As early as in the 1950s, developed countries like the U.S., Canada, Russia, Germany and France started to deploy aluminum extrusions in manufacturing rail trains. With so much effort by China enterprises for years, transportation-use aluminum has already been nationalized and China no longer relied on import. Corporations such as Liaoning Zhongwang have set up production lines for railway-use aluminium extrusion products while overcoming related technological barriers.  

 

Nowadays, trains running at a speed of over 350km have their carriages made of aluminum except for chassis. The abundant use of aluminum in high-speed rail trains effectively reduce the weight of the trains and hence increase their speed and reduce carbon emissions.  A train carriage which uses 10 tonnes of aluminum alloy weighs less than half of its steel counterpart. Simply put, aluminum extrusions are the best material for a light-weight train. 

　　

The metals added to produce aluminum alloy (aluminium magnesium silicone alloy mostly used in high speed rail trains, for example) can enhance tensile strength, thus fulfilling the strength requirements of high-speed rail trains. Aluminum alloy is malleable and could be further processed to manufacture different kinds of extrusion products. Aluminum alloy has fine heat and electricity conductivity and high resistance to corrosion, contributing a lot to the high speed rail trains. 

 

Strong Demand 

The rapid development of railroad network in China has sparked the demand for aluminum year by year. As of Oct 2010, railroads in operation in China were 7,431km in length, ranking it as the longest railroad in the world. Research institutions predict that the number of high-speed rail traincarriages produced will increase to 2,400 by 2012. By the end of 2012, the number of carriages will be up to 2,800, of which 2,000 are aluminum made.

　　

Driven by the Ministry of Railway’s ambitious plan, corporations of high-end aluminum extrusion products have been actively participating in the projects of the aluminum alloy carriage manufacturing, aiming to gain a share in the bullish transportation sector. 

　　

In 2011, Liaoning Zhongwang Group built a deep processing centre for such deep-processed products like welded train carriages etc. Liaoning Zhongwang has been manufacturing high-precision, large section high value-added industrial extrusion products for transportation, machinery and equipment, and electrical engineering. With lightweight development in aluminum downstream application as a trend and the encouragement of low carbon emissions, China Zhongwang’s focus on industrial aluminum extrusion and high-value added products is expected to increase its market share in transportation sector.