First it was the build-up and anticipation – you could say four years – then it was the actual happening that seemed to rush by so quickly and now it is time to reflect. For our previous visit in 2019 the weather was wonderful and hot and this time around it was no different. An unexpected sight was a large flock of sheep grazing on the western side of the Rhine River, on the “Rhine Meadows”, directly opposite the Altstadt (Old Town). And I promise you it was before I had any Killepitsch.
There were over 150 visitors from South Africa this time around, with a sizeable amount being personnel from the foundries themselves. Although this figure makes up less than 0.5 per cent of the total number of foreign visitors that attended the exhibition – there were in the region of 43 677 international visitors and 63 300 in total from 114 countries (Around 72 500 visitors from 118 countries in 2019) – I still believe that it is a fantastically positive move that so many of us took the opportunity to explore and see what the rest of the world is doing and looking at new ideas to improve our businesses. The foreign visitor numbers indicate that we are not alone so we need to keep on our toes – after all they are our competitors.
Judging on comments from most of the people I spoke to at the exhibition, it certainly opened up their eyes, especially for those first-time visitors. Percentage wise we might still be small in world terms of output but we still form an integral part of the chain and we are growing. More importantly the number of foreign people I spoke to that were very much aware of South Africa was very encouraging and can only bode well for the future, if they decide to do business with us.
Noticeable absentees
Not surprisingly I did not encounter any Russian visitors and there were very few from China. It could be said that the late dropping of Covid restrictions contributed to this but then if you saw how many Chinese exhibitors there were, not just in one hall but in all of them, it knocks that theory on the head.
In Hall 5 the Chinese exhibitors’ presence was particularly noticeable, taking up at least 50% of the booths. In total over the 12 halls there were 2 200 exhibitors from 56 countries. Of this total there were 603 exhibitors from China. This makes up 27.41% of the total. Coming in second was the host country Germany at 537 or 24.41%.
I am sure there were others but one company missing was Bühler Die Casting. I do not know their reason for not participating but to counteract the disconnect they held their own exhibition over the same period as GIFA, another dumb decision in my opinion.
Sustainability
Driven by energy transition and climate change, the foundry industry is undergoing a deep restructuring. Renewable energy and technologies for decarbonisation are gaining more and more attention from foundries and the manufacturers of machines – and plants – used in foundry technology. But the paths towards decarbonisation and sustainability are just as varied as the industry itself.
Foundries need a lot of energy. Before pouring, metal needs to be melted and kept warm. Finished parts often need thermal treatments to optimise their properties. What is in demand, are new technologies for melting and new heating methods for new fuels. Coal, oil, gas – the energy sources of the fossil era are coming to an end, with different periods of transition. The focus is on renewable fuels like biogas and biocoke, but above all on green electrical power from the wind and the sun, and hydrogen produced with green electricity.
Digitalisation
New solutions for digitalisation – from digitalising the smelting process to optimising the casting parameters using Artificial Intelligence (AI) up to Foundry 4.0 are currently very acute issues.
Iron and steel foundries, light and non-ferrous metal foundries, all have recognised the opportunities that come with digitalisation. The foundries have not put disruptive new business models on their agenda, but first of all improvements to the results of the entire casting process and an expansion of their services.
Sustainability issues, from saving energy to the efficient use of resources to decarbonisation are more and more coming into focus. With the help of sophisticated sensors and cloud computing supported by Artificial Intelligence (AI), waste can be reduced, output can be increased, energy costs lowered and carbon emissions reduced.
Circular economy
Today it is recycling, tomorrow it will be the circular economy – foundries, being classic recycling businesses, are right at the centre of this development. Foundries, from the iron foundry to the aluminium pressure casting company to the non-ferrous metal foundry, are predestined for an industrial circular economy. The development of modern recycling towards a circular economy in conjunction with renewable energy is critical both for securing resources and for meeting climate goals.
The goal is to lengthen the life span of products through sustainable, environmentally friendly optimisation of production and use. No other raw materials better support circular value loops than iron and non-ferrous metals. New alloys and improved methods for the optimised use of recycled material protect natural resources. But in practice, there is much more to be done than reduce waste and protect resources. As much as ecologically necessary, technically feasible and economically responsible, the goal is to separate economic growth from the use of resources and to lower carbon emissions to net-zero.
Materials and products in circulation among consumers are to remain in circulation as long as possible. Foundries especially, in conjunction with digitalisation, thereby gain new perspectives for business models.
Last but not least, the suppliers of foundries are called to action as well. For example, the additive manufacturing of cores and moulds needs specialised binding agents – a challenge for foundry chemistry.
But the innovation potential of the classic shaping methods employed in casting are also renewed and proven time and again with new raw materials, continuing improvement of the casting process, digitalisation and new developments in mechanical engineering for foundries. One impressive example from pressure casting is so-called mega or giga casting. By casting components made from light metal as a single piece, several different functions can be integrated into a single component.
ecoMetals Awards 2023
The ecoMetals award-winning solutions show visitors innovations for the future: products, processes and technologies in harmony with nature.
In the ecoProcess category Foseco Foundry Division was the winner. Energy-saving, material and resource-efficient production in the spirit of decarbonisation is the focus of the ecoProcess category. The company has developed SEMCO CC, a new family of water-based coatings that uses a colour change to indicate drying progress, thus saving energy costs.
The ecoEnergy category was awarded to Hydro Aluminium Metal. Entrants in this category integrate renewable energy into production and focus on sustainable energy use in their company. Hydro has developed both certified low-carbon and recycled aluminium offerings. This minimises the carbon footprint of their products significantly.
The ecoTechnology category rewards the use of innovative technologies in the metallurgy and foundry industry. Magma Gießereitechnologie received this award for its casting process simulation, which minimises errors and reduces scrap rates and energy consumption. When companies simulate their casting processes at an early stage, they identify potential manufacturing constraints, correctly calculate process risks and variations, and avoid errors before they occur.
