29 01, 2013

Aluminum Demand Up And Still Growing

2015-06-18T15:33:37+00:00January 29th, 2013|

2012 was a banner year for aluminum. Between innovative advances in manufacturing and groundbreaking design usages, along with award-winning vehicles, 2012 showed that demand continued to grow in North America. From industry journal Metal Bulletin (subscription required for the full article and note the foreign spelling of aluminum):

US and Canadian aluminum demand edged up through most of 2012, even as production slipped, according to industry figures compiled by the Aluminum Assn and the Aluminium Assn of Canada.

Demand (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totaled more than 21.19 billion pounds in the first 11 months of 2012, up 5.7% from nearly 20.04 billion pound the previous year…

Where does that leave us today? The aluminum industry appears to be on an upward path. During Alcoa’s fourth-quarter earnings report, company representatives spoke of a positive projection for the 2013 fiscal year. From 4-Traders:

Among other Dow components, Alcoa gave up a morning advance to slip 0.2% after the aluminum giant reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings that matched estimates and revenue that was well above forecasts. The company also said it expects the pace of aluminum demand growth in 2013 to increase from 2012.

As an industry, this is exciting news. It indicates the quality of the material in an age where designs focus on the right combination of cost, durability, and weight. With January in the books, there’s no reason to think that it won’t be a case of onward and upward for 2013.

3 08, 2012

Aluminum: Built Ford Tough

2017-01-26T23:37:31+00:00August 3rd, 2012|

A few weeks ago, we told you how the auto industry has begun looking at aluminum for use in its manufacturing – specifically, as a lighter replacement for steel.

Tesla may have hit the market first, but Ford is looking at a change that will represent a bit of a culture shift for its customer base – building the bestselling Ford F-150 truck mostly out of aluminum. From the Wall Street Journal:

“The radical redesign will help meet tougher federal fuel-economy targets now starting to have wide-ranging effects on Detroit’s auto makers. But Ford will have to overcome a host of manufacturing obstacles, plus convince die-hard pickup buyers that aluminum is as tough as steel.”

The change to aluminum will trim about 15% of the truck’s weight – 700 or so pounds – to help it achieve better gas mileage. It’s hard to get into the strength debate in simplistic terms, since treatment and other material properties affect just how “tough” aluminum and steel really are. For a good breakdown, check out this article from yacht designer Michael Kasten.

Aluminum is the future of the automotive industry, and its acceptance really comes down to educating the consumer about its strength and safety properties.  In summary, Kasten puts it this way:

“As we will see, the issues of strength are tipped somewhat in favor of aluminum, mostly for the reason of its lighter weight.  Being much lighter, aluminum will permit a more robust structure within any given weight budget.”

3 01, 2012

Nuggets of Truth: One Manufacturer Highlights the Management of her Extrusions Business

2017-01-26T23:37:31+00:00January 3rd, 2012|

At Taber, we pride ourselves on being American made. As a recent article states, competition in foreign markets (China and Mexico) is always a constant consideration and choosing to remain an American made extrusion company is mark of our resilience and dedication to American innovation.

As we kick of 2012 we wanted to touch upon a recent article which features fellow American made manufacturer, Stacy Wilson of MillworX Precision Machining, who was recently interviewed regarding the ebb and flow of her company. Her responses resonated with our American made message and as such we wanted to share some nuggets of that piece that are in line with our mission at Taber.

Like MillworX Precision Machining, Taber believes that the best days are “when the customer is satisfied” and as such, we strive to offer products that go above and beyond traditional extrusion offerings. Another great point shared by Wilson is that, “To be a top-graded manufacturer you have to have a 100 percent performance record.” At Taber we pride ourselves on excellent customer service and internal performance- giving each and every client the best product possible. Lastly, we take the utmost pride in the fact that we “make complicated parts every day, that have to be touched by a lot of people.” Our teams of skilled experts are the integral facets of our business and our products celebrate their talent and skill everyday in the marketplace.

CLICK HERE to read the original article and learn more about American made extrusion companies.

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