Cool curves

The role of aluminium in Denmarks Blue Planet aquarium

NEWS ON INNOVATIVE ALUMINIUM SOLUTIONS FROM THE SAPA GROUP 1:2014
Aluminium can do so much.
It is light, easy to use, very
exible and cost-ef cient.
Architect Kim Herforth Nielsen
GREEN SOLUTIONS
ENERGY-POSITIVE
BUILDINGS
HIGH HOPES
GROWTH SIGNS
IN BRAZIL
13SAPA1_cover_8227.indd 1 2014-02-12 13:41:55
T
ODAY WE HAVE A NEW SAPA, combin-
ing the extrusion, building systems
and precision tubing operations of
Sapa and Hydro. The new company
has 100 plants in more than 40
countries and has joined complementary assets
and skills to become better at delivering value
to customers.
We are stronger, with 23,000 employees who
are passionate about aluminium solutions. And
we are diferent, with more commercial and
engineering people than our extrusion com-
petitors have employees and we ofer a wider
range of equipment than anyone else in the
industry.
I want Sapa to be the industry shaper.
I want us to be rst on the list when customers
look for aluminium solutions,
because we understand the
value of working closely with
customers to make smarter and
better solutions in the material
of the future.
Shapes will be published
twice a year in 17 languages.
It will bring you trends
and new applications,
technical articles and
independent market
analysis. I hope you nd
the magazine useful for
your business.
07
Demand on the rise
Theres high growth potential for aluminium
in Brazil, with the construction sector a key market.
14
Watery wonderland
Aluminium is the favorite material of Kim Herforth
Nielsen, part of the team behind Denmarks national
aquarium.
18
Inspiring creativity
Sapas Prole Academy gives customers the technical
skills they need to produce truly creative solutions.
22
Positive energy
Buildings created by Norways Powerhouse alliance
produce more power than they consume.
EditoriAL contentS
Stronger for
our customers
07
18
14
22
President and CEO of Sapa
SVEIN TORE HOLSETHER
Shapes is the Sapa Groups customer magazine. It is published twice a year in 17 language editions.
Editor-in-chief: Kevin Widlic, kevin.widlic@sapagroup.com Editorial Assistant: Eva Ekselius,
eva.ekselius@sapagroup.com Managing Editor: Ylva Carlsson Art Director: Karin Sderlind
Language coordination: Inger Finell Production: Appelberg Publishing Group,
Printing: V-TAB Changes of address: Inform your contact person at Sapa or Corporate
Communications at info@sapagroup.com Shapes is also available at www.sapagroup.com
Copyright Sapa AS 2013 - Sapa's product names in this magazine are all
trademarks of Sapa Group.
MORE TO READ
How it works/Unigrain 03 In Focus/The New Sapa 04 News 10
Center Spread/Global View 12 Trends 17 Role Model 22
13SAPA1_content_editorial_8228.indd 2 2014-02-17 13:26:46
A superior solution
Regular proles Unigrain proles
Sapas unigrain proles target a common form of waste.
PERIPHERAL COARSE grain
problems are a major cause
of waste and increased
costs for manufacturers
using extruded aluminium
proles in forging and
machining. The outer layer
of conventional forging
stock and machining bar
products often carries large
crystals that can weaken
the nal product and lead
to product failure.
Sapas unigrain technology
presents a unique and af-
fordable solution. Unigrain
products are used in many
sectors, including automo-
tive and transport.
TEXT DANIEL DASEY ILLUSTRATION SAPA
Signicant peripheral coarse grain
problems. A thick layer of large-grained
recrystallized microstructure on the
surface leads to issues in further pro-
cessing and inferior product quality.
Limited geometric tolerance capability
for proles, due to an inferior extrusion
process. Potential applications are
limited.
Signicant levels of waste and
increased cost, due to failure in the
nished product.
Peripheral coarse grain problems
reduced by one order of magnitude.
Geometric tolerances enhanced
by one order of magnitude for
relevant prole shapes, meaning
more potential applications.
Signicant reduction in waste
levels. Greater efciency and lower
cost.
Features
Features
how it works
13SAPA1_how_it_works_8229.indd 3 2014-02-17 18:31:44
4 SHAPES 1. 2014
The newly formed Sapa is the worlds largest
supplier of aluminium solutions. Now the company also
has its sights set on becoming the worlds best.
W
E ARE THE BIGGEST aluminium solutions
supplier, says Svein Tore Holsether, president
and CEO of Sapa. Now we want to become the
best supplier, and we will do that by investing
in our strengths. Our competence allows us to
challenge traditional thinking and help shape a lighter future.
Norsk Hydro ASA and Orkla ASAs fully owned Sapa agreed in
2012 to combine their businesses that produce aluminium pro-
les, building systems and tubing. The newly created company is
a 50-50 joint venture, also called Sapa, with operations in more
than 40 countries. It starts out with leading positions in Europe
and North America, and strong footholds in emerging markets
such as Brazil, Argentina, China, India and Vietnam.
THE NEW SAPA IS THE INDUSTRY leader in terms of global
reach, R&D, technical competence, product range and closeness
to the customer. Customers should benet, not only because
Sapas combined competence will be available throughout its
100 locations around the world, but also because the stronger
company will force competitors to sharpen their own capabili-
ties to keep pace.
I think this will help lift the industry, Holsether says.
Combining the extrusion businesses of Sapa and Hydro will
require care, however. Holsether is aware that the new com-
panys sunny outlook will probably look cloudier in areas where
restructuring is on the agenda. This is especially the case in
Europe, where most markets and segments have been sufering
for the past ve years.
EVEN SEPARATELY, BOTH COMPANIES would have had to
restructure, Holsether says. I believe that by combining our
operations, with the aim of bringing forward the best from both,
we can adjust to the current market situation in a better way
than we would have been able to do individually. Having a strong
and solid partner, able to deliver, should also benet customers.
The new goal is to be the best solutions partner in any indus-
try for customers, Holsether says.
This is our goal, nothing less, Holsether says. Both Hydro
and Sapa had been working on their own toward becoming the
preferred supplier in the industry. Combining the best of both is
like creating a dream team. We want to be a dream supplier.
While Holsether says he expects the positive trends regard-
TEXT KEVIN WIDLIC PHOTO KRISTOFER SAMUELSSON

Smarter
better
THENEWsapa
13SAPA1_new_sapa_8230.indd 4 2014-02-18 00:24:26
Smarter
better
We want to take
on the role of
industry shapeR.
Svein Tore Holsether,
president and CEO of Sapa
13SAPA1_new_sapa_8230.indd 5 2014-02-12 13:42:03
6 SHAPES 1. 2014
CUSTOMERS WELCOME THE NEW SAPA
With the merger giving
birth to a bigger new Sapa,
tube customers expect
that greater technical
resources will be commit-
ted to improve product
properties to ensure supe-
rior tube forming, expan-
sion and aring without
metal build-up on tools
during mass manufactur-
ing. Another expectation is
to enable tube customers
to build robust products
with improved corrosion
resistance and strong leak-
proof joints.
Dr. R. K. Malhotra
Chairman, Spirotech Heat Exchangers
New Delhi, India
As an extrusion cus-
tomer of both Hydro
and Sapa, we believe
that a united company
will increase their ex-
ibility and ensure and
even improve delivery
stability and quality. The
innovative forces within
extrusion proles of
the newborn Sapa will
hopefully keep our prod-
ucts one step ahead,
especially in reducing
extrusion tolerances and
volume cost.
Thomas Rubaek,
Project Manager, Fionia Lighting
Snders, Denmark
We have long-standing
working relationships with
both Hydro and Sapa.
Over the years, we have
overcome dif culties to
arrive at an efective way
of working together. The
consolidation of these two
companies will create new
opportunities in the alu-
minium market and lead
to new possibilities and
areas of cooperation on
many levels. We hope that
our future cooperation will
be even more fruitful.
Aldona Berczyska,
Purchasing Manager, Altrad-Mostostal
Spka Siedlce, Poland
ing aluminium usage per capita to continue in emerging
markets such as Brazil and China, he is counting on more
mature markets such as Europe and North America to stay
in the forefront in developing sustainable applications that
can meet the requirements of global megatrends like urban-
ization and climate change. I also believe China will play
an important role in aluminium innovation, he says.
Meanwhile, Sapa will keep striving to nd solutions
where aluminium makes sense for the customer, using its
enhanced knowledge of materials and applications.
We need to be more creative in using aluminium to
replace other materials, like copper and steel, because in
many cases, customers will not ask, Holsether says. We
know aluminium and must show the opportunities.
Growing demand
G
Global megatrends of strong ur-
banization, higher living standards,
climate change and an increasing
need for energy require innovative,
ef cient and sustainable solutions.
G
The demand for lighter vehicles
and energy-ef cient buildings is
growing. New design trends include
aluminium products. Aluminium is
innitely recyclable, with no loss of
its positive characteristics.
THE NEW sapa
13SAPA1_new_sapa_8230.indd 6 2014-02-18 00:24:38
1. 2014 ShapeS 7
CONSUMPTION OF EXTRUDED aluminium in
Brazil is running some 7.5 percent ahead of last
years pace, thanks in part to construction for
the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic
Games. The Brazilian Aluminium Association
(ABAL) expects consumption for 2013 to total
366,000 metric tons.
More than half of the demand has come from
the construction sector, especially in frames,
and ABAL technical director Ayrton Filletti says
the sector should continue driving extrusion
consumption over the next years. He says part of
the growth is tied directly to construction for the
World Cup and Olympics, where extrusion-related
projects include stadiums and airports.
In the medium and long term, the increased
demands for quality and environmental comfort
thermal and acoustic and greater accuracy in
meeting the performance standards of frames and
faades should contribute to increased consumption
of extruded products in construction, Filletti says.
Other market segments in Brazil also have
high growth potential, he says. The main one is
transportation, which accounts for 15 percent of
extruded products demand.
IN THE TRANSPORTATION segment, ABAL ex-
pects the growth of aluminium proles consump-
tion to be sustained by the need for lighter bodies
for cargo transport. This trend is being pressed
forward by requirements related to the environ-
ment, such as reduced fuel consumption, Filletti
says.
We also see great potential for extrusions in
other modes of people transport, such as railways,
urban surface trains and subways, he says. The
shipping and ofshore industries are also likely
to use more extruded aluminium in the next few
years, he says.
Brazils per capita consumption of extruded
ayrton Filletti,
Technical director
ABAL.
Experts predict continued
growth in aluminium in
Brazil in coming years.
TEXT kevin widlic PHOTO iSTockphoTo,
paulo GuimareS
BRAZIL
outlook
High hopes
13SAPA1_brazil_8231.indd 7 2014-02-17 13:26:52
8 SHAPES 1. 2014
REGARDLESS OF WHO WINS the World Cup
soccer championship at Maracan Stadium in Rio de
Janeiro next year, Sapa is already satised with one
result: The refurbished stadium contains more than
50 metric tons of its extruded aluminium solutions.
The upgrade of Maracan Stadium, which
hosted nearly 200,000 people for the nal match
of the 1950 World Cup, includes extruded alumin-
ium components on the main faade and on the
stadiums entry doors, or portals. The customers
wanted an aluminium frame that will last and
that is attractive to the eye, says Sapa commercial
manager Marcelo Santos.
Sapas extrusion company in Itu, near So Paulo,
has also supplied solutions to the Arena Per-
nambuco in Recife, another venue for the World
Cup games, and to the Governor Roberto Santos
products is just under two kilograms a
year, about half that of more economi-
cally developed countries.
Consumption is growing slowly and
gradually, Filletti says. We do not see
the prospect of a quantum leap in the
coming years in Brazil.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE for the ex-
trusion industry is to make the product
best known in all the market segments
where it can be applied. There is little
literature on the extrusion process and a
general lack of knowledge regarding the
properties and comparative advantages
of extruded aluminium proles among
speciers and industries.
ABAL and the extrusion companies
in Brazil have undertaken sustained ef-
forts to promote the material and bring
knowledge of it to technical engineering
and architecture schools and to industry
professionals, he says.
outlook
BRAZIL
Amandio
Nascimento,
the owner of
Grupo Paris.
Sapa in Brazil
SAPA HAS TWO operations in
Itu, outside So Paulo, employ-
ing more than 500 people.
The aluminium extrusion
plant, the larger of the oper-
ations, serves the Brazilian
market with extruded products
for a variety of applications,
primarily in the construction
and transport industries.
The smaller operation in-
volves the production of preci-
sion aluminium tubing for uid
transport and heat transfer
applications.
Sapa is playing a key role in the
upgrade of the Rio de Janeiros
Maracan Stadium.
TEXT KEVIN WIDLIC PHOTO SAPA
The right
framework
13SAPA1_brazil_8231.indd 8 2014-02-12 13:42:10
1. 2014 SHAPES 9
The project
Site: Maracan
Stadium in
Rio de Janeiro
Supplier: Sapa
Extrusions
in Itu, Brazil
Consultants:
Crescncio
Petrucci and
Luciene Longo
Metal builder:
Grupo Paris
Construction
company:
Construtora
Odebrecht
Stadium in Salvador, in the state of Bahia.
Sapa delivered the supporting structure for the
solar panels that generate energy for the stadium
in Salvador. The structure was built with anodized
and machined extrusions.
Crescncio Petrucci and Luciene Longo were
the consultants who handled the project together
with the metal builder Grupo Paris and construc-
tion company Construtora Odebrecht.
WHEN I WAS IN ARCHITECTURE school, there
was a lot of disagreement between students, but
one thing everybody would always agree on was
the advantage about aluminium usage in our
projects, says Longo. That is why I have chosen
to work with this material since then, due to its
strength, performance and beauty.
Once the material was decided, Amandio Nasci-
mento, the owner of Grupo Paris, says selecting the
extruder became a simple exercise because of the
companys quality products and quality service.
When we were awarded the Maracan project
the icon of our football we could not help but
share this with the Acro team in Itu, assigning
them to supply the aluminium solutions for this
unique work we are proud to be part of.
Santos agrees that this is something special.
When the people here heard they would be supply-
ing aluminium parts for the upgrade of Maracan,
they really got excited, he says. All customers are
equally important, but because the World Cup is a
showcase for Brazilians, we may have moved a little
faster in meeting the deadlines and shipping the
products within the tight specications required.
Maracan Stadium will
host seven FIFA World
Cup 2014 matches,
including the nal.
The right
framework
13SAPA1_brazil_8231.indd 9 2014-02-12 13:42:13
10 SHAPES 1. 2014
news


Inspirational winners
SAPA HAS CONDUCTED
its rst Friction Stir Welding
(FSW) trial on production
equipment using the bobbin
FSW tool, a welding tool that
consists of two shoulders act-
ing on a welded section from
both sides.
This is an exciting develop-
ment within the eld of FSW,
says Mike Tozier, technology
development manager at Sapa
Extrusions North America.
It enables us to weld thicker
material than ever before and
hollow proles that previously
could not be welded cost-
efectively.
He sees the technology as
most applicable for structural
components for mass trans-
portation applications and
bridges, as well as for various
industrial and consumer prod-
ucts that use hollow extrusions
and require a robust joining
method. Sapa is now working
to identify the right applica-
tions and commercialize the
technology.
Exciting results from friction stir welding trials
SIX PROJECTS USING aluminium
have won prizes at the World Architec-
ture Festival (WAF) in Singapore.
Held last year on October 2-4, WAF is
the worlds largest architectural event.
Awards were presented to projects across
30 categories, including of ces, places of
religion, family homes, schools and shop-
ping centers. Both completed and future
architecture projects were recognized.
The gold medal in the category Future
Projects Experimental went to the White
Collar Factory in London, UK. The
16-story tower will soon stand tall at the
Old Street Yard in Londons emerging
Tech City Quarter. It is a new of ce build-
ing that takes its cues from the multilevel
type of factory.
THE WHITE COLLAR Factory has been
carefully designed to meet a progressive
energy ef ciency and carbon reduction
strategy. Externally the building will
have glazing interspersed with solid
areas of faade made up from anod-
ized aluminium panels with punched
holes, inspired by Jean Prouvs Maison
Tropicale, a 1950s prefabricated housing
system. These panels also help control
solar gain the south-facing faade will
have more solid areas and the north will
be fully glazed.
Other projects involving aluminium
that received awards were: A Simple Fac-
tory Building in Singapore; conversion of
the Palais Rasumofsky in Austria; Statoil
Regional and International Of ces in
Norway; the Blue Planet aquarium in
Denmark; and Emporia shopping center
in Sweden.
THE WHITE COLLAR FACTORY is an original concept for the design and construction of new
of ce buildings. The tower will accommodate nearly 20, 000 square meters of workspace.
READ MORE AT:
www.worldarchitecturefestival.com
13SAPA1_news_8232.indd 10 2014-02-12 13:42:15
1. 2014 SHAPES 11

news

Inspirational winners
UMBROSA NV IS A BELGIAN high-
end manufacturer of designer sun
screens, or shade creations, made
with aluminium. The company dis-
tributes its products to more than 40
countries.
Design and innovation are pillars in
Umbrosas business strategy, as the
company strives to dierentiate its
product range in the market. Welded
aluminium tubes are materials of
choice due to a superior strength-to-
weight ratio and brilliant aesthetics,
compared with other materials.
Aluminium shade solution
SAPA CHALCO Aluminium
Products celebrated its formal open-
ing in November. The joint venture is
owned equally by Sapa and Chinalco,
and it is located in Chongqing. The
modern aluminium extrusion and
fabrication plant includes facilities
for research and development. China
is the worlds largest consumer of
aluminium extrusions.
Start-up for venture in China
Kids paint the future
JAPANESE SCHOOLCHILDREN
between the ages of 10 and 14 have
painted their ideas of how they
think aluminium will be used in the
future. The competition, organized
by the Japan Aluminium Associa-
tion, saw 2,000 schools in Tokyo take
part. Some paintings illustrate how
aluminium will be used in spaceships,
cars, airplanes and buildings. Others
imagine how pets will be replaced
by aluminium robots, and one even
depicts an underwater aluminium
school bus. This years contest is the
third annual edition of the event,
which started in 2011.
A MAN IN AMERICA started collecting alu-
minium cans 30 years ago to help fund his two
grandsons college tuition fees.
That took a lot of cans, says Bob Johnson,
who now has about 60,000 US dollars for his
grandsons.
Johnson, of New Richmond, Wisconsin,
collects and stores the cans, only selling
them annually around Earth Day in April, when
most companies pay more for them.
Cans fund grandsons college
The approximate proportion of
all the aluminium ever produced that
is still in productive use.
13SAPA1_news_8232.indd 11 2014-02-17 18:33:02
GLOBAL VIEW
12 SHAPES 1. 2014
A world of solutions
Bringing together two market
leaders in the extrusion business
means the new Sapa can serve
customers across the planet.
SAPA HAS A GLOBAL OFFERING within
general extrusions, aluminium building systems
and precision tubing for heat transfer applica-
tions. The company has 100 production units in
40 countries. The head ofce is in Oslo, Norway.
Sapa Extrusions are used in buildings, cars,
transportation, electronics and millions of other
applications around the globe.
Sapa Building Systems ofers a wide range
of branded value-added systems and solutions
for building and construction based on aluminium
proles.
Sapa Precision Tubing is a global provider
of aluminium solutions for automotive, solar and
HVAC&R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning
and refrigeration) heat transfer applications.
13SAPA1_sapa_in_the_world_8233.indd 12 2014-02-17 13:27:15

countries
40

presses
casthouses
anodizing
lines
welding lines
paint lines

employees
23,000
1. 2014 SHAPES 13
13SAPA1_sapa_in_the_world_8233.indd 13 2014-02-12 13:42:31
14 SHAPES 1. 2014
The Blue Planet aquarium is about storytelling,
says architect Kim Herforth Nielsen.
profile KIM HERFORTH NIELSEN
Waterworld
TEXT LARS STERLIND PHOTO NILS BERGENDAL
SHIMMERING
metallic building
in the shape of a
giant whirlpool
stands beside the
sea, giving visitors a
taste of what awaits
them inside. This
is Denmarks new
national aquarium, the Blue Planet, inspired by the
shape of water in endless motion.
Visitors can stroll through 53 separate aquari-
ums and get a breathtaking, up-close look at some
450 species of sh and other aquatic creatures.
We wanted to bring our visitors down to the sh,
not the other way around, says Kim Herforth
Nielsen, principal partner at the Danish architec-
tural rm 3XN, whose design for the aquarium
won the World Architecture Festival Display
Award 2013.
THIS BUILDING IS a habitat for sh, he says.
What makes our approach diferent is that we cre-
ate a building not only from the exterior but from
its interior as well. Some 20 people were involved
in the project at 3XN, which landed the design
contract in 2008.
The architects came up with the whirlpool after
experimenting with many diferent versions of the
form. It was a long process to develop the nal
design of the building, Herforth Nielsen says. The
challenge was to nd a material exible enough for
the shape and at the right price.
The building comprises a series of curved wings,
designed to imitate the shapes generated by swirl-
ing water. The main entrance, reached by follow-
ing the longest arm of the whirlpool, leads into a
circular foyer at the heart of the building. There,
visitors can look up through a glass ceiling into a
pool directly overhead. Exhibitions are distributed
throughout the curved wings, and there is no xed
route through the building. This way, 3XN aims to
shorten the lines of visitors for the most popular
aquariums.
Many parts of the complex construction feature
aluminium. The outside is covered with thousands
of diamond-shaped aluminium plates, known as
shingles. The design and the pattern of the faade
had to be simplied time and again to stay within
the budget. 3XN tested many diferent materials
13SAPA1_profile_8234.indd 14 2014-02-12 13:42:36
1. 2013 ShapeS 15
Kim Herforth Nielsen
Hometown:
Copenhagen
Age: 59
Family: Wife and four
children
Education: Architect
MAA/RIB from the
Aarhus School of
Architecture, where
he now is a professor
of architecture
Next challenge: We
have many new proj-
ects abroad, such as a
college in India and a
library in Canada.
13SAPA1_profile_8234.indd 15 2014-02-12 13:42:39
16 SHAPES 1. 2014
THE BLUE PLANET
Denmarks new National
Aquarium, the largest
aquarium in Northern
Europe
Its 53 aquariums contain
7 million liters of water
The Blue Planet displays
more than 20,000 animals
and 450 species
The faade is covered
33,000 aluminium
shingles, measuring
12,000 square meters and
weighing a total of more
than 40 tons
The gross oor area is
9,700 square meters
The aquarium, situated
1.5 km from Copenhagen
Airport, opened on March
22, 2013
including glazed tiles, ber concrete and berglass.
I nally chose shingles in aluminium for the
faade, which reects the sun and the sky in a fan-
tastic way, Herforth Nielsen says. In the winter,
the aluminium takes on a new look when ice forms
intriguing patterns on the shingles.
The Blue Planet stands on an elevated headland
facing the sea, north of Kastrup Harbor. Its dis-
tinctive shape is clearly visible to travelers arriving
by plane at the nearby Copenhagen Airport. In ad-
dition, aluminium is used for the large panoramic
windows in the restaurant overlooking the sea.
HERFORTH NIELSEN SAYS aluminium is his
favorite material. He uses it in some form in all
buildings the rm creates. Aluminium can do so
much, he says. It is light, easy to use, very exible
and cost-efcient. At 3XNs elongated, white-
colored ofce in a former warehouse building in
central Copenhagen, the oor is made of alumin-
ium. I think that aluminium will be used more
frequently for oors in the future, he says. Weve
done the same thing in the Maritime Museum in
Helsingr. The aluminium oor reects the day-
light very nicely.
The architectural rms studio, housed in a
listed building from 1763, was renovated in 2008.
It is designed as a large open loft with two levels.
The amount of light entering at the upper level,
where meetings are held, is limited, so a light ceil-
ing 40 meters long and four meters wide simulates
natural daylight. The light is reected in the white
surfaces and the aluminium oor.
3XN has designed many public buildings, such
as the Muziekgebouw concert hall in Amster-
dam, the restad College in Copenhagen and the
Stockholm City Station. The rm is also known
for many spectacular bank and company build-
ings, such as the Saxo Bank in Copenhagen and
Swedbanks head ofce in Stockholm. All build-
ings that make a diference are interesting, says
Herforth Nielsen. Our philosophy is that archi-
tecture shapes behavior, and that the building
always should add a new and positive quality to
the context. He points to the restad College as
a good example where design is both functional
and decorative. There we have created rooms
where people can interact, which creates synergies
between people, he says.
profile KIM HERFORTH NIELSEN
THE CHALLENGE
WAS TO FIND A
MATERIAL FLEXIBLE
ENOUGH FOr THE
SHAPE AND AT THE
RIGHT PRICE.
Kim Herforth Nielsen
13SAPA1_profile_8234.indd 16 2014-02-12 13:42:42
1. 2014 SHAPES 17
automotive-industry trends
The automotive sector will become the aluminium
industrys major market in the years ahead, according
to Christian Wellner, executive director of the German
Aluminium Industry Association. Shapes asked him
where the greatest opportunities and challenges lay.
TEXT MICHAEL LAWTON ILLUSTRATION ISTOCKPHOTO
ENVIRONMENTAL
ADVANTAGE
The automotive industry is
under permanent pressure to reduce
fuel consumption and thereby
carbon dioxide emissions. That
means reducing vehicle weight and
lightweight construction is linked
with the use of aluminium.
INCREASED DEMAND
Aluminium can be used in
almost all parts of a car. We expect
particular growth in extruded sec-
tions and milled semi-nished prod-
ucts for body parts, drive units and
car interiors. Aluminium is attractive
because it can be processed in difer-
ent ways, as well as in combinations
of diferent processes.
GLOBAL PRESENCE
Automotive manufacturers are
global players who want to be able
to prot consistently from the advan-
tages of aluminium. That means the
aluminium industry should enter into
joint ventures and collaborations to
benet from the worldwide growth
in the market.
TECHNOLOGICAL
INNOVATION
Innovation is our life insurance.
Theres a lot of research going on
in the eld of joining aluminium
components to one another or to
other materials using adhesives or
laser welding. Another area of focus
is improving aluminium screws.
CONTINUED
CHALLENGE
The big automotive manufac-
turers are working to develop new
combinations of materials not just
aluminium, but also lighter steels
and carbon-ber-reinforced resin.
We are innovating in our research to
optimize materials and processes to
ensure that aluminium continues to
be the material of choice.
Trends Trends
13SAPA1_trends_8235.indd 17 2014-02-13 11:29:59
18 SHAPES 1. 2014
Sapas Prole Academy
teaches customers how
to design cost-efective,
functional and clever
solutions.
TEXT CARI SIMMONS
PHOTO CLAUDETTE CARRACEDO, CHRIS RYAN
INDUSTRIES AND INDIVIDUALS are beginning
to recognize the exibility, light weight and aes-
thetic advantages that come with using aluminium
and are eager to learn more about this versatile
material, used in everything from cofeemakers to
computers to cars.
Sapa is sharing its expertise by working with
colleges and universities, many of which want to
incorporate information about aluminium proles
into their engineering and design curriculums,
often for the rst time. Customers and others can
learn more about aluminium design through the
Sapa Prole Academy, a multi-day program held in
a host of diferent countries (see sidebar). Partici-
pants get hands-on assistance from internal and
external design experts who can help them turn
ideas into innovative, functional and cost-efcient
solutions.
Through the Prole Academy, participants
become more procient in designing aluminium
DEVELOPMENT DESIGN
Learn
&

create
13SAPA1_sapa_academy_8236.indd 18 2014-02-12 13:42:48
1. 2014 SHAPES 19
Broader
perspective
How did the Sapa Prole Academy
help you with product design?
The combination of technical
and design expertise of the Sapa
speakers and sta, combined with
the experience of seeing product
development in all the stages from
raw material to nal end product,
helped to envision the endless
possibilities of product design and
at the same time understand some
of technical processes.
How are you using the knowledge you
gained in your daily work?
The technical and design knowl-
edge that I gained from the Sapa
sta allows me to now look at
new product design and current
products from a much broader
perspective, and I can draw from
more aluminium-based products in
everyday life for some inspiration.
How would you dene good design?
Good design is being able to
incorporate pleasing visual and
tactile appeal to the practical
elements of product engineering.
In 2013, Desmond Chan,
president of Wedge Clamp
Systems, attended Sapa
Prole Academy in Portland,
Oregon, USA.
DESMOND CHAN is the president of Wedge Clamp Systems,
a company based in Vancouver, Canada, and Suzhou, China,
that produces innovative automotive hoists.
13SAPA1_sapa_academy_8236.indd 19 2014-02-17 20:37:22
20 SHAPES 1. 2014
proles, says Peter Hedman, manager of Sapas
North American technical center, in Portland,
Oregon. We give them access to product design-
ers, metallurgists and other internal and external
specialists.
The Prole Academy also provides an oppor-
tunity to work with a customers specic prole.
Sometimes, customers will come to us with a
complicated design with features that are dif-
cult to achieve, says Hedman. After learning
about design basics and options for aluminium
in the rst day of the academy, participants will
frequently grab one of our team and were of
drawing.
By the end of the program, original designs have
often been rehashed into something that saves
customers time and money with a product that is
more feasible from a production standpoint. We
discuss cost drivers, Hedman says. If you dont
know about the manufacturing process, it is hard
to design proles that are cost-ef cient.
The Sapa Academy includes information
about such things as tolerances and how various
parts can be made to t together. It also includes
a seminar on how to understand and interpret
often-complicated industry standards regarding
tolerances.
NEW IDEAS ARE frequently sparked by a presen-
tation showcasing customer cases using alumini-
um design. A customer in one industry can get in-
spiration using techniques across disciplines. For
example, one customer working with refrigerated
delivery trucks borrowed an insulation technology
from the aluminium window industry.
During the program, participants from difer-
ent industries work in small groups on various
aluminium designs and solutions, something that
helps the creative process, says Peter Richter, the
marketing coordinator responsible for the Prole
Academy in Sweden. We might put a buyer, an
engineer, a designer and a president from diferent
industries together in a work group, and we see
how doing this raises the level of creativity within
each person.
Although participants come from diferent en-
vironments, each one contributes to the group. As
Richter says, Good design has to do with seeing
something from a diferent perspective.
Richter has observed an increased focus on
design in general. Its the outside of a product that
catches the eye rst, he says. Those who dont
pay attention to design will not be in business
tomorrow.
THE SAPA PROFILE Academy is
held in more than 20 countries across
the world, in the Americas, Asia and
Europe.
MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE have
attended the Prole Academy since
the rst academy in 1996.
PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE designers,
technicians, engineers, product
developers and architects across
all industries.
Across the world
DEVELOPMENT DESIGN
IF YOU DONT know
about the manufac-
turing process, it is
hard to design pro-
les that are cost-
ef cient, says Peter
Hedman, manager
of Sapas North
American technical
center.
13SAPA1_sapa_academy_8236.indd 20 2014-02-17 13:27:42
1. 2014 SHAPES 21
INNOVATION BREAKTHROUGHS often
happen when things are not going quite the way
you expected, Jefrey Insalaco says. When that
happens, its important to dig in and nd out
why something is not working. Learning from
mistakes is often when you take a step forward
in developing new technologies and products
that lead to patents.
Ive been working with heat transfer
technology ever since doing a university project
in 1985, and Ive developed a passion for it. Its
so important to be passionate about what you
do because thats when you start having fun,
become an expert and contribute to business.
What I really like about Sapa is having the
freedom to innovate and explore new ideas. I
spend a lot of time with customers, talking to
product designers to nd their value point or
visiting manufacturing facilities to see how they
integrate our materials into their processes.
Inventing patents is a bit like being an art-
ist you go through creative cycles. One of my
favorite patents was a back extrusion process
for forming a manifold port. It applied several
engineering disciplines and diferent proper-
ties of aluminium, die design, nite element,
lubricants and coatings. It covered everything
that would have been part of a core curriculum
in mechanical engineering! Having one of my
patents end up as a component in 130 million
cars was very satisfying.
A passion for
innovation
ROLE MODEL
Jefrey Insalaco, chief engineer
for extruded products in Sapa,
has 13 patent certicates.
TEXT CARI SIMMONS PHOTO SCOTT COOK
Jefrey Insalaco
Occupation: Chief engi-
neer, extruded products.
Work location: Sapa
operations in Florida,
USA.
Age: 51
Number of engineers in
the family: Four (includ-
ing Jes son and two
brothers).
Hobbies: My work is my
hobby in a sense. I also
like to play golf and exer-
cise when Im not with
my three grandchildren.
Theyre another hobby.
13SAPA1_inspirer_8237.indd 21 2014-02-12 13:42:58
A positive contribution
Clever design and modern materials mean Norways rst energy
positive buildings will produce more power than they consume.

B
UILDINGS OF ALL KINDS
consume huge amounts of en-
ergy. In Europe they account for
some 40 percent of total energy
requirements. Among current
initiatives to meet increasingly
tough energy and environmental
demands are net-zero-energy
buildings and energy-plus houses. The work of
Norways Powerhouse alliance shows that the
energy performance of new and existing buildings
can be improved dramatically, even in cold Nordic
climates.
Powerhouse was launched in 2011 and aims
to develop commercial buildings that produce
more renewable energy over their lifespan than
is consumed in the production of their materi-
als, their construction, operation, demolition and
their utlimate disposal. The alliance is composed
of property management rm Entra Eiendom,
construction company Skanska, architectural rm
Snhetta, environmental group Zero, aluminium
company Hydro and consulting rm Asplan Viak.
The construction of Powerhouse One at Brat-
trkaia in Trondheim municipality is planned to
start in 2014 or 2015. It will be the rst newly built
energy-positive ofce building in Norway and the
northernmost in the world.
At Kjrbo in Sandvika near Oslo, two existing
structures will be refurbished to become Norways
rst energy-positive ofce complex.
The Brattrkaia design by architectural rm
Snhetta is both eye-catching and technically
Aluminium has many
advantages, says Tine
Hegli, senior architect,
Snhetta.
innovative. Building-integrated photovoltaic
(BIPV) solar panels cover the roof and much of the
faades. A 2,000-square-meter BIPV installation
on the roof will be one of the largest in Europe. For
optimal solar energy utilization the roof slopes
southward at a 20-degree angle.
The BIPVs, along with heat exchangers and heat
pumps, will produce electricity and heat. Seawater
will be used for heating and cooling.
The faade design, with hidden window panels,
required extremely slim proles, making alu-
minium the perfect choice. Aluminium has many
advantages, says Tine Hegli, a senior architect at
Snhetta. Its a light material that is easy to work
with and easy to customize to your needs. Its also
a living material that reects light beautifully.
Aluminium can also withstand the harsh cli-
mate of Norways Atlantic coast.
BOTH PROJECTS WERE PLANNED and are
being realized with aluminium solutions from
Wicona, a leading aluminium systems brand and
now part of Sapas building systems group.
Phillip Mller, a senior consultant for build-
ing physics and sustainability with Sapa , says,
Aluminium proles are easy to access, which is
an important aspect at Brattrkaia, where the
building design otherwise makes maintenance and
cleaning challenging.
Lacking the conceptual freedom of Brattrkaia,
the rehabilitation of the Kjrbo buildings called for
other solutions.
Anodized aluminium and wood are used to keep
GREENSOLUTION POWERHOUSE
TEXT ULF WIMAN PHOTO SAPA
22 SHAPES 1. 2014
13SAPA1_customer_case_8238.indd 22 2014-02-12 13:43:00
the historical look of the building a demand from
the local municipality. Aluminium was used to
minimize the window frame size and maximize
transparent areas. A special type of aluminium
window was designed, which can be opened
outward and fullls passive-house requirements,
Mller says. Such a slim frame couldnt have been
produced with a wooden frame.
At both projects, the life-cycle perspective was
crucial. To recycle properly, you need to disman-
tle all materials in a very structured way, Mller
says. Compared with other materials, aluminium
doesnt sufer from quality downgrading during
this process.
THE ORIGINAL BUILDINGS were completed in 1980 and the
refurbishment of two of the buildings is scheduled for
January 2014. Each of the buildings covers approximately
2,600 m
2
. The targeted green building label is BREE AM
outstanding. The current annual energy consumption is
about 1,250,000 kWh or 220 kWh/m
2
.
Energy estimates (per year over lifespan of 60 years):
Energy need for operation: 30 kWh/m
2

Embodied energy: Embodied energy: 22 kWh/m
2
Renewable energy production: 68.5 kWh/m
2

Energy consumption: approx. 100,000 kWh; 20 kWh/m
2
Solar panel capacity: > 200,000 kWh; 41 kWh/m
2
Powerhouse Kjrbo:
1. 2014 SHAPES 23
ALUMINIUM HAS BEEN used to minimize
the window frame size and maximize
transparent areas.
13SAPA1_customer_case_8238.indd 23 2014-02-17 13:27:49
Screen printing
Latch
Hinge
Decorative pattern
Heat sink
Integral tube
Reduced thickness
to allow spring
Screw port
Lugs
Slot for bolt
Christmas tree for
joining to wood or plastic
Slot for rubber seal
Slot for screw
or rivet
Slot
Stop for
sheet material
Screw port on
projection
Grip surface
Endless possibilities
A wide range of functions can be incorporated in extruded aluminium
proles. Sapas idea prole illustrates some of the options.
Screw markings
detail
13SAPA1_detail_8239.indd 24 2014-02-12 13:43:08