Archive > Metal Asia > January 2013

Metal Asia January 2013 Issue

A Complete Metal Magazine

SPECIAL COVERAGE

NALCO - A Company Overview
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) was incorporated in year 1981 as a public sector enterprise of the Government of India followed by its settlement in year 1985-87. Today, the organisation stands strong as the biggest integrated aluminium complex encircling bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting and casting, power generation, rail and port operations in Asia. Time in and out, the company has emerged as a luminary body in production, export of alumina and aluminium, and more significantly thrusting a self-sustained growth. The company possesses a wide spectrum of industry workings which is being discussed profusely in this write-up.

COMMENT

Die-Casting Industry Outlook: The Automotive Way
A process used to form solid casting out of molten metal has become gradually more important for manufacturing components used in daily products. Non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, copper, lead, zinc, tin and magnesium are primary alloys used for the die-casting process. Among these, aluminium castings create the majority of sales and have been greatly dependent on for their capability to reduce weight and balancing strength & rigidity. This has closely linked aluminium die-castings to the transportation industry, i.e. the automotive sector, which represent more than 50 per cent of the consumer base.

NATIONAL TRENDS

• NMDC plan on overseas coking coal assets

  Iron ore miner NMDC is in talks to acquire coking coal assets in Russia and Mozambique to feed its upcoming steelmaking plant in Chhattisgarh.

• Vedanta to buy alumina from NALCO

  Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL), whose smelter plant has run into a crisis as a consequence of raw material crunch crippling its alumina refinery at Lanjigarh, said it is ready to source alumina from National Aluminium Company (NALCO) at export price.

• Hindalco to acquire alumina refinery, bauxite assets in Brazil

  Hindalco Industries, the metals flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, is to acquire an alumina refinery and bauxite mines assets in Brazil from its group company Novelis Do Brasil Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Novelis Inc., as part of corporate reorganisation plan.

• L&T confident of meeting target as Q3 net rises 13 pct

  Engineering and construction company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is confident of meeting its target of new orders worth 80,000-85,000 crores in the current fiscal.

• Republic Day Celebrations at NMDC

  NMDC celebrated 64th Republic Day at its Corporate Office in Hyderabad and its various units.

• Hindustan Zinc: Results for Q3 and Nine Months Ended 31 December’12

  Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL), one of the world’s largest integrated producers of Zinc- Lead and a leading global producer of Silver, announced its unaudited results for the third quarter (Q3) and nine months ended 31 December, 2012.

INTERNATIONAL TRENDS

• Durable aluminium strip with record dimensions

  Coil GmbH domiciled in Bernburg, Germany, ordered a further anodising line for aluminium strip. In 2005 already, a first plant supplied by SMS Siemag started operation in the Bernburg works.

• Tongling orders Contirod® plant and two continuous casters from SMS Meer

  The Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group from Tongling, Anhui Province, China, has placed an order with SMS Meer for the supply of a complete Contirod® casting and rolling plant and two continuous casters for copper strip.

• Alba reports record output for 2012

  Despite challenging market conditions, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba), one of the world’s largest aluminium smelters, was able to deliver higher Value-Added sales volume in the year 2012.

• First cold aluminium Diamond Mill successfully started up at NSA Thailand

  In common with all ‘Diamond Mills’, the new mill at NSA includes special features and solutions that ensure good operation, ease of maintenance, robust construction, and, finally, high-quality finished strip properties. Even during the mill assembly at Danieli Thailand’s workshop, NSA’s personnel had the opportunity to be trained on maintenance procedures, as well as operating details and quality aspects. Danieli Fröhling’s design engineers supported the assembly phase to ensure a trouble-free mill build, thus forming the basis for a quicker ramp-up on-site. The new mill at NSA is the most advanced aluminium cold mill in Southeast Asia and the first of any type of mill to be assembled in Thailand for a Thai customer, a fact that makes NSA very proud.

IN FOCUS

• Aluminium usage growth set to increase in India

  India is on its way to overview optimum usage of aluminium as large smelting capacity mainly through Greenfield projects heralded by Hindalco and Vedanta is in the pipeline.

• 2013 to bring refurbishment in mining sector

  In 2013, the mining sector in India is looking forward for a refurbishment. 2012 was engulfed in series of controversies and in the new year, this sector is setting up for repairs. Though the disagreements related to the allocation, production and pricing of minerals can pass small delays in projects, many experts are of the view that arriving corrective measures will help increase investor confidence encouraging growth in the sector.

COMPANY NEWS

Introducing Innoval Technology’s world-class aluminium expertise

In March 2012, Innoval Technology Ltd., a leading provider of world-class expertise to the world’s downstream aluminium industry, is now a part of the Danieli Group. Innoval Technology joins Danieli Fröhling and Danieli Wean United to form the new Danieli Aluminium Strip Division.

Fast, compact and energy efficient Henan Zhongfu relies on colour coating line made by SMS Siemag

As of 2014, the aluminium producer Henan Zhongfu Industrial Co. Ltd., China, will process 70,000 tonnes of aluminium strips for cans on a colour coating line made by SMS Siemag. The facility impresses with its top-quality and energy-efficient colour coating and drying operations.

COMPANY REPORT

Alcoa reports fourth quarter 2012 results

Alcoa reported income from continuing operations of $242 million, or $0.21 per share, in fourth quarter 2012. Excluding the net positive impact of special items, income from continuing operations was $64 million, or $0.06 per share.

PRODUCT / MARKET

Airwash™ exhaust-air purification systems Clean air and low costs

To clean the exhaust air originated in aluminium cold rolling mills, SMS Siemag offers the Airwash™ exhaust-air purification system. It provides for perfect cleanliness of the exhaust air, and, at the same time, helps save operating costs since the recovered rolling oil can be completely reutilised.

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

Defining and refining process radar level

Olle Edvardsson, Rosemount Senior Technologist at Emerson Process Management, is the inventor and brain behind using radar level for tank level gauging. In this article, he explains how health and safety regulations, and the need to reduce maintenance costs and improve reliability, have resulted in the development of the first radar level instruments and then better performing instruments with increased functionality, at a lower cost. Starting from the origins of radar level measurement, Edvardsson highlights the advances made over the last 35 years and offers an insight into what we can expect of the technology in the future. Today, radar is the fastest growing level measurement technology across an expanding application base. It is replacing traditional technologies such as displacers, bubblers, capacitance, ultrasonic and hydrostatic, especially in applications where radar has a distinct advantage, such as when there are changes to liquid density.

Closed Cell Aluminium-Cenosphere Foam with Hybrid Porosity through Stir-Casting Technique

Closed cell aluminium foam with hybrid porosity was prepared by stir-casting technique and the same was characterised in terms of porosity fraction, relative density, plateau stress, densification strain and energy absorption. The micro-architectural characteristics and the aforesaid properties of these foams have been compared with the Al-SiC composite foam prepared with same method. The techno-economic comparisons of these two foams are discussed.

REFRACTORY

Microsilica-gel Bond for Explosion Proof Castables

In this paper, the composition and properties of refractory castables that have high flowability at low water addition, combined with controlled setting are offered. Additional, the bond system exhibits virtually no risk of explosive spalling after an initial drying at low temperatures and has potentials for use at high and ultra-high temperatures. In the present paper, the bond and its properties are described in detail.

CASTING TECHNOLOGY

Evaluation of Internal Closed Porosity of Aluminium Alloy Castings through X-Ray Computer Tomography (XCT)

Quantification of internal closed porosity of castings has been addressed using the Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE). Subsurface defects are detected with radiographic inspection and it defines the qualitative amount of porosity allowed in a casting. The size, location and shape of defects were difficult with conventional film radiography. XCT is a quantitative, NDE technique for reconstructing three-dimensional models of defects using CAD. Quantifying internal closed porosity in foundry industry is quite an important aspect for which XCT can provide an effective evaluation means to improve product quality. Volume of the internal closed porosity can also be quantified by titration reading of the destructive evaluation of castings. XCT analysis and its sensitivity relative to conventional film radiography and destructive evaluation of the castings of US 413 defective aluminium alloy castings have been discussed in this present study. Quantification of internal closed porosity of two defective castings was done through XCT technique and it compared well with the destructive evaluation of castings.

CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

indometal 2013: New technologies to fuel growth potential in Indonesia and the region

The inaugural indometal 2013 will field a host of international exhibitors from 22 countries, with national groups and pavilions from Austria, China, India, Italy, Taiwan and the UK, as well as major players from Germany, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.