April 2001 Precious Metals/Metalsmithing World Gold Council Hosts Technical Symposium Seminars coincide with the expansion of Oromacchine at VicenzaOro 1 Whether buying handmade gold jewelry or more affordable machine-made chains, attendees at the VicenzaOro trade fair in January could be sure Italian manufacturers are keeping up with changes in technology and metalworking. “There can be no doubt the most significant innovation at VicenzaOro 1 was Oromacchine,” said Giovanni Lasagna, president of the Vicenza Fair. This extensive exhibition gave fairgoers an opportunity to learn about and buy the latest in gold jewelry manufacturing machinery, as well as ancillary products and supplies. Oromacchine was held in a new pavilion next to the fair’s main exhibition halls. With several hundred exhibitors from all over the world, products and services could be found to enhance every aspect of jewelry manufacturing. Two product areas were represented heavily: Numerous manufacturers showed the latest in gold chain-fabricating machinery, which is capable of turning wire into finished chain. The selling point for the newest generation of chainmaking machinery is not just the efficiency and economy for which it has always been known, but also consistency and quality. Also prominent was lost-wax casting machinery and supplies. New investments and waxes in this category offer gold jewelry manufacturers a way to avoid many of the problems long associated with casting. WGC Symposium Oromacchine is part of a commitment by the fair and Italian gold jewelry manufacturers to develop and use cutting-edge research and technology to enhance quality, productivity and efficiency. In addition to the Oromacchine segment of the event, the fair organizers arranged for the World Gold Council to present its Technological Symposium, generally held in June, during VicenzaOro 1. The theme of the WGC symposium was “Quality Through Technology: Investment Casting.” The five lectures that made up the symposium were presented by experts in a variety of fields from around the world. Eddie Bell of Neutec USA, Albuquerque, NM, discussed the importance of careful data collection and recording in the casting process. He stressed that to cure a casting defect, it’s crucial to know its cause. This can be difficult, he explained, because of what he referred to as look-alike casting defects. Massimo Poliero of Leg.Or of Bressanvido, Vicenza, discussed the use of white gold alloys in casting jewelry. He said the choice of alloy used in the casting of white gold is determined by the type of casting machine and melting system being used, as well as the design of the piece being cast. The use of the wrong alloy for a particular application can result in casting defects that are time-consuming and expensive to fix or that can’t be fixed at all. Valerio Faccenda, an industry consultant from Aosto, Italy, presented the latest research on investment mold materials and their behavior in firing the mold to a refractory condition. Many casting defects are linked to the poor quality of molds and casting conditions, he said. Like Eddie Bell, Faccenda stressed the importance of careful recordkeeping on the precise conditions of time and temperature used in the casting process as well as the precision of the equipment used. Martin Moser of Otec Prazisionsfinish, Straubenhardt-Feldrennach, Germany discussed the types of finishing machines and polishing media available and how they can be used to achieve the best results. Moser said out surface finishing (grinding and polishing) is the biggest cost in gold jewelry production and that optimizing the finishing process can help competitiveness by cutting costs and improving quality. Damiano Zito of Pro-Gold, Vicenza, discussed the use of colored gold in investment casting. He stressed the importance of understanding the properties of each alloy so the proper one can be chosen for a particular design or casting method. • World Gold Council, New York City; (212) 317-3824. – by William H. Donahue Jr.