Promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences among professionals in the various fields of mechanics: theoretical-experimental, technical and applied. This, in short, is the goal of the annual Aimeta (Italian Association of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics) symposium, the last edition of which was held in Bologna from 12th to 15th September.
This special 20th edition of the congress was attended by Sacmi, which illustrated its own experiences in “technological transfer” gained with the Universities of Bologna and Modena-Reggio Emilia. Bruno Zauli, Sacmi’s R&D manager, gave a talk at the meeting to explain the two main thrusts of this joint research venture. The first concerns the development of sophisticated mathematical models aimed at defining mould geometry starting from the design of the desired piece, a study that, observed Zauli, is yielding encouraging results: so much so, in fact, that Sacmi shall soon be adopting it in its whiteware sector.
The second major thrust of research has considerable implications for the containment and optimisation of energy consumption. Here, the results achieved by Sacmi in “digital manufacturing” consist of the development, together with researchers from the Universities involved in the project, of models that forecast the performance of heat-treatment machines, starting with kilns. This represents an essential tool for the adaptation of firing curves and consumption, minimisation of waste and greater efficiency of the machines themselves plus, of course, lower emissions.
Sacmi (also one of the congress sponsors) went on to illustrate case histories that form part of the wider-reaching Hi-Mech project, which relies on close collaboration between some of the region’s major universities and mechanical firms. Attendance at the symposium was high, resulting in a rewarding 4-day event involving over 800 authors from Italian and foreign universities, with numerous workgroups and conferences held by internationally famous speakers.