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October 11, 2006
Ensuring the future of Alcoa in Western Sydney
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Alcoa Australia Rolled Products has invested a further $7 million in its Yennora operation in Western Sydney, increasing production capacity and ensuring the site retains a competitive edge in the global market.
The launch of Alcoa ARP’s new Endline—an aluminium sheet processing line—will increase the manufacture of high quality niche products such as food cans and screw cap wine bottle closures. The commissioning of the Endline follows the installation in June of a new Cleaning and Cut to Length Line.
Speaking at the launch, Location Manager John Costley said the Endline, together with the Cleaning and Cut to Length Line, has expanded Alcoa ARP’s product range and opened new domestic and export opportunities.
“This is a great achievement,” Mr Costley said.
“The demand for food cans and screw cap wine bottle closures are forecast to grow at 17.8 percent over the next five years. With the withdrawal of niche aluminum product suppliers from the Asian Market, the installation of the new Yennora sheet processing line puts Alcoa in a great position to make the most of this market gap,” he said.
“We have successfully completed most of our customer acceptance trials in Asia and Yennora is now the sole supplier of screw caps to Australia’s largest wine closure company—Auscap,” Mr Costley said.
Chairman and CEO of Alcoa Inc, Alain Belda officially opened the Endline and congratulated Yennora staff.
Background
The Yennora plant is one of two aluminium rolling mills in Australia operated by Alcoa. The other is at Point Henry near Geelong. They have a combined annual production capacity of more than 200,000 tonnes.
Alcoa ARP is Australia's largest recycler of aluminium products, recycling about 70,000 tonnes per year, including 550 million cans. Around 90% of aluminium fabricated at Yennora is from recycled material.
The Yennora site has operated for more than 40 years, employing approximately 365 people. Yennora has been a part of the Alcoa family of companies since 1996.
The installation of the $7 million Endline at Alcoa Australia Rolled Products at Yennora enables the manufacture of higher value-added products The new processing line will broaden Alcoa Australia Rolled Products at Yennora’s product mix and increase our production capacity and capability, to better meet both local and international customer needs and increase export opportunities.
The Endline also includes a unique Conversion Coating Tank or ‘dunk tank’, which is the first of its kind for an Alcoa operation. The coating system produces a consistently high quality product while reducing risks associated with the old spray method and increasing the cost effectiveness of the Endline.
ENDS
Contact information:
Josephine Parrett
02 9681 9554 or 0404 800 542
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