GENERAL NEWS
U . S . aluminium demand outpaces GDP growth
The Aluminum Association in the U . S . has released preliminary estimates as part of its monthly ‘ Aluminum Situation ’ report , showing an estimated 7.7 % rise in demand for the aluminium industry in North America ( U . S . and Canada ) in 2021 . This outpaced estimated 5.7 % Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) growth in the United States in 2021 .
Aluminium demand recovered strongly in 2021 following a fall in demand of 11.4 % between 2019 and 2020 during the pandemic . Key takeaways from the report were :
■ Aluminium demand in the United States and Canada ( shipments by domestic producers plus imports ) totalled an estimated 26.3 million pounds in 2021 , approaching pre-pandemic levels .
■ All major semi-fabricated ( or “ mill ”) product categories saw increased yearover-year demand growth in 2021 , led by extruded products ( 15.9 %) and sheet and plate ( 14.4 %). In total , mill product demand grew 13.5 % year-over-year .
■ Aluminium exports ( excluding scrap ) to foreign countries declined 20.4 % in 2021 .
■ Aluminium scrap exports increased 16- per cent over the 2020 level .
■ Net new orders for mill products remained above the baseline of 100 throughout 2021 , the first year that has occurred since the association re-set the Index in 2013 .
■ Imported aluminium and aluminium products into North America ( U . S . and Canada ) grew by 21.3 % year-over-year in 2021 , amid higher demand , but are still nearly 25 % below 2017 volumes .
Following a lull in capital expenditure in 2020 , the U . S . aluminium industry has announced more than US $ 800 million in domestic investment over the past six months . This contributes to more than US $ 4 billion invested by the industry over the past decade to capture demand growth for sustainable , recyclable products in the automotive , packaging , building / construction and other sectors . Strong trade enforcement efforts in targeted markets have also led to industry investment over the past few years .
The Aluminum Association represents aluminium production and jobs in the United States , ranging from primary production and value-added products to recycling , as well as suppliers to the industry . It represents companies that make 70 per cent of the aluminium and aluminium products shipped in North America . n
. aluminum . org
New BMW press shop at South Carolina plant
BMW will invest more than US $ 200 million to construct a 219,000-square-foot press shop at its South Carolina plant in the U . S . The investment includes more than 200 new jobs . The announcement was made by BMW Manufacturing President and CEO , Dr . Robert Engelhorn , at the South Carolina Automotive Summit in Greenville , SC , USA .
The new press shop , which starts production in the summer of 2024 , will take raw coils of steel , cut them into blanks and stamp sheet metal parts for future BMW models . Those components include hang-on parts such as the vehicle ’ s four doors , fenders , exterior body sides and lift gate .
A modern press shop requires manufacturing jobs with advanced-level training . These jobs include tool and die technicians , electrical and mechanical maintenance for automated machinery and specialised line operators . More than 45 Plant Spartanburg associates are currently training at BMW Group press shops in Leipzig , Germany , and Swindon , England . These associates also train with partners from the Schuler Group which manufactures automated servo press lines for all BMW Group plants .
“ Inside our global production network , we share best practices and train associates to the highest BMW standards . The cross-functional collaboration is part of our BMW culture ,” said Karl Loessl , Vice President , Body Shop , BMW . “ This world-class training will allow our associates to work with advanced technologies and systems and support our production of future models .”
BMW stamping operations . Stamped car body parts on the line .
The press shop marks the beginning of the automotive production process . Large steel coils arrive at the press shop , where they are unloaded from trucks using 55-ton overhead cranes . The steel coils are then fed into the blanking line , where the steel is cut into individual “ blanks ” ( rectangular cut-offs or special shapes ). These blanks are then ready to be fed into the press line .
Plant Spartanburg ’ s press line will feature five press ( stamping ) stations and servo technology , which enables BMW to significantly increase the output performance of the presses . Using an overhead crane , each station is loaded with the correct press tool ( die ). The blank is fed into the first press station and transferred from one station to the next by a crossbar feeder robot for additional forming and trimming operations . The press line can run up to 18 strokes per minute . After the parts are stamped , they go to quality control for inspection and are then stacked into racks ready for delivery to the body shop production line .
“ An on-site press shop is part of BMW ’ s localisation strategy to produce major parts at
the location where we need them ,” said Dr . Engelhorn . “ This ensures the highest quality , efficiency and consistency in body shop parts for our customers .”
While Schuler will manufacture the automated press line , all tooling for Plant Spartanburg ’ s press shop will come from BMW tool shops in Eisenach , Munich and Dingolfing ( Germany ).
Since 1992 , the BMW Group has invested nearly US $ 12 billion in its South Carolina operations . BMW Manufacturing is the largest BMW Group plant in the world , producing more than 1,500 vehicles each day and 433,810 vehicles in 2021 . The plant exports nearly 60 per cent of its vehicles to about 120 global markets .
The model portfolio includes five BMW X models , four Motorsport X models and two plug-in hybrid electric vehicle X models . The electrified hybrid model BMW XM will begin production in late 2022 .
BMW Group ’ s factory in South Carolina , USA , has an annual production capacity of up to 450,000 vehicles and employs more than 11,000 people . n
8 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR April 2022