FATA Hunter Inc. receives one of the 2012 R&D 100 awards for its contribution to the development of an Asymmetric Rolling Mill

　　FATA Hunter Inc., a subsidiary of FATA SpA, (a Finmeccanica Company) receives one of the 2012 R&D 100 awards for its contribution to the development of an Asymmetric Rolling Mill.

　　The awards, presented by R&D Magazine, recognize the top 100 innovations of 2012 and are sometimes referred to as the "Academy Awards of Science."

　　"Congratulations to this year's R&D 100 award winners," said US Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

　　"The research and development at the Department of Energy's laboratories continues to help the nation meet our energy challenges, strengthen our national security and improve our economic competitiveness."

　　ASYMMETRIC ROLLING MILL

　　A Novel Route for Processing Sheet and Plate was jointly developed and submitted by FATA Hunter Inc., Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL) and Magnesium Elektron North America.

　　The FATA HUNTER team consisted of, Roberto Passoni, Chris Romanowski and Ed Traczyk.

　　Anthony Tropeano, CEO of FATA HUNTER, "congratulates the Team and thanks ORNL and Magnesium Electron North America for the opportunity to jointly develop this innovative technology and for the excellent cooperation between all parties".

　　Magnesium is a lightweight metal that has practical applications in goods such as personal electronics and automobile production.

　　Commercial use of magnesium had previously been limited because of the high cost associated with its multistep production process. This production process could be short-cut by twin roll casting, but significant challenges remained in the area of texture and formability of the rolled sheet.

　　The Asymmetric Rolling Mill provides a way to efficiently process magnesium strip produced by both the conventional and twin roll cast routes. The mill modifies the texture and improves the formability of the rolled sheet. This development will accelerate the production and availability of low-cost magnesium sheet, thereby allowing the replacement of aluminum with magnesium in many commercial goods.

　　The widespread use of magnesium instead of aluminum in cars would reduce vehicle weight and lead to improvements in fuel economy.

　　Funding for the project was provided by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy with cost sharing from Magnesium Elektron North America.