The production of aluminium slugs starts with loading furnaces with raw aluminium in the form of aluminium ingot, followed by a hot/cold rolling process, stamping, annealing, surface finish, and selection and packaging. Aluminium slugs are eco-friendly and recyclable and thus, successfully securing a key position in various industries like packaging, where they are impact extruded to make extruded aerosol cans, automotive cans, aluminium collapsible tubes and more. Healthcare, paint, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, and many other industries, at the same time, are also looking at an increasing use of aluminium slugs owing to rust resistance property and lighter weight that further give an advantage over other types of metal slugs and extended the scope for the global market, including Europe.
Here in this article, we have handpicked top five aluminium slug manufacturers in Europe. The names, however, are not listed in descending order but based on market research and subject to changing market conditions.
1. Rondal (Impol):
Rondal, a member company of the Impol Group in Serbia, has a long-standing tradition in the manufacturing of all types of stamped and sawn slugs from pure aluminium and aluminium alloys. Slugs are made in various dimensions and shapes which are then used in manufacturing tubes, cans and technical parts in the automotive, food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, electrical industry.
The slugs manufacturing process begins by casting a narrow strip of various widths manufactured in company’s own foundry that are then hot-and-cold rolled to various thicknesses and coiled. Cold coils then constitute input raw material for stamping slugs on stamping machines.
Slugs are stamped from an alloy (EN AW 6082 and EN AW 3003) as well. The manufacturing process, however, takes place in hot-rolled plates manufactured from rolling slabs.
Impol had begun manufacturing slugs in 1962. Following a reorganisation, this area of production was transferred to an autonomous enterprise, Rondal. During that period, Rondal was not a member company of the Impol group. In early 2012, when the Impol group repurchased and acquired the Rondal company, it became a member company.
2. Rheinfelden:
The history of aluminium in Germany started in the year 1898 at Rheinfelden. The company has always operated in three business segments. In October 2008 restructuring turned Aluminium Rheinfelden GmbH into a holding company and the former ALLOYS, SEMIS and CARBON divisions became independent GmbH & Co. KGs (the German equivalent to a limited partnership with a limited liability company as general partner).
RHEINFELDEN manufactures primary aluminium slugs for the application in tubes, cans, containers, and many other technical purposes. Rheinfelden’s slugs are punched out of self-produced rotary caster strip and roughened by means of vibration or shot blasting. In addition to round, oval and rectangular slugs, the company makes slugs of special shapes as well. The weight per part is in a range of 0.5 – 1.000 grams.
Rheinfelden supplies slugs over the world for the production of:
3. Talum:
Slovenia-based aluminium production company Talum is a world leader within the circle of electrolytic aluminium and alloys producer. With more than 60 years of diligent work experience, Talum now ranks among the 15 largest exporters in Slovenia. It produces over 84,000 tonnes of aluminium annually, with the total employment of around 10,000 from the beginning of production to date.
Among varied aluminium products, slugs are what company always boasts about. The production of slugs in Talum is always as per order and comprises two types of products:
Besides producing slugs for the application in tubes and containers in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industry, Talum has taken a successful entry in the technical parts market, where technically demanding parts are produced from slugs, mainly for the needs of the car and electro industry.
The thickness of slugs Talum offers to the customer is between 3 and 11 mm. Talum is the only slug producer in the world that can offer three different kinds of surface treatments: sandblasting, vibration and drumming.
4. Aluman S.A.
Aluman S.A. in Greece has been in the aluminium business since 1965. From 1974, it began producing aluminium slugs, discs and strips in coils, mostly for own needs at a production facility. By the end of 2009, it decided to concentrate wholly on the production of slugs and discs and thus, closed down aluminium collapsible tube, aluminium aerosol can and aluminium monobloc bottle production facility. Now, the company exports 100 per cent of its slug and disc production all over the world.
5. Ball Corporation:
The United States-based company Ball Corporation has slug manufacturing facility in Europe. With an aim to become a more sustainable enterprise and to introduce revolutionary processes in manufacturing aluminium semi products, Ball Corporation started using aluminium recycled from its global beverage cans operations to produce the company's slugs. From personal care to healthcare and household, Ball Corporation supplies slugs to numerous industries.
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