Automotive aluminium sheet: the road ahead Part 2

Aluminium automotive sheet demand and production are closely linked – original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) make the decision to convert from steel to aluminium sheet based on a number of supply considerations, not least the ability of the aluminium rolling industry to supply material on a consistent basis with required volumes and quality. The shift towards greater use of aluminium body sheet (ABS) has triggered considerable investment in corresponding output. Responding to robust demand, all major rollers have made significant investments in new automotive capacity. So far the announced expansions have been based on adding heat treatment lines to existing cold-rolled capacity. We expect this trend to continue and believe that increasing use of ABS will not result in any significant investment in greenfield rolling mills over the next five years.