BAHRAIN Alloys Manufacturing Company (Bamco), which has been operating for the past 16 years and has had high-profile clients from the automotive industry, says Honda has lately taken over as the top importer of its car alloys.

Bamco technology and quality assurance manager Iftikhar S Chaudhry said Mitsubishi was the main importer for some five to six years until Honda began ordering larger shipments.

The company manufactures a wide range of primary aluminium alloys and master alloys and receives from Alba its primary aluminium liquid and solid ingots.

“We have regular products but sometimes receive orders from customers to manufacture items tailored to their specific needs,” said Chaudhry.

The company has sent shipments directly to Mitsubishi, Honda and Nissan while western car makers have received Bamco material through traders.

As well as supplying to the automotive industry, Bamco caters to other industries including shipbuilding.

“Our speciality is providing wheel alloys and piston alloys with a minimum aluminium content of 92 per cent in the former and 90 per cent in the latter. Wheel and piston alloys account for 60 to 70 per cent of our total production,” said Chaudhry.

“Another speciality is our aluminium-silicon master alloys, aluminium-copper master alloys and aluminium-manganese master alloys.

“We are a 99 per cent export operation.”

The very small balance after exports goes to companies like Balexco and Garmco who order minute quantities from time to time. The company produces 30,000 tonnes of alloys annually and has been producing to capacity for several years now.

Interestingly, the company has no plans to expand production capacity.

The company allocates 20 per cent of its capacity to new world markets and to making new alloys. The company recently developed a new concentrated master alloy ordered by Toyo for a very special application.