Author: Marta Varone

From 9th to 13th October 2018, fieramilano Rho will host the 31st edition of BI-MU, presenting a special focus on the Internet of Things, big data, cyber security, cloud computing, augmented reality, system integrators, additive manufacturing, vision e systems controls.

Over 850 enterprises have already registered as exhibitors, 19% more compared with the last edition of BI-MU. OF these 850 companies, 343 are from abroad, coming from 24 different countries. These are very positive figures for an exhibition getting ready to welcome over 70,000 visitors from Italy and overseas.

Even the total booked exhibit area has been increasing: to date, it is 12% more than in June 2016 A decidedly significant growth that follows the trend of the Italian market that has reached the top of the consumption value.

But the most significant figure for the exhibition comes from the registration of new exhibitors that represent 27% of the total. Numbers that show how the bets of the organizers, who have expanded the technological repertoire of the fair “opening” to the world of digital manufacturing and enabling technologies, as well as consulting, has well intercepted the interest of the new manufacturing players, and not only , who answered numerous.

The new interpretation of the event has found the full appreciation of the companies belonging both to the traditionally present sectors at the fair and to new sectors such as the IoT, exposed in the Fabbricafutura area and consulting, present in the Box Consulting area. Sponsored by SIRI, it is then Robot-Planet, an area of innovation, dedicated to robots, industrial and collaborative, integrators and automation systems. Among the novelties also BI-MU Startupper, dedicated to young innovators and new companies engaged in the development of products and projects related to the world of production systems and metal processing. BI-MU Startupper will allow BI-MU to transform itself into a field of comparison between consolidated industrial models and new business visions.

To these areas will be added: Club Addittive Technologies edited by AITA Italian Association on Addittive Technologies; the Fluid Power area that will showcase the best of the systems and components for the transmission of mechanical power and fluid dynamics; Focus Meccatronica; The World of Surface Finishing, dedicated to the most qualified offer of machines and systems for surface finishing and treatment.

For the first time in its long tradition of B2B trade show, BI-MU will combine the exhibition with a cultural, thematic dimension, developed not only through the “classic” conference programme, but also thanks to a rich agenda of side events that will enliven BI-MUpiù.

As a real arena set up in Hall 13 of the Exhibition, throughout the trade show, BI-MUpiù will propose: meetings, one-to-one discussions, performances and insights offered by the organisers and by the exhibitors. Besides the cultural insight events (one every day) arranged by Exhibition Organisers in the BI- MUpiù area that will welcome up to 100 people, exhibitors will have the opportunity to present their best product offering in 20 minutes’ time

The program of events is still under definition.

Following the acquisition of Novero by the Marcegaglia group we interviewed Roberto Ferrari, chief operations officer of Marcegaglia carbon steel tube division.

Marcegaglia is a leading company in the world of steel: how does the purchase of Novero strengthen its position and which development opportunities generate the new large production capacity in the sector of drawn tubes? These are operations aimed at increasing the production capacity of the group, and of Marcegaglia Carbon Steel, in particular, of the production of drawn tubes. Within the network Marcegaglia, tubes are processed at the establishment of Boltiere, realization of very high production performances (only in 2017 it registered a production level equal to six times the Novero output). Starting from these results we felt the need to expand production capacity and the group opted for the choice to acquire Novero SpA. Our goal is to get to produce 100 thousand tons of cold drawn tubes in Italy. Moreover, as emerged during due diligence, the operation assumes an important strategic value since Novero is already a customer of Marcegaglia Casalmaggiore, which produces the rough-hewn tubes that feed both the Boltiere and Novero production units. This is a positive choice in terms of production verticalization which, thanks to Novero’s planned production increase, allows a reduction in the costs of Marcegaglia Casalmaggiore.

Novero is based in Rivoli (TO): what are the consequences of this acquisition for the Piedmont area? Marcegaglia also has a factory in Dusino San Michele: what role does Piedmont play in the company’s production strategies? The acquisitions that contributed to tripling the production of the Dusino San Michele plant have in turn determined an increase in the number of collaborators. On this basis, even the Marcegaglia-Novero operation could generate an increase in the workforce. We believe that production in Piedmont is important for localization, even if both companies are heavily looking for exportations.

The steel world is getting ready to face new challenges, first and foremost that of tariffs: what are the possible scenarios in your opinion? On several occasions, our group has expressed itself against the protectionist positions that with the imposition of duties on aluminum and steel favor producers, as well as risk damaging heavily the occupation in our country. For our part, we work annually over five million tons of steel – we asked Federacciai to use the safeguard clause, applying a “global quota” to the import of hot coils in Europe in compensation of that direct in the United States, while in Eurofer it opts for a “per country” quota, which would penalize converters like us, raising prices for the processing industry. This is the reason that has generated our dissent towards the line that has been imposed in Federacciai, favorable to the introduction of quotas for the importation of steel different from country to country on the basis of the level of importation average in the last three years, as part of the production blocked by American duties (about 25%) will be poured into Europe. Marcegaglia is in principle opposed to duties, especially if practiced to favor producers. We must not lose sight of the fact that Italy is in deficit on the production-transformation scale, in the sense that it produces much less steel than what it transforms, with extra-European purchasing channels active for years. Protectionism usually leads to higher inflation and, therefore, to consumer harm.

Following the acquisition, a greater production of drawn tubes was announced, for a turnover exceeding 40 million euros. Why do drawn tubes play such an important role in the steel and tube industry? The drawn tube, from ERW welded pipe, is registering interesting growth rates as the demand for this product has increased by the automotive, cylindrical and many other sectors. Moreover, thanks to the innovations of the process, today it is possible to realize very particular drawn and very different shapes from the traditional round tube, which respond to the best market demands.

It is the most versatile plastic material known, one of the most used in the world: ranging from the “vinyl” of old records to gutters, from drinking water pipes to electric cables, from windows to packaging film, from clothes to wigs, from industrial warehouses to tensile structures and lorries’ covers. It is PVC, code of  polymer of vinyl chloride (or polyvinylchloride), chemical formula (CH2CHCl) n.

Pure, it is a rigid material; it owes its application versatility to the possibility of being mixed even in high proportions to inorganic compounds and to plasticizing products, which make it flexible and moldable: it can be molded by hot molding in the desired shapes, extruded, calendered or reduced to liquid for coating of fabrics, surfaces, reservoirs, valves, faucets, tanks and artificial textile fibers. It is considered stable and safe in technological applications at room temperature, but extremely dangerous if burned or heated at high temperatures, due to the presence of chlorine in the molecule, which can be released as hydrochloric acid.

A particularly important use of PVC concerns the manufacture of pipes that are used for the transport of compressed air and liquids for industrial use, fundamental in the agricultural and food sector, but also used in construction, automotive, boating, in the building and throughout what concerns the maintenance.

Flexibility and versatility are the basis of the extraordinary use of PVC pipes, in addition to their smooth surface and resistance to operating temperatures ranging from – 5 ° C to + 60 ° C, and in the plasticized version with polyester and fiber reinforcement polyester with an intermediate glue layer: this resistance is essential when cooling liquids, chemical solutions and liquid food, as well as compressed air, must be transported.

The pressure resistance capacity of a PVC pipe has an inverse relation to the diameter dimension, which can vary from 4 to 50 mm for those that are intended for compressed air. In PVC pipes with polyester fiber reinforcement and an intermediate glue layer, however, the pressure remains constant regardless of the diameter, but it is the temperature that has influence.

The compressed air tubes – there are different types of different diameter and length, as well as thickness of the rubber – can be flexible while maintaining the characteristics of reliability, durability and tolerance to high pressure. To manufacture them it is necessary to follow a particular process, which evaluates the rubber that supplies the covering and the fibers placed inside; in particular, the rubber needs a high pressure extrusion process and the same pipe must then be submerged in cold water, so as to harden in a short time.

Flexible PVC pipes have a considerable field of application, especially in industry and in mechanical workshops: for example, compressors for painting car bodywork, in general all types of compressors that need safe and long-lasting interventions.