ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products
ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products
Valente’s Tekno Evo range of support structures for agriculture is revolutionising the grape growing industry in Italy. The unique poles and support mechanisms all make use of Magnelis® to provide long-term maintenance-free support for vines. The material is supplied to Valente by ArcelorMittal CLN Distribuzione Italia – a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Gruppo CLN, an Italian business active in steel distribution and engineering.
“Valente started making concrete poles for vineyards. In the first months of 2000, we began to produce steel poles which were post-galvanised,” says Paolo Zalgelli, supply chain manager for Valente.
“A lot of chemicals are used in agriculture to protect plants from pests and weeds, and to encourage growth,” notes Paolo Zalgelli. “Poles can be destroyed by these chemicals so we included them in the salt-spray tests to see what effect they had. Magnelis® performed better than any other solution.”
After forming, the poles are stamped to create notches as Paolo Zalgelli explains: “The notches hold the wires which support the vines. Thanks to the excellent performance of Magnelis®, all the steel accessories Valente produces that are used in vineyards and orchard structures, are made from this material.”
A key advantage of Magnelis® is that it heals on cut edges. That ensures that all parts of the pole are protected against corrosion, even in the notches.
The poles are used with wires and hooks made from Magnelis®. One of the most innovative is the Multi-V patented bracket which allows vines to be positioned for maximum light and air exposure. This ensures the optimal ripening conditions for the fruit.
Magnelis® withstood the salt-spray tests Valente performed for more than 500 hours. “Based on these results we expect that the poles will last up to 20 years in vineyards, depending on local soil and climate conditions,” notes Paolo Zalgelli. “Since we started using Magnelis® in 2012 we have had no complaints!”
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