Editorial Magazine 2014/3
ALU-EXTRUSION, ALU-ANODIC AND ALU-COATING REVOLUTIONS
Yes, the technological “revolution” in the Aluminium World (in particular regarding Extrusion and Finishing technologies) is easy to recognize and to define after years of “not much new under the sun”. The technologies used only 5 or 10 years ago in aluminium extrusion and finishing are nowadays obsolete, it looks like, due to the high number of novelties, the word “revolution” is appropriate.
By giving just a quick look at the preliminary list of the 130 papers that will be presented at the next 9th Aluminium Two Thousand Congress together with the 5th International Congress on Extrusion and Benchmark, one realizes that major changes are going on, in the direction of more automation, ecology, safety, productivity, quality and new products / applications.
These changes are, sometimes, so big that some papers report the word “revolution” in their titles.
Just by looking at the last exhibition in Dusseldorf, one realizes that extruding with very high quality and fully automatic equipment is an easy target nowadays, also with the help of sophisticated software and/or, for example, the “liquid nitrogen” technology.
One of the technical visits that will be organized during the next Aluminium Two Thousand Congress in May, in Italy, will take place at a very modern extrusion plant that applies these technologies besides very modern equipment.
Also take a look at the “finishing” papers: you will find ideas for a completely new way of anodizing, new colouring technologies, new sealing that enhances two or three times the usual corrosion resistance, including alkaline resistance, so requested especially in the automotive market, but that is welcome also in the architectural and decorative market.
We must notice also the new special effects that are now available also in anodizing, after the “boom” of special effects like the wood and marble effects, in powder coating.
With reference to powder coating we can see that nowadays the market offers environmental-friendly treatments without chrome and also with coloured layers, that are so well visible like the ancient “gold” chrome passivation and powder with special effects that are able to reproduce the texture of wood, plastic, stones, marble, etc…
Anybody who is going to buy a new plant or who is going to modernize the old one is invited to give a look at the new technologies and participate as a delegate at the Congress.
The risk is to buy a plant of the past and the opportunity is to become a leader in extrusion and finishing by overcoming the old fashioned competition.
As chairman of the 9th Aluminium Two Thousand Congress together with the chairman of the 5th ICEB conference, I welcome you to Florence in May 2015.
Walter Dalla Barba
Editor and Chairman of the 9th Aluminium Two Thousand Congress
