Metal Quality and Technology

in Europe
means Added Value ?
Gary Mahon
gary.mahon@innovaltec.com
Scope

„ The European Industry Landscape

„ Evaluating Billet Quality

„ Innovative Scrap Processing

„ Global R&D Trends

„ Managing Knowledge Assets

„ Does Europe have a Sustainable Advantage ?

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 3
EU-25 Aluminium Flow Chart (2005)

Sustainability of the European Aluminium Industry 2006,

European Aluminium Association.

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 4
Primary Aluminium Regional Balances

Expect more Billet from these regions

Sustainability of the European Aluminium Industry 2006,

European Aluminium Association.

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 5
 Extruded Metal Quality
Geometric Tolerances Surface Properties
„ Weight per metre „ Reflectivity9
„ Dimensional accuracy „ Topography 9
„ Bow „ Uniformity 9
„ Flatness „ Anodising Response 9
Mechanical Properties Defects
„ Strength 9 „ Die lines 9
„ Toughness 9 „ Speed tears 9
„ Formability 9 „ Stains

„ Fatigue 9 „ Pick-up 9
Other „ Scratches

„ Corrosion resistance 9 „ Blisters

„ Welded Properties 9 „ Marks

9 Influenced by billet quality

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 6
Examples of Composition Control on Quality

Intermetallics Surface Pick-up

100 125
90
0.09 Mn
80 100

Exit Speed (m/min)

70
60 75
% Alpha

50
0.06 Mn
40 50
30 0.03 Mn 0.03 Mn
20 0.06 Mn 25
0.09 Mn Pick-up
10
OK
0 0
0.40 0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.40 0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65
wt.% Si wt.% Si
Brassard et al
Alcan
ET’04

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 7
Metal Cleanliness with Prefil®: Pressure Filtration

N-Tec
1400

1200
CLEAN
(High Flow Rate)
Increasing Inclusion

Weight (g)
1000 Content

800

600
High
400 Inclusion
Content
200 (Low Flow Rate)

0
0 30 60 90 120 150
Time (s)

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 8
Prefil® Metallographic Inclusion Analysis

Aluminium
N-Tec

Inclusion band

Defect Mapping

Degasser
Transfer

Launder
Smelter

Casting
Holder
Filter grains

Melter

Filter
Wide Inclusion Band
Many Inclusions
Al4C3
(TiV)B2
Al Borocarbides
Al2O3 films & particles
MgO films & particles
Spinel films & particles
AlN
Refractory particles
Fe Mn oxides
Bone ash
Note this is not a comprehensive list

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 9
Example of Analysis of Billet Defect - Cracking

„ Detailed Metallography

„ SEM & EDX

„ Fingerprint against defect library

„ Root-cause analysis
250 µm

Grain Structure

Al MgO
O
Water
Mg
C

Ca

Si S
10 µm Cl Ca

SEM SEI 1 2 3 4 keV

EDX spectrum
© Innoval Technology Ltd
IP07-047, Slide 10
Evaluation of Billet Quality – Intermetallics
25
p
Alpha: 46 %
20
Beta: 54 %
App. Conc. Fe+Mn
Alpha Standard
15
Beta Standard

10

0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
App. Conc. Si

100
Bottom Middle Top
95

90

% alpha 85
80

75
70
65

60
55

50
Red superimposed image of Mg2Si Edge Mid radius Center Edge Mid radius Center Edge Mid radius Center

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 11
Evaluation of Billet Quality

„ Billet is the critical starting point for extrusion Quality

„ Expect new Billet Suppliers from developing Countries

„ Evaluation techniques exist to measure billet quality

„ Technical Audit of Suppliers

Need to insist that billet suppliers are meeting your requirements

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 12
 Environmental Benefits of Aluminium Recycling

100 „ Aluminium Smelting is highly energy

Energy intensive.
Required 80
„ Remelting of recycled aluminium
(%)
consumes only 5% of the energy
60
required for primary production.
40 „ Recycling is far less Greenhouse Gas
intense.
20
„ Alcoa utilises about 20% recycled metal
0 for fabricated products.
New Recycled
„ Alcoa is publicly committed to 50% of
Aluminium Aluminium
fabricated products from recycled metal
by 2020.

Conference Board Session on Sustainability

Randy Overbey President, Alcoa Primary Metals Development, June 2005

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 13
Growth of Old Scrap (Post Use)

16000
Other
14000
Consumer Durables
Old scrap (thousand tonnes)

12000 Engineering
Packaging
10000
Building
8000 Other Transport
Automotive
6000

4000

2000

0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2003 2004 2010 2020

Global Aluminium Recycling Committee

2005

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 14
Up-Cycling of Light Alloys from Recycled Scrap

„ Aim to prevent down-grading of wrought-alloy Old Scrap into casting alloys.

„ Deliver Value-Added products for Recyclers

„ Based on Melt Conditioning by high shear of liquid metal.

„ Family of technologies developed at Brunel University.

„ £1.2M over three years from UK Technology Strategy Board

„ Innoval is Lead Partner and Technical Manager.

„ Started March 2007.

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 15
High-Shear Twin-Screw Melt-Conditioning

Feeding DC Caster

Centre Edge

Mg-alloy AZ31 Φ60mm billet

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 16
 Examples of Potential of Melt Conditioning

Mg-Alloy AZ91D
LM25 (Al-10.3Si-0.3Cu-0.16Mn)
300 8 12
Yield UTS Elongation
7 MC
250 10
HPDC

Elongation (%)
6
Yield, UTS (MPa)

200

Elongation (%)
8
5

150 4 6

3
100 4
2
50 2
1

0 0 0
100%Scrap 50%Scrap Primary 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Fe Content (wt.%)

Quality unaffected by scrap recycling Fe tolerance increased by 0.37wt%

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 17
Impact of Technology Development not always in Europe

SME’s Independent Global Companies

„ Entrepreneurs „ Investing in long-term
sustainability of their
„ Development usually
operations
undertaken in
technologically advanced „ Need to protect and
regions enforce IPR position to
prevent copying
„ If necessary, will licence
globally to get return on „ Developer has first mover
investment advantage, but for limited
lifetime
„ Usually invest most in
technology development
„ Make financially driven
decisions to satisfy
shareholders
„ Often put plant in lowest
cost region regardless of
where technology
developed

Needs a continuous through-put of ideas and innovations

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 18
R&D Policy Response

EU Framework 7
„ Collaborative and International

„ 50% funding (75% for SME’s)

„ Focus on science, technology development and exploitation for benefit of EU

UK Technology Strategy Board

„ Collaborative within UK

„ 50% funding

„ Need supply chain in place for exploitation

University Education
„ EU is continuing to invest in producing a high number of science and
engineering graduates.

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 19
 Value-Added Opportunities

„ Design
„ Die Coatings
New Profiles &
„ Cost Reduction to enable
Processes penetration into new markets

New Finishing
„ High Strength Aerospace Alloys Operations
Alloys
„ Weldable medium strength
6000-series Alloys
„ Product Differentiation
„ Metal Matrix Composites
„ Technically demanding
products

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 20
World Labour Costs by Region

Investing in State-of-the-Art Equipment

Sustainability of the European Aluminium Industry 2006,

European Aluminium Association.

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 21
State-of-the-Art Equipment is Not Sufficient

„ Realisation that investment in world class equipment does not on its own give
world class products.
„ Many examples in aluminium rolling mills and extrusion plants.
¾ Return on investments taking longer than planned
¾ Cannot match quality of world-class products
¾ Need expertise that equipment suppliers do not possess

Equipment manufacturers looking to partner with product specialists

to deliver a complete package

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 22
Managing Knowledge Assets

„ Important to maximise the knowledge that exists in existing employees

¾ Staff with valuable knowledge which is not exploited

¾ Loss of long-serving, knowledgeable employees

¾ Share knowledge of manufacturing to improve product quality

¾ Determine gaps in the knowledge base (R&D programme)

¾ Standardise operations and develop “Best Practice”

„ Knowledge Management using K-Maps

¾ Based on ‘The Voice of the Customer’ or QFD (Quality Function Deployment)
¾ Team-based Workshop approach involving
– Manufacturing
– Technology
– Sales

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 23
Knowledge Mapping Matrix

How to Build a K-Map

„ Assemble those with knowledge

„ Define Product Attributes

„ Define the Process Stages

„ Define the strength of relationship

„ Develop content via Intranet

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 24
K-Map Summary Level

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 25
K-Map Case Study - Enthovens Pb Battery Recycling

„ Actual Standard Operating Practice captured and

agreed by all shifts for the Refinery.
„ 14% increase in output.

„ 3% reduction in fuel use.

„ Improved Team Work throughout Plant.

„ Currently using P-Map to compare Key Performance

Indicators and develop “Best Practice” across 10
European sites.

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 26
Summary

„ European extruders currently have a technical advantage

„ To keep this advantage we need to

¾ Keep a robust manufacturing infrastructure

¾ Maintain high quality throughout the supply chain

¾ Invest in innovation and new technology

¾ Fund dynamic and exciting aluminium R&D programmes

¾ Manage highly qualified and innovative European nationals

gary.mahon@innovaltec.com

© Innoval Technology Ltd

IP07-047, Slide 27