Alcoa Alumínio : Unveils Next-Generation Aluminum Materials with Revolutionary Manufacturing Technology more

January 28, 2015

Alcoa Unveils Next-Generation Aluminum Materials with Revolutionary Manufacturing Technology

MicromillTM opens the way for automotive products made from the aluminum of the future

Lightweight metals' leader, Alcoa, has revealed a revolutionary manufacturing technology, the Alcoa Micromill™, which will enable the production of the most advanced aluminum sheet on the market. The Micromill is part of the next generation of automotive aluminum products and prepares Alcoa for capturing the sector's growing demand.

The Alcoa-patented Micromill process dramatically changes the microstructure of the metal, allowing the production of an aluminum alloy for automotive applications that is 40 percent more malleable and 30 stronger than the conventional aluminum used today, while meeting stringent automotive surface quality requirements.

Automotive parts made with Micromill material will be twice as formable and at least 30 percent lighter than parts made from high strength steel. The Micromill alloy has formability characteristics that are comparable to those of mild steels.

"The Alcoa Micromill represents a major advance in aluminum materials", said Alcoa's Chairman and CEO, Klaus Kleinfeld. "This technology will open the way for the next generation of automotive products with strength, formability and surface quality combinations that were never before possible. It will allows our customers to redefine the boundaries of automotive projects, with the creation of lighter, more fuel efficient, safer and more stylish vehicles for the future."

Being 40 per cent more formable, Micromill aluminum sheet is easier to shape into complex forms, like the inside panels of automobile doors and fenders, which are generally made from steel. The 30 per cent increase in material strength will make it more difficult to dent, which will enable the production of automotive sheet that is thinner and even lighter than previous generations. Automakers will also benefit from a reduction in system costs, since they will reduce the number of aluminum alloys used in their manufacturing process.

This will also be the world's fastest and most productive aluminum casting and rolling system. A traditional rolling mill takes almost 20 days to transform cast metal into coil, while the Micromill does the same thing in just 20 minutes.

The Micromill also takes up substantially less room than a traditional rolling mill, since it is a quarter of the size and reduces energy use by 50 per cent. The Alcoa Micromill technology and the differentiated metal it will produce are protected by more than 130 patents worldwide.

According to Ducker Worldwide, aluminum automotive sheet content in North American vehicles is predicted to increase eleven-fold between 2012 and 2025, as consumers look for lighter and more fuel efficient automobiles. The Micromill continuous casting technology was designed to meet this growing demand for automotive sheet, with flexibility to serve also the industrial and packaging markets. The product mix can be easily altered and the transition to different alloys can be made without ever halting the casting process.

Alcoa has guaranteed a strategic development customer and from its pilot Micromill facility in San Antonio, Texas, it has also carried out successful customer trials. These trials confirmed the exclusive characteristics of the Micromill material, its surface quality for external panels and its overall performance. Alcoa is preparing the material for use in the next generation of automotive platforms.

About Alcoa in Brazil

Alcoa in Brazil operates in the whole of the aluminum production chain, from bauxite mining to the manufacture of high added-value transformed products. The company employs some 5700 people locally and has six production units, a distribution center and offices in the states of Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Pará, Pernambuco, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo and in the Federal District. It is also a shareholder of Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN) and of four hydroelectric power stations: Machadinho, Barra Grande, Serra do Facão and Estreito. In 2014, Alcoa was chosen for the eight time as one of the model companies by Exame's Sustainability Guide. It was also recognized for the 13th time as one of the Best Companies to Work It was also placed second in the overall ranking of the Você S/A Guide - The Best Companies to Start a Career With.www.alcoa.com.br and follow @Alcoa on Twitter at twitter.com/AlcoaBrasil and on Facebook at facebook.com/AlcoaBrasil.