Heat treatment of aluminium ingots is at the heart of our production and is what makes alimex products unique. In our annealing hall, we give aluminium special properties. Heat treatment – essential for stress-free aluminium In October 2017, we commissioned one of the largest annealing furnaces in Europe at our site in Willich. This optimises heat treatment – because up to 550 tonnes of aluminium can be treated in a single production process. As the furnace is mobile, it can be moved on rails so that the next annealing material in the process can be packed into the annealing point while the annealing process takes place at another annealing point. By annealing within sophisticated parameters, we free the aluminium from stresses, preparing it for further production processes. Removing as much as stress as possible is essential in the further processing of aluminium, as it guarantees the dimensional stability of the aluminium products. Extensive aluminium expertise at alimex “In aluminium, we are dealing with a very sensitive metal. That makes heat treatment very complex. Even temperature fluctuations of 10 degrees Celsius can cause changes in the structure”, explains José Ceballos, Head of Research & Development. alimex has therefore been researching this...Read More