Production and demand
The demand for aluminium is increasing year by year. Many applications and developments require a material that is lightweight but nevertheless strong – requirements that aluminium can fulfil optimally. In addition, it is an extremely versatile material.
Shaped aluminium castings
Shape casting is used to produce finished products and various casting processes are used (sand, pressure die or chill casting) depending on the product, the size of the production series and the dimensional accuracy required. The car industry is the most important customer group for shape-casting foundries. The production of aluminium mould castings (pressure die casting, gravity die casting and sand casting) totalled 996,100 tonnes in 2019. In the previous year 2018, 973,200 tonnes of aluminium mould castings were produced. This represents a two percent increase in production in 2019.
Production of shaped aluminium castings
In tonnes | 2018 | 2019 |
---|---|---|
Total | 973,200 | 996,100 |
Die-casting | 590,900 | 603,600 |
Chill casting | 306,800 | 303,500 |
Sand casting | 68,700 | 80,500 |
Other casting processes | 6,800 | 8,500 |
Semi-finished aluminium products
The production of aluminium semi-finished products in 2019 totalled 2.58 million tonnes. Compared with the previous year, this is an increase of five percent. The product portfolio includes rolled products, extruded products, wire and forgings. Semi-finished products is the most important section of the German aluminium industry in quantitive matters.
A total of 2,029,900 tonnes of rolled products were produced in Germany in 2019. This is an increase of nine percent over the previous year. In addition, 522,700 tonnes of extruded products, 18,400 tonnes of technical wire and 5,900 tonnes of conductive material were produced in 2019.
Production von semi-finished aluminium
In tonnes | 2018 | 2019 |
---|---|---|
Total | 2,459,500 | 2,576,900 |
Rolled products | 1,854,900 | 2,029,900 |
Rod and bar | 51,600 | 50,700 |
Profiles | 518,200 | 461,300 |
Tube | 9,200 | 10,700 |
Wire | 19,700 | 18,400 |
Open-die and drop forgings | N/A | N/A |
Conductor material | 5,900 | 5,900 |
Aluminium converting
Packaging for foodstuffs, medication and body-care products is subjected to the highest possible demands. Aluminium is a flexible, multifunctional and lightweight packaging material here. Aluminium packaging is also a material par excellence for the circular economy and can be recycled without any losses after use to conserve resources.
Aluminium processing includes the production of aluminium foil (2019: 278,200 tonnes), the manufacture of tubes, cans and aerosol cans (2019: 42,900 tonnes) and the production of aluminium powder (2019: 32,800 tonnes).
Aluminium converting
In tonnes | 2018 | 2019 |
---|---|---|
Total | 378,000 | 353,900 |
Foil and thin strip | 297,400 | 278,200 |
Tubes, cans, aerosol cans | 45,700 | 42,900 |
Aluminium powder | 34,900 | 32,800 |

Contact
Andreas Postler
Communcations - Markets - Economic Policies
T +49 211 4796-118
andreas.postler@aluinfo.de