Aluminium Rolling & Sheet Manufacturing Insurance

Machinery Breakdown for Rolling Mills

Machinery breakdown is one of the most important covers for aluminium rolling operations because failures often occur without an external peril like fire. Rolling stands operate under extreme mechanical loads and high rotational speeds. Bearings, gearboxes, hydraulic systems and drives can fail suddenly, and the resulting damage may cascade through the line. Even where physical damage appears limited, loss of alignment, roll surface damage or control instability can create extended downtime while specialist engineers and parts are sourced.

A well-structured machinery breakdown policy can cover sudden and unforeseen mechanical or electrical breakdown, plus (where selected) associated damage to adjacent components. We help you define insured machinery accurately — including rolling stands, coilers, slitters, levellers, cranes, compressors, pumps and ancillary equipment — so there is clarity on what is included.

Business Interruption & Loss of Gross Profit

Aluminium rolling sites are often designed for high utilisation. When a key asset is out of service, throughput drops immediately and recovery may involve specialist repairs, roll regrinding, control re-calibration, test runs and quality revalidation. Business interruption insurance is designed to protect your gross profit (or revenue/gross margin, depending on policy basis) when insured damage causes interruption or interference with the business.

For rolling mills, the biggest BI drivers are fire and explosion, machinery breakdown, furnace failures, utility disruption and significant property damage. We help you define realistic indemnity periods and ensure the policy reflects operational realities such as long lead times for rolls, bearings, specialist drives and electrical components, and potential constraints with contractors and access to heavy lift equipment.

We also consider how customers behave in the event of a prolonged outage. Some contracts may allow substitution or resourcing from other sites; others may trigger penalty clauses or immediate supplier replacement. The goal is to ensure your BI basis and limits are aligned with your true exposure — not a generic “12 months by default” that can leave you short if a major incident takes longer to recover.

Public & Products Liability for Aluminium Sheet and Coil

Aluminium sheet, coil and plate often feed into safety-critical or high-spec applications — automotive panels and structural components, aerospace assemblies, building envelope systems, packaging, electronics and industrial fabrication. This means product liability exposures are not theoretical: a thickness deviation, metallurgical defect, surface contamination or incorrect temper can cause downstream failure, damage, rework costs and major contractual disputes.

Products liability insurance covers your legal liability for third-party injury or third-party property damage caused by a defective product supplied by you. We can also discuss product recall / withdrawal extensions, which can be relevant where your material is used at scale or in regulated supply chains. Importantly, we help you present quality controls properly — inspection processes, traceability, batch/coil marking, test certification, supplier management, and complaint handling — because these factors drive underwriter confidence and pricing.

Fire, Explosion & High-Heat Operations

High-temperature processes introduce a distinct fire and explosion profile. Reheating furnaces, annealing ovens, thermal oil systems, gas trains and burner management systems must be maintained, monitored and safely operated. The consequence of failure can include building damage, critical machinery loss, extended shutdown and serious injury risk.

Insurance is only one part of the story: underwriters will assess the controls that prevent incidents and reduce severity. We help you frame your risk in a way that reflects professional operational management — preventive maintenance, refractory inspection schedules, safety interlocks, emergency shutdown protocols, training, hot-work controls and contractor management. This is often the difference between a “decline” and a competitive quotation.

Where your site includes flammable liquids, lubricants, hydraulic oils, packaging stores and racking, we can also advise on practical improvements that may reduce premiums — for example housekeeping, segregation, detection/suppression and better protection of critical switchrooms and control cabinets.

Environmental & Pollution Liability

Manufacturing sites can face environmental exposures from oils, lubricants, hydraulic fluids, process chemicals, wash-down systems, effluent management and emissions controls. Even where you operate under permits and strong procedures, incidents can occur — a bund failure, a pipe leak, a tanker connection error, or runoff following fire-fighting water usage.

Environmental liability (pollution legal liability) can help protect against clean-up costs, third-party claims and regulatory actions arising from pollution events. For aluminium manufacturers, this is often a smart consideration where the site sits near drains, watercourses, or sensitive land uses — or where you have significant oils/chemicals stored on site.

We can also help you think through contract requirements: some customer frameworks (especially in automotive and construction supply chains) expect evidence of environmental liability limits, not just general liability.

Goods in Transit, Stock in Yard & Export Considerations

Aluminium sheet and coil are high-value and damage-prone in transit. Edge damage, water ingress, strapping failure and forklift impacts can create expensive claims and disputes — especially where material is supplied on tight tolerances. If you deliver by your own vehicles or via hauliers, the risk profile changes, and cover should be structured to match your Incoterms, custody arrangements and packaging practices.

We can arrange goods-in-transit cover, stock extensions (including outdoor storage where acceptable), and consider overseas exposures if you export. Underwriters will often look for strong packaging standards, clear handling instructions, proper protection against moisture and robust claims procedures with carriers.

Where you store coils and sheet packs in yards or external covered areas, we’ll also help you clarify how stock is protected from weather and theft and ensure sums insured are realistic at peak periods.