Quebec’s equipment suppliers cluster: A key
contribution to its aluminium industry success
Aluminium Valley
April 2013
Malika Cherry
By : Serge Roy
Aluminium Valley Society
Aluminium Middle East 2013
®
Quebec aluminium industry
Saguenay LacSt-Jean
Until recently Quebec was home to the largest
concentration of aluminium smelters in the Western world
2
Aluminium Valley Society
Spurs Growth
Our mission
Develop the Aluminium Valley® through the support of promising investment
projects and by creating value.
Our vision
To make sure Aluminium Valley® is known and recognized as a worldwide
aluminium industry leader.
Our approach
•
Support the growth of SMEs already established on the territory;
•
Simplify the implementation of new ones.
Our goal
Guarantee an end-to-end production system in the region.
3
A success: equipment suppliers
in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean
• Expanding aluminium downstream industry in the Saguenay-Lac-StJean area : most successful with equipment suppliers;
• Supplying equipments and services to aluminium smelters : more
then 30 small and medium size businesses;
• Supporting all areas of activity related to primary aluminium
production:
– Casting, Carbon, Reduction, environment, etc.
• Exporting worldwide, including in the Middle East:
– Mecfor, Refraco, Equibras, STAS, Canmec
4
Key factors for success
• Cluster of small and medium size companies;
• Partnership with primary aluminium producers;
• R&D commitment of primary aluminum
producers;
• Culture of innovation.
5
Equipment suppliers cluster
S
• Large local
network of
small
companies
delivering parts
and services to
the equipment
suppliers
• Low logistic
cost as a
result.
Combines the benefits of a larger scale plant with the
agility of small businesses
6
Partnership with aluminium
producers
• Strong partnership with aluminum producers
forged over 70 years of relationship
– Understanding primary producers needs and
problems
– Licensing technologies developed by primary
producers
– Testing new products in primary producers facilities
• Technical and financial support from
aluminum producers to strengthen equipment
suppliers
7
R&D by primary producers
•
Saguenay Lac-St-Jean is home
to new AP60 technology (Rio
Tinto Alcan)
•
Equipment suppliers design
products for AP-60, with RTA
•
–
Performing in high magnetic fields
–
Adjusting to larger size of pots,
anodes etc.
Saguenay’s equipment suppliers
expertise is available to develop
other higher amperage
technologies
8
Culture of innovation
•
High labor costs and small local market have led to:
– innovation as a competitiveness strategy;
– Innovation as an adaptation tool.
• Large portfolio of new products have been developed to
reduce conversion costs of existing smelters or capital
costs of new ones.
9
Recent innovations from equipment suppliers (1)
Electroslag Welding
• Faster welding of busbars (a
fraction of time needed with
traditional technology)
• Lower busbar repair cost
• New designs for busbars
possible
Billet inspection
• No contact technology
• Replaces manual inspection
• Can be retrofitted to existing
systems
• At the testing stage
Current measurement
tool
• High precision, portable and
lightweight
• Detects inaccurate anode
settings
• Can be retrofitted to existing
systems
10
Recent innovations from equipment suppliers (2)
HF monitoring system
Automated robot measuring HF
concentration at the roof vents
Travels on rails
Vocal Alarm System
Indicates to the operators areas
of concern where intervention is
required
• Anode effect
• Security announcements
Portable vacuum cleaner
Lightweight
No footbridges nor equipment
required to access rooftop of
potroom
Not subject to electro-magnetic fields
Powered by compressed air
11
Recent innovations from equipment suppliers (3)
Electronic measurement of
furnace weight
•Tilting furnaces
•Accuracy of 250 kg
Optimization of casting centres
•Integration of best available technologies
•Low cost automation
•Optimization of mold density
•Mold design
•Increases % “right first time” charge analysis
•Short payback
12
Larger players : a long history of innovation (1)
From mobile to stationary: your global
equipment supplier
• Wide range of vehicles – articulated (MVA), rigid (MVR),
haulers (MTA-MTC), remote controlled (MVT)
•Designated equipment for cast house, pot rooms, carbon
•Quick-connect design for multipurpose vehicle
•Heavy duty long lasting equipment adapted for harsh
working environments
Refractory manufacturing,
maintenance and engineering
•Modular designs
•Precast refractory shapes and components for carbon
bake furnaces
•Quick turnover of carbon bake furnace rebuild
•Premium quality floor tiles for industrial applications
•Patented side wall thermocouple system
13
Larger players: a long history of innovations (2)
Potlining related products
•Complete range of products related to potlining
•Heating box for lining paste
•Cathode bar extractor
•Preheating system for CAFD
•Platform
14
New chapter in aluminium: the Gulf.
• The Gulf now: largest capacity of primary aluminium
production in the Western world;
• A new chapter in the aluminum industry in the Gulf
has started as new technology is now being developed
in the area
– The DX reduction technology is the obvious example
• A good network of local equipment suppliers will
become increasingly important to getting these new
technologies to market
– Getting beyond process efficiencies with low cost design, ease
of operation, low labour requirements, etc.
15
An obvious fit
• The Quebec equipment suppliers have limited
prospects for growth in their own country and need to
look beyond North-America
• The Gulf area is an obvious expansion area thanks to
a large local market and lower cost manufacturing
expansion opportunities
• The Gulf smelters need a stronger base of local
equipment suppliers to develop and market their own
technologies
• The fit is obvious
How can we make it happens now?
16