ArcelorMittal solutions tested in co-marketing initiative with Prima Power

A unique co-marketing partnership between ArcelorMittal CLN and Prima Power has introduced a new range of customers to ArcelorMittal’s products. The event at Prima Power’s showroom in Italy gave metal-furniture manufacturers the chance to discover both Prima Power’s state-of-the-art machines and ArcelorMittal’s innovative steels and coatings.

Prima Power has developed a unique way to introduce its new generation of machines to customers. Instead of catalogues and virtual presentations, the company has built a 2,500-square-metre showroom in Torino (Italy) where customers can see the machines in action.

New machines demonstrated to metal-furniture makers
The showroom has become an ideal venue for a series of Open House events, each of which is targeted at a specific industry. In April 2017, over 300 people from the metal-furniture industry around the world were invited to discover the potential of Prima Power’s technologies.

The main focus was on the automatic production line which includes storage and automation solutions, punch and shear machines, the panel bender, and combi laser. “We also demonstrated how we can connect our stand-alone machines together to create a continuous line,” notes Matteo Benedetto, vice-president of marketing for Prima Power. “That included some of our latest combi and 3D-laser cutting machines, and our Press Brake and Punch Genius machines.”

After meeting at the international sheet metal fair EuroBLECH, it was natural that Prima Power turned to local partner ArcelorMittal CLN to supply the steel. ArcelorMittal CLN is a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and CLN Group, an Italian business active in steel distribution and engineering. “We chose steels from ArcelorMittal CLN because their range is innovative and offers very good quality and performance,” says Matteo Benedetto. “They meet the needs of our customers perfectly.”

Special information sessions were held throughout the week so that ArcelorMittal CLN could explain the properties of the steel products being demonstrated. Participants were also able to ask the team technical questions about the steel solutions and their use with Prima Power machines.

Range of products supplied
ArcelorMittal CLN supplied Prima Power with the following coated products, which were tested during the demonstration:

• Estetic^® Flex – A part of ArcelorMittal’s Nature collection, Estetic^® Flex is ideal for internal building and general industry applications which require high flexibility such as metal furniture and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning applications
• Magnelis^® – ArcelorMittal’s leading metallic coating for long-term corrosion resistance
• Jetskin^® – an exceptional alternative to electro-galvanised steel thanks to its perfectly homogenous coating
• Optigal^® – the perfect protective substrate for pre-painted steels

Good surfaces translate to fast processing
Prima Power used these products to demonstrate bending, punching, shearing, and 2D and 3D laser cutting operations. Manufacturers commonly use these techniques to create metal furniture. “Magnelis^® was particularly interesting for our customers as the edges self-heal after operations such as laser cutting,” says Matteo Benedetto. “The good adhesion of the coating to the steel resulted in low friction, ensuring our machines could process the steel quickly.”

Another product of interest was Jetskin^® notes Matteo Benedetto: “We were interested in Jetskin^® even before the Open House because of its finish. Normally we use electro-galvanised steel but Jetskin^® has better capabilities. The surface is more homogeneous and it is an interesting product for manufacturers who don’t want to paint their products.”

“ArcelorMittal steels proved their excellent behaviour in Prima Power’s new generation of machines,” notes Rinaldo Baldi, CEO of ArcelorMittal CLN. “They also impressed the participants thanks to their surface quality, forming and welding properties, optimised paint application, and corrosion resistance – especially for outdoor applications.”
Combined demonstration adds value for customers

In the future Prima Power plans to utilise ArcelorMittal’s ultra high strength steels (UHSS) and wear-resistant grades such as Relia^® 450 in its demonstrations. “The market for these materials is growing and it’s important to test them in our laser cutting machines,” says Matteo Benedetto. “We have already started to test ArcelorMittal’s Amstrong^® Ultra offer on our Laser Genius machine. The results are very good.”

Over the three days of the Open House, Prima Power machines manufactured dozens of applications including cupboards, electrical cabinets, furniture for cooling systems, and a toolbox that was offered to participants. “Our customers were very impressed,” says Matteo Benedetto. “They come from all over the world so it adds value for them if they can see both the material and the production process at the same time.”