IPHA Hollowcore Production Seminar 2021
IPHA Hollowcore Production Seminar 2021
On October 28 and 29, IPHA members Generale Prefabbricati Spa hosted our 2021 Production Seminar.
The event took place in San Salvo, Italy, and represented a unique opportunity for the 52 participants from 26 different companies and 14 countries to discuss and exchange knowledge around best practices in hollowcore production.
After many months without IPHA’s usual in-person events, the participants were in a positive mood and keen to catch up with one another.
The seminar opened with welcome speeches by IPHA President, Seamus McKeague, President of IPHA’s Technical Committee, Dr. Wim Jansze, and Marco Pecetti, Sales Director of our host company, Generale Prefabbricati Spa.
Presentations were then given by speakers from member companies, including a variety of topics:
Safety – Tom Michiels, CRH Europe material
Tom Michiels, HSE Manager at CRH Europe material, talked about how moving to proactive leading indicators, which encourage and measure proactive safety management practices and behaviours, is a key element in the ongoing development of safety management systems.
Reuse – Rework – Recycle, Martin McIvor, Creagh Concrete Products
In Northern Ireland, Creagh Concrete Products is currently re-energizing a company-wide waste management initiative called “Reuse – Rework – Recycle”. Senior Manager for Procurement & Cost Reduction, Martin gave an overview of the lean and waste management initiatives being undertaken across the company, with a focus on recycling waste hardened concrete and strands from their hollowcore production.
Leadership and Team Performance – Hilde Fløgstad, Contiga Norway
The perfect hollowcore factory needs high-end technology and smooth processes, but the people running them will always be the key to outstanding performance and efficiency. Automation means fewer people to manage, but the increased importance of precision still means day-to-day people management is key to success. Hilde Fløgstad, Production Director at Contiga Norway, shared her experience on how to lead teams in a challenging environment, where safety, quality, output and costs are the main drivers.
Production Cyclus, Cycle Times – Jon Morten Lund, Spenncon Norway
Jon Morten Lund, Operations Director at Spenncon Norway, explained how key performance indicators in hollowcore production are influenced by people and technology. In the factory environment, these KPIs are highly influenced by the chosen production cyclus and the working time of machinery.
Quality Assurance – Paolo Fagioli, Generale Prefabbricati
Paolo Fagiolo, Senior Design Engineer, Generale Prefabbricati, explained how quality assurance is the part of quality management focused on providing the confidence that specified product requirements are fulfilled. Confidence from quality assurance is twofold – internally to management and externally to customers.
Quality Control by Shear Tests – Dr. Wim Jansze, Consolis
Quality control is the part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements through inspection. More specifically, inspection is the process of measuring, examining and testing one or more characteristics of a product and comparing the results with specified requirements to determine conformity. Based on a shear test carried out during the seminar, Dr. Wim Jansze, R&D/Standardization Director at Consolis, explained how loading test can be used at the start of production as acceptance tests, and during production as periodical quality control tests.
Project Introduction and Production Aspects – Marco Pecetti, Generale Prefabbricati
Generale Prefabbricati is currently involved in the construction of Amazon’s logistics centre close to San Salvo. They are delivering columns, beams and hollowcore slabs for the project. Before a planned site visit, Marco Pecetti, Sales Director, elaborated on the project design, and addressed production aspects of the hollowcore with reference to discussions during the earlier presentations.
Intoduction to Factory Visit – Licia Costantini, Generale Prefabbricati
Licia Constantini, Safey Officer for our hosts, informed the delegates about safety activities at the company as part of an introduction to the factory visit.
During a very interesting visit to our host’s large production facility at San Salvo, the delegates were led through a guided tour of the various workshops and production units.
The factory visit included a live shear test of a 430mm hollowcore slab, which broke at 114% of the maximum calculated load.
Factory Visit – Gallery
Conference Hall – Gallery
Shear Test
The seminar concluded with a visit to the large and impressive construction site for the nearby Amazon logistics centre which had been discussed in the earlier presentation by Marco Pecetti.
All IPHA members can download copies of the presentations via the Knowledge Centre.