Top Five Aluminium Rolling Companies in Europe

The aluminium rolling industry has witnessed a colossal growth over time due to the increasing demand from application sector. To start with, sophisticated and updated methods of manufacturing that resulted in a higher degree of refinement and richness of final product and the application that evolved owing to the growing demand for aluminium sheets, plates, and foils in various sectors such as packaging, transportation, and construction. According to a research report, the global consumption of aluminium rolled products is forecast to hit 30 million tonnes at a CAGR of around 5 per cent. Transportation is likely to be the key consumption area, followed by the two other sectors. European demand for rolled products reportedly remains firm as well, primarily driven by automotive and packaging slowly shifting towards aluminium.

Having said that, here we have listed top five aluminium rolling companies in Europe. The listing is not necessarily in descending order and is based on market reach and production capacity and is subject to changing market conditions.

1. Constellium

Headquartered in Amsterdam, Constellium is one of the key players in the European rolling industry offering high-value-added aluminium products and solutions dedicated primarily to aerospace, automotive and packaging markets. The company’s advanced aluminium solutions help global automotive manufacturers produce lighter, safer, and more fuel-efficient vehicles while at the same time provide cost benefits to aerospace companies of all kinds. On the other hand, starting from beverage cans and food cans to luxury packaging, Constellium is the name that dominates in the European market.

In a year, Constellium ships more than 1 million tonnes of Packaging & Automotive Rolled Products (P&ARP). According to Constellium’s report, packaging and automotive rolled products amount for 54 per cent of the total revenue of the company, followed by aerospace and transportation 25 per cent and automotive structures and industry 21 per cent.

2. Hydro

Hydro is another fully integrated aluminium company which has etched its name in rolled products and recycling, besides primary aluminium and extruded products. The company annually supplies around 1 million tonnes of rolled products around the world.

With almost 100 years of experience, the Norwegian company’s success relies on a strong network of European rolling mills in Germany and Norway. It also has a 50% share of the world’s largest hot and cold rolling mill, Aluminium Norf in Germany.

As one of the world’s leading foil producers, Hydro supplies foils as thin as 6.0 µm used for food and pharmaceuticals packaging. Hydro supplies their foil, strip, sheet and plate to the automotive, transport, building and shipbuilding industry as well as engineering, electrical, domestic, printing and packaging industries.

3. Amag

Amag (Austria Metall AG) is the biggest name in the Austrian aluminium industry whose product portfolio ranges cast products and flat-rolled aluminium. It offers strips, sheets, and panels to aircraft, automotive, and construction sectors, along with customised solutions for industry-specific applications. Aluminium for chassis and structural parts of automobiles or aluminium for interior applications and seats in aircrafts or for façade applications in building construction, Amag has been the top European supplier.

The core market for AMAG is Europe, representing 53 per cent of sales, with the most important overseas market being North America with 27 per cent of sales. In 2017, Amag shipped approximately 213,900 tonnes of rolled products in a year across the world, out of the company’s total shipments of 421,700 tonnes. Due to outstanding market prospects and rising customer demands, the company’s shipments are expected to grow to 300,000 tonnes by 2020.

Aludium

Aludium is a dynamic entity in aluminium rolling. The company focuses on the distribution, building and construction, and specialty products (automotive trim, cosmetic packaging, closures….) markets. Although a relatively new player, Aludium has already earned a strong reputation as a leading supplier of aluminium solutions to European and global markets.

Aludium was formed at the beginning of 2015 and includes three former Alcoa mills in Spain and France, and the state-of-the-art Cindal aluminium R&D centre in Spain.

Since its formation, Aludium has realised an ambitious investment plan valued at almost €60 million. These investments have improved Aludium’s sustainability dramatically and equipped the business with several innovative melting technologies.

Aludium has realised remarkable growth of more than 58% since it was created. Today the company produces almost 230,000 tonnes of coils, slit coils, and sheets annually. Over the same period, Aludium’s workforce has grown to more than 1,075 employees.

Aludium produces alloys from the 1xxx, 3xxx, 5xxx, and 8xx families.

4. Alro

The Romania-based company Alro is one of the largest vertically integrated aluminium producers by production capacity in Europe. Its processing capacity of processed aluminium including coils, sheets, plates, and profiles is about 90,000 tonnes, depending on the production mix. Currently, a capacity increasing programme is being run with a view reaching a capacity of up to 120,000 tonnes by 2022. In the first quarter of this year, Alro’s processed aluminium sales stood at 27,000 tonnes, down 7 per cent from 29,000 tonnes in Q1 2017.

Alro’s flat rolled products such as coils, sheets, and plates are graded by thickness. They used by customers to produce end-products, such as boxes, panels, mechanical parts, tools, moulds and white goods; these are products in which aluminium’s good mechanical and corrosion characteristics are advantageous and for which the low weight of the material plays an essential role.

5. Impol

Impol is another leading European aluminium company based out in Serbia, with rolling as its core production. Impol’s rolled products include superior foils and thin coils, cold-rolled coils, tread plate, circles and stamped shapes and hot- and cold-rolled sheets. These products are produced on three sites in three different countries, with significantly increasing production rate over the past few years. It supplies its rolled products to automotive, defence, transport, construction, food, and pharmaceutical sectors and successfully penetrating the aircraft industry and participating in the manufacturing of space technology with its development projects.

In 2017, out of the company’s total sales of EUR 666.7 million, aluminium strips and sheet accounted for about 35.71 per cent. It has a production capacity of around 60,000 tonnes of flat rolled products per year, out of which 49,000 tonnes are of cold rolled – plate and strip.

Other than these five major leaders, other notable aluminium rolling companies in Europe include the Greek producer Elval and the Italian firm Slim Aluminium.