MIIT: Aluminum Processing Industry will Focus on Work in Four Aspects



MIIT: Aluminum Processing Industry will Focus on Work in Four Aspects

Aluminum processing is a key component of China’s nonferrous metals industry. After many years of rapid development, China has become the world’s biggest manufacturer and consumer of aluminum products, and its overall strength has improved obviously. In 2014, the output of China’s aluminum processing products reached 48.45 million tonnes, up by 18.6% on Y-o-Y basis, accounting for 50% above of global aluminum processing product output, between January and August this year, the output of aluminum products was 33.52 million tonnes, up by 9.1% on Y-o-Y basis; from January to July, aluminum processing industry fulfilled profit of 29.2 billion yuan, accounting for 39% in total profit of the whole industry (excluding gold). In the aspect of equipment, China’s large extrusion product, hot continuous rolling, and finish rolling equipment have reached world leading standard. Energy saving and environmental friendly smelting and casting equipment have been popularized. In the aspect of structural adjustment, processing capacity of short process aluminum by relying on electrolytic aluminum production base for direct use of aluminum liquid continued to rise, packaging material for cans, high-end radiator material, and high-end CTP substrate material have fully met the needs of domestic market and fulfilled export, large aluminum products for transportation use made important contribution to enabling China’s high speed railway to become China’s name card of high-end manufacture, the development of aluminum products for aviation and automobile use has made positive progress. Nevertheless, we must also soberly admit that, China’s investment in aluminum processing R&D is inadequate, alloy ingredient and its processing technique data simulation, and intelligent control standard lag far behind those of overseas advanced standard, the ability to develop high-end products such as aviation aluminum products, and aluminum panel for passenger vehicle is weak, product quality is unstable, and production cost is high. Some enterprises can afford top-class equipment, but cannot manufacture top-class products. Product homogenization is very rampant, market competition is fierce, and in the international market Chinese products have received “anti-subsidy & anti-dumping” investigation and boycott in a number of countries.

Currently, domestic and overseas macro economic situations are complicated and confused, economic operation is facing heavy downward pressure, and the difficulty confronted by industrial sector is particularly prominent. From January to August this year, industrial added value increased by 6.3% on Y-o-Y basis, the growth rate dropped by 2.2 percentage points on Y-o-Y basis, and guaranteeing growth has become the priority facing China today. In order to accomplish the ‘Double Hundred’ target proposed by the CPC Central Committee, on May 19, 2015, the State Council formally printed and distributed “Made in China 2025”. The “Made in China 2025” for the first time put forward the strategic target of fulfilling manufacturing power through “Three Steps” from national strategy level, and also the action plan in the first decade of implementing manufacturing power strategy by China, it holds important guiding significance toward conforming to the “New Normal” and the current stabilizing growth, adjusting structure, and transforming approach. “Made in China 2025” put forward nine strategic tasks, ten key fields and five major engineering projects, new material is one of the fields for focused promotion, and it also clearly put forward to quicken the pace of developing high performance light alloy material. Aluminum processing industry must follow the overall requirements of the ‘building manufacturing power’ target, while continuing to expand consumption in traditional fields, accelerate technology innovation and structural adjustment, meet the needs of high-end equipment manufacture industry as soon as possible, and it is also necessary to actively explore needs in new fields including new energy vehicle, drone, and robot, strive to accomplish synchronized growth of quality, benefit and speed.

As the administrative department of the nonferrous metals industry, the Department of Raw Material under MIIT always attaches importance to the development of aluminum processing industry, and give key support to the projects of high performance aluminum deep processing through industrial foundation, technological upgrading, and funds, meanwhile it joins hands with associations to actively drive forward consumption of aluminum products in electricity, architecture, and transport fields, it has convened on-the-spot promotion meeting for application of copper aluminum compound materials, discussion meeting on aluminum product for transportation, discussion meeting on promotion and application of aviation aluminum product, and established aviation aluminum product upstream and downstream cooperation mechanism, and on September 15 it hold the cooperation mechanism setup meeting in Shanghai. At present, aluminum alloy semi-trailer and tank car can claim policy support such as energy saving and emission reduction for transportation, recommended models for highway drop and pull transportation, exemption/ reduction of vehicle and vessel tax etc; bridge-cutoff aluminum alloy, colored aluminum plate, and aluminum alloy template are listed as eco-friendly building material products. Within a certain period in the future, MIIT will focus on carrying out the following work tasks:

1. Improve industrial management policy

Compile the ‘Nonferrous Metals Industry “Thirteenth Five Year” Development Plan’ and the “Guiding Opinions for the Development of Aluminum Industry in the Thirteenth Five Year Plan”, in the “Thirteenth Five Year Plan” period Chinese economy has entered the New Normal with mid to high speed growth, development environment, tasks, and requirements all have undergone new changes, it is necessary to recognize the New Normal, adapt to the New Normal, and pioneer the New Normal, the focus should be placed on studying measures and methods for keeping economic growth, by the end of the Thirteenth Five Year Plan, initially build China into a great power of nonferrous metals industry, wherein improving deep processing standard of aluminum products will be one of the key signs of becoming a great power. Encourage the development of mixed ownership, fully bring out flexible operation and efficient operation system mechanism of private enterprises, together with the advantages of state-owned enterprises in capital and talent, in order to activate enterprise vitality.

2. Continue to support the development of high-end aluminum products

Continue to implement key projects including technological upgrading, consolidating foundation project and new materials which are closely associated with aluminum processing industry, intensify targeted continual support to key fields such as aviation aluminum product, and small vehicle panel, and strive to make real breakthroughs in material research, technology innovation, quality control, and intelligent production aspects. Study application technologies such as aluminum product cleaning & maintenance, contact corrosion control and small scale friction stir welding, portable repair and welding technique, and improve service ability in aluminum product application.

3. Expand new application scope of aluminum processing materials

Vigorously publicize superior performance of aluminum products such as light weight, energy saving, and renewability typical of eco-friendly products, actively expand consumption of aluminum products. Actively promote and implement key tasks for aviation aluminum product cooperation mechanism, study the possibility of organizing and setting up cooperation mechanism among transportation aluminum product manufacturers, equipment design & manufacture, downstream users, government, and associations, coordinate inter-departmental improvement of supporting policies, actively guide enterprises to voluntarily take part in amendment of model standardization, promote model standardization, light weight, and box car trend, and drive forward upstream-downstream close cooperation.

4. Promote deep integration of industrialization & informatization

Study and establish standards of industrialization & informatization integration for aluminum processing enterprises, guide aluminum processing enterprises to attach high importance to industrialization & informatization integration, and through intelligent production equipment, technique simulation, production process automation, and management informatization, remove the recurring defects that restrain quality uniformity and stability of China’s high-end aluminum products. By taking full advantage of “Internet+”, guide aluminum manufacturers to establish highly efficient and aligned aluminum product R&D design platform, supply chain management and whole life cycle service etc through e-commerce, big data, and cloud platform, give full response to downstream user’s requirements, such as individualized custom-making and repair service, and push forward production-oriented manufacture to evolve toward service oriented manufacture.