Aluminium plates in thicknesses from 5 mm upwards up to a few 100 mm are conventionally rolled in hot-rolling mills from cast rolling slabs in several passes and, after costly heat treatment, a stretching process for the removal of internal stresses and extensive quality checks, they are supplied in as-rolled final thicknesses for various applications. Owing to the high investment costs and sophisticated technology involved, rolling plants designed for such production operations discourage investors from entering the field. Granted the high capacity of individual plants and the moderate total market demand, there are only a few such plate rolling mills in operation worldwide, whose products nowadays go mainly to further processors in the aviation and automotive engineering industries by virtue of long-term contracts. To operate economically they need to roll large quantities in every size and alloy - all these factors together making a niche market of the relatively small and diversified demand for plates in other sectors.
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