Posted on 29 Aug 2025
Golden Aluminum Inc. (GAI) and SMS group are proud to announce the successful commercial start-up of nexcast®, the next-generation aluminum strip caster, now operating at GAI’s Fort Lupton facility in Colorado, USA.
The new caster, jointly developed by GAI and SMS, is the centerpiece of a compact, fully integrated continuous production line that transforms molten metal directly into 36-inch-wide hot-rolled coils for subsequent cold rolling and coating.
Tested to perfection
Designed, built, and tested by SMS in Germany, nexcast® was engineered with the latest technology and conceived as a seamless replacement for Fort Lupton’s 40-year-old block caster. On July 5, 2025—just four weeks after installation began—nexcast® produced its first hot-rolled aluminum coil.
Within the first month of operation, the line had achieved full ramp-up, including the production of multiple AA5xxx grades such as high-magnesium AA5182. The successful completion of continuous casting campaigns of up to 60 hours and seamless ad-hoc alloy changeovers highlight the reliability and flexibility of nexcast®.
Smart, agile, and sustainable
Nexcast® facilitates the cost-effective production of aluminum sheet with a high scrap content, enabling GAI to deliver a wide-ranging portfolio of sustainable products tailored to the packaging, automotive, and construction sectors.
The caster’s utilization of a unique moving copper mold design means it can cast high-alloy and heat-treatable grades that are typically unfeasible for other continuous casters. Its integrated smart controls optimize key process parameters, refining the aluminum’s texture and grain during downstream rolling and heat treatment.
Comparative advantages of nexcast®
Compared with conventional direct chill (DC) casting, nexcast® shortens process sequences and reduces energy consumption, while lowering the carbon footprint by eliminating ingot casting and other intermediate steps; its compact layout—measuring less than 60 meters from melting to coiling—also significantly cuts capital requirements.
A major step forward
“Bringing nexcast® online marks a major step forward for Golden Aluminum and demonstrates the strength of our collaboration with SMS group,” said Jeff Frim, CEO of Golden Aluminum. “This evolutionary technology not only expands our capabilities, it also improves efficiency and sustainability, delivering clear benefits to our customers across multiple end markets.”
Now fully operational and commercially available, nexcast® will continue to be optimized as GAI expands alloy offerings and explores new applications to support the industry’s shift toward eco-friendly, future-oriented aluminum products.
Source:SMS group
