The Minato, Tokyo, headquartered Nikkei MC Aluminium, a prominent manufacturer of secondary aluminium alloys and part of the Nippon Light Metals Group, has announced plans to install a wheel shredder and related facilities at its North American facility, Nikkei MC Aluminium America, located in Indiana. This wheel shredder facility is designed to efficiently shred aluminium wheels into recycled raw materials.
However, before this development, the company had used aluminium wheels as raw materials. With the installation of this new facility, they aim to enhance their handling of these wheels and increase the overall utilization of aluminium wheels. To make this project a reality, Nikkei MC Aluminium plans to invest approximately 600 million yen, with the facility set to commence operations in 2023.
Nikkei MC Aluminium America primarily serves as a crucial supplier to the North American facility of ENKEI, a prominent manufacturer of aluminium wheels. The company provides secondary alloys to support ENKEI's operations. Enhancing the utilization of recycled aluminium wheels as raw materials enhances productivity and reduces the consumption of new ingots, thereby lowering carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
A pre-treatment process is necessary to efficiently utilize recycled aluminium wheels as raw materials. Before feeding the wheels into the furnace, manual removal of balance weights, bushings, and other attachments is essential. Implementing a wheel shredder and establishing equipment for foreign object removal will result in enhancements across various aspects, including the working environment, transfer efficiency, and the overall utilization of aluminium wheels. This initiative is poised to boost the utilization of aluminium wheels significantly.
In the current fiscal year, Nikkei MC Aluminium has set its sights on additional significant capital investments. Specifically, they intend to implement a regenerative burner at their Mie facility with the aim of harnessing thermal energy for decarbonization purposes. The company's overarching objective is to progressively install a regenerative burner annually at one of its facilities.
To gain deeper insights into the pivotal factors that have driven the industry's transition towards recycling, accompanied by the adoption of cutting-edge recycling methodologies, technologies, and solutions, we recommend exploring AL Circle's e-Magazine, "Recycling - Reshaping the Future of the Aluminium Value Chain". This publication comprehensively explores the transformative forces shaping the recycling landscape.
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