Expanded Aluminum Production for the Automotive Market at Hydro

Aluminum in Automotive Industry Expanded Aluminum Production for the Automotive Market at Hydro

01.05.2019Editor: Isabell Page

To produce more advanced products for the growing automotive aluminum forging market, Hydro Husnes casting operations are now being equipped with low pressure casting. An investment of NOK 150 million is planned to start operations in 2020.

Related Vendors

Bühler AG

Norsk Hydro ASA

Albert Handtmann Metallgusswerk GmbH & Co. KG

Fondarex SA

Hydro expands production of aluminum for the automotive market at Husnes.
(Source: Norsk Hydro)

The newly developed in-house casting technology, ‘Low Pressure Casting’ (LPC) enables Hydro to provide materials with enhanced properties for various extrusion segments, where Hydro is already a major material supplier. After the upgrade, Hydro Husnes will also be able to offer materials for forging.

"Forge stock for products like suspension arms and knuckles is an attractive market for aluminium within the automotive industry, which needs ever more aluminium to fill its need to lightweight cars and reduce emissions,” says Ola Sæter, Head of Hydro’s fully owned primary aluminium plants. The new developed technology enables a shift from traditional extruded forge stock to cast forge stock, eliminating costly steps in the production process, while also improving quality. The as-cast surface is ready for forging and homogenizing is not required.

Being able to produce materials for various niche segments such as forge stock in a large foundry directly from liquid metal from the electrolysis, allows further cost and quality improvements, compared to the traditional smaller scale foundries that are typically based on melting of ingots and horizontal casting methods.

The planned start-up in 2020 should enable the Hydro Husnes plant to develop more advanced aluminum products. "The key for us is the flexibility to cast both extrusion billets and forged materials flexibly and efficiently to customer specifications," adds Johan Berg, plant manager at Hydro Husnes. “This investment is timed well with the ongoing upgrade of Hydro Husnes’ second electrolysis line that is due to start operations in 2020, with an annual planned output of 210,000 mt of aluminium semi-products. Making use also of this new technology will significantly strengthen our position as a preferred partner delivering of aluminium to the automotive industry,” says Berg.

This article is based on a press release by Norsk Hydro.

Subscribe to the newsletter now

Don't Miss out on Our Best Content

Business E-mail

Please enter a valid mailadress.

By clicking on „Subscribe to Newsletter“ I agree to the processing and use of my data according to the consent form (please expand for details) and accept the Terms of Use. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy.

Declaration of consent

Naturally, we always handle your personal data responsibly. Any personal data we receive from you is processed in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. For detailed information please see our privacy policy.

Consent to the use of data for promotional purposes

I consent to NürnbergMesse GmbH, Exhibition Centre, 90471 Nuremberg, including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG (hereafter: NürnbergMesse) and Vogel Communication Group GmbH & Co. KG, Max-Planckstr. 7-9, 97082 Würzburg, including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG (hereafter: Vogel Communications Group) using my e-mail address to send editorial newsletters. I have accessed lists of the respective companies here for Vogel Communications Group

Newsletter content may include all products and services of any companies mentioned above, including for example specialist journals and books, events and fairs as well as event-related products and services, print and digital media offers and services such as additional (editorial) newsletters, raffles, lead campaigns, market research both online and offline, specialist webportals and e-learning offers. In case my personal telephone number has also been collected, it may be used for offers of aforementioned products, for services of the companies mentioned above, and market research purposes.

In case I access protected data on Internet portals of NürnbergMesse including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG or Vogel Communications Group including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG, I need to provide further data in order to register for the access of such content. In return for this free access to editorial content, my data may be used in accordance with this consent for the purposes stated here.

Right of revocation

I understand that I can revoke my consent at will. My revocation does not change the lawfulness of data processing that was conducted based on my consent leading up to my revocation. To declare my revocation I must use this contact form. In case I no longer wish to receive certain newsletters I have subscribed to, I can also click on the unsubscribe link included at the end of a newsletter. Further information regarding my right of revocation and the implementation of it as well as the consequences of my revocation can be found in the privacy policy, section editorial newsletter.

(ID:45874442)