The 7th edition of the exhibition in Montichiari ends with great figures

Record success for the seventh edition of Metef- Foundeq, the International Exhibition of aluminium, foundry and technological metals which was held from 9 to 12 April 2008 at the Garda Exhibition Centre in Montichiari.
For 4 days Brescia was the point of reference for the world of metals, and the figures for the event demonstrate it: more than 560 companies exhibited representing the primary countries in an ever more global market that watches China and India with attention, to the Eastern European countries, the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East and South America; 7 pavilions comprising a total of 17,000 square metres of covered exhibition space; nearly 19,000 expert visitors (+12% approximately with respect to the 2006 edition); 5 meetings and 3 round tables; 400 managers and politicians representing 23 international delegations hosted by Amafond and Assomet; all the primary institutions and Italian and foreign associations of the sector gathered together.
The full satisfaction of the exhibitors testifies to the significance of the event as well. The exhibitors, demonstrating European excellence in the sectors of extrusion, diecasting, foundry, surface finishing, recognized that Metef has achieved significant growth and maturation in the context of a broader trend of development with a decidedly positive sign.
Qualified visitors, few onlookers, elevated internationality, great communication strategy: these were the points of strength of what was a particularly appreciated edition of Metef.
Among the most successful collateral events of this edition were the HTDC (High Tech Die Casting) Meeting on foundry and diecasting, the round table 'Policy for the future of metallurgy' - with the presentation of the green Book on scrap metals by Assomet and Assofermet (see next page), the meeting Design the Finishing, and the demo areas Extrusion Show and Casting-Diecasting Show, set up to illustrate to engineers, designers and final users the qualities and the characteristics of the best international productions of extruded, pressure castings and gravity castings.
The event culminated with the Gala Evening on Thursday, a pleasant and refined gathering for the exhibitors with nearly 1,000 attendees. During the evening the prizes for the Metef&Golf tournament, a new initiative of Metef- Foundeq that received much support and great appreciation, were awarded.
«The success of Metef - asserts Mario Conserva, managing director of Edimet - is obvious from the high participation by exhibitors and visitors and from the quality and appreciation for the collateral events. The size of the fair is ever more international, with numerous official delegations, a third of the exhibitors and approximately 30% of the visitors coming from foreign countries.
In the ongoing Metef project we have included many innovations because the market changes and consequently the needs of the operators and experts in the field change. Thus, even more than in the past attention was dedicated to semifinished and finished products such as extruded, foundry casting, components; space was dedicated to surface finishing and related technologies, to metals recycling, to environmental problems, and to energy efficiency. All this in view of the goal to represent ever more completely the entire aluminium and metals chain».
The next date with Metef is from 14 to 17 April 2010.


The ‘Policies for the future of metallurgy’ in a round table

The problem of the export of scrap materials, more than ever fundamental as raw material, duties and commercial barriers in the developing countries, energy procurement, uncertainty about a specific home environmental regulation, dialogue between industry and government: these were the milestones arisen from the round table 'Policies for the future of metallurgy' that took place within the meeting sessions of Metef-Foundeq.
The speakers, representatives of the main trade associations dealing with ferrous and non-ferrous metals, moderated by the Radio 24 journalist Mr. Sebastiano Barisoni, faced, one after the other, the most important questions of Italian metallurgic industry, taking cue from the data told by the vice president of Edison Foundation, Mr. Marco Fortis, that have been collected and published in the scrap green Book edited by Assomet and Assofermet. Mr. Fortis wanted to underline that Italian mechanic industry is the feather in the cap of made in Italy, with a surplus of 50 bilion of euros, at the third place in exportation after Germany and Japan. Still unsolved is the problem of scrap materials that, although can be considered as raw materials, are widely exported from our country. Of the same opinion was Mrs. Roberta Niboli, president of Assiral, and Mr. Cesare Pasini, president of Campsider-Federacciai, who reminded the necessity of an environmental regulation and, as a consequence, of a more intense interchange with the authorities. Then Mr. Carmelo Paolucci and Mr. Romano Pezzotti spoke repectively as presidents of the Italian Syndicate of Metal Traders and of the Italian Syndicate of Ferrous Scrap Trader. Here you are some information from their speeches: Italy is the second largest steel producer in the world. In 2007, 27 billion of tons of steel were recovered. The electric furnace production is 62% of the whole production, that meaning a huge CO2 emission saving. Mr. Massimo Serafini of Legambiente, pressed by Mr. Barisoni, focused on the energetic problem. The offer of non-renewable sources does not cover the global demand and therefore the cost of procurement is increasing. The building and transport sectors have increased emissions a lot, 'helped' by the climatic changes. As Mr. Alberto Canevali of the European Commission underlined, standards have to be both precise and specific but, at the same time, they have to take in special account those sectors, such as that of aluminium, on whose production the most persuaded environmentalists are pointing a finger.
The round table came to an end with the speech of Mr. Giuseppe Toia, president of CentroAl, who lingered on aluminium and some inescapable trends: the growth of demand for all metals, resource depletion, national control of resources, supplying safety lack, climatic change. These scenarios give origin to price unpredictability, industry concentration, necessity to invest in mineral resources.
What conclusion can be drawn? Present transitions are rapid: it is necessary to modify policies with the same rapidity.