Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), one of the world’s largest aluminium smelters, has introduced a new alloy ‘6060.HE’ as part of its AA6060 alloy family that is aimed at the company’s extruder customers. 

 

Produced in a billet form with a wide range of applications in the construction sector, this new alloy has a faster extrusion rate that will improve the process efficiency and productivity for its users. 

 

Alba’s new 6060.HE alloy has been developed in collaboration with the University of Bahrain by enhancing the scientific research studies associated with this alloy production and Bahrain Aluminium Extrusion Company (Balexco), being one of the leading aluminium extrusion producers in the region and Alba’s long-standing customer, which provided extensive support in developing the alloy by way of field trials, visits and technical feedback.

 

Quality product

Alba Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali said: “The new alloy is a quality product that will enhance the performance and productivity of our customers as well as their competitiveness. Proudly produced in Bahrain by lead national capabilities, we aim to advance with this newly developed product our presence in new markets and boost it in the existing ones.

 

“It has taken lots of efforts and hard work to get to where we are -- the 6060.HE alloy is the successful outcome of the collaboration between three leading Bahraini entities -- Alba, the University of Bahrain and Balexco -- which underlines the fifth priority of Alba’s ESG Roadmap ‘Collaboration and Partnerships’.”

 

Dr Fouad Mohammed Al Ansari, the President of the University of Bahrain, stated: "This collaboration resulted in a successful study that focused on improving the aluminium extrusion processes, and identifying new alloys that contribute to enhancing the quality and performance of manufactured extruded products. The study relied on statistical experimental design methods to develop a model capable of predicting the ratios of additives to aluminium and provide optimal heat treatment.” He also said that the results of this study will serve as a strong catalyst to enhance future scientific research in the aluminium industry.

 

Extrusion speed

Balexco’s Chairman Jassim Seyadi said: “Alba has been our sole supplier of Aluminium Billets used for our extrusion presses and we are happy that we could partner with them and the University of Bahrain in the development and trials of the new 6060.HE alloy. The newly developed billets have been tested at Balexco and its use helps in improving the extrusion speed and overall production efficiency without compromising on the product quality. 

 

“Alba’s team has been very supportive throughout the development and trials, and we look forward to further improve the billets, which would be useful to all extrusion clients of Alba.”  

 

The development process of the 6060.HE alloy started in January 2022 and its commercial production commenced in October 2022 following extensive laboratory-scale, field-scale tests and evaluations. Alba has already developed a customer base for this new product with 10 local and overseas customers.-- TradeArabia News Service