For the product passport of cast aluminium components, in practice you will encounter a fixed core of documents: a technical specification of the component, a material certificate of the alloy used, data on the share of recycled aluminium, a safety data sheet and, if the component has been treated or coated, information on that finishing. This is the basis that is common to virtually every aluminium semi-finished product.
With cast aluminium, one detail plays an additional role that weighs less heavily with rolled or extruded aluminium: the melt and alloy certificate, or proof of the origin and composition of the casting batch. Cast aluminium is often made from a mix of new and recycled material, and this mix varies per melt. Without a certificate covering that specific batch, the very data the passport is about is missing: where the metal comes from and what is in it.
The basic list: what appears in virtually every passport
The documents most companies already have on file are a technical drawing or specification, an alloy certificate with chemical composition, a statement of the percentage of recycled aluminium, and where applicable a declaration on surface treatment such as anodising or powder coating. Anyone who already keeps these documents for quality control or customer enquiry has already done most of the work. In the knowledge bank with document lists per product group you will find which documents are typically requested for each type of aluminium semi-finished product.
The document that makes the difference with cast aluminium
The melt and alloy certificate deserves special attention with cast aluminium components, for a practical reason. A foundry often melts several batches of scrap and new aluminium together into one casting batch, and the precise composition of that batch can vary slightly from one casting run to another. For a profile extruded directly from primary aluminium, the origin is usually more clearly established. With cast aluminium, the link between the certificate and the specific batch from which a component was cast is therefore the data that supervisors and buyers will look at first.
The regulation does not distinguish so much between cast and rolled aluminium, but asks in general terms for traceable data on material composition and origin. How that traceability looks in practice depends on how a foundry records its melting process. For a precise interpretation of what is sufficient in your situation, the official text on EUR-Lex or a lawyer is the appropriate point of contact; this article describes the general picture, not an assessment of a specific company.
Where you get these documents from
The material certificate typically comes from the foundry or the supplier of the casting ingot, the safety data sheet from the chemical supplier for coatings, and the statement of recycled share often from your own melt register. Anyone who already records this data for internal quality control usually only needs to bundle it in the format the passport requires. A product scan can quickly show which documents are already available for your specific situation and which are still missing; a few questions show which documents you already have provides a first indication here, without you needing an account right away.
What if a certificate is missing or out of date
A missing or outdated certificate is not an unusual starting point. Companies that work with varying scrap or ingot suppliers are more likely to encounter a gap in documentation than companies with a single fixed smelter. In that case, it is customary to inquire with the supplier of the last casting batch, or to have the missing data re-established by a laboratory. How alupas.eu handles the data provided and where the information in the passport comes from is explained on the page on how the data are processed.
How this relates to the rest of the passport
The alloy certificate is one part of a larger whole; other questions, such as who in the chain is responsible for providing data, are addressed separately. If you are unsure whether a particular document is needed in your case, the list of frequently asked questions on the page with frequently asked questions about the passport often already provides an initial answer.
Do you want to quickly know which documents for your own cast aluminium products are already in order and which are still missing? The quick-scan is free and takes a few minutes, and provides an immediate indication without you having to register.