The aluminium extrusion industry is standing at a turning point. For years, the playbook was simple: add capacity, push output and chase prices. But the market has shifted. Competing on volume alone no longer guarantees survival and competing on cost is a losing game. The last decade was about adding capacity. The next one will […]
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In my last column, I wrote about a dilemma that most small and mid-sized aluminium extruders live with: the constant trade-off between cutting prices to stay competitive and protecting product quality to survive. I suggested there’s a third path, upgrading. But before we talk about what that looks like, we need to understand what we’re […]
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I had an idea: Assemble a team of AI/ML interns—mentored by an industry veteran—to address the operational headaches of extrusion plants. To validate the concept, I discussed it with the owner of a regional facility. He didn’t lead with the usual grievances—volatile metal prices, rising energy bills, tariff wars, heavy subsidies for low-cost competitors or […]
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