Aluglobe Eng

Published by Hydro Aluminium – 2-2004
Lighten up!
with aluminium

Editor in Chief:
Marianne M. Aamodt
Editorial staff:
Vagn Grønbjerg
Lynn Brown
Anja Graf
Viggo Skeisvoll
Kari Wangen Ulvin
Kevin Widlic
Produced by:
Hydro Media
07.2004 – 49663
Managing Editor:
Craig Johnson
Project Manager:
Elisabeth Bruksås
Contributors:
David Burke
Michael Callister
Björn Gilleward/Infoteam AB
Dag Sunnanå
Print:
Kampen Grafisk, Oslo
Addresses:
Hydro Aluminium Metal Products
N-0240 Oslo
Norway
Tel.: +47 22 53 81 00
Fax: +47 22 53 79 30
Hydro Aluminium Primary Metal
N-0240 Oslo
Norway
Tel.: +47 22 53 81 00
Fax: +47 22 53 79 30
Hydro Aluminium Automotive
Ettore-Bugatti-Straße 6 - 14
51149 Köln, Germany
Germany
Tel.: +49 2203 890 4000
Fax: +49 2203 890 4890
Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products
Ettore-Bugatti-Straße 6 - 14
51149 Köln, Germany
Germany
Tel.: +49 2203 890 4000
Fax: +49 2203 890 4890
Hydro Aluminium Extrusion
Route de Chavannes 31
CH-1007 Lausanne
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 21 621 83 83
Fax: +41 21 621 83 43
Hydro Aluminum North America
801 International Drive,
Suite 200
Linthicum, MD 21090-2245
USA
Tel.: +1 410 487 4500
Fax: +1 410 487 8053
Internet:
www.hydro.com
2 ALUGLOBE 2-2004
4&5 - Picture perfect with Ericsson
8&9 - Penn Reels a big catch
12&13 - Posh ports by FECO
16&17- Cooking with Alufluon
20&21 - Alumitran flies high with Hydro
24 - Afloat with Modern Marine Homes
6&7 - Climb aboard
10&11- Seeking shelter with Eureka!
14&15 - On your bike with Clear Channel
18&19 - Home grown by Juliana Greenhouses
22&23 - Alubriefs

UNSINKABLE: The popular powerboat Tundra from Tracker Marine in the US is as smooth as glass, yet tough as nails. It sports a glossy metal flake finish like
any fiberglass fishing boat, but it’s aluminium inside and out, including structural supports from Hydro. The lighter weight means smaller engines and lower fuel
consumption. Visit www.trackermarine.com.
Lighten up!
Aluminium helps make life better – at leisure, too.
Hydro’s mission is to create a more
viable society through the use of natural
resources, and aluminium fills the
bill. Lightweight, strong, resistant to
corrosion – and eminently recyclable –
aluminium is well suited to many applications
that society needs to progress.
Hydro Aluminium is a global supplier
of a wide range of high-quality
products such as cast, rolled and
extruded products for the automotive,
construction, packaging and printing
industries. And more.
We offer cost-effective solutions by
implementing best practices. Our
focus is on product quality and capabilities
with close attention paid to the
customer specifications. With this in
mind, we develop partnerships with
our customers on projects related to
product and process development.
By offering innovative and sustainable
products, we work to enhance people’s
quality of life – every day. And
that includes our leisure time.
In this issue, we take a look at how
aluminium helps us unwind, whether
on a speedboat, fishing rod in hand,
enjoying a bike ride, or even living on
the water in a floating home.
When it comes to the great outdoors,
aluminium has great advantages
over other materials: it is strong,
extremely lightweight, and it can stand
up to the elements. Especially in harsh
environments like salt water.
Aluminium from Hydro helps Penn
Reels’ customers haul in world-record
deep-sea fish. Likewise, our customer,
FECO of Spain, produces windows
and hatches for yachts that can withstand
the constant salt spray while
sailing at sea.
Eureka! tents count on Hydro aluminium
for support, literally. A host of
outdoor shelters feature the strength
and light weight of aluminium.
Not all outdoor pursuits are so
demanding. Juliana Greenhouses of
Denmark produces greenhouses for
the backyard gardener who wants a
jump on spring and extend the warmth
of summer into the autumn.
And even in the urban wilds, our
rolled products make a splash with
Ericsson’s popular – and award winning
– cell phone-digital camera handsets.
So sit back and relax. Lighten up!
Jean-Claude Raimondi
President, Hydro Aluminium Extrusion
ALUGLOBE 2-2004 3

4 ALUGLOBE 2-2004
SMILE!: The back cover of the K700
features aluminium from Hydro.
Who would have thought to
combine a cell phone and a
camera? Well, Sony Ericsson
would, with two phones
featuring aluminium
covers.
picture
perfect

HOT COLORS: The T610’s comes in three hot colors of aluminium cover.
info
Sony Ericsson
www.sonyericsson.com
Hydro Aluminium
Tel. +46 86 67 91 05
www.hydro.com
Sony Ericsson’s popular T610 and
K700 models function as both a
mobile phone and a digital camera.
And both are clad in aluminium from
Hydro.
The covers are fabricated from
Hydro aluminium strip that is supplied
as 0.5mm by 72 mm. Hydro supplies
the front and back covers for the T610
and the back cover for the K700.
The T610 – winner of the prestigious
“Best Handset” award from the
GSM Association – weighs in at just
95 grams. The K700, which also has a
video and FM radio functions, features
a slick finish of brushed aluminium.
The value of aluminium is twofold: it
is strong, yet light, providing excellent
protection for the phone, and the aluminium
delivers an aesthetic buzz.
“Aluminium really sets these products
apart from plastics,” says Peter
Bodor, global public relations manager
for Sony Ericsson.
“Aluminium gives the products an
exclusive feel and at the same time
adds to their durability.”
Adds industrial designer Erik
Ahlgren: “The aluminium panels are
anodized with color themes that
resemble the elements of nature,
caught between darkness and light.”
The T610 is available in three hot colors:
Aluminum Haze, Abyss Blue, and
Volcanic Red.
“The K700’s design unveils a new
generation of ultra-compact digital
camera phones. The beautiful threetone
harmony between the metallic
blast-finished body, the contrasting
subdued soft-feel frame and the hairline
brushed metal bezel and back
conveys a higher sense of quality,”
says creative producer Henrik Jensfelt.
Wille Lippanen of Hydro Aluminium
says that Sony Ericsson expects
superb service. “We must live up to
very high demands on quality and ontime
delivery,” he says.
ALUGLOBE 2-2004 5

Fundo’s ability to supply the XC90 led
to its winning a three-year delivery
order for 16,000 sets per year. Each
set entails running boards for both the
left and right side of the vehicles.
Production is scheduled to start in
early 2005.
Better than expected
“We didn’t know we’d sell so many
running boards to the XC90s when we
first started production, so we needed
to change casting to increase our output.
We’d been using sand casting
(through another supplier), but the
technique’s production capacity is limited,”
says Allison Thunberg, design
task leader for exterior products at
Volvo’s accessory unit in Gothenburg.
Volvo asked the original running
board supplier for a rationalization
study, but “we weren’t impressed and
decided to go somewhere else,” she
explains.
6 ALUGLOBE 2-2004
What goes around
The technical project manager for
rationalisation projects had worked
with wheels and knew about Fundo’s
low pressure casting abilities. In addition
to a higher rate of production, low
pressure casting achieves “the same
look” – important because of already
established product logistics for priming,
painting and lacquering.
There’s also the advantage of being
relatively close by. The Fundo plant in
Charlottenberg, Sweden, is just a
three-hour drive north from Volvo’s
production facilities in Gothenburg.
“It’s always good to keep an eye on
what’s going on,” Thunberg says.
Fundo will work together on the
project with Hydro Aluminium Profiler’s
extrusion plant, just across the border
in Magnor, Norway. The Norwegian
extrusion plant will supply the aluminium
profiles, while Fundo will produce
two cast aluminium structural parts for
both the front and back of the
running boards, designed to hold
them in place.
Volvo is part of Ford’s Premier
Automotive Group, which also
includes Land Rover, Jaguar and
Aston Martin – all customers of
Hydro Aluminium Automotive.
info
Volvo Car Corp.
www.volvo.com
Hydro Aluminium Fundo
Tel. +46 57 12 83 00
www.hydroaluminium.com

Volvo found what it was looking for when it selected Hydro
Aluminium Fundo in Sweden as the new supplier of running
boards for its popular new XC90 sports utility vehicle.
Climb aboard
ALUGLOBE 2-2004 7

Fishermen are
known to brag,
but when Penn
Reels says that
they’re “the
biggest name
in fishing,” it’s
no idle boast.
THE BEST: The International V is Penn
Reels’ top of the line offering.
it was
this big!
WORLD RECORD: Fishermen using Penn Reels gear have
claimed more than 1,200 world records over the years.
8 ALUGLOBE 2-2004
HAND MADE: A reel can have 80 parts.
Each Penn Reels product is assembled
by hand and “checked 100 percent,”
says Vi Bird, head of manufacturing.

When you have a world-record marlin
on the line, as many Penn Reels customers
have experienced, you want
the very best: a top of the line
International reel made of aluminium.
The International line is heavy duty,
built to stand up to catching big fish in
big water.
The stresses of big-game fishing
and corrosion from saltwater bring
out the best in aluminium, though.
Light yet strong, and resistant to the
damaging effects of salt, aluminium is
ideal for fishing reels.
info
Penn Tackle Manufacturing Co.
Tel. +1 215 229 9415
www.pennreels.com
Hydro Aluminum North America
Tel. +1 410 487 4500
www.hydroaluminumNA.com
SUCCESS STORY:
German immigrant Otto Henze founded
the company in 1932, and sold his first reel
for just $1.21. Today the company is the
best-known name in quality
saltwater fishing gear.
“The aluminum connection is real
clear,” explains Vi Bird, head of manufacturing
at Penn Reels. “Saltwater
corrosion is a big issue, and light
weight, of course.”
The International line is a top choice
for serious offshore fishermen, Bird
says. “They’ll buy four or five of them
at a time for their boat.”
To keep the demanding customer
happy, a quality product is a must,
says Bird, who is just as demanding
about her supplier. “It’s very simple.
We need on-time delivery – having
material when we need it. And quality;
we need a good weld, from a metallurgical
point of view, consistency.
“If you don’t find a problem until the
anodizing process, by then you’ve put
a lot of money into a reel.”
Hydro Aluminum North America’s
plant in Ellenville, New York, provides
the porthole-extruded round tube that
is machined into the main body of the
reel. The so-called porthole describes
how the tube is extruded into four
quarters as it passes through a die,
then is welded whole again. These are
the welds that must meet Penn Reels’
standards.
The end caps, spool and other aluminium
parts are anodized in the classic
Penn Reels gold finish before shipping
to enthusiasts around the world.
“We’re a 100-percent supplier,”
says Hydro sales representative Bev
D’Attilo. “Penn Reels has been a customer
for more than 20 years. Quality
of the material is very important to
them.”
ALUGLOBE 2-2004 9

Company founder Arthur D. Legg
started out making canvas tents and
Conestoga wagon covers back in
1895. The tent business really took off
after the end of World War II, as
Americans took to the road like never
before.
No less than Everest conqueror Sir
Edmund Hillary was a fan, and today,
Eureka!’s products provide shelter for a
10 ALUGLOBE 2-2004
host of uses. And they’re considerably
lighter, too, thanks to aluminium.
Many of Eureka!’s products use aluminium
from Hydro, especially drawn
tubing. Light, yet strong, the aluminium
forms the “skeleton” that holds up
dozens of Eureka! products.
Hydro supplies the patented Twin
Tube extrusions for Eureka!’s commercial
tent lines, for outdoor events like
weddings and parties. The Twin Tube
models combine traditional 2-inch
tube versatility with the structural
integrity of a box beam, resulting in
much greater strength. In addition,
smart design means fewer parts and
shorter set-up time.
Hydro also supplies aluminum for
the frames for the U.S. government
contract models. This range includes

Eureka! has been supplying protection from the elements for more
than a century. And aluminium provides the support.
Shelter from the storm
everything from one-man pup tents to
massive modular models that can be
strung together in the field.
Eureka! has been buying aluminium
from Hydro for more than 30 years.
Joel Weeks, who is in charge of procurement
at Eureka!’s facility in rural
New York state, says a close relationship
with his supplier is important.
“All but one of our lines of tents
info
Eureka!
Tel. +1 800 572 8822
www.eurekatents.com
Hydro Aluminum North America
Tel. +1 410 487 4500
www.hydroaluminumNA.com
have Hydro aluminum in them,” Weeks
says. “We’re extremely picky on the
quality of our materials. We offer a lifetime
warranty on our tents. Aesthetics
is important, too.”
ALUGLOBE 2-2004 11

Sail away
CLOSE COOPERATION:
FECO co-owner Antonio Casado (left)
and Hydro Aluminium’s La Roca, Spain,
product manager Josep Farrerons have
known each other for years.
12 ALUGLOBE 1-2004
STROND AGAINST SALT:
FECO’s windows and hatches
are used in a host of boats.

It may seem odd for a boat window maker to be
70 kilometers away from the sea, but in the case of
Spanish aluminium fabricator, FECO, there’s a good reason.
Nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees
west of Barcelona, FECO got its start
making doors and windows for buses.
“One day, we got an inquiry from a
shipyard and realized boats have the
same general specifications,” says
FECO co-owner Antonio Casado, who
together with partner Antonio Ortega
bought the company from its founders
some 14 years ago.
Today, some 80 percent of the
company’s business is nautical windows
and windshields for “everything
from cruise ships to small yachts,”
says Casado. FECO produces about
600 individual units each month all
made from aluminium profiles supplied
exclusively by Hydro Aluminium’s La
Roca extrusion plant near Barcelona.
FECO uses about 50 tonnes of aluminium
per year.
FECO’s remaining output is windows
for caravans and buses, as well
info
FECO - Ferrer Colomer
Tel. +34 93 874 65 56
www.v-feco.com
Hydro Aluminium La Roca
Tel. +34 93 707 82 00
www.hydro.com
as a new niche supplying hatches for
wind turbines. About five percent of
the company’s products are exported
– mostly to France and Portugal.
FECO is now investing in equipment to
bend aluminium profiles and wants to
expand floor space by another 400
square meters.
Most of FECO’s designs are done in
collaboration with La Roca’s product
manager, Josep Farrerons.
“Aluminium’s flexibility, resistance to
corrosion and ease of assembly are
why we use the metal, but Josep’s talent
for design is why we work with
Hydro,” says Casado, adding the two
men have known each other for 20
years.
“We usually sit together for a long
afternoon as often as every week. He’s
always thinking and can quickly see
how to improve a product this way or
that. What’s also important to us of
course is Hydro’s high quality aluminium
and on-time delivery.”
The two men often get ideas by leafing
through boat magazines, but they
never copy designs. Well, almost
never.
“Once we got an idea from a competitor
and tried to duplicate it,” Josep
laughs. “We started from scratch and
came up with a better solution. We
never tried copying a design again.”
FECO products sell mostly by
word-of-mouth, with very little money
spent on marketing. “It allows us to
stay in the workshop,” Casado says,
sweeping his arm to indicate the factory’s
14-man crew.
“They are craftsmen,” he says,
adding, “the best salesmen we have
are our customers.”
ALUGLOBE 2-2004 13

The Smart Bike concept was launched
in France in 1997 and is now used in a
considerable number of countries.
Since 2000 Clear Channel has signed
contracts with the Norwegian cities of
Trondheim, Bergen, Oslo and
Drammen.
Clear Channel is one of the largest
international companies for services
financed by advertising and operates
today in 65 countries.
It all started with an eight-year contract
Clear Channel Norway AS signed
with Oslo Council to make 1,200 bicycles
and 100 stands available in the
center of the town. You and me,
tourists, students, pensioners – anybody
– can buy a season ticket for 50
Norwegian kroner and then borrow a
bicycle as many times as you like for a
year.
14 ALUGLOBE 2-2004
EASY INSTALLATION: The horizontal beam of the
Smart Bike stand features an extrusion fitted with
integral functions such as screw recesses, grooves
for rubber seals, space for locks and electronics.
The main part of the financing
comes from advertising contracts that
Clear Channel has sold and manages.
The idea is supported by a service
team that continually maintains the
bicycles.
The new generation of frames and
stands used in Oslo are a development
of earlier models with a design
and materials suited to the city’s special
requirements.
“The system is continually expanding
but we can already say that it
works perfectly,” says Jan Tore
Endresen, director of Clear Channel
Norway AS. “During the summer the
200 bikes were used on average 10
times a day. This opens up new
avenues for us at Clear Channel and
we are now in the process of ‘packaging’
the Oslo model for export.”
Smart Bike – a borrow-abike
program – is a simple
and practical way to get
around in big cities. Clear
Channel Norway AS has
developed a clever concept
where bicycle stands
of aluminium extrusions
play a central role.
smart bike
From prototype to solution
Frost Produkt and industrial designer
Jann Frost Urstad were commissioned
by Clear Channel to develop the latest
generation of Smart Bikes for Oslo.
The bicycles were of a new design followed
by improvements being made in
the stands.
“We made the first stands of steel,”
explains Frost Urstad, “but the
demands for high strength, low weight
and good corrosion characteristics
combined with functional solutions for
things like the hinges as well as the
need for rapid assembly and dismantling
made aluminium extrusions an
interesting alternative. We have
worked well with Hydro Aluminium
Profiler, who have helped us with both
optimizing the extrusions and strength
calculations.”

SLIM AND ELEGANT: The bicycles are kept in stands
of aluminium extrusions made for optimal strength
and stability with a slim, elegant design.
Adds Jan Tore Endresen: “We
would not have used any material that
wasn’t backed up by the skills we
needed and had given us a rapid
response. In this instance it didn’t take
long for us to realize that aluminium
was the answer.”
Easy assembly
Five aluminium extrusions are used in
the stands that can either be single or
info
Clear Channel Norway
Tel. +47 22 02 34 88
www.adshel.com
Hydro Aluminium Profiler
Tel. +47 61 15 30 00
www.hap.hydro.com
double sided. The extrusions come
from Hydro Aluminium Profiler already
machined, of the right size and painted
– ready to be assembled. They are
quickly assembled, and are joined in a
way that makes repairs and replacements
easy.
“Smart Bike is a good example of
working together with the customer,”
says Tommy Nilsen of Hydro
Aluminium Profiler. “We soon estab-
COOPERATION: “The new Smart Bike idea in
Oslo was made possible by good collaboration,”
says industrial designer Jann Frost Urstad (left),
accompanied by Jan Tore Endresen, director of
Clear Channel Norway AS, and Tommy Nilsen,
Hydro Aluminium Profiler.
lished good communications and were
there as advisors throughout the whole
process.”
ALUGLOBE 2-2004 15

Alluflon is one of the three largest producers
of cookware in Italy. It also
exports well over half its production,
which is targeted to the largest market
segment: to a number of markets in
different parts of the world.
“More and more cookware is now
made from light metals. There are
many competitors, and competition is
tough, especially in terms of price. But
Made in Italy is still a sales advantage
in itself associated with quality and
design,” says Catena.
The toughest competition of all is to
win space on the shelves of the major
department store chains. It is here the
really large sales take place. Sauce
pans and fry pans are no longer only
sold in specialist shops, although
these do still have a considerable position
in the end-user market.
16 ALUGLOBE 2-2004
Importance of design
The competition to win attention in the
department stores is not just about
price, although this is the main factor.
The design element is growing in
importance. Handles, for example, are
not designed solely to fulfill their function;
they must also come in a variety
of shapes and colors.
“Handles and glass lids tend to be
produced in low-cost countries. But
the actual product design can be purchased
advantageously from specialists
in Italy, who have a high level of
expertise in this area,” explains
Catena.
BEST SUITED:
Aluminium is the clear
winner for cookware in
Italy. It conducts and
retains heat well.
Regular deliveries
Alluflon is equally concerned about the
quality of the aluminium circles and
sheet used in the main part of the
product. For nearly 30 years, the company
has used Hydro Aluminium Slim
as a reference supplier. Trailers loaded
with aluminium from the operation in
Latina arrive several times a week.
“In today’s market, we need a reliable
supplier with a high level of
expertise and a technical apparatus
that’s available to customers. Contact
at the technical level is extremely
important. Being able to modify or
develop new alloys is a vital element in
further product improvement,” explains
Michele Montagna, managing director
and owner.

Making
light work
of cooking
“Aluminium has virtually outshone other metals in the competition for
a place on the stove,” says purchasing manager Stefano Catena from
Alluflon in Mondavio, Italy.
History
Montagna, who is the son of one of
the company’s three founders,
explains that Alluflon dates back 30
years. It started in Milan, but the
opportunity arose to establish the
company in Mondavio near Pesaro in
the province of Marche – a region with
strong traditions in the production of
kitchenware.
Alluflon’s in-house painting line
info
Alluflon spa
Tel. +39 0721 9801
www.alluflon.com
Hydro Aluminium Slim
Tel. +39 06 96 83 01
www.hydroaluminium.com
proved to be a factor of success. This
involves applying the coating before
the product is stamped out, using a
rolling method rather than the more
expensive spray method.
In 1986, Alluflon purchased its
competitor Moneta, a familiar name for
Italian households. It now markets its
products under three names: Alluflon,
Moneta and the more exclusive Iuno
Moneta. Importers and department
store chains tend to put their private
labels on the pans from Alluflon,
depending on the market in focus.
Alluflon produces nearly 70,000
pans a day. During the course of the
year, this amounts to 14 million.
Which one imagines would result in
a lot of food being cooked around the
world!
ADDED VALUE:
“The shape of a fry pan or
sauce pan doesn’t tend to
change. The competitive
advantage is to give a product
added value through its
design and the way it is presented
in the shop,” explains
Stefano Catena.
ALUGLOBE 2-2004 17

Bo Stærmose, managing director
of Juliana Drivhuse, had been a lawyer
with major Danish companies when
he returned to his native Odense
and the family firm in 1977.
“I came back home to help out
with the business for a short period.
But I found that there was always
something else to do, so I stayed!”
The company, founded by his father
Mogens Stærmose in 1963, was
originally a trading company that
started using aluminium to produce
18 ALUGLOBE 1-2004
lightweight rotary dryers. Juliana
entered the greenhouse market
in the early 1970s, when the
Scandinavian market took off
in a big way.
“I recall the first series we produced,
which consisted of 50 greenhouses.
This was a big step at the
time and to begin with we were quite
nervous about what we were getting
into. Quite a contrast from today,
when we can produce 200 greenhouses
a day!”
GARDEN DELIGHTS:
“Juliana” and “Eden” are the
brand names under which
the company’s products
are marketed.
Home
GREEN THUMB: Managing Director Bo
Stærmose has seen his company Juliana
expand dramatically since it entered the hobby
greenhouse market in the 1970s.
Natural growth
The company grew, setting up subsidiaries
in the UK and Germany and
acquiring other greenhouse manufacturers.
Juliana now occupies sparkling
new premises with a production area
of 6,500 square meters and state-ofthe-art
machinery that can produce
a greenhouse or conservatory every
four minutes.
Light and flexible
Extruded aluminium is the main com-

Bo Stærmose traded courthouses
for greenhouses, made from aluminium.
And grew the business.
grown
ponent of greenhouse construction.
Design is critical, as profiles need to
be strong enough to withstand high
winds or heavy snowfalls. Yet the profiles
must be designed so that they are
easy to handle.
Stærmose emphasizes the advantages
of having a supplier like Hydro
that cooperates closely when it comes
to designing the ultimate profile to meet
these requirements. He also needs a
supplier that can deliver on time.
“We need complete flexibility, as we
info
Juliana Drivhuse A/S
vm@juliana.com
www.juliana.com
Hydro Aluminium Tønder a.s
Per.Amdi@hydro.com
www.hydro.com
FAST PACE: A
greenhouse or
garden pavilion
can be produced
every five minutes.
have to supply our customers throughout
Europe in four to five days. Our
products consist of some 300 parts
and we are stuck if just the one part is
unavailable. I must say that we are very
pleased with Hydro’s ability to deliver.”
Key account executive Per Amdi of
Hydro Aluminium Tønder in Denmark,
stresses the important job performed
by Hydro’s internal sales force. “They
are completely attuned to the customer’s
needs. And good personal
relations mean a lot.”
Looking ahead
Juliana has expanded conservatory
production. Besides offering a complete
range of garden product accessories,
the company has also diversified
into pre-coated mailboxes in aluminium.
Given the company’s impressive
track record so far, future growth
would seem assured.
ALUGLOBE 2-2004 19

WORKING TOGETHER: Two heads are
better than one, Alumitran managing
director José Luis Sebastián-Ayuso de
Frutos and Hydro Aluminium Azuqueca
managing director Iñigo Aranguren agree.
optimizing
business
“Hydro shows us another way to do
business,” says a smiling Alumitran
managing director, José Luis
Sebastián-Ayuso de Frutos. “They not
only supply us with quality billet, they
help us optimize our business by sharing
their commercial and technical
expertise.”
Hydro has been supplying the
Spanish aluminium fabricator with 100
percent of its aluminium for many
years, a reflection of the faith Alumitran
has in Hydro. The metal comes from
plants in Norway and the Azuqueca
remelt facility near Madrid. Alumitran
delivers all its production scrap back to
Azuqueca.
20 ALUGLOBE 2-2004
Last year, Alumitran sold a total
16,000 tonnes of aluminium extrusion
profiles to both domestic and export
markets.
“Hydro has broadened our market
perception. They’ve shown us, for
example, the possibilities of the forwards
metals market and keeping
abreast of the LME (London Metals
Exchange),” says Sebastián-Ayuso.
On the technical side, Alumitran provides
a wide range of alloys, so Hydro’s
advanced alloys expertise “not only
helps us to provide added value solutions
to our customers, but helps us
achieve higher rates of extrusion productivity.”
Intelligent metal purchasing is important
to Alumitran’s viability. That’s where
the Hydro customer e-portal steps in.
“It’s an important tool,” Sebastián-
Ayuso says. “We use it to check metal
prices, see orders, check contracts, all
deliveries – 24 hours a day, seven days
a week.”
In the lounge outside Sebastián-
Ayuso’s office, it’s hard to miss the
framed “Hydro Billet Plus – Gold
Member” certificate hanging on the
wall.
“Alumitran’s conversion rate is 100
percent,” comments Hydro Aluminium
Azuqueca managing director, Iñigo
Aranguren.

Alumitran is sold on Hydro Aluminium’s unique
package of technical support, commercial services,
e-portal access and high-quality aluminium.
Alumitran’s markets demand short
lead times, but that’s no problem. “Due
to logistics and the nearby Azuqueca
facilities, we’re able to maintain a low
stock level,” says Sebastián-Ayuso.
“I can mention several examples
when a customer had special requirements
and Hydro has delivered on
short notice. The flexibility we get from
low stock levels means more opportunities
in the market.
info
Alumitran, SA
Aluminios Transformados
Tel. +34 902 47 47 77
alumitran@alumitran.es - www.alumitran.es
Hydro Aluminium
Tel. +34949100400 - www.hydro.com
“We share Hydro’s philosophy of
constantly striving for excellence and
innovation!” he exclaims. One of
numerous safety and inspirational signs
seen hanging throughout the plant’s
production area supports the pledge.
“¡No basta con ser buenos, hay que
ser los mejores!” – It’s not enough to
just be good, you have to be the best!
VALUE ADDED: Alumitran not only gets quality Hydro extrusion ingots, but commercial and technical expertise.
ALUGLOBE 2-2004 21

Alubriefs
Braun takes reins at EAA
22 ALUGLOBE 2-2004
Dieter Braun¸ president of Hydro
Aluminium’s Automotive sector, has officially
taken on his new position as president
of the European Aluminium
Association, chairing the EAA Executive
Committee. He will serve a two-year
term.
Braun says his intention "is to develop
EAA into an even more powerful
organization at the European level, by
serving its members and representing
the European aluminium industry vis-à-
New precision tubing plant in Mexico
To better serve the growing automotive
markets, Hydro has decided to construct
a new aluminium precision tubing
plant in Mexico. The new capacity
will secure Hydro’s position as the
global market leader in aluminium precision
tubing for the automotive industry.
The Mexican market for automotive
tubular profiles and precision drawn
tubes, used in automotive heat trans-
fer applications is experiencing strong
growth.
Hydro will build its new plant in
Reynosa in North Mexico, with most
top customers located in the same
region. This will allow lower transportation
costs, reductions in lead-time and
inventory as well as improved service.
Sayansk on target to achieve goals
This summer a shipment extrusion
ingot was dispatched from the
Sayanogorsk casthouse in Russia
marked with the Hydro and Rusal
brands. This is proof that the partnership
at this Russian casthouse is bearing
fruit and is about to achieve its
project goals.
Hydro Aluminium has supplied
technology and expertise, while Rusal
has made room in its large
Sayanogorsk casthouse for a Hycast
casting table, as well as homogenization
equipment and saws made to
Hydro’s specifications. Thus the Hydro
casthouse developed in the far south
vis external stakeholders in an optimal
way. My vision is to, after having completed
my two-year presidency, deliver
an organization different from the one
that we see now."
As the association for the entire
European aluminium industry, the
Brussels-based EAA is involved in promoting
the use of aluminium in all applications
while at the same time handling
industrial relations toward the European
institutions.
of Siberia is about to attain a production
rate of more than 80,000 tonnes
per year.
With adjustments, the casthouse
should be able to increase output further
and manage an annual production
of about 100,000 tonnes per year.

Third section in Sunndal now on stream
Through its Finnish subsidiary Hydro
Aluminium Salko OY, the extrusion
company Hydro Aluminium Profiler AS
will build a surface treatment and processing
plant near St. Petersburg.
“This new facility is part of our strategy
and our desire to establish our
presence in the Russian market. This
market is growing rapidly and has
great development potentials,” says
Johnny Undeli, head of Hydro
Aluminium Extrusion North. “This will
The first cell in the third and final
expansion phase of Hydro Aluminium
Sunndal in Norway was commissioned
this summer, marking a new milestone
in the modernization and expansion of
what will be Europe’s largest aluminium
plant. All cells will be on stream
within the third quarter.
Section 3 of this expansion project
consists of 116 electrolytic reduction
cells, with an annual production
capacity of approximately 90,000
tonnes of primary aluminium. The HAL
250 cells are now commissioned with
Hydro moves deeper into Russia
help us to establish our presence in
the market, and by doing so, help us
to develop and grow in this important
market.
“With this investment, Hydro
Aluminium Profiler is following its longterm
strategy to increase its share of
finished products in the sale of extrusions
for development projects,
together with our customers,” says
Trond Sandberg, managing director
of Hydro Aluminium Profiler.
an amperage of 275 kA.
Su 4 consists of 340 cells. In full operation,
the potrooms in Sunndal will
have an annual total capacity of
360,000 tonnes primary aluminium,
also taking into accont the amperage
increase that will take place in the potroom
Su III
The total investment for the expansion
and modernization of the aluminium
plant at Sunndalsøra is in the region of
NOK 5.6 billion. Construction began
during the summer of 2001 and will be
completed by the end of 2004.
ALUGLOBE 2-2004 23

floating
extrusions!
No lawn to cut and you can take a refreshing dip right off the front
porch of a house from Modern Marine Homes.
Modern Marine Homes has developed
a floating house that gives a totally new
meaning to the phrase “waterside residence.”
A “foundation” consisting of a floating
concrete caisson provides sufficient
weight and stability so that the house
will not move in rough weather. To get
the best results the house should obviously
be located in a fairly sheltered
position.
“After initial contact with Hydro
Aluminium Profiler, we have received
valuable design and development
assistance with the result that we have
replaced much of the original steel
design with aluminium,” says the man
behind Kalmar, Sweden-based Modern
Marine Homes, Karl Evert Sjöström.
“Aluminium extrusions are now
being used in the frame side members,
glazing, screen supports and railings.”
Weight, resistance to corrosion and
aesthetics are the main arguments for
using aluminium in the floating houses.
All the aluminium extrusions are delivered
to size and machined ready to
assemble.
The first show home, Villa Näckros
(Villa Water Lily), designed by architect
Staffan Strindberg of Modern Marine
Homes, is on display in Kalmar.
The house has aroused considerable
attention in the Scandinavian
info
Modern Marine Homes
Tel. +46 70 298 51 43
www.modernmarinehomes.com
Hydro Aluminium Profiler
Tel. +47 61 15 30 00
www.hap.hydro.com
building trade press and enquiries have
been received from as far away as the
Abu Dhabi and the US.
Discussions are being held with
local councils and the authorities to
devise suitable regulations for the location
of the floating houses. At the same
time, partners are being sought outside
Sweden.
Staffan Strindberg (left) and Karl-Evert Sjöström,
the men behind Modern Marine Homes.