FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Buena Park, California, USA – June, 2012 – In a category of more than 15 nominees, Almex USA Inc., an aluminum casthouse equipment and technology provider specializing in the value creation markets, was named first runner up in the American Metal Market’s annual Awards for Aluminum Excellence in the category of Best Innovation for a Technology or Process. The annual awards ceremony was held in conjunction with the Aluminum Summit at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York, NY. The nomination was given to Almex for its novel development of the MiniCastTM solution. The MiniCastTM System is a modular, scalable, environmentally-friendly, and in-line scrap recycling facility for aluminum extruders and forgers.
Found in the conference’s program and workbook, the background and scope of the MiniCastTM system and recycling initiative were described to attendees:
“Aluminum forgers and extruders as well as machine shops, generate up to 50% of their metal buy as turn-around scrap. While a few of the larger mills have their own in-house re-melt facility, smaller mills sell into the secondary market. This innovation is aimed at building a compact, cost-effective and extremely scalable facility to recycle turn-around scrap quickly on site, in such a way that the mills can benefit in multiple ways. This innovation can be applied to capacities as low as 200 tons per month to over 3,000 tons per month, and the mills can use the facility for turn-around as well as bought out scrap. The facility is scalable to match the growth trajectory of the mill.
Achievements of the MiniCastTM Initiative:
- Lower conversion costs for the mills
- Savings on account of elimination of out-bound transportation of scrap as well as in-bound raw material freight
- Quicker turn-around of process scrap
- Lower Inventory Carrying Costs
- Possible carbon credits and LEED advantages
- Overall reduction of carbon foot-print of the mills
- Ability that can produce exotic, boutique, and one-off alloys that are not run-of-the-mill on a just in time basis.
- Ability to produce billets in non-standard sizes that will further reduce the turn-around scrap generation of mills.”
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