacity of the baseline case is shown as 119 kt/yr. The effect on capacity is shown resulting from a reduction in the average exit gauge rolled on the mill, a reduction in the yield (recovery), a reduction in the mill speed and an increase of the handling

Hot mill speed increase resulting from extra cooling [%]

Fig 2. Automotive sheet is one product option for a new aluminium rolling plant

0 Slab precooling

Slab precooling and interstand cooling

Fig 3. Shows the potential increase in maximum hot rolling speed using slab cooling technology

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Average exit gauge

Baseline

Effect on capacity of changing each

case

baseline parameter (highlighted)

Units

0.59

0.49

0.59

Yield

[min]

Mill speeds

100

[% of expected]

Handling time Overall capacity

[mm]

[min]

119

112

ktyear

Fig 4. The effect on cold mill capacity of varying the value of some key input parameters

Fig 5. Schematic showing layout surrounding a single stand cold rolling mill (courtesy of Danieli Fröhling)

time between coils. The product mix will dictate the average exit gauge and the mill supplier can design in the desired rolling speeds and coil change times. The yield will be a consequence of the operation of the plant. Optimising the plant layout Once the range of equipment has been defined and specified then it can be located within the constraints of the proposed plant site area. The layout is based on a combination of logic and Innoval’s knowledge of world-class operations, taking into account many factors such as the need for safety, efficient process flow and storage and the potential for future expansion. It is important that all ancillary equipment is also included at this stage. The work in progress at all stages in the process can be estimated and provision made for storage in machine buffers and central storage regions within the plant. Fig 5 shows a typical cold rolling mill layout with good provision for coil storage and movement. Once the layout has been finalised then the civil engineering costs for the plant can be estimated as part of the total capital cost for use in the financial modelling.

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Advanced process and product cost modelling Simple spreadsheet-based financial cost models are adequate for predicting the main metrics used to assess the viability of an investment. However, as with all models, the quality of the results is only as good as the quality of the input data. Capital costs are available, to the desired accuracy, from the equipment suppliers. Fixed and variable operating costs can be more difficult to obtain and require a very good understanding of the operation of the equipment. Innoval’s approach combines practical knowledge with physics-based computer models to predict energy and other utility consumption for all equipment, ensuring the values are consistent with the actual operation being proposed. Efficient staffing levels and labour costs are also determined based on practical experience of operations. It is possible to incorporate more complexity within these models to allow more detailed analysis of the financial performance of the proposed plant. For example, with knowledge of the time that each product spends within each process stage, it is possible to attribute the correct proportion of the operating costs of that

process stage to each product. This allows a more detailed analysis of profitability on a product-by-product basis which is crucial when trying to optimise the product mix to improve the overall financial viability of the plant. Fig 6 shows the top five variable operating costs for the production of a lacquered product, in this case Can End Stock. Finally, more complex analysis tools can be used, as required, to fully understand the results of the financial model (e.g. Monte Carlo simulation). Natural gas

Pre treatments

Electricity

Public side lacquer

Internal lacquer

Fig 6. Example showing top five operating costs for Can End Stock (CES) production

Summary An efficient and viable downstream plant can be designed using Innoval

Technology’s methodical approach. This approach is based on understanding and knowledge gained from working for many decades with a wide range of world-class manufacturers of aluminium products. A key stage in the process is matching equipment specification to the optimum product mix in order to maximise the financial returns from the new plant. Investment in world class equipment does not on its own guarantee the ability to produce world class products. There are examples all over the world of new aluminium rolling and extrusion plants where the return on investment took longer than planned, or where the plant was unable to quickly match the quality of world-class products. Buying aluminium process equipment from Danieli is different because it will be supported by the services of Innoval Technology, with a proven track record in helping plants to achieve world-class product standards following the normal commissioning period. �

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Fig 1. Aluminium coils

Laser length and speed measurement In today’s competitive environment, the production processes in the aluminium industry have to be optimised to ensure shortest throughput times, highest output and maximum profitability. This can be achieved in no small part by improving process control through the implementation of measurement techniques. Pierre Passarge* explains In the melting plant the raw material products the thickness needs to be further aluminium is molten and cast into reduced. This is achieved in the cold rolling ingots with a length of several metres. process. Here the sheets are rolled at Depending on the length these ingots temperatures of 80°C to 170°C and speeds can weigh more than 30 tons. They are of 2000 to 5000 m/min. The thickness cut at the ends and milled on the sides to at the output of the cold rolling process remove contaminations from the casting can be as small as 0.2mm depending on the desired end product. When the process and to improve results in the aluminium strip is rolled to the following rolling processes. To required thickness, it is cut prepare for hot rolling they to the specified length and are preheated in furnaces, wound on coils for further after which they enter the processing or shipment. hot rolling process. In Throughout the whole the hot rolling mill, the production precise speed ingots are rolled from and length measurement a thickness of about is mandatory for 500mm down to less process control, output than 10mm. During the optimisation and safety. hot rolling the aluminium Fig 2. LSV & Thermo-Protective Due to the harsh bars have a temperature Housing in a Rolling Mill environment in aluminium of approximately 600°C and mills, any sensor that is going to move at speeds of up to several be used needs to be very rugged in design. m/s. Before the rolled sheets can be wound onto coils (Fig 1), they are cropped Environmental conditions include ambient at the ends and sides. To fulfil the market temperatures of more than 150°C, strong requirements for different aluminium mechanical shock and vibration, vapours,

dirt and aggressive rolling fluids (Fig 2). Accidents can even lead to open flashfire. Current measuring solutions Length and speed measurements are often obtained by drive speed or speed from an idler roll. Both are contact methods that measure the speed of the spinning roll or motor rather than the true strip speed. If the speed is measured directly on the strip, the contacting sensor can damage the surface. Moreover, both methods are susceptible to slippage, especially at the leading and trailing ends of the coil and during periods of acceleration or deceleration. Further measurement errors increase slowly over time as mechanical wear reduces, or deposits of dust and dirt increase the diameter of idler rolls. These errors cause inaccurate speed and length readings and impede process control, increase production of scrap and reduce production output. Only through costly maintenance and recalibration can these errors be reduced. All in all, profitability of the whole production is reduced.

*Strategic Product Management, Polytec GmbH September/October 2016

ANALYSIS polytec.indd 1

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78 ANALYSIS & TESTING

The Laser Doppler solution Laser Doppler Velocimeters (Fig 3) are non-contact measurement systems used to measure speed and length on moving surfaces, such as aluminium bars, sheets, foils, strips and coils. The non-contact optical measurement process provides extraordinary accuracy. It can be applied in complex measurement tasks, where contact sensors can’t measure at all or only with great difficulty. Thus Laser Doppler Velocimeters replace the contact methods traditionally used for measuring length and speed in the aluminium industry. Thanks to the non-contact measurement process, slippage, scaling deposits or mechanical wear no longer affect the results of the measurement as they do when using contacting measuring techniques. Laser Surface Velocimeters (LSVs) work based on the Laser Doppler Principle and evaluate the laser light scattered back from a moving object (Fig 4). Polytec’s LSVs are based on the sophisticated heterodyne detection method. Unlike conventional noncontact methods, which measure only the absolute value of the velocity, Polytec’s velocimeters are able to detect changes in direction and even standstill conditions. The high measurement precision allows accurate detection of even the smallest motions. The LSV emits two laser beams, which overlap at a certain distance. This distance is called the working distance. The volume in which both laser beams are superimposed is called the measurement volume. In the measurement volume, the overlapping laser beams generate an interference pattern of bright and dark fringes. The distance between those fringes is called the fringe spacing Δs and is a system constant for the LSV. It depends on the wavelength λ of the laser light and the angle 2φ between the laser beams: λ Δs= 2 sin φ

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Fig 3. Polytec Laser Surface Velocimeter

If a surface moves through the fringe pattern, then the intensity of the light scattered back is modulated between bright and dark. As a result of this, a photo receiver in the sensor generates an AC signal. The frequency fD of the signal is directly proportional to the velocity component of the surface in measurement direction vp: vp 2vp sin φ fD= Δs = λ Polytec LSVs work in the so-called heterodyne mode. The frequency of one of the laser beams is shifted by an offset frequency fB. Therefore the fringe spacing in the measuring volume is not stationary, but is moving at a speed corresponding to the offset frequency fB. This frequency shift allows identification of the direction of movement of the object and to measure at the velocity zero. The resulting modulation frequency fmod at the photo receiver in heterodyne mode is fB + fD for movement in one direction and fB - fD for the other direction. The modulation frequency is determined by the sensor using fast Fourier transformation and converted into the measurement value for the velocity vp. The length value is generated by integrating the velocity signal over time. Mass Flow Automatic Gauge Control (AGC) Mass Flow Automatic Gauge Control (AGC) is a technique used for many years to control strip thickness in single stand or tandem cold rolling mills. It enables tighter control of thickness by providing faster and more accurate control of the roll gap. Utilising Mass Flow AGC control techniques permit operations to achieve specified thickness requirements over a

greater percentage of the coil length, thus greatly improving the final yield. The mass flow principle (Fig 5) states that the strip thickness and speed entering the mill stand must equal the strip thickness and speed exiting the stand, while the width remains constant. Due to the high strip speeds common in aluminium rolling processes, the rolling gap needs to be adjusted very fast based on the strip speed and thickness at the entry and exit of the roll stand. Therefore these parameters need to be measured very accurately and with a fast response time. The thickness of the strip is measured by so-called C-Frames using non-contact optical or radiometric principles. LSV Laser Velocimeters installed directly in the C-Frames (Fig 6) or in rugged thermo-protective housings at the entrance and exit of the mill stands measure the speed (Fig 7). They have proven to track strip speed more accurately than contact methods because the LSV is not susceptible to slippage during mill speed transitions. The improved speed measurement is most noticeable at the beginning and end of the strip and during those periods of mill acceleration and deceleration, where significant errors can occur due to slippage of traditional contact methods. The errors in speed measurement, during these periods of transition, result in inaccurate Mass Flow calculations and thus incorrect control of the roll gap, causing variability in strip thickness. In short, less of the strip meets the specified thickness requirements. This improved strip speed measurement obtained by using LSV provides a more accurate Mass Flow Calculation and thus tighter control of gauge thickness through the AGC. Moreover, the Mass Flow – AGC, coupled with LSV enables the ability to achieve thickness specifications over a greater percentage of the strip. The result is improved quality and increased operational yield. A typical solution consists of a LSV sensor with 1000mm standoff distance and various outputs, including

Mass Flow Regulation

Fig 4. LSV Measurement Principle ϕ f+fB

Hydraulic Gap Control

f LSV

LSV

Measurement volume

∆S

September/October 2016

ANALYSIS polytec.indd 2

Fig 5. The Massflow Principle

Aluminium International Today

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Specialist designed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Turn-Keyâ&#x20AC;? integrated melting plants supplied worldwide for all capacities is an Group Company Visit us at Aluminum USA - Booth 934 Telephone: +44 (0) 1675 470551 | email: sales@meltingsolutions.co.uk | website: www.meltingsolutions.co.uk

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80 ANALYSIS & TESTING

Profibus, Ethernet and quadrature encoder output for easy integration to mill control systems. The sensor is mounted in a thermo-protective housing to protect it against high temperatures and aggressive fluids like kerosene used in the rolling process. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rugged, mill duty construction, sophisticated optical configuration and advanced signal conditioning offer exceptional performance and reliability and separate the LSV from other solutions. Cut-to-length control When cutting aluminium sheets or plates according to customer requirements (Fig 8) precise length and speed measurement is essential. Using the length measurement of the LSV the cut length is controlled to be as close as possible to the required length. Cutting to short means not meeting the specified minimum length, which is unacceptable for the customer. Cutting too long means that excess material is supplied beyond the specified minimum length. As customers usually pay only for the specified minimum length any excess is given away for free. The precision of

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with the strip to ensure a straight, clean cut. As the strip approaches the specified length, the cutting device accelerates to match the speed of the strip and performs the cut. After the cut the cutting device returns to its original home position while in preparation for the next cut. The LSV provides length and speed values to not only activate the shear at the appropriate length but also to synchronise its motion to match the speed of the strip. Fig 6. LSV installed in a C-Frame

Speed synchronisation on roller beds Aluminium sheets are moving on roller beds (Fig 9) between different process steps. In this situation it is important to synchronise the rotational speed of the motorised rollers accurately with the line speed of the aluminium sheets. On first glance one might think, that the rollers on which the sheets are moving determine their speed. This is however not true. Due to the tremendous forces that are applied during rolling, it is in fact the rolling process that determines the speed of the sheets. If the motorised rollers of the roller bed are not synchronised correctly with the speed of the sheets, this leads to abrasion of the aluminium surface, as slippage occurs between the rollers and sheets. Furthermore the abrasion can form deposits on the rollers and nearby machinery and cause damage to the rollers. Therefore it is necessary to measure the speed of the aluminium sheets with a LSV and adjust the roller speed accordingly.

Fig 7. LSV Measuring Points in a Rolling Stand

the length measurement therefore affects directly the profitability of the production. Furthermore the length and speed measurement of the LSV is used for controlling the cutting process itself. Two different general principles of cutting are employed. The first principle requires the strip or plate to be stopped for cutting. In this case the strip comes to a complete stop at exactly the right position to perform the cut. After the cut, the strip starts moving again and accelerates to the required line speed. To optimise throughput, the deceleration and acceleration has to be done as fast as possible. At this point contact based measurement methods are reaching their physical limits. Due to mechanical inertia they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t follow extremely fast deceleration and acceleration processes. As a result the contact sensor slips on the surface it is measuring on. This leads to incorrect length and speed-readings. The second principle allows the strip to move at line speed during cutting. This principle is called a flying cut-off. In this case the cutting device needs to move September/October 2016

ANALYSIS polytec.indd 3

Fig 8. LSV controlling the aluminium cut-to length process at the Alunorf GmbH plant in Germany

Fig 9. Aluminium Sheets on Roller Bed with LSV Speed Measurement

Coil speed synchronisation and length control While the aluminium strip is wound into coils (Fig 1) the speed of the strip and the rotational speed of the coiler need to be synchronised. If the coiler is rotating too fast, the strip might be damaged or be torn apart. If the strip is faster than the coiler, it can pile up in front of the coiler, which again can damage the strip, the coiler or nearby equipment. In addition any difference between strip speed and coiler speed influences the strip tension and impedes the winding process. Therefore speed of the strip and the speed of the coiler have to be synchronised in order to optimise the winding process. The speed of the coiler can be calculated based on the rotational speed of the coiler shaft and the diameter of the coil. The strip speed needs to be measured by an LSV and integrated to the process control system for synchronisation. In addition a precise measurement of the final length of the finished coil is also obtained. ďż˝

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19/09/2016 16:11:01

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Exhibitor Preview Hall11/ H40

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Hall11/ E55 Royer Jerry Hould|Business Development Manager Tel tel 819 549-2100#665 ROYER® is a Canadian manufacturer of work boots and shoes.

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Hall 11/H31 Rex Materials Inc 1600 Howell|MI 48855 USA Tel +1 517-223-6827|Fax +1 517-223-6806 Mob +1 517-974-4337 www.rexmaterials.com

Hall13/M15 Achenbach Bushchütten GmbH & Co KG Siegener Strasse 152|57223 Kreuztal|Germany Tel +49 (0) 2732 799-0|Fax+49 (0) 2732 799-799 info@achenbach.de|www.achenbach.de “Welcome to our booth! Who rolls the best strip 2.0?“

Hall 12/ F29 Hall 9/C20 Hertwich Engineering GmbH Weinbergerstr. 6|5280 Braunau|Austria Tel +43 7722 806 112|Fax +43 7722 806 122info@hertwich.com|www.hertwich.com

Hall 11/J47

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84 BUYERS’ DIRECTORY

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Aluminium International Today Buyers’ Directory As a leading resource for the aluminium production and processing industries, the Buyers’ Directory reaches the most senior buyers and suppliers in the business. HANDLING & STORAGE

CLAUDIUS PETERS PROJECTS GMBH Schanzenstraße 40 DE-21614 Buxtehude, Germany T: +49 4161 706-0 F: +49 4161 706-270 E: info@claudiuspeters.com W: www.claudiuspeters.com Claudius Peters stockyards, pneumatic conveyors, silos, clinker coolers, grinding mills, and packing systems can be found in Cement, Coal, Alumina, and Gypsum plants across the globe. The group’s other principal Division, Aerospace, manufactures aircraft parts for Airbus. PRIMARY REDUCTION/SMELTER PRIMARY

ALUMINIUM BAHRAIN B.S.C. (ALBA) Building 150, King Hamad Highway Askar 951, Bahrain T: +973 1783 0000 F: +973 1783 0083 E: alba@alba.com.bh W: www.albasmelter.com Aluminium Bahrain has been consistently ranked as one of the largest aluminium smelters in the world and is known for its technological strength and high quality aluminium. FURNACE

HERTWICH ENGINEERING GMBH Weinbergerstr. 6, Braunau, Upper Austria, 5280, Austria T: +43 7722 806-0 F: +43 7722 806-122 E: info@hertwich.com W: www.hertwich.com Hertwich Engineering, a company of the SMS group, is active worldwide with design, supply, construction and commissioning of speciality equipment for the aluminium industry, in particular for aluminium casthouses. September/October 2016

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DANIELI FRÖHLING Scherl 12, D-58540, Meinerzhagen, Germany T: +49 2354 7082 0 F: +49 2354 7082 200 E: info@danieli-froehling.de W: www.danieli-froehling.de Danieli Fröhling is synonymous for innovative tailor-made solutions for the aluminium industry. Fröhling customers trust in more than 65 years’ experience in manufacturing of rolling mills and finishing lines.

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CASTOOL TOOLING SYSTEMS 2 Parratt Road, Uxbridge, Ontario, L9P 1R1, Canada T: +1 905 852 0121 F: +1 905 852 2300 E: info@castool.com W: www.castool.com CASTOOL Tooling Systems is globally acclaimed as a provider of today’s most technologically advanced production tooling and equipment for the light metal extrusion industry PUBLISHING

ALUMINIUM INTERNATIONAL TODAY Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QX UK T: +44 (0)1737 855000 F: +44 (0)1737 85034 E: aluminium@quartzltd.com W: www.aluminiumtoday.com Aluminium International Today is published bimonthly and circulated worldwide alongside foreign languague issues in Chinese and Russian, published twice a year. A weekly newsletter is sent to over 25,000 contacts worldwide.

Here is a sneak peak at some of the listings that will appear in the 2017 Buyers’ Directory. QUALITY TESTING & MEASUREMENT

POLYTEC GMBH Polytec Platz 1-7, D-76337, Waldbronn, Germany T: +49 7243 6042 36 F: +49 7243 6041 50 E: f.fughe@polytec.de W: www.polytec.de Polytec is the market leader for non-contact, laser based vibration and velocity measurement instrumentation. Our innovative solutions allow our customers to maintain their own technical leadership across many fields. SMELTER PRODUCTION/EQUIPMENT

ROSS CONTROLS 1250 Stephenson Hwy, Troy, Michigan, 48083, USA T: +1 800 GET ROSS F: +1 706 356 3700 E: bob.winsand @rosscontrols.com W: www.rosscontrols.com With more than 90 years of proven design experience, Ross Controls is a global manufacturer of rugged and robust pneumatic solutions for the aluminium industry. Proven potroom performance and safety (LOTO).

It is free to list your company, get in touch today to find out more: Esme Horn, Directory Co-ordinator Tel: +44(0)1737855136 Email: esmehorn@quartzltd.com Anne Considine Sales Manager Tel: +44(0)1737855139 Email: anneconsidine@quartzltd.com

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