Overview

The manufacturing of rolled and cast aluminium products should be kept free from interruptions and as safe as possible at all times. AMAG continuously evaluates the measures required to achieve this. In addition to timely delivery, these evaluations also focus on employee safety and preventing damage to our production facilities. In the casting plant, where aluminium is processed in a liquid state, there are particularly strict requirements regarding uninterrupted energy supplies.

AMAG Austria Metall AG, based in Ranshofen, is a leading supplier of high-quality aluminum products. With its decarbonization strategy, the company has set itself ambitious goals. By 2050 at the latest, AMAG aims to operate in a climate-neutral manner. In an industry traditionally associated with high CO₂ emissions, this path marks a profound transformation–technologically, economically, and culturally.

At the microscopic scale, wrought aluminum alloys are polycrystals, made of a large number of crystalline grains.  The strength of an alloy is higher when the grains are small. Also, the surface appearance of an alloy is smoother when the grains are small. Large grains, however, are beneficial for fatigue resistance. It is not only size that matters. The preferred orientation of crystallites affects the product properties as well. For example, the bending angle of automotive sheets increases when many grains have their lattice aligned with the rolling direction, exhibiting a preferred orientation of the so called cube type.

Balancing the competing demands of climate protection and industrial transformation

Industrial sectors around the world are in the midst of a fundamental structural transformation in both technological and environmental respects.

In principle, aluminium can be recycled infinitely without any loss of quality. This makes aluminium scrap a key material for achieving the targets sets out in the European Union’s Clean Industrial Deal and establishing a robust circular economy in the EU.  The European aluminium industry is making every effort to promote aluminium recycling in all European countries, reduce the industry’s ecological footprint and support the aforementioned political initiatives.

Whether in bicycles or motorcycles, sprockets are essential components of modern drive systems. They transmit power from the crank or engine via the chain to the wheel, enabling efficient, controlled propulsion.

With its modular AMAG TopPlate® RM system, AMAG offers a coordinated trio of aluminium plate solutions designed to meet different requirements for dimensional stability, strength and workability. The product family comprises the 6RM 300, 6RM 360 and 7RM variants.

The designs are finished , the lines have been drawn and the material for the façade has been selected: anodized aluminium. But while the images on computer screens and in renderings appear realistic, this material only reveals its true quality in real life.

Originally conceived as a purely functional plate to improve slip resistance, aluminium tread plates now serve important functions in many technical and aesthetic applications, from automotive construction, mechanical engineering and plant engineering to shipbuilding and even architecture. With its extensive tread plate portfolio, AMAG offers a selection of material solutions that are geared to real-world requirements and combine technical performance with aesthetic quality.

The 5xxx alloy family is considered the time-proven standard choice for applications that call for a combination of strength, corrosion resistance and good formability – and with good reason. The alloys’ high magnesium content is the basis for ensuring high strength through self-hardening without the need for additional heat treatment. This saves both energy and process time.

The EU digital product passport (DPP) is an initiative launched by the European Union. It is scheduled for phased implementation from 2027 onwards and will require numerous products sold in the EU to have a digital product passport.

AluReport: Dr. Fragner, this issue of AluReport focuses on aluminium research and development. Is there actually anything left to improve? Haven’t we researched more or less everything possible?