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AMG sells stake in graphite
NEWS
Metal Powder Report Volume 70, Number 2 March/April 2015
Sandvik to shut down die cutting business in China
NEWS
Sandvik Materials Technology (SMT) says that it is closing its die cutting business in Qingdao, China. The company is also proposing to close down its die cutting sales office in Halesowen, UK, subject to consultation with the employees as required by local legislation. According to SMT, the closure is in line with its strategy to focus more towards the energy segment and applications related to energy efficiency, and exit businesses that are considered non-core. SMT’s die cutting operation makes various cutting, creasing and special rules mainly for the packaging industry. Invoiced sales
for the business concerned amounted to about SEK75 million in 2013 and the total number of employees is 57, of which 51 in China and 6 in the UK. The business reportedly operated on a low single digit EBIT margin in 2013 and the closure will have marginal impact on EBIT for SMT. Currently, the die cutting operation forms part of the strip, wire and heating technology product area at SMT.
Customer agreements The operations will be phased out during three months and the closure of the die cutting operation is expected to be finalized
during the second quarter of 2015. SMT says that it will honor current customer agreements in the best possible way and work closely with the customers to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible. ‘We see this closure as another step in the transformation of SMT into an energy focused niche actor,’ said Petra Einarsson, president of SMT. ‘We are continuously developing our product portfolio towards even more advanced products and materials for the most demanding industries.’ Sandvik Materials Technology; www.sandvik. com
AMG sells stake in graphite Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V. (AMG) has sold 40% equity interest in AMG Gra¨ hl GmbH by way of a capital phit Kropfmu increase in combination with a 10.33% equity interest in Bogala Graphite Lanka PLC to Alterna Capital Partners for a combined cash price of US$38 million. The transaction follows AMG’s strategy to expand its critical materials business while reducing net debt. AMG Graphite is one of the world’s leading graphite producing and refining companies, with mining activities in Germany,
Africa and Asia, while Bogala Graphite Lanka PLC produces high quality natural vein graphite from its mine in Sri Lanka. With an 80% shareholding, AMG Graphite will remain the majority shareholder in Bogala Graphite Lanka PLC. ‘Natural graphite has a high growth potential and we have to reposition our global value chain to benefit from this opportunity,’ said Dr. Heinz Schimmelbusch, CEO of AMG. ‘We are pleased to have found a partner who shares our views and values.’
Growth strategy ‘We are excited to partner with AMG and their management team to progress AMG Graphite’s growth strategy,’ said Roger Miller, managing partner of Alterna. ‘We believe AMG Graphite has demonstrated a strong track record of providing customers with high quality products and services and the company is well positioned for continued growth.’ Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V.; www.amg-nv.com
New director on ASTM International board Jun Sasaki, PhD, general manager of the Control Research Laboratory at the Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp (NSSMC) in Futtsu, Japan, has been named a director on the ASTM International board for a three-year term. An ASTM member since 2005, Sasaki currently serves as producer vice chairman of
ASTM Committee A01 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys, where he also is a member of several A01 subcommittees. In addition, he is a member of Committee A05 on Metallic-Coated Iron and Steel Products and its subcommittee on sheet specifications. NSSMC manufactures a wide variety of steel products. As general manager of
the Control Research Laboratory, his position since 2012, Sasaki leads corporate research on control technologies and represents his company in executive subcommittee activities of ASTM Committee A01. ASTM; www.astm.org
Two appointments at Atlas Pressed Metals Atlas Pressed Metals has made two appointments to its team. Chris Sconzo has been hired as plant manager and brings more than 25 years of manufacturing, engineering and leadership experience, including plant management, product marketing and senior level management. He most recently served as
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plant manager at lighting manufacturer OSRAM Sylvania. ‘We recognized Chris’ skillset in driving continuous improvement culture, with his hands-on experience in value stream mapping, Kaizen, Six Sigma, Hoshin Kanri and total productive maintenance,’ said Jude Pfingstler, president of Atlas Pressed
Metals. ‘Hiring Chris is strategic to Atlas’ goals to empower results-driven teams to ensure top quality and superior customer service.’ In his role at Atlas, Sconzo will be responsible for managing the operations side of the business including production, engineering, quality and purchasing. His
Metal Powder Report Volume 70, Number 2 March/April 2015
Sandvik to shut down die cutting business in China
NEWS
Sandvik Materials Technology (SMT) says that it is closing its die cutting business in Qingdao, China. The company is also proposing to close down its die cutting sales office in Halesowen, UK, subject to consultation with the employees as required by local legislation. According to SMT, the closure is in line with its strategy to focus more towards the energy segment and applications related to energy efficiency, and exit businesses that are considered non-core. SMT’s die cutting operation makes various cutting, creasing and special rules mainly for the packaging industry. Invoiced sales
for the business concerned amounted to about SEK75 million in 2013 and the total number of employees is 57, of which 51 in China and 6 in the UK. The business reportedly operated on a low single digit EBIT margin in 2013 and the closure will have marginal impact on EBIT for SMT. Currently, the die cutting operation forms part of the strip, wire and heating technology product area at SMT.
Customer agreements The operations will be phased out during three months and the closure of the die cutting operation is expected to be finalized
during the second quarter of 2015. SMT says that it will honor current customer agreements in the best possible way and work closely with the customers to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible. ‘We see this closure as another step in the transformation of SMT into an energy focused niche actor,’ said Petra Einarsson, president of SMT. ‘We are continuously developing our product portfolio towards even more advanced products and materials for the most demanding industries.’ Sandvik Materials Technology; www.sandvik. com
AMG sells stake in graphite Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V. (AMG) has sold 40% equity interest in AMG Gra¨ hl GmbH by way of a capital phit Kropfmu increase in combination with a 10.33% equity interest in Bogala Graphite Lanka PLC to Alterna Capital Partners for a combined cash price of US$38 million. The transaction follows AMG’s strategy to expand its critical materials business while reducing net debt. AMG Graphite is one of the world’s leading graphite producing and refining companies, with mining activities in Germany,
Africa and Asia, while Bogala Graphite Lanka PLC produces high quality natural vein graphite from its mine in Sri Lanka. With an 80% shareholding, AMG Graphite will remain the majority shareholder in Bogala Graphite Lanka PLC. ‘Natural graphite has a high growth potential and we have to reposition our global value chain to benefit from this opportunity,’ said Dr. Heinz Schimmelbusch, CEO of AMG. ‘We are pleased to have found a partner who shares our views and values.’
Growth strategy ‘We are excited to partner with AMG and their management team to progress AMG Graphite’s growth strategy,’ said Roger Miller, managing partner of Alterna. ‘We believe AMG Graphite has demonstrated a strong track record of providing customers with high quality products and services and the company is well positioned for continued growth.’ Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V.; www.amg-nv.com
New director on ASTM International board Jun Sasaki, PhD, general manager of the Control Research Laboratory at the Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp (NSSMC) in Futtsu, Japan, has been named a director on the ASTM International board for a three-year term. An ASTM member since 2005, Sasaki currently serves as producer vice chairman of
ASTM Committee A01 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys, where he also is a member of several A01 subcommittees. In addition, he is a member of Committee A05 on Metallic-Coated Iron and Steel Products and its subcommittee on sheet specifications. NSSMC manufactures a wide variety of steel products. As general manager of
the Control Research Laboratory, his position since 2012, Sasaki leads corporate research on control technologies and represents his company in executive subcommittee activities of ASTM Committee A01. ASTM; www.astm.org
Two appointments at Atlas Pressed Metals Atlas Pressed Metals has made two appointments to its team. Chris Sconzo has been hired as plant manager and brings more than 25 years of manufacturing, engineering and leadership experience, including plant management, product marketing and senior level management. He most recently served as
56
plant manager at lighting manufacturer OSRAM Sylvania. ‘We recognized Chris’ skillset in driving continuous improvement culture, with his hands-on experience in value stream mapping, Kaizen, Six Sigma, Hoshin Kanri and total productive maintenance,’ said Jude Pfingstler, president of Atlas Pressed
Metals. ‘Hiring Chris is strategic to Atlas’ goals to empower results-driven teams to ensure top quality and superior customer service.’ In his role at Atlas, Sconzo will be responsible for managing the operations side of the business including production, engineering, quality and purchasing. His