COMMENT :
World aluminium resorts to cost cutting, Indians follow suit
The Indian aluminium majors are all going in for an austerity drive at present and the unfavourable conditions in the metals market is to blame for this. The phenomenon is not only significant in India, but also the entire world would look at it this way. This year the dividends of these Indian companies are also expected to be less than last year, for the major manufacturers would rather try to conserve the cash for combating the present bad conditions, fears a Mumbai based senior aluminium analyst. Their capital expenditure might also get postponed for some now due to this, the report adds.
SPECIAL COVERAGE
Nalco standing tall even in the dark times
Making a humble beginning as a public sector enterprise of the government of India in 1981, Nalco was incorporated with an aim to exploit a part of the large deposits of bauxite discovered in the East Coast. Today in the present times, the company stands to be Asia’s largest integrated aluminium complex, encompassing bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting and casting, power generation, rail and port operation.
NEWS CORNER
Süd-Chemie commences environmentally-friendly process in Moosburg for the production of casting cores for BMW
New INOTEC® production plant of the Süd-Chemie subsidiary WD-Giesserei-Technik accomplishes emission-free series production of cores for BMW engines
Süd-Chemie AG, based in Munich, has today inaugurated in Moosburg the new production plant of its Fuldabrückbased subsidiary, WD-Giesserei-Technik GmbH, for the environmentally-friendly production of casting cores with the newly developed INOTEC® process. Through this powerful eco-friendly innovation, the speciality chemicals company for adsorbents and catalysts is thus consolidating its position as the market and technology leader in Europe for casting chemicals and tools.
ENVIRONMENT
Energy conservation in light of environmental and cost saving
Whether your industry uses energy derived from fossil fuels or Hydro -Thermal - or Nuclear-Sources, you pay a price in the form of escalating costs or increased environmental pollution or erosion of resources. The author attempts to show how, in addition to fulfilling the role of responsible citizens, industrialists can benefit in the form of reduced costs, reduced pollution levels and higher efficiencies by undertaking implementation and monitoring of Energy Conservation Programmes.
COMPANY NEWS
Vedanta Resources’ yearly profit slides, targets cost cuts
UK based London listed mining group Vedanta Resources Plc posted a 75% drop in attributable profit after commodity prices slid, hitting its shares, but the London-listed firm said it saw more scope for cost cuts. “Overall the results were disappointing,” said analyst Subramaniam Varada at Credit Suisse, who said earnings per share came in 20% below its forecast. The weaker than expected performance of the India-focused company was mainly due to an increase in minority interests to 76% of net earnings from 56%.
FOCUS
Is Indian Auto Industry Ready for Aluminium
Automobile forms an important component of Indian Economy & Globalization of Indian economy has further widened it’s scope. In India, this industry currently accounts for nearly 4% of the total GNP. Future road transport systems & products must meet Social, Economic & Environmental goals, satisfying market requirements for mobility, safety, performance, cost & desirability, with the objectives of improving the quality of life & economic progress in India.
Cost-effective production through automated casting cells
Increasing customer demands on vehicles of all classes are pushing for modern design that is able to unify aesthetically pleasing automobiles with sporty engines, while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption. 'Green' considerations such as lower fuel consumption and emissions output will strongly influence the purchaser's decision in coming years. For that reason, components that conform to the principles of lightweight design are being used with increasing frequency for weight reduction. Vehicle components made from aluminium or magnesium die castings are typical examples of how a weightoptimized component can be created.
Design and development of electromagnetic stirring system for semi-solid metal processing of al-si-mg alloys
Application of aluminium in automotive and aerospace is increasing continuously due to some very attractive characteristics like high strength to weight ratio, good wear and corrosion resistance and easy to process. These factors in turn help in producing the light weight and energy efficient vehicle with less emission gases (CO2 and NO2). High pressure die casting (HPDC) has been extensively used by the industry due to its unique characteristics such as high efficiency, high production rates and low production cost. Currently, majority of the aluminium castings used by the automotive industry are produced by HPDC.
The European (EU) market for aluminium castings
The global production of primary aluminium was a little over 37 million tonnes in 2007, growing at a CAGR of 6.1% per annum since 2000. China has contributed to the bulk of this growth and its production reached 12.6 million tonnes in 2007. Asia (including China) accounted for 43.7% of the production in 2007.
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION
wire 2010 : wire – indispensable, versatile and futureoriented
Whether it is steel ropes, cables, springs or screws – the products of the wire, cable and wire-processing industry are practically ubiquitous. They may look unassuming but they are indispensable when it comes to the transmission of electric power or electronic data, and they assure that mechanical systems function well. The technological and economic development of a society is
closely connected with this industry and its suppliers.
BASE METALS
China industry slowdown puts dents in copper
Strong copper, steel and iron ore data from China - are they sustainable? Latest figures from China suggest great strength in demand for copper, iron ore and steel in particular, but bankers Macquarie's research suggests that all may not be as it seems. Copper ended with marginal losses overnight after dropping to its lowest level in more than a week. A rise in inventories and gloomy data on China's industrial activity continued to cloud the metal's demand outlook. A 2 per cent rally on Wall Street pulled the red metal away from its session lows after data showed that US retail sales fell only slightly in February.
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