Overview of the outlook of the Heat-Treated Aluminum (HTA) plate market

For an aluminum fabricated products company, CRA was asked to provide its independent opinion on the outlook or the Heat-Treated Aluminum (HTA) plate market in selected world regions. We provided an overview of the base year, including supply and demand balance, and tracked overall market balance for the three following years. CRA forecasted consumption of HTA plate in Aerospace and General Engineering applications based on our detailed analysis of the underlying product markets and intermaterial competition issues facing HTA plate. We had both a Reference Case and a High Case for demand. On the supply side, we estimated capacity and relative costs of key global suppliers and examined the future production outlook for those suppliers. Finally, CRA examined the future market balance for HTA plate to assess whether or not this balance justified the company’s investment in a heavy stretcher, and we also derived some strategic implications.