ALUMINIUM extrusions from China could soon be finding their way into the European rolling stock production market following the announcement at InnoTrans of the establishment of a joint venture between MIW, Germany, and Shandong Conglin Group, China.

The joint venture will be called Longkou Conglin/MIW Car Body System Engineering, based in Longkou, Shandong province, where the world's first 10,000-tonne oil hydraulic double-action extrusion press was installed in July.

The press can extrude aluminium and its alloy from 1000 to 7000 series large industrial profiles and seamless aluminium tube. Maximum section width is 970mm with a maximum length of 30m. Maximum tube diameter is 600mm also with a maximum length of 30m.

Shandong Conglin's vice general manager and senior engineer, Mr P Zhiang, told IRJ in Berlin that about 40% of the company's current production was for the Chinese railway rolling stock industry and they hoped to increase this to 60% by entering the European market. One current order is for aluminium profile door handrails for cars being built by Bombardier Transportation for Guangzhou Metro.