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MEC 2022: focus on innovation, sustainability and quality

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The 7th edition of the MEC – Marine Engineering Conference, a private technical update event on marine production, was held on Wednesday 12 October 2022 in Milan, in the Tower located within the Idroscalo Park.

The event organised by Pier Luigi Curatolo and Franco Morandi was full of presentations, technical insights and networking.

90 Production, Engineering and Quality managers active in over 25 Italian companies attended: Ferretti, Azimut, Benetti, Sanlorenzo, Cantieri del Pardo, Next Yacht, Silent Yachts among the shipyards, F.Pedozzi, G Composites, Maltese, CS Nautica among moulding subcontractors, Eurocolor 2000, Color Yachts, Pavliqoti, Pearl Yacht among painting services providers, as well as well-known technical consultants and designers.

Pushed by the demand for a more sustainable boat manufacturing, the desk of the production, technical and quality managers of the boat-yards it is more than ever full of materials to be evaluated and processes to be optimized or mechanized.Pier Luigi Curatolo - MEC organiser

The main focus of this M.E.C. edition

Selected and invited by the two organizers of M.E.C., the agenda addressed two topics with the aim to provide interesting materials and methods to participants:

  • Innovation and Sustainability, what recyclable or low environmental impact materials can already be gradually incorporated into boat production, and which actions to improve efficiency or reduce waste can be immediately implemented to reply to the global CO2 reduction’s demand;
  • Quality, how to manage some processes outsourced to subcontractors through performance control and procedures throughout the production cycle, to ensure their constancy and not incur unexpected and often significant after-sales costs.

This year content’s structure wanted to enrich the suppliers’ information presenting both operational testimonies of Boatyards/subcontractors and the evaluations of experts in production processes.

High-profile technical seminars from the 9 material suppliers and event sponsors presented most recent innovations developed after studies and tests conducted by their R&D offices: Scott Bader, Isomatex, Diab, Sika, Combicar, Kromavis, Jotun, Akzo Nobel, Pai Cristal.

Franco Morandi (left) and Pier Luigi Curatolo, M.E.C. organisers
The speakers
Anna Galasso, Director of the Plug, Moulds and Composites Division of Ferretti Group, shared with all participants the technical and management challenges they faced in the last 5 years and the ones expected in the near future.

The owner of Eurocolor 2000 Angelo Cosini presented first how a painting subcontractor should be organized to perform a high-quality painting job, and then the Persico 60 PWR painting case history made with the Franco Morandi support as surveyor.

Consultants experienced in specific processes finally brought to the participants attention the results of some of their projects: Alberto Cimadoro thus proposed a simplified and practical approach to sustainability composite boats production, while Giuseppe Coccia how to use lean manufacturing techniques in process management, weight reduction and waste. 

Lots of information acquired during the speakers’ reports, but always in an informal and collaborative atmosphere favoured by individual 1-to-1 interactions during lunch and coffee breaks.

Save the Date, M.E.C. 2023 – Wednesday 11th of October 2023 – Tower at the Parco Idroscalo in Milan!

Nautica enginering & innovation: the technical update video channel for the industrialization of boat production

For those who could not participate in presence, the video recordings of all the M.E.C. 2022 presentations are now available on the “Nautica Engineering & Innovation” YouTube channel.

Designed to deepen the knowledge of processes, materials and machinery that have a significant impact on the pleasure boats and luxury yachts structures and secondary components manufacturing, Nautica Engineering & innovation is a video-repository available on YouTube.

The last videos published allow any marine production professional to get all the information provided during the M.E.C. conference held October 12th 2022 in Milan:

  • The green production system for boat structures lamination with low eco impact resin formulation
    Neil Kegg                     Global Sales Development Manager SCOTT BADER Ltd

 

  • Advanced mineral reinforcements for a more sustainable future, as alternative to fiberglass in the composite manufacturing: technical details, mechanical performance and application of FILAVATM
    Bernard Voss                Business Development Manager ISOMATEX S.A.

 

  • Organization and results overview, with insights of main actions which allowed to overcome the operation issues faced in the last five years. Completed by the next future projects related to green materials and 3D Printing the Ferretti Group is already investing in.
    Anna Galasso               Plugs, Moulds & Composite Manufacturing Director FERRETTI Group

 

  • The sustainability approach to composite boats production: recycle and re-use, the green approach to innovation, a simplified method for material and technologies sustainability
    Ing. Alberto Cimadoro   Composites Materials & Technology Consultant

 

  • Lean manufacturing in composite yacht manufacturing: sustainability through process management, weight and waste reduction     
    Ing. Giuseppe Coccia     Industrial Consultant & Yachts Surveyor

 

  • The Sikafloor® Marine Deco Teak as alternative system to teak decks: technology, advantages and applications using prefabricated panels or made with liquid resin Sikafloor® Marine 595 SFM
    Mattia Barberis            Marine Key Accounts Manager SIKA Italia

 

  • The extruded profiles range for technical and aesthetic applications, fully customized or available from the Marine Catalogue. Last news: fender with chrome effect, anti-vibration gaskets, decorative profiles
    Antonio Mastromauro        Sales Director COMBICAR

 

  • Painting defects reduction and productivity improvement through Nitrowise, the new Kromavis machinery using nitrogen for the paint spray transfer instead of compressed air
    Giampaolo Aliprandi     Sales Director KROMAVIS

 

  • Focus on some products and services for the composite, steel and aluminium yacht protection and coating: Antifouling, MegaGloss finishing paints, technical assistance, guarantee
    Igor Vassallo                Yachting Area Sales Manager JOTUN Yachting

 

  • Filling & Painting: new fillers and coatings developed to reduce the painting working time
    Alessandro Gallifuoco   Strategic Key Account Manager AKZO NOBEL Coatings

 

  • The last water-based products developed for gelcoat hull and carbon parts finishing of painted boats: PERLA 30 painted boats polish, REX extra-coarse compound, the new company standard definition method
    Sebastiano Bettio         Sales Director PAI CRISTAL

 

  • A quality paint job, Eurocolor 2000 for Persico 60’ PWR case history: planning, methods, controls, parameters and acceptance final stage
    Angelo Cosini               Managing Director EUROCOLOR 2000
    Franco Morandi            Consultant & Yacht Surveyor

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