This perception is changing though – BlueScope Distribution’s range of aluminium sheet, plate, coil and treadplate, as well as extruded products is regularly expanding. Additional resourcing is also being invested by the company to increase availability, while category experts have been appointed to further promote and support BlueScope Distribution’s growing aluminium presence. Innovation within the business unit is also well entrenched as the business looks to continue to improve the products, processing and solutions offered by the business in the steel and aluminium space. Consolidated knowledge and supply chain As well as having a broad range of aluminium products, selecting BlueScope Distribution as an aluminium supply partner has other benefits for customers, including the convenience of a single touchpoint for all steel and aluminium requirements and the associated ‘know-how’. BlueScope Distribution National Aluminium Manager, Brad White, said such efficiencies were particularly important for the growing number of customers who used both materials. “For our clients who require both steel and aluminium products, it’s the logical and economical choice to source these materials from a single supplier,” he said. “Customers can deal with a single point of contact at BlueScope Distribution for their state, national or international requirements and have their wants and needs coordinated succinctly. At a local level consolidating deliveries by having both steel and aluminium delivered on the one truck makes everything a lot more efficient, and allows us to provide customers with added value services such as just-in-time delivery, consignment stock, trading terms, warehousing and processing if they need it. “For greater convenience, we can also provide multiple origin materials including Australia, Asia, Middle East, Europe, USA and Indonesia.” This enables us to meet the varied requirements of our customers and the aluminium applications of the industires within which they operate. “We understand the differences in aluminium requirements between our transport customers and our marine customer are different, not to mention all the other differences across the many other industries we support. This is where our breadth of knowledge and access to a variety of aluminium products from local and offshore suppliers enables us to meet the needs of what our customers need.” adds Mr White Fit-for-task “The demand for aluminium has grown in recent years, with many industries gaining a greater awareness of the benefits this material can provide in their manufactured products,” he said. “Aluminium’s superior corrosion performance in certain applications as well as strength to weight ratio is seeing it used more widely across a range of transport, marine, leisure and other applications. The benefits for boat building are self-evident, particularly for use in salt water, while in the transport industry, aluminium provides increased payloads for trucks and trailers. BlueScope Distribution’s range in both rolled and extruded products include materials independently accredited by third party accreditors include DNV, NATA, Bureau Veritas and Lloyds.” Australia is home to many leading marine manufacturers ranging from fabricators of personal water craft to manufacturers of larger boats including defence vessels and ferries spanning from 25 to 100 metres plus. These companies rely on aluminium to increase product performance, and BlueScope Distribution has nurtured and developed strong relationships with many of these companies over time. Commercial vehicle body and trailer manufacturers also rely heavily on aluminium for its strength and rigidity as well as its weight saving benefits. The arrival of COVID-19 last year led to a huge increase in e-commerce requiring more trucks on the road, particularly for ‘last mile’ delivery (the final step of a product’s journey from warehouse to customer). This situation resulted in increased demand for aluminium by manufacturers. Aside from these two industries, BlueScope Distribution also supplies aluminium products into other sectors including defence, construction, mining, leisure and agriculture. Aluminium processing capability BlueScope Distribution is not just all about delivering basic products, it also adds value by offering processing services. The company’s capabilities include plate shaping by router cutting, slitting, custom lengths, guillotining, drill and tap and marking, which provides efficiencies for customers because they receive products that are fit for purpose, with less handling and machining required on arrival. It also means that customers don’t need to invest in their own equipment and resources to undertake this work themselves. ther solutions include project management capability, end to end supply chain solutions, consignment stock as well as innovative ways of supplying pre-cut components as a kit. “Our kitting solutions enable us to supply customers with finished, pre-cut compenents which they focus on assembling into their own end user products.” These kitting solutions have been particularly popular with our marine customers and are also available for the transport, defence, mining, leisure and agricultural industries. Mr White said that BlueScope Distribution also makes the effort to learn about a customer’s business from front to back of house which allows it to facilitate the most appropriate aluminium product and supply solutions. “Having a strong industry knowledge and a focus on listening to customer needs are other factors in which BlueScope Distribution is different to most,” Mr White said. “We take the time to learn what clients require so that we can offer them a complete solution complementing product, service and value. If a customer needs seven or eight different aluminium products, we’re committed to providing the full suite of products not just the basic high volume materials.” BlueScope Distribution is able to offer its customers an extensive product range comprising of 3000, 5000, 6000, 7000 series aluminium alloy variants, each with different characteristics to suit specific or generic applications like corrosion-resistance, strength levels, wear resistance and suitability for hot and cold treatments. A number of finishes are also available including mill finish, mill bright, brushed, linished or polished. With metropolitan locations in all state capital cities as well as nine regional locations, BlueScope Distribution is well placed to deliver its range of aluminium products right across Australia. For added peace of mind, BlueScope Distribution’s range of aluminium products comply with Australian Standards in accordance with AS/NZS 1866:1997 and AS/NZS 1734:1997 , as well as other industry specific standards like ASTM, AAMA, and EN. The company has also recently become a ‘distribution member’ of the Australian Aluminium Council, the country’s peak association representing the aluminium industry. BlueScope’s involvement with the Council will enable our teams to stay informed on the latest industry information and trends, providing customers with up-to-date details related to the aluminium products they use. For further information visit the Australian Aluminium Council Website Visit Website Visit Website Benefits of aluminium include: • Light weight • Strength to weight benefits • A variety of alloys and tempers to choose from • Strong corrosion-resistant properties • Formable • Non-combustible • Relatively easy to weld • 100% recyclable • Readily available Aluminium 19 Business News – Aluminium