The mainly export-oriented Swiss aluminium industry is looking back on a satisfactory year in 2014. New orders from the entire transportation industry – the automobile and aerospace industries in particular – ensured a high level of capacity utilization. After the Swiss National Bank’s decision in January 2015 to discontinue the minimum euro exchange rate, the order situation, which had been positive until then, took a dive.
Viewed across all application markets, high competitive pressure from providers in cheaper European and Asian countries in 2014 made it difficult for the Swiss aluminium industry. Additionally, increases in the prices of crude metal made customers hesitant to conclude longer-term contracts, and put pressure on margins. Overall, however, the Swiss aluminium industry was well on track. With complex constructions in ultra-lightweight structural casings for weight reduction and reduction of CO2 emissions as well as with highly engineered anodized finishes it was possible last year in particular to conclude new orders and increase production in automobiles, the aircraft industry and for utility and rail vehicles. Demand from the construction industry also continued on a consistently high level. Compared to the previous year, aluminium processing surface refiners in particular registered a significant recovery in order receipts from this market.
In figures, Swiss rolling and extrusion plants were able to raise their overall production by 9 per cent to 252,800 tonnes compared to the previous year. The main reason for this growth was the drastically higher production figures for aluminium semi-finished products in the rolling segment, because the automobile sector is operating at high capacity and more and more car manufacturers are turning to aluminium. Among Swiss light metal casters the processed tonnages rose in 2014 by 9.4 per cent to 17,120 tonnes. In light metal sand casting a plus of 28.5 per cent to 2,770 tonnes, and in pressure die casting an increase of 10.8 per cent to 12,340 tonnes was achieved. A drop of 14.6 per cent to 2,010 tonnes was registered in the area of chill casting. Total inland consumption of aluminium saw a drop of 4.8 per cent to 219,200 tonnes – corresponding to 27.2 kilograms of aluminium per capita in Switzerland.