Metal Asia July 2012 Issue

A Complete Metal Magazine

SPECIAL FEATURE

Aluminium Scrap – Viability in Production is the Need of the Hour
Pure and alloyed scrap has always been viewed as viable raw material in aluminium production. Aluminium scrap recycling and consumption has been steadily increasing over the years due to significant advantages.

COMMENT

Aluminium Rolling & Extrusion: revolutionizing the way we live
Aluminium is part of our daily life because it offers intelligent solutions to our needs! Be it rolls or extrusion, Aluminium is widely used in many fields, both in domestic and industrial purposes.

NATIONAL TRENDS

• Shri Nanda conferred Baldota Award

  Shri N.K. Nanda, Director (Technical) of NMDC is conferred with Abheraj Baldota Memorial Award ‘Mining Engineer of the Year’ for 2010- 11 by Mining Engineers Association of India in its Annual General Meeting held on 13th July, 2012 at Ahmedabad. The award is given every year in recognition of meritorious contribution to the Mining Industry by a Mining Engineer.

• Blast Furnace 8 Project makes fast progress

  Bhilai Steel Plant’s Blast Furnace No. 8 Project is making fast progress by the day. The latest milestone crossed in this important project of BSP’s 7 MT Modernisation & Expansion Programme is the erection of Cast House De-dusting Chimney in record time of four months.

• Adani group eyes overseas coal assets

  Adani Enterprises, the Gujarat-based Adani group’s flagship firm, is in talks with the Mozambique-based NCondezi Coal to acquire a minority stake in its coal assets.

• Adhunik Metaliks to commission pellet plant in Jamshedpur

  Adhunik Metaliks, a manufacturer of automotive steels, will commission a 1.2 million tonne pellet plant in Jamshedpur for merchant sales in the eastern region-home to the country’s iron ore base.

• Steel Minister gives warm send-off to wrestlers for London Olympics

  Union Minister for Steel Shri Beni Prasad Verma gave a warm send-off to two Indian wrestlers, Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt, who will participate in the London Olympics, at a simple function held at Udyog Bhawan.

• BALCO to ensure raw material supply for Korba plant

  Vedanta-controlled Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) Limited had made a big leap forward to ensure raw material supply to its facility located in Korba district of Chhattisgarh.

INTERNATIONAL TRENDS

• Enduring success in aluminium mills:

  Danieli strengthens its position in the aluminium flat products market with the latest order from KUMZ for the world’s widest cold rolling mill, a line that will be built around an advanced six-high, single-stand cold rolling ‘Diamond Mill’. Following the Diamond Mills supplied to Nikkei Siam Aluminium (NSA), Thailand, and Aleris, Belgium, this new installation will represent the latest cutting-edge rolling technology and will firmly establishes Danieli’s position as the leading supplier of advanced rolling mill solutions to the aluminium market.

• 20-high mill in production at Chinalco Shanghai Copper, P.R. of China

  The newly supplied, 20-high reversing cold rolling mill for copper and copper alloys entered the final commissioning phase at the beginning of 2012. Meanwhile, the mill is in production and already has reached its target for minimum strip thickness and maximum design speed.

• Orders for Metix Supply of components for the ferroalloys industry

  Construction of a sinter plant. Xstrata Merafe contracted Metix for the construction of a sinter plant for chromium ore. The plant is being erected at the Xstrata works in Rustenburg. It is designed to process 600,000 tpy of chromium ore into sinter. Commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2012. This project underpins Metix’ leading role as supplier of ore sintering plants for the ferroalloys industry in southern Africa.

• Alcoa and Airbus sign multiyear supply agreements for leading rolled and extruded products

  Alcoa, the world’s leading producer of primary and fabricated aluminium, signed new multi-year supply agreements with Airbus for Alcoa’s leading aerospace aluminium sheet, plate and hard alloy extruded products utilising Alcoa’s current, advanced-generation and aluminium lithium alloys. The agreements signed have a value of approximately US$1.4 billion over their life.

• Konecranes’ Smarter Cabin received Fennia Prize 2012 award

  Konecranes’ Smarter Cabin, launched in 2011, has received the Fennia Prize 2012 award.

IN FOCUS

• NALCO – Effective FPO price to be the key proclamation

  National Aluminium Company, (NALCO) stands as a dominant force having a position of its own and strong cost advantage in the domestic aluminium industry. The company has big plans for the future time as well. But, the planned followon public offering (FPO) by the same might not give high result – thanks to the pause of volume growth and metal pricing outlook, for aluminium. One good news follows the alumina volumes which are likely to increase; lower costs should help prop up margins, both of which are factored in the current share price. To serve these notions, an effective FPO pricing will be necessary.

• FPO’s triumph depends on right price for Hindustan Copper

  2012 is set to showcase the Government’s subsequent effort in depriving part of its assets in Hindustan Copper Ltd. through a follow on public offering (FPO). Last year, there was plan for FPO by the Government. However, deprived market conditions and valuations played spoilsports.

COMPANY NEWS

ALUMINUM PLANTS

The growing demand for our aluminium plants that started at the beginning of 2010 continued in 2011. We were able to further increase both order intake and sales. The good market development looks set to continue in 2012. For example, our Alu Control electrics and automation systems that are specially tailored to aluminium rolling mills helped us attract major orders as a system supplier on the Chinese market.

COMPANY REPORT

Novelis reports strong fiscal year 2012 results

Novelis Inc., the world’s leading producer of aluminium rolled products, has reported net income attributable to its common shareholder of $63 million for fiscal 2012. Excluding tax-effected items such as the loss on assets held for sale, extinguishment of debt and restructuring charges in fiscal 2012 and 2011, net income for fiscal 2012 was $218 million, representing a 6 per cent increase when compared to fiscal 2011.

PRODUCT / MARKET

Finishing Lines for Steel, Stainless Steel and Non-Ferrous Metals

ANDRITZ Sundwig manufactures cutto- length lines for steel, stainless steel, aluminium as well as all types of non-ferrous metals in strip widths from 600-3,200 mm and strip thicknesses from 0.1-25.0 mm.

Precision Levellers, Cut-to-Length Shears and Stackers

The leveller is an integral part of the cut-to-length line. Here, the accuracy of the blanks is determined. ANDRITZ Sundwig supplies standalone machines as well as levellers in cut-to-length lines. With ANDRITZ Sundwig, you can fall back on a patented system which can cover a thickness range from 0.5-60.0 mm. Optionally available 6-high designs, roll crown adjustment systems as well as quick-change systems complete the spectrum of designs.

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

Factors Affecting HIC in Linepipe Steels

This paper is a study based on several literature reviews which gives a brief understanding of the Hydrogen Induced Cracking (HIC) in line pipe steel. This paper introduces various factors where HIC can be affected due to various reasons. Increased supply of crude petroleum and severe environment conditions demand for in-depth study of HIC and the various factors affecting HIC in pipeline grades steels cannot be over ridden. The HIC is a prominent area of analysis where the pipe is prone to attack either at internal circumferential area due to crude petroleum or at external circumferential area due to severe environmental conditions.

MATERIAL HANDLING

Criticality of Ladle Crane

Knowledge and wisdom are two different things. But, wisdom is to be employed while designing and manufacture of a ladle crane and the buyer needs to emply the wisdom while procuring the crane.

Indian Material Handling Industry : growing rapidly with time

Rapid growth is the keyword for Indian Material handling industry as India is set to become the global core area for series of worldwide companies which are zeroing the same country to setup their manufacturing facilities. This will smoothly pave the way for the manufacturing industry to go a step ahead than the service industry while acting as the significant supplier to India’s GDP in the coming years.

REFRACTORY

Synthesis and Characterisation of Al2O3-Cr2O3 Refractory Resistant to Molten Glass Corrosion

Alumina-chrome system is of great significance owing to its high refractoriness and excellent chemical stability. Aluminachrome refractories are used in various forms such as castables and shaped refractory like corrosion resistant glass contact refractory and refractory for nuclear waste vitrification because of its superior mechanical properties, chemical stability, slag/corrosion resistance and thermal shock resistances.

SEMINAR & CONFERENCE

ANDRITZ METALS organised a two-day technology symposium at Kolkata during 21st and 22nd June, 2012 for cold rollers and strip processors in India

ANDRITZ METALS is one of the leading global suppliers of complete lines for the production and processing of coldrolled carbon steel, stainless steel and non-ferrous metals. These lines consist of equipment for pickling, cold rolling, annealing, heat treatment, strip coating and finishing, and for acid regeneration. On account of its long tradition and experience, ANDRITZ METALS can also claim to be one of the leading suppliers of melting, refining, and heat treatment furnace systems for the steel and copper industry. Additionally, the recently acquired company ANDRITZ Bricmont Inc. complements the existing product portfolio with furnace systems specially designed for the steel and aluminium sectors.

Moscow Trade Fair Trio: Metallurgy Litmash, Tube Russia, Aluminium / Non-Ferrous 2012 continues to set positive stimuli in the metalworking industry

There is general agreement among visitors and exhibitors at Metallurgy Litmash, Tube Russia and Aluminium / Non- Ferrous 2012: the event was an unqualified success.