Hydro Aluminium asRolled Products / Business Unit StripProduct Area General EngineeringDrammensveien 2640240 OsloNorwaywww.hydro.com

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Aluminium

General Engineering

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With its firm conviction that business and societal requirements are inseparably linked to from one another, Hydro has developed into an innovative, international company, engaged in two core business areas – energy and aluminium – for the manufacture of sustainable products. We can thus experience how even better solutions in the fields of mobility, work and housing are making our lives easier day after day.

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The focus is on people

Hydro is a leading international energyand aluminium company with activities in more than 40 countries. Our constantpursuit of new business opportunitiesand the further development of productsand technology have seen us become the third largest aluminium supplierworldwide. With more than 80 years’experience in the production of alumin-ium, Hydro Aluminium is active through-out the entire value chain. We are astrong and versatile partner in the pro-duction and subsequent processing ofcast, rolled and extruded products and in the design and implementation of efficient recycling concepts.

In close cooperation with our customersfrom all sectors of industry where aluminiumis used, we make products that are lighter,safer and more durable. Hydro is already themarket leader in foil, lithographic sheet andbuilding systems as well as in engine blocks,

heat exchangers and structural componentsfor the automotive industry.

Hydro Aluminium’s Business Sector RolledProducts is a specialist in the rolling andconverting of customised strip and sheet.The Product Area General Engineering, withits network of five rolling mills, is by far thelargest area with a capacity of more than350,000 tonnes per year.

Products supplied by General Engineeringare used everywhere in daily life, such as in:• Private households• Industrial applications• Architecture • Transport industry

From tealight cups to silosOur product portfolio comprises strip andsheet for a broad range of applications –these extend from tealight cups throughplaster strips to silos and heavy goods

Respect for people, the environment and society is a prerequisitefor long-term value creation. With this approach, Hydro stands forsustainable and future-benefiting development. We make optimumuse of natural resources and resolutely develop innovative andcost-efficient products for new fields of applications. In this way,we create real value for our customers and the company.

vehicles. Our products come in a wide variety of blank, embossed or coated sur-faces. Thicknesses range from 80 µm to 12 mm; we also produce 40 mm-wide strip as well as sheet which is precisely2,600 mm in width.

Our circular blanks for pots and pans are300 mm in diameter, while sheet for ship-building applications can reach up to 12metres in length.

Alloys of the 1xxx, 3xxx, 4xxx, 5xxx and8xxx series guarantee optimum propertiesand functionality for the particular appli-cation. The range of variants available allowsthe customers of General Engineering todevelop efficient solutions using aluminium.

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Products for everyday life

A wide variety of products used in every-day life are made from General Engineer-ing’s customised strip and sheet. The list is getting ever longer since aluminium’s low weight combines with its extraordinarystability and long service life to make it thematerial of choice. In the consumer durablessector, for example, more and more high-quality branded household goods are madefrom aluminium.

With regard to pots and pans, our cus-tomers are well ahead of the competitionand can choose from a broad spectrum of alloys and dimensions. Aluminium alsorepresents the optimum solution for bakingtrays. Its high thermal stability comes fromthe continuous casting process used toproduce the continuous cast sheet. Themarket leader in household applications alsouses aluminium from General Engineering to make its ladders.

The properties of the material depend onthe alloy and the specialised manufacturing processes used to meet the specific require-ments of the particular end application.Through close cooperation and joint devel-opment programmes, we have built up partnerships with our customers that stretchback many years. Mutual respect andshared values lead to trusting relationships.

Aluminium makes everyday life easier. Whether pots and pans, baking trays, household ladders, snow shovels, tealight cups or coins, the products of General Engineering display the best properties of the material.

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A variety of solutions for industry and commerce

General Engineering offers not only a broadrange of standard strip and sheet but alsocut-to-size products to meet individual re-quirements. High quality combined with reliable service and on-time delivery havehelped us become one of the largest sup-pliers to the European stockholding industry,with shipments of 150,000 tonnes per year.Backed by two finished goods warehouses,we are able to respond rapidly and flexibly to customer wishes and fill orders at shortnotice.

The use of aluminium in industry appears tobe almost unlimited. From big industry tosmall-scale direct customers: new appli-cations are being found in specialist areas as a result of innovative joint development.For example, we are one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-conductivity alu-minium for transformers. The developmentof a special alloy and the continuous stripcasting process, which leads to particularlyhigh conductivity, made this possible.

Our continuous product development hasalso led to new laminated tubes, consistingof multi-layers of plastic and aluminium.Nowadays, heating and water supply instal-lations are almost exclusively made from thishigh-tech product, which meets extremelyexacting requirements. Through the consist-ent high quality of its manufacturing pro-cesses, General Engineering has establisheditself as a major partner to this industrial sector.

A multitude of industrial products exploit the enormous potential of our aluminium alloys. Today laminated tubes are replacing water conduits made of copper. Other sectors are implementing lightweight, cost-efficient solutions, which include standard strip and sheet for the stockholding industry, electrotechnical products, welded tubes, interior cladding for refrigeration equipment, panelling for the manufacture of apparatus and appliances as well as for heating and air conditioning systems, cryogenic equipment, car licence plates and aerosol cans for medication.

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Light and resistant: Aluminium in architecture

Aluminium is particularly appealing in archi-tecture due to its decorative potential. It ishowever the material’s resistance to weather-ing, low weight and easy workability whichmakes it such a well-loved “all-rounder”.Worldwide, architects and builders use alu-minium to give their building projects – suchas public and industrial buildings, offices andtall buildings – added character.

General Engineering’s broad product rangecovers nearly all applications in building andconstruction. Our plain sheet and coil forfaçade systems are renowned for theirexcellent surface quality, formability and flatness. Decisively, the unique quality of our products ensures optimum subsequentprocessing at our customers.

The coated products from our coating line in Holmestrand have helped us becomemarket leader: already in 1948, the plant was the first in Europe to introduce the continuous strip-coating process and, as a result, assume technological leadership.Furthermore, our surface pretreatment isenvironmentally compatible, with no usemade of chrome right from the beginning.

Aluminium supplied by General Engineering ensures a long service life in and on buildings. Our plain, embossed and coated strip and sheet are used for roof and façade systems, for roller shutters, Venetian blinds and ceiling panels. Aluminium is now almost indispensable in such applications as house doors and roller shutter doors, spacer strips in window systems and also plastering strips.

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Safe transportation and storage

Strip and sheet, ranging in thickness from 4to 12 mm, are produced in our Alunorf andHamburg rolling mills for the construction ofcommercial vehicles and silos, as well as forshipbuilding applications. Europe’s largestmanufacturers of bulk transporters and roadtankers place their trust in our special know-ledge and approval certification of pressurevessels and hazardous material transporters,making us the market leader in Europe. Ourparticular advantage is that we meet themost exacting surface quality criteria andmanufacturing tolerances, thereby guaran-teeing optimum subsequent processing atour customers.

With innovative new alloys, we offer ourcustomers tailored solutions for the increas-ingly stringent requirements of the future.Using our high-quality sheet, we can reducethe weight of a vehicle to a minimum withoutcompromising its crash safety or the excel-lent formability of the material in any way.

The development of large, modern cruisingliners and ever-faster yachts, ferries andpatrol boats, in particular, has led to a con-stantly rising demand for high-performancematerials. With our seawater-resistant alu-minium alloys and state-of-the-art develop-

ments in corrosion protection, we have be-come the most important contact partner forthe shipbuilding industry.

Our Research and Development Centre forWelding Technology as well as our labora-tories for forming techniques and corrosionprotection possess many years’ experienceand special knowledge in material-relatedmatters. Here, specialists in cooperation with our customers are working on innova-tive solutions for the transport requirements of tomorrow.

Road tankers, bulk transporters, tipping trucks, ships, boats and yachts all make use of the special properties of aluminium. Shipping containers, silos and storage tanks for the chemicals industry demand high functionality and corrosion resistance – requirements we meet easily with our know-how and the right alloy.

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Growing together: Our customer services

General Engineering has always placedgreat emphasis on service competenceand customer orientation. We regard ourcustomers as partners in a mutual growthprocess. This is confirmed by our highon-time delivery rate, reliable planningpredictability and the guaranteed qualityof our products. We provide consultancyservices in all matters relating to alumin-ium, its application and special fabrica-tion requirements.

Whether large-scale industry or medium-sized company, personal contact, rapidreaction times and the precise fulfilment of individual requirements are all part of our service package. Backed by advice,instruction and know-how from its networkof application engineers and researchers,General Engineering not only offers its cus-tomers an extensive range of services but

also the opportunity to broaden their know-ledge base.

We optimise products, alloys and manu-facturing processes in collaboration with our customers. Such close cooperationfosters long-term, trusting partnerships,which in turn make further innovations possible. In this way, we open up new markets and create business opportunitiesfor all concerned.

Comprehensive technical and commercialservices round off General Engineering’scustomer service programme. Other offer-ings, such as a special key account pro-gramme, an internet-based customer portaland individual recycling concepts, under-line this partnership approach. Our firm conviction is: “We are at our strongest together”.

One of our most important tasks is to exploit the potential of aluminium and open up new areas of application. In this way, we are safeguarding a sustainable future and contributing to the business development of our customers and partners.

We at Hydro conduct our daily business in accordance with our core values – respect, cooperation, foresight, determination and courage. Being orientated towards our customers’ wishes and requirements is a matter of course for us and part of our fundamental belief in having honest dealings with one another.

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Research and development – for the products of today and tomorrow

General Engineering attaches greatimportance to exploiting the potential of aluminium to the full. For innovativeand sustainable solutions, we make useof Hydro’s worldwide network which cancall on 85 years’ experience in the entireproduction chain. Our engineers, prod-uct developers and scientists maintain a constant exchange of information andhelp define state-of-the-art technology.

Our researchers not only carry out funda-mental investigations into the material and its subsequent processing but also fosterthe development of innovative solutions. We support our customers’ processes byoffering a special program for the optimisa-tion of welding in commercial vehicle manu-facture. Specialised centres dedicated to

forming and rolling techniques, mechanicaland chemical surface treatment as well ascorrosion protection, ensure that our know-how is up to date and our technologyremains leading edge.

Close cooperation with our customers andpartners as well as excellent market know-ledge are particularly important to us. Newmethods and applications – characterised by high efficiency and improved properties –thus come directly from industrial practice.

Our cooperation with and frequent guestlectures at universities also heighten the next generation’s fascination with aluminiumand its extensive range of applications. Con-sequently, aluminium will deliver even morein the future.

Our concentration on innovation, quality and cost-efficient solutionshas seen us become the front-runner in numerous market seg-ments. Our committed scientists in Research and Developmentand the efforts of all other employees have contributed to this success. Through our continuous improvement processes, freshimpetus is given to the intelligent and efficient use of aluminium day after day.

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HolmestrandThe Holmestrand rolling mill in Norway produces 95,000 tonnes of rolled productsper year exclusively from recycled material.This unique recycling concept allows us to offer our customers products specially tailored to their individual application.

Our philosophy at Holmestrand is: “We do not sell alloys and tempers but materialproperties optimally tailored to the end prod-uct.” The plant produces plain coils for roofand wall cladding, distance spacers for window systems as well as for laminatedtubes and guttering.

On two coating lines with an annual capacityof around 40,000 tonnes, we produce con-tinuous coated strip and sheet with a max-

HamburgExtensive investment and modernisation atthe Hamburg plant have led to a capacityincrease of almost 200,000 tonnes of rolledproducts. Reroll stock is now supplied toother plants in the General Engineering inter-linked system, such as Holmestrand andSlim.

Hamburg specialises in standard rolled products for the stockholding trade as wellas strip and sheet for end consumers withparticular requirements regarding formability.Here too, the stringent requirements forpressure vessels are guaranteed throughappropriate approval certification. The specific strength of the plant is its high-strength alloys of the 5xxx series. A widerange of thicknesses, from 0.080 mm to 12 mm, is available for the manufacture of top-quality products.

General Engineering makes use of five rolling mills in Hydro’s network, all optimally linked to one another with regard to logistics.Each mill specialises in certain alloys, products and processes. In this way, we are able to benefit from the specific strengths andknow-how of each individual plant and achieve maximum quality,promptness and flexibility for our customers.

Team players with individual strengths: Our rolling mills

imum thickness of 2 mm. These productsare mainly destined for applications in build-ing and construction, such as façadesystems, ceiling panels, roller shutters anddoors. We are particularly proud of our en-vironmentally compatible, chromium-free coilpretreatment process.

To ensure that the best-possible quality isoffered to our customers every time, wemake the most of the possibilities offered bythe General Engineering interlinked systemand this coil coating line. We therefore coatstrip from the Holmestrand, Karmøy or Ham-burg rolling mills in accordance with the re-quired material properties.

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KarmøyThe rolling mill in Karmøy, Norway, is one of the world’s technological leaders in continuous strip casting. Compared withhot-rolled strip, material produced using this continuous process is characterised byenhanced properties with regard to strength,temperature stability and electrical conduct-ivity.

The production line boasts a high degree offlexibility and is able to respond rapidly toindividual wishes. The plant has a capacityof 75,000 tonnes per year and delivers alloysof the 1xxx and 3xxx series.

From Karmøy, General Engineering mainlysupplies its customers with standard sheetand coils made of alloys 1050 and 3003,coils of Hydro’s proprietary alloy Hydec 1070for making transformers, and sends rerollstock to our Holmestrand rolling mill.

SlimThe Slim plant is located in Cisterna, Italy,approximately 60 kilometres south of Rome.With a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year,it mainly supplies the local market: 80 percent of its production is subsequently pro-cessed in Italy.

On completion of extensive investment toincrease capacity and upgrade manufactur-ing technology, the Slim plant will augmentthe quality of its products. The plant is al-ready well known for its flexibility. Our tech-nical engineers in southern Europe havemade many a project possible through theirinventiveness and rapidity.

Besides the production of plain coils andsheet, the great strength of Slim lies in itsspeciality products. It is the only plant inHydro’s interlinked system to manufactureround blanks for pots and pans. Pretreatedanodised sheet for the building industry andcoils with a bright-surface finish for specialapplications also come from Italy.

AlunorfAlunorf in Neuss, Germany, is the world’s largest hot rolling mill with two productionlines. Hydro holds a 50-per-cent interest inthe plant. Around 1.4 million tonnes of hot-rolled strip and 950,000 tonnes of cold-rolled strip are manufactured on ultra-modern production equipment. Alunorf’s products are characterised by extremelyclose manufacturing tolerances and excel-lent surface quality.

Around 30,000 tonnes of aluminium per yearare processed for the General Engineering,most of it for applications in transport andstorage. The plant is certified according tothe latest standards, such as ISO/TS 16949,AD 2000 W/0 und PED 97/23/EU, and hasthus met the essential prerequisites for themanufacture of high-quality, safe productsfor the pressure vessel and hazardous ma-terials sectors.

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Innovative products for a sustainable future

Environmental protection is firmly an-chored in the corporate policy of Hydro,along with our distinct flair for optimisingpotential and opening up new fields ofapplication with sustainable solutionsmade of aluminium.

Since we are fully conversant with the entirelifecycle of our products, we strive to ensurethat the most effective and environmentallycompatible use of aluminium is made. Weachieve reference values at Hydro Aluminiumwhich confirm that we are making full use ofthe properties and energy-saving possibilitiesof the material. In cooperation with our customers from the transport, building andconsumer durables industries, we are active-ly engaged in all parts of the value-addingchain and develop products which make lifeeasier and reduce environmental impact.

This is clearly shown in our extensive prod-uct range: General Engineering, in cooper-ation with manufacturers of roof and wallsystems have developed products whichlead to more energy savings in building. Atthe same time, aluminium’s decorative ap-pearance ensures a pleasant living environ-ment. In the commercial vehicles sector, we are working on the development of components that will reduce weight further,make vehicles even safer and cut fuel con-sumption.

New methods and equipment as well as in-creasing productivity in our plants and thoseof our customers are all parts of our key goalto optimise manufacturing processes. Higherperformance efficiency makes an essentialcontribution towards reducing the environ-mental burden. Our rolling mills are all equip-

Environmental protection and sustainabilityare a part of Hydro’s corporate culture. Wedo not want progress just for the sake ofprogress, because we are conscious of ourresponsibility towards the environment andpeople. This is shown in our efficient use ofnatural resources and in our consistentlybetter, more cost-efficient and environmen-tally compatible products.

ped with the most modern technology for airpurification and for the recovery of the rollingoils employed.

We have developed a convincing conceptfor recyclable products and aluminium scrapfrom manufacturing operations. Our Holme-strand plant, for example, specialises in theproduction of strip and sheet exclusivelyfrom recycled material. A decisive advantagehere is that aluminium which needs only fiveper cent of the original energy requirement is available for making new products. Inaddition, innovative materials with uniqueproperties have been developed on thebasis of this recycled metal.

Our passion for aluminium grows every dayas new products to protect the environmentare created.

Hydro Aluminium asRolled Products / Business Unit StripProduct Area General EngineeringDrammensveien 2640240 OsloNorwaywww.hydro.com

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Aluminium

General Engineering