Being able to exchange and communicate knowledge within a company is simply an invaluable asset and we can do that excellently here at alimex. A digital corporate culture, which we live, is also an immense advantage in this day and age. Our colleague Jacqueline Kühl (Business Development Manager) was just 5 weeks for us at our alimex production site in the USA/South Carolina https://alimexamericas.com/ directly on site with the colleagues to work out a new concept for an ERP system and to identify transition processes and existing process potential. This included, among other things: – An audit phase with process-detailed support for the individual persons and departments. – The transfer of knowledge and comparison of production processes and parameters. – The identification of potentials. – Various test runs – The development of a future-oriented process structure by means of a new set-up/addition of the new production and production planning-oriented ERP system. – Development of a transition concept for the interim period before implementation of the new system In addition to the extensive technical topics and the tight agenda, building collegial and beyond ties with the alimex-US team was of course also a very important issue. For more than 2 years,...Read More

Everybody, every society, every company goes through crises – if you believe the economic researchers, over a period of ten years, this will be true for 80 percent of all companies. Often it also hits companies that are extremely well-positioned in the market and have a strong brand. But why does one company make the turnaround, while many others unfortunately disappear from the market? In the public domain, the term turnaround management is often associated primarily with terms such as restructuring, shrinkage, or austerity programs – measures that focus primarily on short-term goals. It gets forgotten that turnaround management primarily means sustainably setting up a troubled company for the future and, long-term, bringing it back into the zone of success. From my own experience as a consultant and CEO of a medium-sized company, there are four key factors that determine success or failure: Factor 1: Simultaneous consideration of the market side and the cost side “You can’t shrink to greatness”! Pure cost-cutting will not take you to your goal; above all, you have to examine the market aspect intensively and ask yourself, as management, which segments the company can serve, and wishes to serve, in the future. Defining a strategy...Read More

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

2018 was a challenge, economically and politically speaking. The uncertainty brought by looming Brexit or Donald Trump’s economic and customs policies are prominent examples. Nevertheless, German aluminium companies and also alimex approach the new year with optimism – because the material aluminium is enjoying growing (international) demand. Thanks to its versatile material properties, it can be used in the most varied fields, such as electric mobility, lightweight construction, infrastructure projects and climate protection measures. 2018 – a turbulent year for the aluminium sector From an economic-political perspective, 2018 began with a bombshell, namely Donald Trump’s announcement that he would implement one of his manifesto pledges and levy punitive tariffs on imports into the USA. The European aluminium sector was also affected by these, and from June some aluminium products were given a punitive tariff of ten percent. As a result, the US sanctions against the Russian aluminium smelting works Rusal and its Irish subsidiary also affected the European market because through this factory, the aluminium-oxide supply to the European market was secured. Nevertheless, the sector proved to be robust. Firstly because of the relatively stable aluminium prices during the year and secondly due to continual demand for aluminium products from...Read More

Aluminium is our expertise! The cast plate process that we developed gives the light metal completely new capabilities and helps our customers secure competitive advantages across broad industrial applications. alimex aluminium is found in a wide range of industries, from the semiconductor, solar and automotive industries to machines, tools and mould making. It’s even used in the Atacama Desert in Chile – in parabolic mirrors for space observation which are exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations. World class from Willich! Jobs in the aluminium industry: alimex as an employer alimex sets the highest quality standards for processing aluminium. In the same way, we aim to be an employer who meets high standards for our employees. As a medium-sized family business, employees can count on great ambition, flat hierarchies, diverse development opportunities and room for creative thinking that go beyond departmental boundaries. That’s why we encourage our employees to sit in on other departments. We need these inter-departmental perspectives and welcome employee engagement to change processes. alimex is an employer for people who want to make a difference in the aluminium industry. alimex believes in scope for personal responsibility and wants everybody to evolve together with alimex. alimex represents precision in aluminium....Read More

Trends & News about aluminium Our exhibition at the ALUMINUM Show Dusseldorf was a complete success and a lot of fun! With our products for high-tech applications, we shape aluminium trends and constantly develop our material. A trade fair like the ALUMINUM Show offers the opportunity for alimex to personally present all this to many of our customers  alimex a reliable business partner for customers from all over the world The exhibition proved how much the quality of our products is valued all over the world. Quotes such as “alimex is THE aluminium partner for us”, “Always leading and not only there”, “Quality that inspires” – the feedback from our customers at the exhibition stand – drives us to ensure the highest performance. We are really always “with heart and soul here”, as one of our customers has printed so beautifully. We have been exhibiting at the world’s largest trade fair for more than 20 years and, as a leading manufacturer of aluminium cast plates, we present the latest trends and innovations in alimex Cast Plate (ACP) For alimex, the ALUMINUM 2018 once again showed that there is no substitute for customer contact. Our employees took the opportunity to look...Read More

From aircrafts and skyscrapers to smartphones and packaging, aluminium is one of the most versatile materials used today. alimex are proud to be working with this young material supporting industry and universities to maximise the innovative possibilities of aluminium alloys. Aluminium is a young metal, with a relatively late discovery less than 200 years ago. Despite this, it has become the second most used metal in the world, after iron, and established a well-earned reputation for its versatility and diverse range of applications. Aluminium is the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. It is estimated that the solid portion of the crust, to a depth of ten miles, contains around 8% aluminium. However, aluminium hasn’t always been widely available. In the mid-1800s, it was considered more valuable than gold. Elite guests of the President of the French Republic, Napoléon III, were presented with aluminium cutlery, while fashionable and wealthy women wore jewellery crafted from the metal. http://www.iom3.org/materials-world-magazine/feature/2017/mar/01/material-month-aluminium WHY CLIENTS RECOMMEND ALIMEX Part of the alimex ethos is to constantly strive to be the best in terms of product, service and customer experience. Continuous innovation, over 40 years of experience in aluminium production and processing combined with our commitment...Read More