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Vedanta Aluminium organizes masterclass to boost innovation within global extrusion industry

• The informative session, featuring a renowned international extrusion expert, was an insightful experience for the participants and provided several insights into the complex process of extrusion

New Delhi, 1^st December 2023 – Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest aluminium producer, has hosted its third technical masterclass, focusing on enhancing innovation and efficiency within the extrusion industry. The session, titled ‘The Metallurgy of Extrusion’, drew nearly 200 participants globally, including registrations from the USA, UK, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Qatar, UAE, Greece, Portugal, Belgium, and India. Mr. Jonathan Pangborn, a globally acclaimed extrusion expert and Technical Advisor on Billet Extrusion for Vedanta Aluminium, led the masterclass. This is the latest in the company’s bouquet of offerings for customers, including new product development, new application development, market development, technical knowledge sharing, and much more.

Vedanta Aluminium is India’s leading producer and exporter of top-quality billets, offering a wide range of choices, including the 1xxx, 3xxx, and 6xxx alloy series, to the global extrusion industry, tailored to their needs. With a production capacity of 580 kt per annum, the company’s billets are manufactured using world-class technology from Wagstaff, Inc. (US) and Hertwich Engineering GmbH (Austria). Previously, the company launched a special range of High Speed Billets that can improve extrusion speeds by at least 25% with zero compromises in the strength of the extruded profile. Attesting to their high quality and sustainable provenance, Vedanta Aluminium’s products are the first in the country to be verified as environmentally sustainable by the Environment Product Declaration (EPD) International and also certified for quality by the Bureau of Indian Standards. Additionally, its aluminium smelter and captive power plant in Jharsuguda has been certified against the Aluminium Stewardship Initative (ASI) Performance Standard.

Extrusion is a vital manufacturing process for shaping aluminium into various forms with uniform cross-sections and a crucial step in aluminium’s journey towards powering several important applications in today’s world. The masterclass serves as an informational cornerstone for Vedanta Aluminium’s customers, providing insights into the intricate process of extrusion. By delving into alloy chemistry, temperature control design, process enhancements, and more, the session equipped participants with crucial knowledge about extrusion. Understanding these details empowers customers to leverage aluminium extrusion more effectively, enhancing their product quality and operational efficiency. This technical expertise aids in developing innovative solutions tailored to their specific industry needs, positioning Vedanta Aluminium’s clients at the forefront of advancements in the extrusion industry.

Highlighting the company’s sharp focus on ensuring customer delight, Mr. John Slaven, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium, said, “Catering to our customers’ dynamic needs is at the core of Vedanta Aluminium’s business approach. Our pursuit of excellence in aluminium production is matched by our dedication to delivering unparalleled value to our customers. In addition to continuous product improvement, high-quality manufacturing, and customer empowerment, we also strive to elevate industry standards through technical partnerships, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning opportunities.”

Reflecting on the universal applications of aluminium, Mr. Jonathan Pangborn, Technical Advisor – Extrusion, Vedanta Aluminium, said, “I see aluminium extrusion as a pivotal element in our modern lives, seamlessly incorporated into most of our gadgets, vehicles, and living spaces. As we strive towards creating a sustainable future, the continuous advancement of aluminium applications gains even more significance, playing a key role in ongoing decarbonization initiatives across various industries. The need to share this knowledge is essential; it equips industry leaders with the means to embrace innovation and encourages a shared commitment to sustainability.”

Aluminium is the world’s second-most crucial metal today, boasting exceptional properties like a high strength-to-weight ratio, remarkable design flexibility, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and perpetual recyclability. The flexibility of aluminium, combined with the adaptability of the extrusion process, not only improves product quality but also boosts productivity. Aluminium’s capacity to be extruded into intricate shapes with precision makes it an optimal material for design applications demanding the utmost versatility from a cross-sectional perspective. This uniqueness in the aluminium extrusion industry comes with specialised requirements. Applications spanning aviation, automobiles, building & construction, infrastructure, and more necessitate extruders to master aluminium properties, ensuring both speed and top-notch quality to stay competitive.

Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2^nd in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2022 world rankings for aluminium industry, a reflection of its sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.