The WAI planning committee for the Association’s Global Continuous Casting Forum—last held in 2019, met April 6 to discuss details for the event that will be held in conjunction with Interwire 2025 on May 12-15, 2015.

Taking part in the Committee, chaired by Chris Tucker of Encore Wire, were Richard Baker, Cableforce Consulting; Kurt Breischaft, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS; John Hugens, Hugens Metallurgy & Combustion; Martin Lecours, Rio Tinto; Giuseppe Marcantoni, Properzi International; Juan Sanchez, Freeport McMoran; and Janusz Sekunda, Prysmian. Also part of the committee but not able to participate in the meeting were Patrick Slaughter, Southwire, and Florin Teglas, Nexans.

The committee discussed ways to improve the event, including educational content, networking or in the execution stage. It will continue to review the possibility of expanding the content and the number of total days. The consensus was that offering both an aluminum and a copper focus was appropriate, and that adding a plant tour would be a plus.

The committee discussed the need to solicit papers via a “call-for-papers” and by recruiting. The timeline for submission of abstracts is Oct. 3, with notifications by Nov. 7 and papers submitted by a deadline of Feb. 13, 2025. A call for papers was distributed at the wire 2024 show in Düsseldorf and will be shared at the Wire Expo event in June as well as in the WJI.