Nonferrous

Running on Empty

While copper markets at least enjoy a modest comeback, traders are still looking for signs of hope in the aluminum market.

One western U.S. broker notes consuming plants “have plenty of inventory,” and don’t feel compelled to buy scrap, even in the face of LME pricing that is trending downward.

The manufacturing sector is entering a traditional down season, he says. “A lot of plants are taking downtime in the auto industry and in other segments.”

Last year’s October and November picture was different, due in large part to the uncertainty of possible Y2K-related disruptions. “A lot of smelters and manufacturers who use aluminum went in real heavy last year to build up inventory, just in case. We had a great November,” the broker recalls.

The current aluminum scrap market offers plenty of material. For processors, the trick is on the other end—finding a delivery to make. “In the middle of October, delivery appointments are already being set up for November. I don’t see any reason for a turnaround for the rest of this year.”

The UBC market offers a slightly better market versus other forms of scrap, with cansheet makers ramping up for the busy holiday entertaining season and the production of specialty holiday-graphics cans.

There are also reports that demand is increasing from export markets off the West Coast, which helps offer a little bit of price support to the Western U.S. market.

One region where aluminum scrap demand should be increasing is in Henderson, Ky., where Norsk Hydro is nearing the start-up of its new smelting facility. The company’s Eivind Hagen, speaking at the ISRI Mega Roundtables in September, said the company’s 170,000-tons capacity extrusion billets plant should be ready to start up in November. “We have developed a successful business concept in Europe, and we think it can be successful here,” Hagen told attendees.

Metal Reclamation and Recycling Site Launched

Those looking to dispose of nonferrous metal by-products can go to www.AvidaAmericas.com to be provided with an Individually Customized Program (ICP) that includes: material form, description, quote, packaging, price, representation, location, classification, shipment date and mode of transportation and any special instructions.

AvidaAmericas LLC, New York, says it has a worldwide network of offices and can locate reclamation options for specific materials. Some of the materials the site handles include spent catalysts, ashes, grindings, complex residues, sludges, slurries, dusts and tubes.

Contest Winners Announced

The winners of the first International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition have been announced by the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC). Fifty-seven entries were submitted in six categories—building and construction/architectural, transportation/automotive, industrial/machinery, commercial/office and residential/leisure. Student entries were grouped into a separate category.

Winners were those that exhibited the benefits of aluminum extrusions by either inventing a new product or improving an existing one. Entries were judged on ease of fabrication and assembly, cost-effectiveness, innovation, new application capability, customization, close tolerances, improvement of extrusion process and likelihood of market success.

The winners were: