1. 13 +3
Al ways a step ahead

2. Contents
2 6
EXPLORING THE FUTURE
8 • Shaping the future through innovation
Think about aluminium.
Locked inside an atom of aluminium,
is a world of opportunities. Constellium’s
10 • Voreppe, Constellium’s mission is to unlock that potential and to
melting pot for ideas
INTRODUCTION
12 • Innovation Cells, a new
transform aluminium from a molten metal
2 • 2011 at a glance
4 • Interview with Pierre Vareille look at innovation into a vast range of advanced technology
14 • Interview with Professor products for our customers.
Francesco Stellacci
Innovative ideas are vital for exploring
the future and the groundbreaking
technologies. At Constellium, we constantly
16
strive to give shape to ideas by drawing
on our teams of talented experts, our
reputation for manufacturing know-how
and our close partnerships with customers.
MATERIALIZING IDEAS
18 • Aluminium, the strengths By turning creativity into technology,
of a 21st century material
we materialize ideas so that our customers
34
20 • Global ATI, shaping the sky
24 • SSH, leading the way in key markets from industries including aerospace,
28 • EAS, promising trends automotive and packaging get the high value
32 • Recycling, aluminium’s ace card
solutions they are looking for. Throughout this
process, our focus is on delivering excellence
DELIVERING EXCELLENCE in everything we do and making sure that
36 • Interview with Peter Basten
38 • EHS, putting safety
we deliver on our commitments. It’s all
at the top of the agenda about dedication and imagination. In action.
40 • Health and safety at work
42 • Protecting the environment

3. Introduction Key figures Evolution 2009/2011
Sales (€M) Volumes (KT)
4 1200
3,555 1000 1.058
3 973
2,957 800 871
2 2,292 600
400
1 +29% +20% +12% +9%
vs vs 200 vs vs
2009 2010 2009 2010
0 0
2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011
Key figures (Dec. 31st, 2011)
2011 sales breakdown by business unit 2011 FTE breakdown by geographic area
45% Specialty Sheet 48% France
30% Global ATI 22% Germany
25% Extrusions & 10% Switzerland
Automotive Structures 6% Czech Republic
1% Slovakia
11% USA
2% Asia (China, Japan,
Korea, Singapore)
2011 sales breakdown by end-market 2011 FTE breakdown by business segment
2011 With over 9,000 employees, Constellium has three business
units: Global Aerospace, Transportation and Industry (Global
ATI), Specialty Sheet and Extrusions & Automotive Structures,
34% Packaging 38% Global ATI
at a glance which are supported by a world-class research center in Voreppe,
France, and a strong Research and Technology organization.
15%
11%
13%
Aerospace
Automotive
Other transportation
24% Specialty Sheet
34% Extrusions &
Automotive Structures
Constellium is recognized as the world leader in aerospace 4% Corporate and R&D
12% Industry
In markets as diverse as aerospace, plates, general engineering plates, closure sheets and bright
9% Building
automotive, construction, packaging, sheets and as the European leader in can body stock and large
6% Other
energy and transportation, Constellium profiles. Constellium, which has its operational headquarters
in Paris, France, generated sales of €3.6 billion in 2011.
is uniquely positioned to deliver innovative,
invaluable, world-class aluminium 2011 sales breakdown by geographic area
(Country of invoice)
products and solutions.
15% France 9,280
28% Germany EMPLOYEES
19% United Kingdom
ES M
N IU
3% Switzerland
2007
TO LL
16% Other Europe
22 11
ES TE
RIO TINTO 12% North America
UM
EL T S
MANUFACTURING COUNTRIES
IL S
ACQUIRES
LI
Asia & Oceania
ST C
5%
M ON
SITES
N DU
ALCAN
CO RO
2% Rest of the world
C
ES P
CO ER S
M ED
BE INE ST
EP G V E
1999 2003 Shareholding 1
N EN DI
11
structure
C A N TO
20
R&D CENTER
AL LCA TIN
ALCAN ACQUIRES ALCAN ACQUIRES 51% APOLLO
ALUSUISSE PECHINEY
A O
39% RIO TINTO
RI
10% FSI
2 3

4. Introduction Interview with Pierre Vareille
and notably China, has driven growth, though weakness in the safe and sound, and for Constellium to be the industry benchmark
construction industry made it a difficult year for extrusions. And for safety. We also need a step change in how we serve custom-
last but not least, can stock, our main product in Specialty Sheet, ers, by supplying products that almost never lead to a claim and
once again achieved record volumes. are delivered on time. As for growth, there are huge opportunities
in our strategic areas of aerospace, but also in the automotive
What are the prospects looking ahead to 2015? industry, where aluminium was once for niche markets but is
P.V.: They are promising, for some fundamental reasons. In almost increasingly used in volume cars. In packaging, if we continue
every field of manufacturing industry, aluminium is gaining ground to improve our service to customers, we will continue to gain
over other metals and materials. What’s more, Constellium is market share. Overall, our target is to triple EBITDA by 2015 and
focused on the value-added segments of markets which are to significantly improve our cash flow. Finally, to drive innovation,
enjoying real growth and will most probably continue to do so. we will keep investing in R&D to create the breakthrough products
So although we live in a world of uncertainties, our multi-year of 2020 and 2030. We have had great success in aerospace with
contracts with key customers like Airbus, Boeing and major can- AIRWARETM; now we need its automotive equivalent.
makers do give us visibility. Our aerospace prospects reflect the
present market conditions because airlines need to modernize
The power Looking back, what’s your view of 2011?
Pierre Vareille: It was a year of transition, a very important one.
Our main shareholder changed from a corporation to a private
their fleets with lighter planes that consume less fuel,and they
also need to expand those fleets in areas like Southeast Asia,
where tourism is booming. In automotive, China is now the world’s
I have formed
the unbreakable conviction
of change equity company, our name became Constellium and we reorgan-
ized the business to improve our operations and our cost position,
largest market and German cars – which use more aluminium –
are the preferred choice. Can stock will also continue its steady that we will, all together, create
which is the absolute condition to conquer new customers. That growth. one of the jewels of the European
Pierre Vareille, Constellium’s Chairman included the divestment of AIN, so we are now totally dedicated
and Chief Executive Officer, looks at to aluminium transformation. We also rolled out our investment What are your strategic aims?
manufacturing industry.
the achievements of the past year plan, which includes new casthouses at Voreppe and Issoire for P.V.: We have three key objectives, the first being to focus on our
our AIRWARETM technology. Meanwhile, the chairman and chief chosen growth segments – aerospace, automotive, packaging
and the challenges that lie ahead.
executive roles were merged, and I’m both proud and honored and industry. Geographically, we are looking for opportunities What kind of Constellium would you like to see
Safety, customer focus and innovation to hold this new position. All in all, it has been a challenging year, to expand our global footprint, in Asia in particular. The second in five years’ time?
are among the key priorities. because change is rarely easy; but change we must. objective is to create product leadership, based on innovative P.V.: I want us to be even more rigorous. I also want to decentral-
technologies that really are differentiating. The third is excellence ize decision-making – so that decisions are taken at the lowest
How did Constellium perform as a business? in our operations, through Lean transformation and the Constellium possible level – and to create a system of continuous improve-
P.V.: Overall, it was quite positive. Sales grew 20%, reaching over Business System. Together with our strong focus on sustainabil- ment, one where everyone takes part and influences their work
€3.5 billion, and we delivered increases in EBITDA and cash flow. ity and recycling, it’s a strategy we believe will help us achieve environment. In short, I want to create an entrepreneurial spirit,
Production rose by about 10%, to more than 1 million metric tons. our four True North Goals. so that people take risks and put themselves and their ideas
In short, it was a period of recovery after two very difficult years, forward. I am very optimistic about the future: throughout all my
due to the general economic climate. For Global Aerospace, And what are those goals? site visits and all my meetings with our employees, I have formed
Transportation and Industry, the aerospace sector is growing P.V.: They concern Environment, Health and Safety, customer the unbreakable conviction that we will, all together, create
rapidly again after a tough 2008-09, and we sealed important focus, organic growth and innovation. I put EHS FIRST, our com- one of the jewels of the European manufacturing industry.
contracts with our key customers. For Extrusions & Automotive prehensive approach to Environment, Health and Safety, as our
Structures, the strong performance of German carmakers in Asia, absolute priority. We want everyone to return home from work
4 5

5. Exploring
the future
8 Shaping the future through innovation
10 Voreppe, Constellium’s melting pot
for ideas
12 Innovation Cells, a new look at innovation
14 Partnerships, the science of working
together
7

6. Exploring the future Innovation
A world of potential with Open Innovation
To deliver on our strategy, Constellium has created an eco-
system for Open Innovation. It’s open, because we believe
not just in the expertise of our own scientists, engineers and
marketing teams, but also in partnerships with the world
outside. At the center of this ecosystem is our advanced R&D
facility at Voreppe in France, a world-leading resource for
Shaping Innovation is one of the True North Goals of Constellium’s
corporate strategy. Though our business units enjoy a wide
range of market-leading positions in Europe and around A major emerging trend
Constellium business units but also for carrying out joint
research with our customers. Every year, our customer partner-
ships yield research and technologies that set new performance
the future the world, we are fully committed to developing new products
and processes that will further strengthen those positions
endorsed by Constellium benchmarks for sustainability and efficiency.
Along with Constellium’s world-leading R&D resources, our
is to take a holistic approach
through innovation and satisfy our customers’ unmet needs. A striking achieve-
ment is our proprietary AIRWARE™ technology for the aerospace
sector. Through innovation, aluminium can also challenge the
to innovation.
strategy for innovation also includes partnerships with about
40 universities and international research laboratories, further
enhancing our ability to deliver advanced solutions. The Swiss
positions of other widely-used materials, such as PET in Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) and France’s ViaMéca
Constellium has a longstanding
certain types of packaging or steel in the automotive sector. mechanical engineering research cluster are just two such
tradition for excellence in innovation. In all areas, Constellium actively seeks opportunities to they interface with other materials in an increasingly hybrid partners. Constellium is constantly improving its own organ-
With 200 patent families in critical deliver innovative solutions through co-development with world that requires engineering excellence. ization. Process innovation is supported by R&D and driven
technologies, the company is fully its customers. A major emerging trend endorsed by Constellium is to take a by a dedicated technology organization operating a series of
committed to innovation in its products, holistic approach to innovation, one that incorporates advanced technology networks that bring together experts and engineers
processes and services. Delivering on that Exploiting the advantages of aluminium material design, processing, and the customer’s enabling to industrialize new products and promote best practices at
At the heart of our strategy for innovation is the search for technologies. A key feature throughout this approach is the plant level. These Technology Networks cover areas including
commitment means not just harnessing
products and technologies that exploit aluminium’s advantages extensive use of state-of-the-art numerical modeling. While industrialization, hot and cold rolling, casting, maintenance,
the talent of our own people, but also in lightweighting, strength, formability and durability. The there is a focus on deliverable solutions, our strategy for innov- molten metal and recycling. Outside learning can be rapidly
working with customers, suppliers, market opportunities for this are already enormous – and ation also includes our processes, particularly in manufactur- assimilated into the knowledge management processes
research scientists and academics will also continue to grow thanks to an increasing trend ing. Throughout our plants, we use innovation to make these through a technology watch. Further resources are provided
around the world. for capital goods to be multi-material and multifunctional; processes safer, more efficient and to lower energy consump- by Innovation Cells, a unit that supports our business units
particularly in the automotive and transportation sectors. This tion – and to also help create new products. In addition, we – from the idea and prototype stages to business plans.
means that our innovation talent is not only focusing on the are at the forefront of recycling in areas including packaging, At Constellium, innovation really is at the beating heart of
scope of aluminium technologies themselves, but also how and materials from the aerospace and automotive sectors. everything we do.
8 9

7. Exploring the future Voreppe Research Center
set of alloys and trademarks including Formalex™ (an Al-Mg
alloy) for inner body parts and Surfalex™ for hoods.
To help customers design
Crash management systems
and produce cost-effective With car safety a clear priority for manufacturers, Constellium
materials that are perfectly helps its automotive customers by developing innovative crash
management systems. One such innovation is the inserted
adapted to their needs front crash box, placed directly into a vehicle’s longitudinals
and now used by several carmakers. Constellium has patented
a towing unit that is integrated into a rear crash box. It does
Voreppe It’s the largest research center devoted to aluminium in
Western Europe, it’s home to 200 senior-level specialists and
it’s the driving force behind innovation at Constellium — the
avoids the need to melt the parts being welded, FSW aims
to help customers in the aerospace sector to optimize
their material usage and reduce costs. Used to create larger
not require a towing nut and benefits from a reduced welding
length and fewer parts. Like the front crashbox, the towing
unit is also an exercise in lightweighting. Working with our
Constellium’s Voreppe Research Center (CRV). pieces without losing any of the material properties, FSW par-
ticularly reduces the manufacturing costs for assembling
facilities at Singen, the CRV has developed thinner (down-
gauged) and higher-strength aluminium extruded components
melting pot Key roles in supporting the business
Equipped with the latest scientific hardware, prototyping
equipment and modeling technology, the CRV has three key
applications of fuselage and wing substructures. Techniques
including FSW and laser beam welding can help significantly
reduce the weight of an aircraft. Constellium’s AIRWARE™
that maintain crash performance.
CRV Services for third party aluminium users
for ideas roles to play: to develop innovative, sustainable, value-added
solutions for customers; to provide opportunities for future
technology, used in aircraft including the Airbus A350 or
Bombardier CSeries, delivers a 25% reduction in weight when
As part of its activities, the CRV also offers a wide range of
services to help external manufacturing and processing com-
business growth and to support our technology networks in combined with advanced welding techniques and redesign panies implement effective R&D programs. Whether it’s new
Since it first opened in 1967, the Voreppe sharing best practices for our processes. In terms of organiza- of the airframe. alloys, new systems for processing, assembling and forming
Research Center (CRV) has provided tion, the CRV is based around multidisciplinary teams dedicated materials, or new applications, CRV knowledge and experience
a wealth of innovation in aluminium and its to three key markets (aerospace, automotive and rigid pack- High formability sheet for the automotive industry is a powerful resource. Among the services available are
aging). It also has teams specializing in core competencies With Specialty Sheet, Voreppe has helped to develop Constellium’s design and modeling assistance, metallurgical prototyping,
alloys. In close cooperation with customers,
(metallurgy, surfaces & corrosion, numerical modeling & range of Body In White solutions for automotive manufactur- materials characterization, mechanical testing, heat treatment
its many breakthroughs over the years applications, and the casting & recycling process) and support ers, focusing in particular on the formable aluminium needed and joining technologies. Together, they enable CRV Services
have improved safety and helped make (characterization, testing, prototyping and castshop). The by demanding, lightweight car designs. The objective has been to help customers design and produce cost-effective materials
cars and planes lighter, industry leaner breadth of expertise at CRV can be gauged by looking at tech- to achieve a high formability – i.e., the ability of the metal to that are perfectly adapted to their needs.
and the environment greener. nologies provided by these units. be formed without failure or defects – in stamping and, for
outer panels, hem flanging at acceptable manufacturing rates
AIRWARE™ and Friction Stir Welding for lighter aircraft without compromising surface appearance or strength. A four-
For Global ATI, CRV expertise in Friction Stir Welding (FSW) year R&D project involving Voreppe and three external organ-
has been a major asset. A solid-state joining process that izations has resulted in a series of improvements, and a new
10 11

8. Exploring the future Innovation Cells
Innovation Cells
material technology, Innovation Cells also provides its services
to third parties outside Constellium. Though the work carried
out is largely confidential, projects have been successfully
completed for Saint-Gobain in the construction industry,
Logitech in consumer electronic devices and Philip Morris
in non-tobacco markets. For 3A Composites (former Alcan
Innovation Cells brings business Composites) Innovation Cells initiated a project to see if com-
and technical experts together posites could be used to produce more durable bridges, and
helped establish the first pilot projects. The result is a new
under one roof to provide product line now commercialized by 3A Composites as Banova,
a range of innovation services. a balsa-based bridge decking material that is 80% lighter than
conventional offerings. As with all its projects, Innovation Cells
is clearly focused on identifying the potential of a new product
or process and then developing it into a successful business.
In an increasingly complex, multi-material world, that focus is
a highly valuable asset.
Innovation Cells For all its complexity, innovation is rather like baking a cake:
there are many different recipes for a successful outcome.
At Constellium, our main focus is on the world-class R&D center
The approach has helped numerous Constellium projects across
its various divisions, with a flagship example being the develop-
ment of Corevo, an aluminium foam. The manufacturing process
a new look at Voreppe, supported by a network of partnerships with top
universities and research facilities. However, we can also draw
invented at EPFL’s Mechanical Metallurgy Laboratory for the
foam is radically different and more economical than current
FOAM FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORLD
Corevo aluminium foam can
at innovation on Innovation Cells, a special unit created in 2008 on the campus
of our strategic research partner, the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Innovation Cells specializes
alternatives. In terms of applications, it has real potential in a
number of areas, and notably the automotive industry (see box
for details). Constellium backed the idea and asked the experts
support sustainable, ‘green’
technologies in a variety of
different application areas.
in creating new business from new products and applications at Innovation Cells to help. Their response, in the form of support Consisting of 70% air, the
Innovation Cells is a unit of Constellium aluminium foam material
that are complementary to Constellium’s core activities. for development, industrial scale-up, customer and application
that takes the idea of Open Innovation scouting and business case definition has resulted in a highly is an excellent conductor
to a different level. A combination From innovation to delivery sustainable product that will soon be ready for launch.
of heat and cooling for either liquids or gases. In cars,
for example, a cooling unit made from Corevo could
of business and development experts, A cross-functional organization, Innovation Cells brings business replace the conventional radiator, reducing its size
it provides materials and innovation and technical experts together under one roof to provide a range Identifying the right market and weight, and boosting its efficiency. More
of innovation services to Constellium and third parties alike. A different kind of service has been provided for Constellium’s importantly, it would give engineers an opportunity
consulting services to Constellium to re-design the cooling system entirely – potentially
These include materials engineering, new product development Specialty Sheet business unit in Singen, Germany. Innovation
and industry at large. integrating it with the crash management system and
and innovation management. Its task is not to carry out funda- Cells was able to sharply reduce the time to market for a new
achieving even greater weight reduction. Electric cars
mental research, but to find ways of refining, developing, high-strength aluminium alloy that the business unit had will meanwhile have an increasingly important role to
prototyping and successfully delivering customer ideas that developed, but for which they had yet to select the best-suited play in sustainable motoring as battery performance
have already been proved at lab scale. The overriding aim of the target of its many application areas. Innovation Cells helped to continues to increase, delivering ever-greater vehicle
organization is to take ideas, materialize products and then identify a launch application and customer, and also provided power and range. However, with more power comes
more heat. Corevo casings for the batteries in electric
deliver revenues. Equally importantly, customers can be advised estimates of the potential size of the market, leading to a new
cars could provide effective cooling, and re-route heat
when to terminate a line of development, should there be a lack product and new business for Specialty Sheet. to other areas of the car.
of market potential. With expertise that includes both aluminium and composite
12 13

9. Exploring the future Interview with Professor Francesco Stellacci
How could this be taken further?
Constellium partners F.S.: In the car industry you could think of a material that is very
with about 40 universities hard when interacting with small mechanical stresses – so a
and international research pebble would bounce off the hood without leaving a scratch –
but in a crash, it would bend in on itself and absorb all the energy,
laboratories. protecting the occupants. These are all instances where you
want multiple functions from the same material and I think
in the future we’ll be able to engineer these functions.
Why are interfaces important for the aeronautics Just how far could this go?
and automotive sectors? F.S.: In a span of 20 to 50 years, I think metals and other
F.S.: Because these industries are becoming multi-material materials will be able to self-heal, at least small cracks. It won’t
Partnerships Along with Constellium’s world-leading R&D resources,
our strategy for innovation also includes partnerships with
about 40 European universities and international research
environments; they’re about putting different materials together
to get the best out of them. The problem is that we use relatively
simple methodologies to do that: by bolting or soldering. But if
of course be a single component matter, it will be an integrated
system of multiple materials being together.
the science of laboratories. Our research center at Voreppe, France, for
example, works closely with the Suisse Technology Partners
we really controlled the interface of these two materials we could
achieve properties that are far beyond a simple sum of the two
How? Metal has no innate intelligence telling
it how to self-heal.
working together laboratory in Neuhausen in Switzerland and the ViaMéca
mechanical engineering research cluster in France. A key
partnership for advanced technology in lightweight materials
materials’ properties. We could make aluminium very tough or
very soft, just by controlling the interface with other materials.
F.S.: When a bone breaks, it’s not your brain that tells your bone
to re-heal. There are stimuli within the material that push toward
the bone having a continuous structure. There is research now
has been established with the Swiss Federal Institute of How could that be exploited? in composite materials that if capsules within a composite are
Constellium has established links with
Technology in Lausanne, where the world renowned expert in F.S.: Think of an airplane wing. It needs some flexibility so it can broken, they release chemicals to re-form the material itself.
leading universities and research centers nanomaterials, Francesco Stellacci, was appointed Constellium bend with the air, according to the mechanical stresses over You could one day have metals that release chemicals and
as part of its global approach to innovation. Professor in 2010. Here, Professor Stellacci looks at the future the wing, but has to be particularly hard, so that it doesn’t crack re-form if their continuity is broken, or chemicals in the surface
Professor Francesco Stellacci, a world possibilities for aluminium and other materials. if it hits something. Now, if it had two materials that co-existed paint to do that. Remember, there’s a lot more complex
expert on nanomaterials, discusses where with a great interface – so that some parts were extremely hard self-healing in nature. If a lizard loses its tail, the entire tail
those links might lead us in the future. What areas does your work cover? and others very good at bending – that would be very exciting. grows back. That’s not in sight for materials now, but maybe
Francesco Stellacci: My work focuses on the interfaces of in 200 years it will be.
different materials and how we can take advantage of those How else could this be applied to industry?
to create new opportunities. What’s important to understand F.S.: I believe future materials will be able to perform more
is that at the nano scale, materials show different properties functions than they do now. So in aerospace, but also the auto-
than normal, and novel phenomena happen. For example, if we motive industry, we could have materials that change color as I believe future materials
impose a nanometric structure on the surface of a material, they start to degrade, enabling a visual inspection. Food cans
such as aluminium, we can give it special interfacial properties; could be made to start corroding if the food inside had gone will be able to perform more
like making it superhydrophobic, so that it strongly repels water. bad and you’d know just by touching the can. functions than they do now.
14 15

10. Materializing
ideas
18 Aluminium, the strengths
of a 21st century material
20 Global ATI, shaping the sky
24 SSH, leading the way in key markets
28 EAS, promising trends
32 Recycling, aluminium’s ace card
17

11. Materializing ideas Aluminium intrinsic values
THE LIFE CYCLE
OF ALUMINIUM
Aluminium provides a twist on the traditional life cycle
in that, once born, it never dies. Endlessly recyclable,
it exists in a continuous loop of formation and transformation.
Bauxite ore, A chemical process Alumina is smelted
the raw material turns bauxite into into aluminium
for aluminium, is mined. alumina powder. by electrolysis.
Casthouse
Recycling returns Each of these The resulting Metal is alloyed
Aluminium Accounting for just over 8% of the earth’s crust weight,
aluminium is the most abundant metal on the planet and
the third most common element after oxygen and silicon. And
it to the production
process.
products
has its own usable
lifetime.
materials
are manufactured
into products.
and processed
by casting, rolling
or extrusion.
the strengths since industrial production started slightly more than 100 years
ago, aluminium has become increasingly important in our lives:
of a 21st century we cannot fly, travel by high-speed train, high-performance
car or fast ferry without it. We cannot get heat or light into
our homes and offices without it. Our society depends on it
A first choice for packaging applications
Can and foil are the best known aluminium end-uses in the
packaging sector. Aluminium provides an absolute barrier 75 % of all the aluminium ever
material to preserve food, medicine and provide electronic components
for our computers.
protecting goods. It contributes to the efficient production,
storage, distribution, retailing, and usage of many products
made is still in productive use.
such as drinks, food and medicines.
Worldwide demand for aluminium Fit for purpose in transportation applications
products is on the rise. Partly a result of Aluminium has about one-third the density of steel, is corro- A large variety of other applications
demographic growth and higher purchasing sion-resistant and its strength can be adapted to requirements The building and construction sector extensively uses alu-
by modifying the composition of the alloy. This has made minium for its high strength-to-weight ratio, its long service
power in emerging countries, the increase
aluminium the material of choice in many transportation life with low maintenance requirements, its high reflectivity
also reflects the fact that aluminium applications: planes, trucks, high-speed trains (in particular and its huge design flexibility with a wide choice of surface
is replacing other materials, thanks double-decker cars) and also freight cars for coal, marine ves- finishes: solar panels, facade sheets, window frames, shading
to its unique combination of properties. sels, passenger cars, bicycles, etc. Use of aluminium reduces devices, etc., are only examples of building applications. 100% 2.7g/cu. cm
Being lightweight, strong, formable, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, and/or larger payloads Thanks to its excellent thermal conductivity, aluminium has AND INFINITELY THE DENSITY
and longer distances. In addition, aluminium is an excellent now replaced copper in automotive heat exchangers and is used RECYCLABLE OF ALUMINIUM
resistant to corrosion and endlessly
shock-absorber which is increasingly used in crash-manage- in molds.
recyclable are just some of those
ment systems (bumpers) for improving safety in cars. With a specific bright finish, aluminium can be used as a
properties. reflector for lighting applications.
18 19

12. 13 +3
Leader in the sky
Al ready worldwide
#1 co.
worldwide
#1
worldwide
in aerospace in general
plates engineering plates
20 21

13. Materializing ideas Global Aerospace, Transportation and Industry
Strength, where it’s needed
Aside from aerospace, the other major Global ATI markets Christophe Villemin,
ID CARD
are transportation, defense and industry. In the transportation President Global ATI
sector, Constellium is Europe’s market leader in tank trailers
2011 SALES VOLUMES
€1.024 billion
and dump bodies, and is #1 in North America for railcar and “Key markets are
44% Aerospace
36% Transportation
roof coil. It has also built up a major business in fast ferry and
yacht construction thanks to its breakthrough alloy SEALIUM®,
picking up and set
19% Industry which has outstanding strength and weather/fatigue resistance. for future growth”
Aluminium’s inherent combination of light weight and strength
KEY CUSTOMERS is also increasingly being used by the defense sector in armored What were the highlights of 2011?
Airbus, Boeing, Dassault,
vehicles, where manufacturers require the highest levels of blast The key highlight was a sharp pickup
Embraer, Freight Car,
and ballistic protection. in demand from the aerospace industry,
America, SpaceX, Reliance,
in particular with Boeing and Airbus,
Bombardier, Ryerson,
Thyssen Krupp, etc.
which had reduced inventories.
Services and industrial capability Meanwhile, the transportation and
Rounding out Constellium’s offer in the Global ATI area is marine sector recovered in the US and
its #1 position worldwide in general engineering plates continued to grow in Asia. Internally,
for industry; a position driven by the expertise at its three manu- two new casthouses for AIRWARE™
facturing plants – at Issoire, France; Ravenswood, West Virginia began production at Voreppe and Issoire,
in the United States; and Sierre/Steg in Switzerland. Though while a new $46 million stretcher
the plants are key to both the development and production of was installed at Ravenswood.
plates, sheets, extrusions and coils, they also have another
What is the market evolution,
important role to play in Constellium’s all-round solution for and what challenges lie ahead?
Global ATI customers. A wide range of engineering services The outlook is very encouraging.
Global ATI Constellium’s ability to create, manufacture and recycle new
aluminium alloys has established the company as the benchmark
for the aerospace industry. Its products are found in passenger
are also available, particularly pre-machining and advanced
welding to optimize manufacturing by the customer, along with
recycling, which involves collecting and re-using the scrap from
Aluminium has made real technological
progress in aerospace, compared
with alternative materials like titanium
shaping the sky planes from Boeing and Airbus, military aircraft including
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and in various space-
customers’ machining and production processes. or carbon fibers, and the recycling factor
is growing in importance. The challenges
are to keep improving our service to
craft and launchers stretching back three decades. Constellium
customers as we increase production,
Constellium’s Global Aerospace, is a worldwide leader in the aerospace market for aluminium, and to keep pace with their needs, both
Transportation and Industry business unit the #1 worldwide in general engineering plates and the European technologically and geographically.
provides a broad spectrum of aluminium leader in aluminium precision sand castings. CHANGING THE GAME WITH AIRWARE™
What is your strategy?
solutions. Working closely with customers Launched in 2010 after a 10-year program First, it’s to keep innovating, and
A constant evolution
to determine their needs, we are able That success is due to two main factors : aluminium’s intrinsic
at Constellium’s Voreppe R&D center, AIRWARE™ to bear in mind that we’re not just selling
is a breakthrough range of products designed for
to design and manufacture products that ability to reduce aircraft weight and Constellium’s combination all parts of an aircraft structure (fuselage, wings
alloys or products; we need to take into
account all the design, manufacturing
help make travel safe and sustainable. of technical innovation and industrial experience. For aircraft and tail fins). Drawing on a complex structure and recycling at the customers’ end.
designers, using the latest aluminium alloys means that speed developed using nanotechnology, the range offers plane manufacturers The future lies in complex hybrid
and payloads can be increased, while fuel requirements can be three key properties: it is 25% lighter than conventional materials,
solutions, so we will also focus on
making it possible to optimize the design of structural parts and reduce
reduced. Constellium then takes these characteristics to another how aluminium can interface with
CO2 emissions; its superior resistance to corrosion and fatigue extends
level with its proprietary portfolio of advanced alloys, including other materials in aerospace and
heavy maintenance intervals to 12 years; and its 100% recyclability
ground-breaking technologies such as AIRWARE™. Further transportation. Finally, we will leverage
makes a major contribution to a sustainable aerospace industry.
Not surprisingly, leading manufacturers are now turning to AIRWARE™, our global presence.
breakthroughs are being targeted in the years ahead, as
Constellium develops new products to meet its customers’ evolving rather than composites, for their next generation of aircraft.
The technology has been selected by Airbus for its wide-body A350-XWB,
needs. Meanwhile, in line with the company’s firm commitment
by Bombardier for its single-aisle CSeries and in space transportation
to recycling, aluminium is recovered from aircraft that have by SpaceX for its payload launchers.
reached the end of their service lives and is melted down for re-use.
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