New Journey, New Breakthroughs: Gränges Asia's Path to Innovation in Medium-Thickness Plates [SMM Aluminum Industry Conference]

On April 16, at the AICE 2025 SMM (20th) Aluminum Industry Conference and Aluminum Industry Expo — Aluminum Plate/Sheet, Strip and Foil Industry Development Forum, co-hosted by SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd., SMM Metal Trading Center, and Shandong Aisi Information Technology Co., Ltd., and co-organized by Zhongyifeng Jinyi (Suzhou) Technology Co., Ltd. and Lezhi County Qianrun Investment Service Co., Ltd., Feng Hua Gao, Senior R&D Engineer at Gränges Aluminum (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., introduced the new journey and breakthroughs — the innovation path of Gränges Asia's medium-thickness plates.

**Technical Requirements and Characteristics of Medium-Thickness Plate Products**

**Aluminum Alloy Medium-Thickness Plates - Definition and Classification**

**Definition**
- According to GB/T 8005.1-2008 "Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Terms Part 1: Products and Treatment Processes," plates with a thickness >6mm are called thick plates.
- In Japan and Europe: Plates with a thickness ≥6mm are called thick plates.
- ASTM standard: Plates with a thickness ≥6.35mm (0.25 inch) are called thick plates.

The national standard does not include the term "medium-thickness plates," but due to the wide thickness range of aluminum alloy thick plates, the industry refers to the practices of the steel industry and subdivides them by thickness:
- Medium plates: 6.0~25.0mm
- Thick plates: >25.0mm

**Classification**
- Non-heat-treatable: 1-series/3-series/5-series, accounting for about 40%;
- Heat-treatable: 2-series/6-series/7-series, accounting for about 60%.

He also introduced Gränges Group and Gränges Asia. Gränges Group is a global leader in aluminum rolling and recycling. The company has a net sales of SEK 23 billion (excluding the Shandong plant), a capacity of 810,000 mt/year, and holds about 25% of the global market share for rolled aluminum used in brazed heat exchangers. He also elaborated on the company's significant position in the global market, serving four major end-user markets [other segments (including medium-thickness plates), special packaging, automotive industry, HVAC industry], the company's development history and overview, and the main products and application areas.

**Production Process of Aluminum Alloy Medium-Thickness Plates**

**Technical Challenges of Aluminum Alloy Medium-Thickness Plates**

**Casting Ingot:**
High melt quality, large size, crack-free casting, and excellent microstructure control.

**Rolling:**
Microstructure evolution during rolling and control of thickness deformation uniformity.

**Heat Treatment:**
Homogeneous phase transformation and solution heat treatment residual phases and hardenability.

**Pre-Stretching:**
Control of pre-stretching deformation and its impact on subsequent precipitation and internal stress.

**Aging:**
Development of multi-stage aging systems and microstructure control.

**Aluminum Alloy Medium-Thickness Plates — Shipbuilding Aluminum Plates**

**Opportunities:**
Lightweight, energy-saving, environmental protection, and corrosion resistance: Aluminum alloy thick plates, due to their low density and high strength, can effectively reduce ship weight, increase load capacity, and lower fuel consumption and operating costs, complying with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations on ship carbon emissions and modern ship requirements for lightweight and energy efficiency. Additionally, their excellent corrosion resistance extends the service life of the hull.

**Market and Demand:**
Over 70% of the ship plate market is overseas. With the US initiating the so-called 301 investigation into China's shipbuilding industry and the transition to LNG energy, the demand for aluminum alloy plates for ships overseas is expected to grow significantly.

**Challenges:**
High performance: As the requirements for ship strength and speed increase, traditional aluminum alloys may not meet the performance requirements, necessitating the development of new high-strength, high-corrosion-resistant alloys, such as 5059 alloy with higher Mg content.

High quality: Residual emulsion from low-temperature rolling, plate shape, lower surface scratches, and A-level flaw detection for LNG aluminum plates.

Wide specifications: Ultra-wide and ultra-thick aluminum plates for LNG.

**Aluminum Alloy Medium-Thickness Plates — Aerospace and Low-Altitude Economy Aluminum Plates**

**Opportunities:**
Market demand: With the rapid development of domestic large aircraft and the low-altitude economy in recent years, the demand for aluminum semis has been increasing year by year in industries such as drones, civil aviation, and military aviation. According to the International Aluminum Association, global commercial aviation aluminum usage surged by 30% YoY in 2024, reaching a ten-year high.

**Challenges:**
High metallurgical quality, low residual stress: High technical barriers exist in casting, homogenization, hot rolling, solution, aging, and stretching processes, making it difficult to obtain thick plates with high melt quality, high strength, high toughness, corrosion resistance, and near-zero residual stress.

New technologies: R&D and application of various new heat treatment processes and technologies, melt purification and modification technologies, and the development of a new generation of alloys that are lightweight, high-strength, high-toughness, high-fracture toughness, and stress corrosion resistant.

He also listed relevant cases of aluminum plates for semiconductor equipment.

He introduced Gränges Asia's medium-thickness plate products, detailing products such as 5052 medium-thickness plates, 6061 medium-thickness plates, and how advanced equipment is crucial for producing high-performance medium-thickness plates.

He also introduced Gränges Group and Gränges Asia. Gränges Group is a global leader in aluminum rolling and recycling. The company has a net sales of SEK 23 billion (excluding the Shandong plant), a capacity of 810,000 mt/year, and holds about 25% of the global market share for rolled aluminum used in brazed heat exchangers. He also elaborated on the company's significant position in the global market, serving four major end-user markets [other segments (including medium-thickness plates), special packaging, automotive industry, HVAC industry], the company's development history and overview, and the main products and application areas.

**Click to view the special report on AICE 2025 SMM (20th) Aluminum Industry Conference and Aluminum Industry Expo.**