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Europe's largest aluminum rolling mill - Constellium's Neuf-Brisach plant in France - has celebrated a half century of producing rolled aluminum for the automotive and packaging markets.
"As we celebrate 50 years of growth and industrial excellence, it is largely thanks to the women and men who have collaborated at all levels to achieve the success that we know today. Our fully Integrated plant Is constantly adapting, resolutely forward-looking and committed to serving Its customers," said Site Director Ludovic Piquier at a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the plant, which was opened on October 13, 1967.
With a capacity of 450,000 tons of rolled products, the plant contributes to making Constellium a world leader in the design and manufacture of aluminium high-value products and solutions. It was built to serve the growing needs of the automotive sector. Since the opening aluminum has also become the material of choice for beverage cans, which led to the plant moving into the packaging market as well. NeufBrisach has an integrated offering, recyling the equivalent of more than three billion cans a year, which is more than half of the beverage cans used in France each year.
The history of Neuf-Brisach is one of continuous improvement, modernization and expansion with a view to increasing Its production capabilities. The plant Is constantly growing, says Olivier Lach, Engineering Department Director. Neuf-Brisach was originally designed to cater for an expected growth In the demand for automotive body sheet, but development was slower than expected and Constellium had to wait until 2000s for the market to materialize. It was only then that the 400,000 tons of rolled products a year production target set by the plant's "founding fathers" was achieved.
In the Intervening years the plant had...