Ecotre at ICRF 2026, the 5th International Conference on Ingot Casting, Rolling & Forging
Ecotre at ICRF 2026, the 5th International Conference on Ingot Casting, Rolling & Forging
13 October 2026 -
15 October 2026Hotel Caesius Terme & SPA Resort, Bardolino (VR)
From 13 to 15 October, the Hotel Caesius Terme & SPA Resort in Bardolino will host the fifth edition of ICRF – International Conference on Ingot Casting, Rolling & Forging: three days that will bring together steelmakers, forgers, rolling companies and research centres from all over the world, to discuss a single major theme, how to advance the hot deformation production chain toward ever greater quality, efficiency and sustainability.
An industry at a turning point
The subtitle chosen by the organisers is telling: “Advancing the Future of Steel Manufacturing Through Innovation and Sustainability”. The steel industry today must reconcile two seemingly conflicting forces, technological advancement and environmental responsibility, along the entire chain that runs from ingot casting to forging and ring rolling.
It is against this backdrop that ICRF 2026 brings together the sector’s leading players around themes such as process optimisation, defect control, digital transformation and data-driven decision-making. With applications spanning the most demanding fields: from Oil & Gas to power generation and aerospace.
- Target audience: Moulders, Die-makers and Designers
- Speakers: Ecotre Technical Department
- Duration: Starts Wednesday 20 September 2023 – Ends Thursday 16 November 2023
20-21 September: joint course
28 September, 5-12-19-26 October and 7-9-16 November: individual meeting slots lasting one hour - Time: From 8 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Material: DEFORM software for the duration of two months, Course notes in pdf format and Attendance Certificate
- Venue: BACCADEMY Srl – Via Industriale, 106 – 25065 Lumezzane (BS)
FILL IN THE FORM FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Benefits
- Integrated Design and Optimization
- Enables better design choices
- Improved part moulding
- Fewer defects and better cost control
FILL IN THE FORM FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Ecotre’s role among the speakers
Simulation, process optimisation and technology integration are exactly the themes at the heart of Ecotre Valente‘s day-to-day work and at ICRF 2026 the company will be among the conference speakers, with a talk dedicated to the role of digital manufacturing in hot deformation processes.
The guiding thread will be the value of simulation as a predictive tool: anticipating material behaviour before production, identifying critical issues at the design stage, and optimising complex casting, forging and rolling cycles while reducing physical trials, scrap and development time. An approach that fully addresses the conference’s stated goal: integrating digital innovation into the production chain, combining competitiveness, precision and lower environmental impact.
14 October, 10:00 a.m. – presentation of the innovative paper
The appointment not to be missed is on Wednesday 14 October, at 10:00 a.m. (Gardenia room), for the presentation titled “ESR simulation: prediction of quality and grain size for nickel based ingot”, delivered by Ing. Cristian Viscardi.
The ESR (electroslag remelting) process is a fundamental step in the production of large forgings, particularly for energy and aerospace applications: the paper will show how casting simulation with ProCAST makes it possible to analyse the quality and grain size of a nickel-based remelted ingot, in order to prevent defects such as run-out and reduce axial piping.
The common thread, however, is the continuity between technologies: the final shape of the ingot is transferred to the forging simulation in DEFORM, demonstrating how two tools can “talk to each other” and follow the material along the entire production chain – from remelting to the forged component.
How to take part
The event is open to those working across the entire hot deformation chain of ferrous and non-ferrous metals (steelmakers, forgers, rolling companies) as well as to research centres, laboratories and universities interested in an international exchange.
The detailed programme, registration procedures and logistical information are available on the AIM website, the event’s organiser, in collaboration with Siderweb.
Benefits
- Integrated Design and Optimization
- Enables better design choices
- Improved part moulding
- Fewer defects and better cost control
