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Event
Welcome back ! Stainless Steel World Conference & Expo 2022
By Ellie Pritchard , Heat Exchanger World
At the end of September , the European stainless steel industry finally reunited after several years of postponements and delays , and what a celebration it was . Three days of meeting new and old acquaintances , discussing industry updates and future challenges , or just generally catching up over coffee or something stronger . Stainless Steel World 2022 was just as energising as its previous editions .
Key topics The technical conference programme saw some of the industry ’ s key issues rise to the fore , with discussions about the future of stainless steel production and new materials developments , as well as staples such as welding , corrosion , and Duplex . Stainless Steel World ’ s 2022 Chairman , Jan van de Wetering of Nobian , opened the conference acknowledging how much life has changed since the event ’ s last edition in 2019 but ascertaining that this remains the key meeting point for the entire stainless steel sector . “ In recent years , stainless steel companies have implemented major projects to improve sustainability .”
Stalatube celebrated its 50th anniversary with event visitors , as Jukka Nummi , one of the company ’ s Founders and Chairman of the Board , shared his thanks and appreciation
The first plenary session was presented by Tim Collins , Secretary General of the worldstainless association . In his speech , Tim compounded the significance of the steel industry and reflected on market predictions : “ 45 million tonnes are consumed annually , yet stainless steel still only represents 4 % of the total global production of steel [...] Building and infrastructure make up 12-15 % of the current market .” As an ideal ‘ fit and forget ’ solution , rather than an ‘ install and repair ’ option , Tim pressed the stainless steel community to “ promote and market the material in a compelling manner [ and ] change organisational beliefs by focusing on lifecycle thinking , the fit and forget concept , and holistic materials thinking .” Tim Collins ’ s presentation also raised the point of mass urbanisation , stating that 55 % of the global population now lives in cities – a number expected to rise to 66 % in the next 20 years . Such a reality stresses the importance of durable materials , knowing that stainless steel is vital for long-lasting city infrastructure . According to Tim , “ more than 12 % of bridges worldwide are structurally deficient ”, a fact which led nicely into the subject of the next plenary presentation from Gijs van der Velden of MX3D : an additive manufactured bridge made of stainless steel . Gijs stated that using stainless steel allowed the MX3D team to “ reduce the amount of material needed over the lifetime of the bridge by 30 %.” Other benefits of the WAAM ( wire arc additive manufacturing ) method used for the bridge included freedom of design and reduced lifecycle costs . Other popular discussion points in the programme were the corrosion paper session ( which drew a large crowd and instigated many talking points ) and the Green Steel Roundtable , coordinated by KCI ’ s Green Steel World team . The Roundtable in particular saw representatives from some of the industry ’ s most forward-thinking companies , and audience members were keen to ask questions and learn more about the future of sustainable steel production .
Expo floor A bustling expo floor featured 240 companies from around the world , including companies from Europe and countries further afield such the US , India , and Vietnam . Each of the www . heat-exchanger-world . com Heat Exchanger World November 2022
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