Novelis’ China Facility To Make Heat-Treated Sheet Aluminum Used In New Pickups Such As The 2015 F-150
Novelis, the global leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, today officially opened China’s first plant dedicated to the production of heat-treated aluminum automotive sheet that’s used in the 2015 F-150s and next-generation Super Duties among other U.S. vehicles.
Demand for aluminum is rapidly increasing as automakers strive to design a new generation of lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles with reduced life-cycle emissions.
Each 10 percent weight reduction can result in a 5 to 7 percent fuel savings.
The opening makes Novelis the only company to produce automotive aluminum sheet in all three of the world’s major automobile producing regions — Asia, Europe and North America.
“Building on our long-time partnerships with Jaguar Land Rover and other major global carmakers, we further strengthened our position as the leading supplier of aluminum sheet to the automotive industry when we were selected in FY14 as a key supplier for Ford Motor Company’s new aluminum-intensive 2015 F-150 pickup truck,” said Philip R. Martens, President and Chief Executive Officer of Novelis.
The wholly-owned facility, located in the Changzhou National Hi-Tech District, represents a $100 million investment by Novelis to expand its global footprint to serve the rapidly growing market for automotive aluminum.
The opening of the new Changzhou Facility makes Novelis the only company to produce automotive aluminum sheet in all three major auto-producing regions of the world – Asia, Europe and North America. (PRNewsFoto/Novelis Inc.)
Novelis’ new facility will produce 120,000 metric tons of high-quality automotive sheet aluminum for use in lightweight vehicle structures and body panels such as hoods, doors, fenders and lift gates like those found on the 2015 F-150.
“The opening of our Changzhou plant further solidifies Novelis’ position as the aluminum partner-of-choice for automakers around the world,” said Martens.
“Global automakers seeking to drive fuel efficiency, higher performance and innovative design can now source locally-produced Novelis aluminum automotive sheet in every major region where they make vehicles.”
Since 2011, Novelis has invested more than $550 million globally to triple its automotive sheet capacity to 900,000 metric tons by 2015.
The opening of the new Changzhou Facility makes Novelis the only company to produce automotive aluminum sheet in all three major auto-producing regions of the world – Asia, Europe and North America. (PRNewsFoto/Novelis Inc.)
