Aluminum Dynamics’ mega project now in the home stretch

Columbus, Mississippi is where Aluminum Dynamics LLC (ADL) is building a fully integrated aluminum flat‑rolling complex that sets new industry benchmarks for capability, automation, and process stability. As the main technology partner, SMS group is supplying all core rolling equipment and coil‑logistics systems, guiding the plant from greenfield status toward full‑scale operation.

With major commissioning activities completed in 2025 and early 2026, the project is approaching its final phase. Once all units are ramped up, ADL will produce 650,000 tons of aluminum sheet for automotive and beverage‑can applications every year — markets that demand extremely tight tolerances and highly repeatable quality.

The ADL and SMS teams are currently working together on the commissioning of TCM#1 to optimize the performance of the rolling mill with a view to the final acceptance of the first two-stand cold rolling mill. At the same time, ADL and its contractors, with the support of SMS, are pushing ahead with the completion of the overall project by finalizing the installation of TCM#2 and advancing the cold commissioning of the CCL. All of this is contributing to the full ramp-up of this large-scale greenfield aluminum plant and ensuring its long-term successful operation.

SMS group’s supply scope includes a 1+4 hot strip mill, a single‑stand, 6‑high cold rolling mill, two twin‑stand tandem mills, two fully automated high‑bay coil storage systems, and a coating line for can‑end stock. This integrated setup provides ADL with a complete, vertically aligned production route.

From logistics planning to ‘Plug & Work’ testing, the project teams from SMS and ADL have worked under challenging global supply chain conditions. Executive Project Director Rainer Hoppe recalls, “Securing high-quality manufacturing capacities and the timely organization of shipping capacities was crucial, especially amid geopolitical uncertainties and events like container ship blockages in the Suez Canal.” Despite these pressures, the 1+4 hot strip mill and the cold rolling mill produced their first coils in June 2025.

In June 2025, the first coil was successfully produced on the aluminum hot rolling mill. On December 17, Aluminum Dynamics LLC signed the final acceptance certificate, confirming its high satisfaction with the rolling mill's performance, product quality, and production ramp-up. The thorough pre-assembly of the equipment and functional testing of the mechanical equipment in the SMS workshops, as well as the X-Pact^® Plug & Work integration test of the automation, were key factors in the rapid project completion.

The new hot strip mill comprises a robust 4-roll reversing roughing mill and a top-driven vertical edger mill attached to its entry end, double-tapered roller tables for damage-free transport of the rolling ingots, a heavy-gauge shear for cropping off-gauge and off-shape head and tail ends from the transfer bar, and a light-gauge shear for final preparation of the strip head for rolling in the 4-stand finishing mill. All finishing stands are equipped with the well-established CVC^® plus roll adjustment technology, combined with additional actuators for precise roll gap adjustment. 

X-Pact^® electrics and automation encompass the entire process chain - from power distribution and drive technology to measuring systems, sensors, and all basic and process automation. Highly automated solutions that enhance both efficiency and safety are central to SMS group’s approach, with a key objective of increasing rolling process stability. Functions such as the X‑Pact^® Threading Assistant improve plant availability by automatically detecting strip position and adjusting the head end without manual intervention.

Coiler, offline inspection station and AMOVA coil logistics complement the equipment of the hot rolling mill. 

SMS group supplied Aluminum Dynamics with three cold rolling mills for further processing of the hot-rolled coils: one single stand cold rolling mill (CRM) and two tandem cold mills (TCM). 

The CRM is a 6-high mill and features the proven CVC^® plus technology. The mill design offers high flexibility in rolling a wide range of aluminum products, including can sheet, industrial grades, and automotive sheet, at low operating costs. The nominal annual production capacity is 323,000 tons.

The entry area of the CRM is equipped with a coil preparation station, which enables material-saving removal of the first coil windings and the preparation of the strip head for easier mill threading. The spool handling system handles the logistics of spools and pup coils by means of an entry and an exit side manipulator and a conveyor system. 

Well proven actuators like hydraulic gap control (HGC), CVC^® plus shifting of the intermediate roll, work and intermediate roll bending and multi-zone roll cooling ensure maximum yield and tightest tolerances in strip thickness and flatness. In addition, the phenomenon of tight edges, that typically occurs during cold rolling of aluminum sheet, is prevented by the low-energy inductive heating system, which enables precise heating of the work roll barrel in the strip edge area.

The next-generation X‑Pact^® electrical and automation system enables the intelligent linking of basic and process automation technologies with integrated technological functions, operating in a highly dynamic and resource‑efficient manner with minimal human intervention. The latest flatness control technology determines the actual strip flatness in real time, taking into account strip tension, rolling speed, and overall process dynamics to ensure consistently superior strip geometry and stable rolling performance.

An offline inspection station for visual inspection of the finished coils is located in the exit area of the mill. Its close proximity to down coiler allows for quick feedback on product quality. The transport of coils between the storage areas and the rolling mill is managed by the automated coil storage and retrieval systems (ASRS#1 and ASRS#2) supplied by AMOVA. The high-bay storages are equipped with temperature control and forced coiling areas. 

SMS group has not only equipped the cold rolling mill with technical solutions to optimize operating costs but has also improved the sustainability and environmental compatibility of plant operation for all three cold rolling mills. The Multiplate^® filter is considered the gold standard for efficient and sustainable cleaning of rolling oil. The Airwash™ system cleans exhaust air of rolling oil and returns the recovered oil for reuse.

The project is moving steadily toward completion, with twin-stand tandem cold mill 1 entering its final optimization stage, and cold commissioning of the coating line underway. Hot commissioning of the second tandem cold mill, which will focus on can‑stock production, is to begin soon.

Reflecting on the journey, Hoppe highlights the strong partnership: “Together, SMS group and Aluminum Dynamics have crafted something special that will undoubtedly make a significant impact in the aluminum industry.”

Once completed, ADL will operate a fully integrated production chain for automotive and beverage‑can aluminum that covers the full line—from remelting to coated final strip—and is one of the most advanced aluminum facilities in North America.