Wide range of customers attends aluminium innovation event
SIERRE, Switzerland, June 18, 2007 - They may come from very different sectors, but executives attending the Novelis Europe Innovation Days event on June 12 and 13 had one thing in common: the desire to see first-hand how the world's largest aluminium rolled products company can help create value for them through innovation and materials expertise.
Hosted by the Automotive, Painted and Specialities division of Novelis Europe at the company's rolling mill in Sierre, Switzerland, the event demonstrated how Novelis FusionTM technology, Novelis paint systems and other aluminium rolled products can help improve or create the next generation of high-performance aluminium solutions.
Representatives from companies in the automotive, building and engineering sectors attended sessions on a range of topics including:
- Novelis FusionTM technology – recent applications and new product offerings (including brazing and automotive sheet); global production capabilities
- Automotive – new surface treatments for bonding of structural components
- Painted – latest innovations such as Stainless Color, Luminous Color, and nano-technology for painted surfaces
- Industrial and Specialities – new bright surface developments and product ideas for anodising applications
- Laser blanking capabilities for automotive sheet
Feedback was very positive. Walter Pacher, managing director of Prefa, one of Europe's leading manufacturers and marketers of aluminium roofing, said: “Novelis has developed a reputation for bringing innovative ideas to the market quickly and this week's event demonstrates that very clearly.”
Dr. Ing Bernd Gruenenwald, director Material and Joining Technology, Behr GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart, the globally-respected manufacturer of automotive air conditioning and engine cooling systems, added: “I am particularly excited by the huge potential offered by Novelis FusionTM, which opens up many possibilities for heat exchanger products tailored to our precise needs.”
Arnaud de Weert, president of Novelis Europe said: “This event is all about value: creating value for our customers and creating value for Novelis by being the first to bring breakthrough solutions to the market. We are delighted by the response and look forward to our next innovation event.”
About Novelis FusionTM
The commercial introduction of Novelis FusionTM technology marks the first time in the history of the aluminium industry that different alloys can be cast simultaneously into a single ingot, creating a perfect metallurgical bond between the alloys. Now, alloy combinations that were not feasible with the traditional manufacturing method can be produced with Novelis Fusion. It enables the company to produce sheet with different properties and characteristics on the surface and in its core: for example, a high-strength core with a highly corrosion-resistant surface. This is a significant breakthrough since it will enable new applications and high performance solutions for a whole new generation of innovative products. Visit www.novelis.com/fusion.
About Novelis
Novelis Inc. is the global leader in aluminium rolled products and aluminium can recycling. The company operates in 11 countries, has approximately 12,900 employees and reported revenue of US$9.8 billion in 2006. Novelis supplies premium aluminium sheet and foil products to automotive, transportation, packaging, construction, industrial and printing markets throughout Asia, Europe, North America and South America. For more information, visit www.novelis.com. Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, Asia's largest integrated producer of aluminium and a leading copper producer. Hindalco is the flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India.
Media Contact:
John Gardner
+41 44 386 2155
john.gardner@novelis.com