AICE Expert Insights | Breaking the Monopoly of Foreign Capital in the High-End Medium-Thickness Plates Market.

Industry Background and Market Demand

1. Expansion of Medium-Thickness Plates Application Fields

Aluminum alloy, with its characteristics of low density, high strength, high modulus, corrosion resistance, recyclability, and excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, has become an indispensable material in modern industry. Among aluminum alloy products, medium-thickness plates hold a significant position. Their wide application in aerospace, transportation, shipbuilding, and high-end equipment, along with continuously improving technological levels, makes them an important component of the high-end aluminum semis market. With the increasing demand for high-performance materials in these fields, the market prospects for aluminum alloy medium-thickness plates are broad.

2. Competitive Landscape and Technical Barriers

The high-end medium-thickness plates market demands materials that are lightweight, high-strength, high-toughness, high fracture toughness, stress corrosion resistant, and possess high anodised performance. The market technology for high-performance aluminum alloy thick plates is mainly controlled by developed countries in Europe, the US, and Japan (such as Alcoa, Novelis, UACJ, etc.). Although China has made significant progress in R&D and industrialisation, there is still a gap compared to advanced international levels, especially in alloy formulation, new process development, and process stability, where many "bottleneck" technologies remain to be broken.

Gränges Asia Medium-Thickness Plates Technological Breakthrough

1. Company Profile

In October 2024, Gränges expanded its long-term strategic partnership with Shandong Innovation Group (SIG) and established Gränges Aluminum (Shandong) Co., Ltd. The company is located in Zouping City, covering an area of 292,880 m², and is equipped with Wagstaff and Novelis casting lines, a 1+1 hot rolling line, an Ebner roller hearth furnace, and an SMS stretcher, with a capacity of 50,000 mt for 1-7 series medium-thickness plates.

2. Material Innovation

By adjusting the content of main elements and the ratio of various components in the alloy, and adding trace transition elements, the morphology, size, and distribution of various compounds in the alloy are changed, developing new alloys that meet various needs.

Further reduce various impurity elements such as Fe and Si, improve the purity of the alloy, and study methods and technologies to control impurity content, enhancing the alloy's fracture toughness, fatigue resistance, stress corrosion cracking resistance, and anodised performance.

3. Process Upgrade

Develop and apply various new heat treatment and hot rolling processes and technologies to improve the comprehensive performance of aluminum alloy thick plates.

Study multi-stage homogenisation processes for casting ingots, aiming to maximise the solid solution of non-equilibrium phases into the aluminum matrix and achieve a fine and uniform distribution.

Study unconventional hot rolling processes to improve the uniformity of deformation in the surface and core of medium-thickness plates and the uniformity of grain structure after hot rolling.

"By deeply binding technology with customer needs, breaking the monopoly of foreign companies in the high-end medium-thickness plates market through material innovation, process upgrade, and localised services."

Future Innovation Directions

1. Material Performance and Microstructure Innovation

Develop medium-thickness plate products that balance mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and fatigue performance, while achieving uniform, stable, and low residual stress internal microstructure.

2. Green Manufacturing Upgrade

Promote the application of secondary aluminum in high-end medium-thickness plates, with the current proportion around 25%, aiming to reach 50% or more by 2030.