“For aluminium field the outlook is positive not only for the current year but we foresee an extremely positive result also for the period between 2020 and 2024,” Alberto Ghisetti, Sales Director, Continuus-Properzi

Continuus-Properzi is a world leader in the field of continuous casting lines for nonferrous metal sector. Mr. Alberto Ghisetti is working at Continuus-Properzi since ten years, actually as Sales Director, focused in both aluminium and copper plants for rod and ingots production. He is graduated in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in industrial automation & robotics and has completed an executive master in Project Management.

Q: Continuus-Properzi is a world leader in the field of CCR lines for nonferrous rod with a history of more than 70 years. Please tell us about the technological and industry changes that the company has witnessed so far.

A: A long time ago, in 1949, a couple of years after the establishment of Continuus-Properzi Company, Ilario Properzi introduced the revolutionary continuous cast and rolled (CCR) aluminium rod to the world’s (aluminium) industry.

It was a shock to the Cable Industry, especially for those focused on the manufacturing of overhead conductors.

The traditional mills that were used to roll aluminium billets were immediately declared obsolete even though the first Properzi line – almost a toy machine – could produce far less than one tph.

For several decades, Properzi E.C. rod has been a commodity, but in recent years, a higher and higher percentage of aluminium rod is destined for more sophisticated products.

Fine wires, enameled conductors, modern overhead compositions plus a variety of mechanical alloys and welding alloys in various diameters make the new Properzi rod lines, a mix of sturdy, affordable equipment complete with know-how from furnaces to coilers, the best choice for the most demanding market niche. Continuus-Properzi has kept a prominent leading position as supplier of aluminium rod   lines of any size and with any level of complexity: from super sophisticated to basic. As aluminium rod became Properzi rod a long time ago, and today the aluminium ingot is becoming the Properzi ingot.

The patented Track & Belt caster started a new Properzi revolution in the aluminium world. Launching the ingot of the future…. However, this is another story!

Step by step, the Company has developed into a real Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) company that has accumulated not only the broadest worldwide portfolio of complete Lines, from furnaces to coiler, for the rod and wire industry but also Project Engineering and/or full packages from finished foundations to plant in operation.

Our commitment is to continue and surpass the 70 years of success of our company based on the continuous attentiveness to our Customers and to the novel requirements of the global market.

Q: Your company deals with a wide range of nonferrous metals – copper, zinc, lead steel and aluminium. Which of them is expected to offer maximum prospect to your business in 2019?

A: Every year the complexity of the electrical components in new cars continues to increase.

Today it seems that a new luxury car or sports car, or even an SUV, is a complex system of electric/electronic gadgets moving on the road while in the recent past a car was a body, a motor and four wheels.

This means that thousands of signals and thousands of power connections are necessary through electric wires.

These wires were and, in large part, are still thin copper wires but because of the metal price and because of the copper weight, car manufactures are studying new solution substituting copper and iron with aluminum.

The above aspect linked with the growing demand of HV conductors to transfer the electrical energy confirms that Aluminium gives the maximum prospective.

Furthermore, Aluminium can be easily recycled with an energy cost equal to one-twentieth of the cost necessary for its first cast; almost one-third of the aluminium used today comes from recycled scrap.

These days, one-fourth of Europe’s aluminium demand is fulfilled by using second cast metal which, in turn, can be recycled indefinitely.

Considering that recycling aluminium means saving 95% of the energy necessary to produce it, reducing the CO2 emission and find a way to maintain more and more consistent in rod and wire parameters. Nowadays, most industrialized countries continue to develop scrap collection systems, which today can recycle up to 70% of all the aluminium components of cars.

Continuus-Properzi is present in this sector with our Track & Belt, thanks to which secondary aluminium ingots are successfully produced in very compact stacks.

Moreover, the world population is increasing as the per-capita consumption of energy (cellular, TV, air conditioning, electric cars etc.) so it is quite necessary a copious production of conductors, electrical networks etc.

Q: Which geographical regions continued to be your top markets in 2018 and what is your market outlook for 2019?

A: India, China, Brazil and generally Europe are our TOP markets for 2018. For 2019, we are expecting the adding of Southeast Asia to the previous list.

Q: Are you planning any upgrade of hot and cold process machinery and technology for the aluminium sector 2019?

A: Well, we are proud to present our latest innovative solution that is the VertMelt furnace for a high melting rate; something that allows 20,000 – 50,000 tpy of aluminium rod production starting from solid ingots at a cost similar to production from the Smelter.

Moreover, the recent Pro-Form rotary extrusion system covers a wide range of applications in copper and aluminium (the applications range is almost infinite whereas the major applications include: Al sheathing of steel wire, Al alloy rod direct from cast bar, cladding of steel wire with aluminium, solidal cables and conductors, profiles, tube and multiport tubes, rod directly from cast bar and many others).

Last but not least, Continuus-Properzi is presenting its latest technology, the Self-Annealing Microrolling® (SAM) machine. The SAM equipment can process 8 mm copper rod down to 1.8-2 mm soft wire without an annealer, thereby providing significant energy cost savings.

 

Q: The market of semi-finished product is changing quickly and there are new business opportunities. Have your company designed any new technological solution to help your customer in higher flexibility?

A: Certainly, Continuus-Properzi, who supplied the vast majority of aluminium rod lines to the smelters worldwide, has recently developed a combination line able to produce two distinct products: rod and ingots…from the same line!

One high production rod caster (10-15 ton/hour) solidifies a continuous bar that can enter into the rolling mill for the production of wire rod or can be sheared by the rotary shear to produce 10 kg ingots having a length of 700 mm.  The resulting Properzi ingots are far superior to those produced with a traditional open-top system.

The Properzi ingots are continuously cooled, stacked and strapped in bundles of one ton approximately. The shifting from rod to ingot production, and vice-versa, is easily done and does not require major changes.

The ingot line is located near the rod line with the important advantage of optimizing the use of space in the cast house. The necessary area is almost half of the area required to install two separate lines, one for rod production and a separate one for ingot production. Furthermore, since the caster is the same for both products (produced in campaigns), it is not necessary to install two separate furnace sets. This provides important savings in terms of total investment and space.

Pure aluminium ingots, but mainly primary foundry alloys (Al-Si) ingots, are the alternative product for a different market.

Two “Combo-Lines”, as they are called, are currently in the commissioning phase and will be in full production within the second quarter 2019.

Q: Have the US tariffs on imported aluminium and steel affected your business in 2018 and what will be your outlook for 2019?

A: In 2018 and H1 2019 we do not have any effect but, for H2 2019 we think we can expect some negative repercussions based on precise geographic areas but perhaps some positive one on different areas.

Q: Share with us your growth outlook for the aluminium sector 2019-2024

A: For aluminium field the outlook is positive not only for the current year but we foresee an extremely positive result also for the period between 2020 and 2024, because of the realization of many interesting projects. Today’s economic studies point out already a shortage of Al rod in some areas.