Ferrari and
Alcoa have announced the formation of
a long-term strategic partnership focused on creating
advanced aluminium spaceframe technology for future
generations of Ferrari vehicles. At the same time, Alcoa
announced that it will open a new, larger spaceframe
manufacturing facility in Modena, Italy, in the second
quarter of 2006.
"What began as a collaboration in the 1990s to develop an
aluminium
spaceframe for the 360 Modena has now blossomed into a
strategic partnership between Ferrari and Alcoa," according
to Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Ferrari chairman. "Three
successful generations of spaceframes for the Modena, the
612 Scaglietti and the F430 have proven that the
Ferrari-Alcoa partnership is not only capable of innovation,
but also the implementation of new technologies on
production lines in Modena. The relationship with Alcoa is
already a case history and it will be the model for future
relationships with other Ferrari suppliers."
According to Alcoa's Chairman Alain Belda, the
Ferrari-Alcoa partnership has been especially productive
because of Ferrari's willingness to involve Alcoa at the
outset of the vehicle development process. "Without this
early involvement, the switch from steel to aluminium would
not have taken place without such excellent results," Mr.
Belda noted. "Ferrari and Alcoa have constantly challenged each other.
We do so to ensure we are not engaged in a laboratory
exercise, but rather a materials, structural design and
manufacturing partnership where bottom-line targets, such as
cost and assembly efficiency, are the real imperatives,"
said Belda.
"The direct interaction that has been so important to the
success of the Ferrari-Alcoa partnership will continue and
grow," according to William F. Christopher, Alcoa's
Executive Vice President for Transportation Products. "We
intend to strengthen the fast and efficient feed-back loop
that has characterized our communication so far and that has
made Alcoa a knowledgeable and responsive partner in the
automotive industry." The creation of a new and larger manufacturing facility
in Modena is a result of the productive Ferrari - Alcoa
collaboration. "The decision not only reflects Alcoa's
desire to support and sustain Ferrari's increased use of
aluminium spaceframe technology in the near term," according
to Misha Riveros-Jacobson, president of Alcoa Advanced
Transportation Systems, "but our intention to position
ourselves to grow with Ferrari both in business and
technically as their future success dictates."
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Alcoa is the world's leading producer and manager of
primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina
facilities, and is active in all major
aspects of the industry |
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Alcoa manufacture
aluminium spaceframes for the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
(top) and the F430 Spider (above), seen here at this
week's Australian International Motor
Show in Sydney |
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The new facility, located about five kilometers from the
current facility, will cover 5,000 square meters. The new
plant will almost double the size of Alcoa's current
manufacturing space. When fully operational in mid-2006, the
new facility will double Alcoa's spaceframe production
capacity. It will also be in line with Ferrari's philosophy
of creating excellence in work environment and product
quality. Alcoa's investment in the plant relocation will be
approximately 400,000 Euros.
According to Alcoa, there will also be a small increase
in the number of production employees, about twelve percent, associated
with the relocation. Additional workforce expansion will be
linked to future business. "This plant expansion gives us the design flexibility and
manufacturing scale to bring new and innovative concepts,
such as modularity, to our spaceframe structures," according
to Mr. Christopher. "It also gives us a chance to re-design
our production lines to incorporate cutting-edge
technologies and expand the automation of our current
processes. These innovations will help us meet customers'
performance as well as cost targets."
Alcoa is the world's leading producer and manager of
primary aluminium, fabricated aluminium and alumina
facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the
aluminium industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging,
building and construction, commercial transportation and
industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production
and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers.
In addition to aluminium products and components, Alcoa also
markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap foils and
plastic wraps, Alcoa wheels, and Baco household wraps.
Among its other businesses are vinyl siding, closures,
fastening systems, precision castings, and electrical
distribution systems for cars and trucks. The company has
131,000 employees in 43 countries and has been named one of
the top three most sustainable corporations in the world at
the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
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