Aluminium giant endorses development of new technologies that improve productivity, operating efficiencies, quality and production processes.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Re-affirming its commitment to the development o science and technology in the Middle East, Dubai Aluminium Company Limited ("DUBAL"), the seventh largest producer of primary aluminium in the world, has announced that it is the sole sponsor of the American University of Sharjah's 5th International Symposium on Mechatronics and Its Applications ("ISMA 08"), which takes place in Amman, Jordan, from 27 to 29 May 2008. This is the third year that DUBAL has sponsored this key event, having first done so in 2006.
Defined as the synergetic integration of mechanical engineering with electronics, intelligent control, and design and manufacturing of industrial products and processes, Mechatronics has been identified recently in a leading publication as one of the top ten emerging technologies that will change the world. Indeed, by integrating a variety of disciplines so as to serve the needs of industries, education and communities, Mechatronics has direct application in the automotive, locomotive and aerospace industries; as well as a variety of other applications.
Held under the patronage of Jordan's HRH Princess Sumaya bint El-Hassan, ISMA 08 will focus on both the theoretical and practical aspects of Mechatronics. A broad range of topics of will be covered, many of which will address the interest of local industry, including process control systems, smart sensors and actuators, remote monitoring and control, industrial automation, robotics and autonomous systems, and modelling (simulation and virtual reality).
Abdulla A Al Zarouni (Senior Process Engineer: Operations and Development in DUBAL's Technology Development & Transfer Department) will deliver the opening remarks at ISMA 08. His address will focus on DUBAL's commitment to the development of science and technology, the company's ongoing investments in advancing technologies and the rationale behind DUBAL's third sponsorship of an ISMA event.
Commenting on DUBAL's ongoing support for the ISMA series of events, Yousuf Abdulla Bastaki, from Major projects at DUBAL and EMAL project Director, said: "Being a large industrial corporation, the research and development of new technologies is a core focus at DUBAL, where a commitment to innovation is displayed through ongoing efforts to improve and sustain new methods of smelting that are not only more productive, but also less harmful to the environment. We are delighted to be associated with the annual ISMA events, as they provide a forum for scholars, scientists, researchers, technologists, university students and industry personnel to share, exchange and express new ideas that are central to the discipline of Mechatronics. The resulting network of minds in this important area of technology has a direct impact on industry in the region, making DUBAL a clear beneficiary of the event outcomes each year."
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About Dubai Aluminium Company - DUBAL
DUBAL is ranked as the seventh largest producer of primary aluminium in the world, and currently ranks as the largest single-site aluminium smelter complex in the Western world and is also one of the single largest non-oil contributors to the economy of Dubai. Built on a 480-hectare site, DUBAL's major facilities comprise an 950,000 tonnes-per-annum primary aluminium smelter, a 2,400 megawatt power station, a large carbon plant, three casthouses, a 30-million-gallon-per-day water desalination plant, laboratories, port and storage facilities.
The company has the capacity to produce more than one million metric tonnes of high quality finished aluminium products a year, in three main forms: foundry alloy for automotive applications, extrusion billet for construction purposes and high purity aluminium for the electronics and aerospace industries. A dynamic growth strategy will increase annual production volumes of hot metal to almost one million metric tonnes by 2008.
DUBAL serves 280 customers in 44 countries predominantly in the Far East, Europe, the ASEAN region, the Middle East and Mediterranean region, and North America. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification; and has twice won the Dubai Quality Award in the Production and Manufacturing sector (1996 and 2000).
© Press Release 2008