The European CAEF Group

On April 20 and 21, 2006, the Group’s conference took place: COMMITTEE OF ASSOCIATIONS OF EUROPEAN FOUNDRIES (CAEF) in Krakow.
The conference was organised by Krakowska Odlewnia Metalodlew SA.
Let us remind you that CAEF is the association of Steel Foundries from all of Europe. The Group assembles twice a year in countries which are represented by the Group members. The conference participants discuss the economic situation in particular countries, with a focus on the founding industry. Trends and directions of development are analyzed, as well as problems in the steel founding industry all over the world and in Europe.
A great many representatives of foundries of among others the following countries came to this year’s conference: Germany, Great Britain, France, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Finland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland and Turkey.
On the first day of the conference, that is on April 20, 2006, CAEF Group members paid a visit to the Host of the Conference – the Metalodlew SA. Foundry in Krakow.

The participants of the CAEF Group were cordially welcomed by the owners of the Company:

dr inż. Tadeusz Bogacz –President of Metalodlew SA
dr Tomasz Bogacz

and the Management Board:

mgr inż. Piotr Ryczek - Vice-President of the Management Board – Managing Director
mgr Lidia Marzec - Vice-President of the Management Board – Financial Director
mgr inż. Jacek Winiarczyk – representative (of Metalodlew SA) in the CAEF Group.

An especially cordial welcome was given to:
The President of CAEF – Eberhard Buttkus,
Secretary General – Dr Klaus Urbat
President of the Executive Board of STOP - Prof. Józef Szczepan Suchy,
Secretary General of EB of STOP – Tadeusz Franaszek,
Prof. Zbigniew Górny.

The following guests were invited to participate in the meeting:
The Director of the Foundry’s Economic Chamber - Witold Dobosz and Presidents of Polish Steel Foundries:

• President of the Board – Managing Director of the Małapanew Sp. z o.o ironworks. – Arnold Bul
• President of the Management Board – HSW Odlewnia Sp. z o.o. – Artur Grendysa
• Director of Alstom Power Sp. z o.o Metallurgical Works. Branch in Elbląg – Eugeniusz Szamp (member of CAEF).

On behalf of the Polish Foundrymen Association, the guests were also welcomed by Prof. Józef Szczepan Suchy, President of the Executive Board.
Later on, during the company presentation, the guests became acquainted with the profile of Metalodlew SA’s activity, its main products and directions of development.

The main part of the visit was a tour of the production halls of Metalodlew SA:

• Steel Foundry
• Patterns shop,
• Metalwork Department of Metalodlew SA,

as well as:

• Metalodlew Art - Kolor Sp. z o.o. – art foundry,
• Metalodlew Żeliwo Sp. z o.o. – steel foundry.

The guests of the Conference paid special attention to the production assortment of the Company: chain wheel castings, ship stabilizer castings or high-manganese castings, as well as castings for power energy sector that are produced in the Company.
The participants were truly interested in the products manufactured by the art foundry Metalodlew Art - Kolor Sp. z o.o., where they could admire monuments, busts and other artistic elements produced by the company from bronze and brass.
The group’s attention was caught by the tidiness and cleanliness in the production halls. As Metalodlew SA’s employees explained, this approach of the Company translates to increasing the quality of castings produced as well as work safety and effectiveness.
After the tour, the guests visited Wawel Hill, where they were invited by the priest infulatus Janusz Bielański, the Parson of Wawel Cathedral. During the visit to the Cathedral and to the Royal Castle, the participants could learn about the history of these places and see the new clapper of Zygmund’s Bell, produced by Metalodlew SA, information boards next to the bells, as well as boards and lacunars by the kings’ tombs in Wawel Cathedral.
In the evening, in the “U Literatów” restaurant, a friendly meeting took place, during which the participants could exchange their views on the situation in the foundry industry all over Europe.
On the following day, in Royal Hotel, CAEF Group’s Conference took place.
Poland was represented by: mgr inż. Jacek Winiarczyk – Poland’s representative on the part of CAEF Group (Metalodlew SA) and Eugeniusz Szamp, the Director in Alstom Power. Participants also included: Prof. Józef Szczepan Suchy – the President of the Executive Board of the Polish Foundrymen Association (STOP), Tadeusz Franaszek – Secretary General of (STOP) and Witold Dobosz –the Director of the Foundry Economic Chamber (Odlewnicza Izba Gospodarcza – OIG).
The Conference was, as usual, opened by the President of CAEF, Mr. Eberhard Buttkus. Next, the Secretary General, Mr. Klaus Urbat, presented a report on the economic situation in the foundry industry all over the world and in Europe. He pointed to main trends in the global economy and in EU Member States. The data on the production of steel castings in Poland (59.560 tons, which grew by 10% as compared to the preceding year) and domestic sales (44.660 t) and for export (14.900t) in Poland in 2005 was discussed by the Polish representative - CAEF Group member, mgr inż. Jacek Winiarczyk.
The next person to take the floor was the Director of Alstom Power, Mr. Eugeniusz Szamp and the other members of the CAEF Group.

The main topics discussed by the participants of the Conference were:

• the current level of castings production in individual countries, in which primarily upward trends were recorded. Exceptions to this were, among others: France, the Czech Republic and Belgium),
• changes in the prices of batch materials,
• increase in energy prices (natural gas and electric energy) in individual countries. A particular increase in prices of natural gas purchased from Russia by the Czech Republic and Poland was pointed out.

The Conference was closed by the President of CAEF, Mr. Eberhard Buttkus, who thanked the participants for the open treatment of topics and issues.
The next meeting of the Group was scheduled to take place on the October 5 and 6, 2006 in Chividale, Italy.

Prepared by – Jacek Winiarczyk.