Innovation and technological development, fugitive emissions, the issue of safety, and updates on standards. These are the highly topical issues covered by IVS WARM-UP, the online event held by the Industrial Valve Summit and organised by Confindustria Bergamo and Ente Fiera Bergamo. Over a thousand experts and operators from 39 different countries, representing all the different players in the industrial valves and flow control solutions’ supply chain. The themes, for which the industry has shown sensitivity and interest, were discussed on May 26th and 27th. The two-day event dedicated to technical-scientific conferences represented the opportunity to develop the most innovative contents among the abstracts submitted to the Call for Papers ahead of the fourth edition of IVS, which will take place in Bergamo next year on May 25th and 26th.
A historic and awaited edition of the fair, that will symbolically relaunch the industry after the delicate pandemic scenario, by connecting face to face hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of visitors. In view of IVS 2022, the aim of the Organisers is to continue the exhibition’s growth path as witnessed by the increasing number of visitors, exhibitors, and traffic on communication channels. The last edition of the summit attracted over 250 companies and about 11,000 visitors to Bergamo, numbers 36% higher than the 8,000 registered in the 2017 edition and tripled compared to the 3,500 registered in 2015. These significant numbers underline the role IVS has taken on as a key moment to exchange viewpoints, develop business opportunities, and identify and address the industry’s challenges. For the next edition of the summit, the IVS organising body will announce a new Call for papers.
The IVS WARM-UP was opened by IVS Project Manager, Luca Pandolfi, together with the summit’s strategic partners ICE (Italian Trade Agency), Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo (the trade association for the development of Italian factories in Africa, the Middle East, and in the Mediterranean area), Unido Itpo Italy (Investment and Technology promotion office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation) and Avr Anima Confindustria (the trade association that represents the Italian valves, taps and fittings industry). Thanks to the agencies, foreign delegations, connected in Bergamo, an opportunity for both the industries represented and the exhibiting companies. The programme of the meeting included fifteen lectures divided into four thematic sessions counting twenty-five speakers, representing as many companies, and research centres.
In the first series of workshops, Pierpaolo Mandolesi (Techfem) and Giambattista De Ghetto (Polytechnic of Milan) discussed a new equation for flow through surface choke valve in digital field calculation, then they left the floor to Luisa Elena Mondora (Valland) and Valeria Tirelli (Aidro). The two lecturers debated valves’ components in 316L by Additive Manufacturing, a process aimed to confer revolutionary properties to conventional materials. Holger Eckholtz (Samson) studied the value of additive manufacturing for valve producers. The Fugitive emissions and sealing technology theme consisted of three discussions. Ralph Vogel of E.S.A. reported the developments of an up-to-date quality standard for gland packings, while Patrick Hofacker (Müller Quadax) illustrated Quadax® top entry butterfly valves with low fugitive emissions and improved cryogenic sealing technology in the severe thermal cycle and endurance test. James Simpson (Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Italia) explained the challenges in managing fugitive emissions and the session “VICTREX CT Polymers for more reliable seals in Cryogenic conditions” was presented by Christian Salvatori (Victrex).
In the first series of workshops, Pierpaolo Mandolesi (Techfem) and Giambattista De Ghetto (Polytechnic of Milan) discussed a new equation for flow through surface choke valve in digital field calculation, then they left the floor to Luisa Elena Mondora (Valland) and Valeria Tirelli (Aidro). The two lecturers debated valves’ components in 316L by Additive Manufacturing, a process aimed to confer revolutionary properties to conventional materials. Holger Eckholtz (Samson) studied the value of additive manufacturing for valve producers. The Fugitive emissions and sealing technology theme consisted of three discussions. Ralph Vogel of E.S.A. reported the developments of an up-to-date quality standard for gland packings, while Patrick Hofacker (Müller Quadax) illustrated Quadax® top entry butterfly valves with low fugitive emissions and improved cryogenic sealing technology in the severe thermal cycle and endurance test. James Simpson (Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Italia) explained the challenges in managing fugitive emissions and the session “VICTREX CT Polymers for more reliable seals in Cryogenic conditions” was presented by Christian Salvatori (Victrex).
Four lecturers were engaged in discussing the last updates of actuators and control technologies. Andrea Gironi (Lgm Engineering) and Umberto Bianchi (Emerson automation solutions) hosted “Automate the valve: the choice between automatic & electric actuators”, Melanie Dürr (Samson) examined the opportunities for positioners with valve diagnostics based on Ethernet-APL while Nicola Spreafico of Auma Italiana explained the most recent developments in international standardisation for valve actuators and gearboxes, including the up-to-date activities at both CEN and ISO levels. Standards update characterised the last thematic session. Alireza Aslarabi Sardroudi, Advisor to Deputy of Engineering, Research and Technology at Iranian Ministry of Petroleum, highlighted the future of standards while Massimiliano Gamba (Mp International Consultancy) analysed the API 20 series concerning the Upstream Supply Chain Management. Then, Michele Cevenini (NDT Italiana) discussed the key innovations in safety and costs for the valves industry as Bio water-based liquid penetrants for the non-destructive testing of valves’ quality.
IVS WARM-UP’s closing event called five experts that discussed the evolution of the international demand of Industrial valves and their components in the medium term, the influence of strategy changes, the energy transition and the new sustainability imposed by the pandemic scenario. Michel Ronchini (Technip), Carlo De Bernardi (ConocoPhillips), Andrea Tattanelli (Intertek), Chris Conrad Tengiz (Chevron), and Maurizio D’Ambrosio (Saipem) are the experts that took part in the closing workshop.
