The history of Novelis Kingston Works, located on the north shore of Lake Ontario in Kingston, Ontario, is a story of success. Originally built in 1940 to supply aluminum for the Allied forces, Novelis Kingston Works is still in operation over 60 years later. Over the decades, the plant continued to redefine itself and adapted to the changing needs of the market.
Today, Kingston Works is known as a world-class aluminum rolling mill -- production, quality, service and safety. With a mission of excellence, the operation has a committed team of people focused on continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, adaptability, and lowering costs.
During 2000, Novelis Kingston Works underwent a 90,000 square foot expansion to add production capacity, reduce lead time and improved logistics. This also included new finishing equipment and highly efficient, integrated handling and packaging system with state-of-the-art robotics. Producing high quality aluminum sheet, Kingston's products are used in the automotive, commercial transportation, marine, and building and construction markets. In addition, the operation produces common alloy aluminum that is used in a variety of end use industrial applications sold through a distribution network.
Committed to excellences in environment, health and safety (EHS), Kingston Works employees have led by example and demonstrated their commitment through the years. Kingston became the first Novelis facility in the world to achieve ISO 9002 and QS-9000 certification. Most recently in February 2004, the operation achieved another major milestone by working safety and smartly by completing 3 million person hours works without a lost time injury. Raising the EHS bar, the plant is ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified.
Research & Technology
Innovative Solutions
Novelis uses advanced scientific techniques and applied knowledge to deliver innovative, customer-driven solutions. We bring solutions to the market quickly and meet or exceed customer expectations by leveraging our extensive research and development capabilities.
With world-class expertise in a range of critical disciplines, our scientists and engineers can assist in immediate-need projects or address longer-term solutions to provide innovative production and application technologies, including breakthroughs in:
Alloy development/optimization for improved properties (eg, strength, formability, corrosion resistance, etc.)
Innovative manufacturing technologies
Advanced surface treatment and coating technologies for semi-finished products
The modeling of forming processes (eg, automotive sheet components) and product performance (eg, auto structure crash behaviour and beverage can down-gauging)
Development of innovative products (heat exchanger materials, automotive sheet, beverage and semi-rigid containers, etc.)
Global Technology Organization
Through its Global Technology Organization, Novelis is committed to providing world-leading technical support. This organization allows R&T knowledge and experience to be shared rapidly between teams and facilities around the globe so that innovations can be applied appropriately, and with the same speed, by customers who possess regional or worldwide manufacturing capabilities.
The Novelis Technology Centers collaborate very closely with customers, to identify their needs in the areas of manufacturing process support, the introduction of new manufacturing technologies, and the design and development of new and improved products. This collaboration typically involves both the physical simulation of a customer’s processes and products through the development of pilot line capabilities, and simulation via state-of-the-art computer-aided design and engineering.
Novelis Global Technology Center*
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Aluminum fabricated products, simulation, material performance and surface treatment
Novelis European Technology Center
Neuhausen, Switzerland
Surface critical products, high speed surface treatments and automotive technologies
Novelis Technical Services
Aurora, Illinois, USA
Beverage can materials
Novelis Korea Technology Center
Ulsan, Korea
Aluminum fabricated products and customer service
* Main Technology Center