Aludium – a short history
Aludium was created in 2015, but the facilities which make-up the company have a longer history which goes back more than 60 years. Founded as separate mills, Alicante, Amorebieta and Castelsarrasin first came together as part of the same corporate entity in 1999. Over the decades, the mills have undergone significant upgrades to expand their capabilities.
| 2015 | Aludium is launched on 1 January as Atlas Holdings acquires Alcoa’s Spanish French System (SFS). |
| 2011 | Cindal R&D certified as a testing and calibration laboratory (EN 17025:2005). |
| 1999 | Alcoa acquires the Castelsarrasin mill in France. Together with Alicante and Amorebieta in Spain, Castelsarrasin becomes part of the group’s Spanish French System. |
| 1998 | Alcoa acquires all shares in INESPAL which includes Alicante and Amorebieta. |
| 1994 | Castelsarrasin upgraded to include a second bright cold mill. |
| 1992 | Amorebieta’s facilities are upgraded under the Delfin Plan. In addition to the latest hot and cold rolling technology, Amorebieta also acquires an automatic coil-handling system, new finishing machines with integrated packaging, and a high-efficiency melting furnace. |
| 1990 | Amorebieta commissions its 286-tonne capacity hot mill pre-heating furnaces. |
| 1989 | Under INESPAL’s Delfin Plan, Alicante’s facilities are upgraded to include a third foil mill, two slitting lines, a continuous annealing and degreasing line, and two annealing furnaces. The cold rolling workshop is also modernised to include a special products workshop. |
| 1985 | Alicante and Amorebieta become part of the same company for the first time – INESPAL (Industria Española del Aluminio, S.A.). |
| 1975 | Cindal R&D Centre starts operations in Alicante. |
| 1969 | Foundation of ENDASA (Empresa Nacional del Aluminio, S. A.) with ALCAN as shareholder |
| 1963 | Major upgrades begin at Alicante to install a second cold rolling mill, annealing furnaces, cut-to-length line, tension-levelling line, and slitter. A new hall is constructed to house the plant’s foil and foil-conversion business. |
| 1961 | Alicante becomes part of a joint venture project – Alcan Ibérico S.A. |
| 1961 | Amorebieta begins production of rolled aluminium products. |
| 1959 | Alicante commissions its first hot and cold rolling mills. |
| 1957 | Castelsarrasin becomes part of Tréfimétaux. |
| 1955 | Aliberico, S.A. is founded in Alicante to manufacture wire, and extruded and rolled products. |
| 1849 | Castelsarrasin begins to produce copper. Over the following century the mill evolves to produce other metals including, from 1915, aluminium. |