NEWS ON INNOVATIVE ALUMINIUM SOLUTIONS FROM THE SAPA GROUP 2:2014

CHANGING FACES
INSIDE VIETNAMS
BOOMING CITIES
PERFECT CHOICE
A METAL THATS
RIGHT FOR YOU

Its lightweight, which is a

great advantage for handling
the material, for shipping and
for the end user.
Industrial designer Konstantin Grcic
about aluminium.

Creative angles

How aluminium makes ordinary objects extraordinary

14SAPA2_01_cover_9707.indd 1

2014-09-11 14:22:14

EditoriAL

contentS

Substituting
with aluminium

04

IETNAM HAS one of the worlds

fastest-growing economies. I see

this each time I visit our plant in
Ho Chi Minh City, and I marvel at
the speed of change and the high
level of energy.
Sapa has built a strong reputation in Vietnam for delivering product quality and service
excellence. This should not surprise anyone
because it is part of our DNA, and customers
like CS Wind, Siemens and TUUCI will accept
no less. We take our global competence to local
customers and work together on solutions that
are providing real value to our customers.
Another topic we address in this issue of
Shapes is material substitution.
stitution. Many
customers are choosingg aluminium
to replace other materials
ials in their
product solutions, in buildings
uildings
and automobiles as well
ll as in
heat exchange and other
er industrial applications. Sapas
as
unmatched research and
nd
development resourcess
are helping make substititution easier for you.
When you consider
aluminium solutions,
I want your rst thought
ht
to be Sapa.

Trading up
Replacing existing materials with more suitable
alternatives can have major cost benets and, according to Ferdinand Munk, help create beautiful products.

08

Boom times in Vietnam

This Southeast Asian nation is developing rapidly and
local consumption of aluminium is on the rise.

12

Electric solution
With its lightweight body, the Tesla Model S electric car
provides owners with a unique driving experience.

16

A world of possibilities
Warmer and softer to touch than steel, aluminium extrusions are a favorite material for top industrial designer
Konstantin Grcic.

MORE TO READ
How it wo
works/Extrusions 03 Role Model 07 News 14
Trends 19 Development 20 Green Solutions 22

04

08

12

16

Shapes is the Sapa Groups customer magazine. It is published twice a year in 17 language editions.
Editor-in
Editor-in-chief: Kevin Widlic, kevin.widlic@sapagroup.com Editorial Assistant: Eva Ekselius,
eva.ekse
eva.ekselius@sapagroup.com Managing Editor: Ylva Carlsson Art Directors: Karin Sderlind,
Maria Lin
Lindn Language coordination: Inger Finell Production: Appelberg Publishing Group
Printing
Printing: V-TAB Changes of address: Inform your contact person at Sapa or Corporate
Commun
Communications at info@sapagroup.com Shapes is also available at www.sapagroup.com

SVEIN TORE HOLSETHER

ER

President and CEO of Sapa

pa

14SAPA2_content_editorial_9708.indd 2

Copyright Sapa AS 2014 - Sapa's product names in this magazine are all
trademarks of Sapa Group.
trademark

2014-09-09 15:41:56

how it works

Principles of extrusion
Forced through like toothpaste from a tubee

Aluminium
alloy logs in
lengths of
4 to 8 meters

TEXT: SAPA ILLUSTRATION: LI ROSN

IT ALL STARTS with ingots of aluminium

alloy. These are cut into billets, then
heated in an induction furnace to the
right extrusion temperature of 450-500
degrees Celsius.
The heated billet is then forced
through a die under great pressure, and
the nished prole is squeezed out of
the die like toothpaste from a tube into
whatever shape is needed.
The prole emerges at a speed of
5 to 50 meters per minute and is normally between 25 and 45 meters long.
The prole is cooled using air or water
as it leaves the die. After cooling, the
prole is stretched to relieve any stress
and to achieve the desired straightness.

are cut
to lengths
(billets)
adjusted for
the press
operation

and heated
to about 500
degrees C

then the metal is

extruded through the
die and immediately
cooled off.

14SAPA2_how_it_works_9709.indd 3

2014-09-09 15:42:02

MATERial SUBSTITUTION

Choosing
a new metal
More customers want to use the
metal of the future as their metal for
today. Material substitution requires
a systematic approach.
TEXT KEVIN WIDLIC PHOTO MAURIZIO CAMAGNA

LUMINIUM IS ALWAYS competing

with other materials. In some cases,
it competes with wood and polyvinyl chloride, in others with metals such as copper and steel. Copper
is substantially more expensive than aluminium,
while aluminium costs signicantly more than
steel by weight. Such cost differences normally create a competitive advantage, because cost matters.
But cost in itself is usually not enough to lead
a manufacturer to change materials. Material
substitution is a process that requires an overall
analysis, or audit, of the actual product. Such
processes can also include forces that either resist
or encourage change, like tradition, or improved
competitiveness.
Substitution processes cannot be predicted
by relative price movements alone, writes Frank
Messner, head of staff at the Helmholtz Centre for

SHAPES 2.2014

14SAPA2_customer_case_9710.indd 4

2014-09-09 15:42:06

ROLE MODEL

WITH ALUMINIUM I
CAN MAKE BEAUTIFUL
PRODUCTS.
Ferdinand Munk,
managing director of
Gnzburger Steigtechnik

Steps toward
substitution
G 0!.%(/1/0%010%+*%/*+*#+-

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Source: Mahmoud Farag, The

American University in Cairo

2.2014 


14SAPA2_customer_case_9710.indd 5

2014-09-09 15:42:09

MATERIAL SUBSTITUTION

39
KILOGRAMS

Battery cables from

copper to aluminium
SAPAS ALUMINIUM
IUM SOLUTION is reducing

the weight of LEONI

ONI Kabels battery cables
by about half, compared
mpared with copper, and
achieving considerable
erable cost savings as well.
Their performance
ce is the same.
Cables in passenger
enger vehicles weigh a total of
about 25 kilograms.
ms. The traditional material
used in these cables
les is copper.
Battery cables represent some 15 percent
of the overall cable
le weight in an automobile. LEONI has partnered with Sapa
per with coated
in replacing copper
aluminium in itss battery cables.
d right) has
Jaguar (pictured

done
ne the
t same, says Michael Wind, who
is responsible for sales and marketing
to the automotive industry for Sapas
aluminium tubing business.
These are individual, case-by-case pr
prorocesses with weight savings and cost savings as
the incentives, he says. They are successful
cases.

Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany.

Instead, it should be considered that material
substitution is an evolutionary and path-dependent process that requires learning as well as time,
capital, research and experience.
The properties inherent to aluminium provide
the light metal with a competitive advantage over
other materials in scores of applications, such as
in heat transfer. Moreover, the process for producing extruded shapes, where design limitations
are small, makes aluminium an excellent alternative in industries where strength and weight are
factors.
IN THE BUILDING SECTOR, the low maintenance

requirements of aluminium add value in products

such as windows or faades, which also take advantage of the metals strength. Aluminium is exible,
resists corrosion and is completely recyclable.
Sometimes the functional qualities of the metal
take a backseat to something more basic. We buy
with our eyes, says Ferdinand Munk, owner and
managing director of Gnzburger Steigtechnik.

151
KILOGRAMS

The average amount of

aluminium in passenger
vehicles increased from
39 kg in 1976 to 151 kg in
2010.

With aluminium I can make beautiful products.

The German company is one of the premier European suppliers of ascending systems, from ladders
to aircraft maintenance platforms. Aluminium is
Gnzburgers material of choice.
THE ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY produces a wide
range of alloys to meet the specications of
customers. Extruders like Sapa can add a range of
services, such as surface treatment and wall thickness, that tailor the material even more.
The objective is to identify the material that can
achieve the product requirements while optimizing the required material properties and characteristics. The material of choice should be developed specically for the application.
Developments in aluminiums end-use applications have probably moved fastest in the automotive
industry, one that has long preferred steel as its
material of choice. The average amount of aluminium in passenger vehicles has increased from
39 kilograms in 1976 to 151 kilograms in 2010, and it
continues to grow, often at the expense of steel.

SHAPES 2.2014

14SAPA2_customer_case_9710.indd 6

2014-09-11 13:15:41

ROLE MODEL

Let it shine
A home improvement project led
to an energy-saving suggestion at
a Sapa plant in France.
TEXT 
 
PHOTO


TAHIRI LAHOUARI, a press operator

at Sapas plant in Chteauroux, France,

is interested in both new solutions and
the environment.
When Sapas CEO, Svein Tore Holsether,
recently asked employees for their tips for
using aluminium, Lahouari had a bright
idea. I suggested that we install solar
panels made with aluminium proles from
Sapas factories, Lahouari says. By doing
this we could reduce electricity consumption at the plant.
Lahouaris idea was to use the energy
from the solar panels for applications such
as lighting and heating. He also proposed
that rainwater be collected on rainy days.
After purication, the water could be used
for cooling or sanitary purposes.
Lahouari has bought a house that he is
renovating in his free time, but he is in no
hurry to nish the job. He does everything
himself and is passionate about nding
technical solutions that can reduce energy
consumption.
While talking about installing solar
panels at home, I realized the same technology could also be used in Sapas facilities,
Lahouari says.
Lahouari is not alone in thinking his
idea is a good one. His proposal was one of
four winners in the New Ideas contest
launched by Sapas CEO. Lahouari hopes
his idea will become a reality.

Tahiri Lahouari
Occupation:
Press operator
Work location:
Chteauroux, France
Family:
Wife, 4 children,
5 grandchildren
Time with the company:
30 years, including a few
months at Alcoa, 29 years
at Hydro and now Sapa
Hobbies:
Do-it-yourself projects
and watching movies
Personal green initiatives:
Minimize water and energy
consumption and sort
household waste

2.2014 


14SAPA2_role_model_9711.indd 7

2014-09-09 15:42:21

THE NEW sapa

takes off

With a young population and a

fast-growing economy, Vietnam
is transforming its two largest
cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
TEXT KEVIN WIDLIC PHOTOS FRANOIS
CARLET-SOULAGES; GETTY IMAGES

SHAPES 2.2014

14SAPA2_outlook_vietnam_9712.indd 8

2014-09-09 15:42:25

VIETNAM outlook

CHINA

HANOI

LAOS

THAILAND

VIETNAM

CAMBODIA

HO CHI
MINH CITY

(1)%*%1)+*/1),0%+*%*%!0*)%/#.+3%*#%*(%*!3%0$0$!+1*0.5/
.,% !2!(+,)!*0%0$,+,1(0%+*+")%((%+**+%%/0$!,%0(
* 0$!/!+* (.#!/0%05

WITHOUT AN ASSOCIATION representing its

aluminium companies, Vietnam lacks reliable statistics on domestic consumption of the

light metal. Still, local experts say aluminium
consumption clearly is growing in line with the
countrys rapid development.
PwC predicts that Vietnam will be the fastest
growing of the worlds emerging economies by
2025, with potential annual growth of 10 percent
in real dollar terms. The countrys poverty rate is
decreasing faster than Chinas, unemployment is
below 5 percent, and half the population is 25 or
younger.
The country is not waiting. Growth is here today, most visibly in its two largest cities. As part
of its work to support the growth, the Vietnamese government has planned USD 289 billion in
projects relating to markets for mechanical and
infrastructure building products through 2025,
says Nguyen Van Thu, president of the Vietnam
Association of Mechanical Industry (VAMI).
Our gures show that aluminium consump-

tion in Vietnam has been increasing by 15 to 20

percent annually, Thu says. It is used in many
of our most important industries and industrial
applications. The metal is being used in the construction of high-rise buildings, for their exterior
look as well as in the interiors.
As demand has increased, so has industrys
need for better-quality aluminium and aluminium products, Thu says. If Im involved in
purchasing, I will look for foreign suppliers when
ours arent good enough. But importing is costly
and not sustainable. With our planned projects
in industrial infrastructure, the proportion of
aluminium usage in Vietnam will continue to increase at a high rate. Still, we prefer local supply,
and I hope our aluminium companies can meet
the challenge.

We serve as a
coordinator and
a connector, and
we can connect
directly with the
government and
recommend
proposals, says
Nguyen Van Thu
of VAMI. We
have many
projects lined up.

HO CHI MINH CITY (HCMC), Vietnams business capital and most populous city, built about
6,100 new residential units in 2013. The real
estate services rm CBRE Vietnam reports
2.2014 


14SAPA2_outlook_vietnam_9712.indd 9

2014-09-09 15:42:29

The Vietnamese
market is calling for
better-quality
aluminium and
aluminium solutions.

Important voices
VAMI is a non-governmental
organization established
in 2002 by the Ministry of
Home Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. It
serves as the voice of Vietnams mechanical industry,
with members in shipbuilding, automotive, industrial
and construction equipment.
HCMC Association of
Architects has around 1,000
members, many of whom
work within institutional
architecture or for fabricators. It offers many services,
including consultations with
architects, professors and
universities.

this was 84 percent higher than in the previous

year. In addition, around 40 buildings taller than
100 meters have been completed or are under construction in HCMC, including the 68-story Bitexco
Financial Tower, which opened in 2010.
Nearly 8 million people live in the city. Forecasters expect this number to nearly double over the
next 10 years, adding to the demand for housing,
office space and public infrastructure. With its
large population, high rate of economic growth and
booming construction activity, HCMC accounts
for as much as 25 percent of total energy consumption in Vietnam. Energy saving is therefore a hot
topic.
NGUYEN TRUONG LUU, the permanent deputy
chairman of the HCMC Association of Architects,
knows the numbers. As an architect who has been
involved in many construction projects in Vietnam, Luu has been using aluminium solutions for
10 years, and he expects use of the metal in Viet-

10

nams building industry to grow substantially.

Global trends show that new building projects
are paying attention to energy-saving architecture, and I know aluminium contributes, Luu
says. We want that here and are hoping for further
advances in energy-saving solutions.
HE POINTS TO the new HCMC Lottery Office
Building as an example. In this building, we used
aluminium louvers that allowed light into the
rooms without the heat of the sun, he says. For
this alone, the calculation for energy saving was
USD 50,000 per year.
Steel and other metals were the history of
architecture until aluminium came in as a new
material, he says. Once we started using aluminium, it changed our architecture. I have a good
feeling about aluminium. As with music, preferences change over time, and now is the time of
aluminium. It is a delight for an architect because
it is light, durable and can be shaped.

We either import
aluminium products from China,
the United States
or Europe, or we
buy from domestic
suppliers, says
architect Nguyen
Truong Luu. Our
association prefers
local materials
because importing is costlier and
takes longer for
delivery, and because imports use
more energy.

SHAPES 2.2014

14SAPA2_outlook_vietnam_9712.indd 10

2014-09-09 15:42:33

VIETNAM outlook
Inside one of the
wind tower sections, aluminium is
everywhere.

Leading supplier

A tower to the sky

CS Wind is headquartered in Seoul, South

Korea. In 2003, the
company established its
Vietnamese business in
Ba RiaVung Tau province
to enter the growing wind
power industry. Today,
CS Wind Vietnam is one
of the leading suppliers
of wind tower solutions
for onshore and offshore
wind turbines, delivering to companies such as
Siemens, Vestas, Acciona
and General Electric.

(1)%*%1)%/0$!)0!.%(+"$+%!
"+.%* %!0*)
WIND TOWERS ARE built in sections and can
stand more than 100 meters tall. CS Wind Vietnam
builds the giant towers that support offshore wind
turbines.
CS Wind, the parent company, has three production sites around the world. Its facility in Vietnam is the only one that delivers tower sections
fully integrated with the aluminium platform
inside. All its products are exported, mainly to the
United States and Europe.
At CS Wind Vietnams large industrial site in
Tan Thanh, southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, massive tower sections lie at, side by side, all across
the property, the ends of the towers covered by
canvas aps. How big are they? Removing the canvas, one can step inside and stand upright.
Thats when the aluminium platform becomes
visible, with its staircase leading to the other end.
We manufacture according to the specications of our customers, and while the towers may
look alike, the specications differ and they are

constantly being adjusted, says Na Yeo-Song, who

manages the Aluminium and Steel Fabrication
Plant.
The aluminium fabrication section at CS Wind
Vietnam can produce 170 metric tons per month
on average for one-shift production, he says.
CS WIND VIETNAM wants more than service and

product quality from its suppliers. We want partners with technical competence, says Nguyen Thi
Huyen of the Material Management Team.
She says such competence can improve solutions and reduce costs. Na Yeo-Song points to an
extruded aluminium bracket as an example.
We had a solution using aluminium plate, and
we experienced cracks in the plate, he says. Sapa
came up with an idea to replace this part with a
bracket. It has saved money in cutting and bending,
and it can be cut to length, which saves material
costs. The new product was designed to meet our
needs. It was an improvement.

Aluminium is
easy to handle
and assemble,
we can keep it
for a long time,
and it is beautiful, says plant
manager
Na Yeo-Song
of CS Wind
Vietnam.

2.2014 


14SAPA2_outlook_vietnam_9712.indd 11

11

2014-09-09 15:42:36

Tesla
M
better by
An electric vehicle can offer advanta
converting a gasoline-powered autom
compromise. Here on Teslas advance
the rst car to harness all bene
Aluminium is everywhere,
from top to toe, and vital to
the driving performance of
the Tesla Model S.

LIGHT BODY
The Model S body has a stateof-the-art design where its
weight-saving benets make
aluminium a natural choice. The
body uses 230 pounds (104 kg)
of extrusions.
NO ENGINE
With no engine in the front of
the car, the front crumple zone
is optimized for safety in ways
not possible in conventional
cars.
SAFE CELL
High-strength steel is combined
with custom alloys of aluminium extrusions, in unique prole
congurations, to achieve maxi-

12

PHOTOS COURTESY OF

mum energyabsorption qualities and thereby ensure safety

in the vehicles occupant cell.
BATTERY STRUCTURE
The battery pack has 132
pounds (60 kg) of extrusions.
In the event of a crash, the
battery structure protects
cells from impact and automatically disconnects the
power supply.

NO ENGINE

FEWER MOVING PARTS

The entire powertrain system
has only 18 moving parts, is
completely modular and takes
up only a fraction of the internal
volume of a gasoline-powered
drivetrain.

SHAPES 2.2014

14SAPA2_the_picture_tesla_car_9713.indd 12

2014-09-09 15:42:42

the picture

Model
S
by design
FEATURES
World-class ve-star safety
Zero tailpipe emissions
Instant full torque

dvantages over a standard car, but

automobile involves a lot of cost and
vanced assembly line is the Model S,
benets of an electric vehicle.



LIGHT BODY
BATTERY STRUCTURE

2.2014 


14SAPA2_the_picture_tesla_car_9713.indd 13

13

2014-09-09 15:42:46

PHOTO GETTY IMAGES

news

Full scale T-Rex in Paris

A LIFE-SIZE SCULPTURE of a
Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, made of
aluminium, can now be seen on the bank
of the river Seine in Paris. Compagnie
des Bateaux-Mouches, which runs
sightseeing boats on the river, installed

the sculpture atop its riverside platform.

The artwork, conceived and built by the
French artist Philippe Pasqua, stands
four meters tall and seven meters long. It
contains 350 bones made of cast
aluminium with a silver nish.

With its size and unexpected location,

the sculpture is a new tourist attraction.
Viewed from the right angle, the dinosaur
can be seen about to devour the Eiffel
Tower.

THESE ALUMINIUM machined dice

are ideal for travel and smartly
machined to balance the weight
perfectly. This was achieved
by varying the depths of the
spots on them so that no
side is weighted more than
any other. The result is a pair
of sophisticated dice that are
easy to carry around with you.

www.shop.coolmaterial.com

14

PERCENT

Sophisticated playing

Independent studies have conrmed

that aluminum has a 20 percent smaller
life cycle CO2 footprint than steel.
Source: aluminum.org

SHAPES 2.2014

14SAPA2_news_9714.indd 14

2014-09-09 15:42:51

news

Lighter cycles

AppSolut Sapa

SAPA HAS RUN an educational

half-day session about aluminium
solutions at Peugeot Design Labs
studio in Paris. Aluminium has been an
important component of the French
companys products since 1941. One of
the latest examples is the AE21 Hybrid,
a compact ebike where the Clever Case
frame, constructed from lightweight
and hard-wearing aluminium,
accommodates the battery.

PHOTO


SAPA HAS ADDED%0/,+,

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Award-winning
students

Visionary design at Aalborg Airport

WHEN AALBORG AIRPORT in
Denmark set out to order 842 new seats, it
began by looking carefully at travelers
needs. It found they wanted power for
their computers, phones and tablets. But
Aalborg Airport went even further it
wanted a visionary design language, a
continuation of the airports architecture
and identity. It wanted seats with no

visible joints, no visible screws and wiring

for the power outlets integrated invisibly
into the design.
The furniture line, delivered by Marcus
Pedersen, consists of a modular system
in which the aluminium proles are the
predominant characteristics of the bridge
structure that carries the furniture. Sapa
delivered the aluminium solutions.

SAPA ORGANIZES0$!**1(
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2.2014 


14SAPA2_news_9714.indd 15

15

2014-09-09 15:42:54

THE NEW sapa

WHEN WE
USE IT, WE TRY
TO SHOW IT.

Konstantin Grcic
Hometown: Munich
Age: 49
Training: As a cabinetmaker at John Makepeaces Parnham College
in Dorset, England, before
studying design at the
Royal College of Art in
London
Office: Konstantin Grcic
Industrial Design, Munich
Next challenge: We continue to work on projects
for a lot of existing clients.
Its a journey of learning,
trying to understand more
and being more precise.

Konstantin Grcic
about aluminium

16

SHAPES 2.2014

14SAPA2_profile_9715.indd 16

2014-09-09 15:42:59

profile KONSTANTIN GRCIC

From radical
to industrial
Industrial designer Konstantin Grcic
creates stunning furniture that transforms
the ordinary into the extraordinary.
TEXT 
PHOTO
  



WHEN KONSTANTIN GRCIC invites

me to take a seat, I feel ustered.
Should I take the standard office
chair in front of me or the designer
chair with thin legs, one of his creations, farther
away? In the end I opt for the ordinary chair. I
can still stare at some of the innovative creations
in his two-oor studio in Munich, even if I feel
too humble to sit in one.
My gaze rests on a red chair in the corner. It is
Chair_One, an iconic piece most often identied

$%.*!(!*
5 5((.+1* (),
&1/00$.!! %!.!*035/
0$! !/%#*!.3+.'/$%/
)#%

with Grcic. Featuring polished aluminium legs and

a die-cast aluminium seat, the three-dimensional
chair is constructed out of several planes set at
angles to one another, resembling a basket.
This is the chair that secured Grcics place
among the top industrial designers worldwide.
Chairs like this one reside in the collections of such
international museums as the Museum of Modern
Art in New York and Centre Georges Pompidou
in Paris. Whats more, the chair encapsulates
much of what Grcic likes to do. Its a very radical
approach to furniture, but ultimately it is also an
industrial and therefore a commercial product, he
says. This is what I try to make possible: translating a radical idea and turning it into an industrial
product.
THE DESIGNER often uses aluminium for his
work. It appeals to him for several reasons. For
one, its lightweight, which is a great advantage for
handling the material, for shipping and for the end
user. Moreover, aluminium is warmer and softer
in touch than steel. It allows for distinctive surface
treatments, such as a brush or satin nish, and its
silvery-white color makes for a good display. Its a
2.2014 


14SAPA2_profile_9715.indd 17

17

2014-09-09 15:43:01

THE NEW sapa

Grcic's studio in
Munich where he
feels at his most
creative.

NOTABLE CLIENTS

material in my eld that, when we use

it, we try to show it, he says. Thats
not true of all materials.
Moreover, aluminium doesnt
corrode. Its a material that we can
use indoors or outdoors, Grcic says.
Its interesting how it seems to work
in both places, unlike concrete, for
example, which people associate with
the outside.
ALUMINIUM EXTRUSIONS interest

him as they involve a highly industrial process at an affordable price,

producing a high-quality result. His
rst serious project with extrusions
was Table_B, created for BD Barcelona Design. Table_Bs thin tabletop
is made of extruded aluminium,
evoking the shape and lightness of
an airplane wing. I use aluminium
extrusions a lot, he says. I like that
they can be ordinary round or square
tubes or can be used to make the
most intricate and complex shapes,

18

which can also fulll functions.

Grcic trained rst as a furniture
restorer and then as a cabinetmaker.
Even during his apprenticeship,
however, he was drawn to production processes. What appealed to
me was the machine as a tool, making
things precisely in batches, he says.
That led me to become an industrial
designer, where we develop products
to be produced in quantity. We design
products for people, for society, for
life.
Some of Grcics creations live with
him, he says. I want to nd out if the
nal product really works, not just
in its practical use but in an environment in relation to other things.
His passion for furniture is transparent. Furniture is such a beautiful
thing, he says. Its so old but forms so
much of our daily life. Im not working
in the most innovative environment,
but I can still be very innovative
within that environment.

Authentics, BD Ediciones, ClassiCon, Emeco,

Flos, Fltotto, Magis, Muji, Nespresso, Plank,
Serano Zani, Thomas-Rosenthal, Vitra.

WHERE TO SEE HIS WORK

New York: Museum of Modern Art and
Brooklyn Museum of Art, Paris: Centre
Georges Pompidou, Chicago: Art Institute,
London: Victoria & Albert Museum and
Design Museum, Munich: Deutsches Museum
and Die Neue Sammlung, Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv
Museum of Art, Rotterdam: Boijmans Van
Beuningen Museum.

AWARDS
2014 IF Design Award, Germany,
for Parrish Chair by Emeco
2013 ICON Award, Furniture of the Year,
for Bench_B by BD Barcelona
2013 German Design Award, Gold,
for Tom and Jerry The Wild Bunch by Magis
2012 Best of Best, Interior Innovation Award,
Germany, for Pro by Fltotto
2001 XIX Compasso dOro, Italy,
for Mayday by Flos among others

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14SAPA2_profile_9715.indd 18

2014-09-09 15:43:05

trends

building system trends

COMPLETE
OPTIMIZATION

Aluminium systems, such as windows and curtain walls,

have a great future in the construction industry, says Bernard
Gilmont, building and transport director of the European
Aluminium Association. Shapes asked him to discuss the
industrys biggest challenges and opportunities.

The European Commission is

studying an energy labeling scheme
for window products. Im worried
about that, since optimization of
complete buildings is better for
saving energy than a component-bycomponent approach.

TEXT 

ILLUSTRATION 

SOLAR GAIN

Orientation and climate matter.

A south-facing window should let
winter solar heat in and be shaded
during the summer, while a northfacing window should be based on
insulation needs. Winter comfort
is key in northern Europe, summer
comfort in the south. Aluminium
solutions exist for all situations.
ENDLESS
RECYCLING

A major advantage of
aluminium is its recyclability. It is
recycled over and over without loss
of performance, and that really matters for future generations.
MORE RENOVATION

Buildings account for 40 percent

of Europes energy consumption, but
the annual renovation rate is only
1 percent. EU legislation and nancial
incentives should target 3 percent.
The investment would be good for
consumers and the environment,
and would reduce EU dependency on
energy imports.
HARMONIZED
STANDARDS

Technical performance
standards are largely harmonized,
but theres a jungle of environmental
performance rating schemes from
private and national bodies. We have
European environmental standards,
but, being voluntary, they are not
driving harmonization yet.

2.2014 


14SAPA2_trends_9716.indd 19

19

2014-09-09 15:43:12

New alloys
for safer cars
New aluminium alloys will help
automotive companies meet stricter
crash standards.
TEXT KEVIN WIDLIC PHOTO PETER HOLGERSSON

LUMINIUM AND the auto-

motive industry have always

been linked, but their connection was only marginal
until the 1970s. Thats when
use of the metal accelerated,
often replacing materials
such as steel, plastic and copper in crash applications as well as in heat transfer
systems and other components.
Lighter cars use less fuel and account for lower
carbon dioxide emissions than heavier ones.
Thanks largely to their aluminium content, the
weight reductions achieved in the 17 million cars
produced in Europe in 2012 will save on average
65 liters of fuel per car per year and reduce CO2
emissions by a total of 43 million metric tons over
the lifespan of the vehicles, according to a Ducker
Worldwide study. Lightweighting is here to stay,
because lighter cars are helping the environment.
The challenge for carmakers, however, is not only
stiffening fuel-economy requirements. Crash
mandates are getting tougher too, and these often
require adding weight.
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
have different specications regarding the performance of crash-relevant parts. Such components
include side beams in the closure systems such
as doors, longitudinals in the main car body and

20

The technical
competence we
have is unmatched
in our industry,
says Jan Strid,
head of Corporate
R&D for Sapa. One
of our aims is to
provide a full range
of crash alloys,
enabling the
customer to order
all parts from the
same supplier.

crash boxes bumper system applications that

protect the chassis, or body structure, of an automobile.
AUDI IS CONSIDERED one of the leading OEMs

in structural aluminium development with its

dened strength classes and yield strength. These
classes are labeled C20, C24, C28 and now C32,
where tensile strength and crash performance
demands are vital. The objective for suppliers is to
nd the right alloy for the crash components, one
that performs without fracturing. It is a process
that demands time and resources.
In 2008, Sapa Technology began mapping the
mechanisms and preparing for anticipated future
requests related to qualication of a C28 alloy.
The standard alloys 6082 and 6061 proved strong
enough but not good enough in crash performance.
So when Audi came to Sapa with a true request
for C28, Sapas microstructure and extrusion

SHAPES 2.2014

14SAPA2_development_9717.indd 20

2014-09-09 15:43:15

DEVELOPMENT

Leading extrusion
technology
,$/+10!*#%*!!./3+.'%*#%*2.%+1/
%/%,(%*!/
+)!.!/.!)+.!"+1/! 0$*+0$!./%*(1 %*#(1)%*%1)((+5/$!0
0.*/"!.* /!#)!*0/(%'!
10+)+0%2!* 1%( %*#
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+((+.0!.+//.!/
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!-1%,)!*0* +),!0!*!/*!!//.50+/1,,+.0 !2!(+,)!*00!)/
* ,.+!//!*#%*!!./
.+//0$!#(+!
Sapa Technologys
Stanislaw Zajac
explains to colleague
Jonas Braam what
one sees through a
scanning electron
microscope.

experts had to look outside the scope of standard

alloys. Finding a fully functional C28 alloy meant
nding the right raw material and chemical composition and nding the right process how it is
cast, homogenized, extruded, quenched and aged.
Pushed by the tight deadline from Audis
request, the light turned green and the hard-core
innovative work took off. A successful conclusion, a
new alloy, came six months later.
THE NEW 6000-SERIES alloy was developed

through careful microstructure design and process control, all delivered with in-house competence. Every process step is important, says
Stanislaw Zajac, a Sapa microstructure expert.
Failure in any of the steps will impact the microstructure and the nal crash performance.
Jonas Braam, a crash alloys research engineer,
says the alloy is not difficult to extrude, but you
need to know what you are doing. We call it a

ductile crash alloy, for applications where you want

ductility and high strength, he says. Were looking at a similar concept for C32.
Of course, Sapa was hardly alone in working to
qualify an aluminium alloy for C28. Hydros experts
also were aiming to develop an alloy that could meet
the specications, and they also succeeded. Interestingly, Hydro attacked the challenge from another
angle and achieved the same goal.
Now, following the September 2013 merger
which brought together the extrusion-based businesses of Sapa and Hydro, the new Sapa has virtually twice the technical competence that it had before. As for crash alloys, Sapa now has two options,
with material properties and design requirements
the determining factors.
Our ambition is to be the preferred supplier of
6000-series alloys to the automotive industry,
says Svein Skjervold of Sapas operational excellence team.
2.2014 


14SAPA2_development_9717.indd 21

21

2014-09-09 15:43:18

green solutions ASSESSMENT METHODS

As demand for green buildings rises, environmental

assessment methods such as LEED and BREEAM
are becoming more important than ever.

Energy
TEXT CARI SIMMONS
PHOTO DANIEL HOPKINSON

check

N 1990, THE UK government launched

BREEAM, the UK Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment

Method. Today, about 200,000 buildings
in the UK and elsewhere have been certied through this environmental assessment method.
Eight years later, the US Green Building Council launched its Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) assessment
method. LEED criteria can be used in any country.
Other methods have sprung up in other parts of
the world, such as Green Star and Estidama, but
BREEAM and LEED are currently the two most
widely used methods for assessing the environmental standards of a building. They are both
aimed at improving a buildings environmental
performance in areas such as energy savings, CO2
emission reductions and water efficiency.
BUILDINGS ARE ASSESSED on a wide range of
environmental and sustainability issues, and credits are awarded when a certain process or level of
performance is achieved. These credits determine
the nal score, which results in a buildings rating.
Architects, builders and owners tend to select a
method based on its relevance according to local
regulations, climate and supply chain.
Certication in general is growing in popularity

22

One Angel Square in Manchester, England, features

an innovative double-skin
aluminium faade from
Sapa. The office building
achieved a BREEAM outstanding rating.

for existing buildings as well as new construction,

says Sue Clark, LEED Manager, Sweden Green
Building Council. The choice between BREEAM
and LEED tends to be one of corporate preference
for the builder and owner, she says.
Many construction rms in the Nordics, for
example, tend to choose BREEAM, which can be
adapted for their national markets and building
regulations, Clark says. But for global rms and
the large multinationals, we see more interest in
LEED, which is a more universal system with less
exibility to interpret on a national basis.
BUILDINGS ARE ASSESSED comprehensively,
and while selecting one material over another
wont earn points in an assessment process, materials do play a role in contributing to the overall
rating. Greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution
and a range of different impacts for each material
are taken into consideration, Clark says. When it
comes to aluminium, factors such as the availability of recycled (post-consumer) content and the
type of energy used in the extraction process are
among the environmental impacts considered.
Clark acknowledges the popularity of aluminium for curtain wall systems in particular. We
see that architects like to use aluminium because
it performs well, doesnt rust, has a nice color, is
lightweight and keeps its nish, she says.

SHAPES 2.2014

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2014-09-09 15:43:20

questions for
Sarah Buffaloe, US Green Building Council
LEED Specialist, Materials and Resources
What role does aluminium play in assessments?

As a versatile metal product, aluminium contributes to

LEED as structure, enclosure and permanently installed
building elements. In any of these end uses, aluminium
contributes toward all three Building Product Disclosure
and Optimization credits environmental product declarations,sourcing of raw materialsand material ingredients.

How is aluminium rated?

Most of the environmental impacts of aluminium and

metal products in general are in the extraction practices.
Generally the environmental benets are seen in the
recyclability of the metal. However, the life-cycle assessment results depicting this benet vary depending on how
allocation is performed for the endof life scenario.

2.2014 


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23

2014-09-09 15:43:23

detail

Modular design
Prisma Tekniks new generation of digital acoustic pedestrian signals
(DAPS) brings together several extrusions in one solution. The DAPS series
is being used in cities throughout the world.
ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCKPHOTO, SAPA

A. Screw
rew port for lid
B. Inner
er track for electronics
C. Outer
ter track prole for keypad/
lighting
D. Outer track for information/
dcor
E. Adapted for post/attachment
F. Reinforcement for attachment
G. Ventilation

14SAPA2_detail_9719.indd 24

Functions
The extruded prole
serves as the housing. It is manufactured
with strong aluminium,
ensuring long life and
anodized in blue color.

2014-09-09 15:43:31