Despite clash of dates and a busy event calendar for 2024, the International Foundry Conference Portoroz, proved a draw for many delegates this year, thanks to its premier location on the Slovenian coastline, top quality technical presentations and numerous pleasing networking opportunities between delegates, speakers and exhibitors.
Organised annually in September by the Slovenian Foundrymen Society, IFC Portoroz always considers the topical issues of the day that are having an impact on the European and global foundry sector. This year’s event (18-20th September) was held under the theme of Education/Competitiveness/Environment and included 38 lectures, ten plenary lectures and eight poster presentations. The plenary lectures on the first day addressed current topics relating to the future development of the foundry sector such as: competitiveness, sustainability, digitisation, automation and human resources in higher education and training. Presentations included achievements in thermal analysis, the determination of non-metallic inclusions, the hybrid and digital coreshop of the future, virtual casting processes with thixomolding technology and new testing methods for determining the durability of coatings.
The second day featured sessions on ferrous alloys, foundry techniques and technologies, non-ferrous alloys, and young lecturers and researchers.
In total 250 delegates from eighteen countries took part along with 49 exhibiting companies, of which ten of the latter were new to the event.
Of particular note during the plenary presentations and breakout sessions on the second day was the need for the foundry industry to “be prepared for new and unforeseeable changes.” In her opening address Dipl Eng Mirjam Jan-Blazic MSc of the Slovenian Foundryman Society and organiser of the event, said: “Sustainability has become the new dominant force for the foundry sector.” She explained the importance of taking part in events such as the IFC Portoroz as the ability to “exchange knowledge and experience and to establish new connections exploring the future of our profession.” She went on to urge delegates and participants to “network and strengthen existing links.”
SERVICE SOCIETY OVERTAKING INDUSTRY
Prof Rudiger Deike of the University of Duisburg looked at how “in principle, markets are not stable”, in his presentation about what we know of the future development of the foundry industry in Europe. He said: “The global economic facts indicate that there are renewed signs of saturation in the production of metals and, therefore, also in the foundry industry, resulting in overcapacity.” He looked at how the global casting industry is dominated by China and will be for some time, highlighting how the performance of the foundry sector will be determined by the Chinese economic situation in the next ten years. He showed the development of China since 2003 and how the country had dominated the demand for all materials in that time, a trend he said would continue as the largest participant in the market. He also highlighted how traditional markets like Germany had seen seventy percent of their GDP be attributed to service rather than manufacturing. He reminded delegates that “a service society provides a lower economic growth rate than an industrial one.” He then warned: “I think China is now on the way to becoming a service society, so they will witness what Europe has. Also, the global population will reduce in the latter part of the 21st Century. He concluded with Karl Popper’s belief that “we have to be satisfied with provisional knowledge.”
DIGITALISATION AND AUTOMATION
Dr Georg Geier of Siempelkamp Giesserei GmbH considers the “gamechangers to increase competitiveness.” He said: “Digitialisation is a key element in the further development of processes in industry in general, and in particular in the foundry industry. You need a fully comprehensive digitalisation strategy and it is not a one off commitment but a permanent journey that you need to be on.”
He continued: “The challenge in automating the process of a medium-sized foundry in general and in the hand-mould foundry in particular lies in the often complex processes for which, due to the small field of application, no standard solutions are available on the market. Thus, a cost efficient development of technically customised and economically feasible solutions is required, which can often only be optimally found through co-operation between several project partners. The capabilities of the foundry’s workforce must also be taken into account when solving automation tasks.”
IFC Portoroz also included several social events which once again proved popular with delegates.
IFC Portoroz 2025 will be held on 17-19th September 2025. For more information contact: Slovenian Foundrymen Society, Tel: +386 1 252 24 88, email: [email protected] web: www.drustvo-livarjev.si