Industries Served by Aleris
Years of aluminum expertise, coupled with a strong emphasis on superior technology has made Aleris an industry leader. We provide high-quality aluminum products and services to each of the following industries.
Aerospace
Lightweight, high-strength, energy efficiency, and extreme temperature resistance combine to make aluminum a superior choice for aerospace and defense applications. For manufacturers of airplanes, helicopters, and space and military equipment, aluminum plays a key role in enhancing the performance of their products. Applications include jet engines, wings, fuselages, wheels, landing gear and fastening systems.
Aleris serves the global aerospace industry primarily through its Aleris Europe business segment.
Automotive
In this era of high energy costs, vehicle makers are turning to aluminum as a lighter weight, fuel-efficient alternative to steel and other materials. Aluminum’s lower weight helps reduce fuel emissions and improves a vehicle’s handling characteristics. Aluminum’s impact resistance is similar to that of steel, and its corrosion resistance is better. In addition, aluminum’s sustained recyclability enables manufacturers to easily recover and reuse parts. All of these features combined make aluminum a superior solution for an increasing range of automotive applications, including engine housings, car bodies, anti-lock braking systems, shock absorbers, heat exchangers for climate control systems and many more. And Aleris is working closely with original equipment manufacturers to increase the aluminum content in vehicles by developing new solutions in areas such as structural and safety parts.
For more information on how Aleris serves the automotive industry see Americas Rolled Products Automotive, Americas Specification Alloys and Europe Automotive.
Building and Construction
The durability, versatility, formability, and aesthetic characteristics of aluminum enhance a wide variety of buildings throughout the world, from large corporate headquarters to single-family homes. Our products are used in house siding, aluminum trim, gutters, downspouts, roofing, window systems, climate control systems, and electrical transformers. Aluminum–based products are highly decorative and offer excellent heat and sound insulation, resistance to corrosion and weathering, and a high strength–to–weight ratio, among other advantages. In addition to high-quality, energy-efficient aluminum products, Aleris also provides fast and flexible service. Aleris services the building and construction industry through mill finish and coated sheet sales to fabricators as well as its ALSCO Metals subsidiary in North America, and its BUG Alutechnik GmbH subsidiary in Europe.
- ALSCO fabricates aluminum into preformed, prepainted, and precoated products and is one of the largest suppliers of residential aluminum building products in North America. ALSCO manufactures a broad range of residential aluminum building products for new home, home improvement, and remodeling applications, including trim coil, soffits, accessories, siding, rainware, roof moldings, and painted aluminum coil.
- BUG Alutechnik GmbH is a leading supplier of quality aluminum products for the building and construction industry in Europe. Based in Vogt, Germany, BUG offers a variety of interesting building systems, such as wood/aluminium systems for windows and façades, roof systems, fencing, and specific extrusions for window systems.
Distribution
Distributors play a valuable role in delivering aluminum products to a vast number of manufacturers in diverse industries around the world. Approximately 20 percent of Aleris’s rolled and extruded products are sold through the distribution channel. Aleris provides fast and flexible responsiveness and value-added services as a key supplier to its distributor partners. The Company not only processes the recycled aluminum, it also stores, cuts, handles, and delivers the product, as well as supplying additional technical expertise, to meet the distributors’ specific needs.
Heat Exchangers & HVAC
A heat exchanger is a device built to efficiently transfer heat from one medium to another. They are widely used in the aerospace, automotive, and HVAC industries, as well as numerous industrial processing applications. Aleris manufactures sheet, coil, and foil incorporating the latest technology, plus long-life brazed aluminum alloys, and traditional non-clad aluminum alloys for heat exchanger products. See major applications below. The type, size, and cooling/heating mediums used are engineered to meet each customer’s needs.
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Military / Defense
Aleris supplies aluminum armor plate products for the military and defense industry globally. Our plate products are the optimum solution for any kind of structural application from providing components for light armored civilian and tactical vehicles to heavy construction structures such as military bridges. Additionally, because of its outstanding resistance to corrosion, our Alustar® product is a key component in many military applications including shipbuilding. Our sophisticated production facilities, manufacturing technology, quality control systems and processes, and our research and development capabilities allow Aleris to customize solutions in order to meet present and future requirements.
Packaging
Aluminum foil containers are a cost–effective, environmentally friendly solution that has found widespread use in the retail, foodservice, and baking industries. Manufacturers produce nearly seven billion aluminum foil containers every year; Aleris provides light–gauge aluminum products for the semi-rigid foil used to make these containers. Semi–rigid foil is resistant to temperatures ranging from minus 40°F/40°C to 450°F/232°C. Aleris also offers light epoxy or vinyl coating for its aluminum packaging products to resist corrosion from acidic foods, increase lubricity, and improve appearance.
Transportation
Trucks, trailers, buses, trains, ships, and boats are significant users of recycled aluminum, taking advantage of its light weight, versatility, durability, fuel efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability. Lighter commercial vehicles made from aluminum help reduce shipping costs for all users who have to transport their products.
Aleris produces large-sheet and coated aluminum products used in the construction of trucks, trailers, buses, recreational vehicles, rail cars, ships, and boats.