Category: Know-how

In April 1869, when he was only twenty-three years old, George Westinghouse succeeded in convincing local railroad infrastructure officials and experts to test the prototype of his new train braking system. Mounted on a convoy consisting of a locomotive and 4 cars that departed from the Pittsburgh station, thecompressed-air braking system revealed its effectiveness when the vehicle, launched at a speed of 30 mph (50 km/h), managed to stop just before impact with a farm wagon that had accidentally stopped on the tracks. 

Despite his performance, the young man was not satisfied with his invention and, over the next three years, he continued to work on its refinement; until he succeeded in reducing braking times and distances and solving the main vulnerability of the system - namely, the absence of a mechanism that could guarantee that the train would stop even in the event of partial failure of the braking system. It was thanks to the introduction of an additional metalmechanical component - the triple valve or distributor - that the air brake achieved maximum reliability and, to this day, the type of system that regulates the braking or unbraking of most of the rolling stock in circulation,remains the one devised by the young New Yorker over a century ago.

The Westinghouse automatic continuous brake: a masterpiece of engineering and mechanics

From east to west, the Westinghouse orFCA automatic continuous brake is the standard of referenceformost of the world's railway braking systems. In this type of system, all ivagons are pneumatically connected to each other via thegeneral conduit or brake line. The pressure drop, regulated by the brake control or control tap located in the driver's cab and operated by the engineer, propagating throughout the train, reaches the various braking equipment in the trainset, and operates brake pistons and cylinders. 

The process is simple and sophisticated at the same time. The air needed to feed the system is taken from outside and pushed, through a suction filter that captures coarse impurities, to one or more compressors. The mass of air pressurized to 8 to 10 bar is then filtered again and dried by absorption (i.e., by the action of chemicals capable of retaining water vapor); finally, it is stored in the main tank whichaccommodates and stores the volumes of air needed to supply the braking system and the train's service equipment (e.g., the door opening and closing mechanism). When the engineer operates the brake control, he enables the passage of compressed air at a pressure of 5 bar from the main reservoir along the general pipeline. The change in pressure values prompts the distributor, which intercepts the air passage, compares the pressure values of the general pipeline and the control reservoir connected to the brake, and converts the information in bar into a pulse to be transmitted to the cylinder.

The distributor or triple valve, is therefore in effect akey component of the braking system in that it connects the elements of the system that accomplish braking and cause unbraking, when air leaves the brake cylinder and is released back into the atmosphere. The operation of this closed system-and consequently the safety of freight and passengers on the road-is ensured by the reliability and performance of all the parts that make up the assembly. 

Piacenzameccanica on the rails of history

Historically, the European railway system has been managed on a national basis by the individual member states through special monopoly companies, often under the relevant ministries, in charge of: the provision of infrastructure and rolling stock; service regulation; and safety. EEC Directive 440/1991 imposed the first separation between the management of infrastructure and that of transport services; and other regulations issued in the years that followed contributed to the final liberalization of the railway system for which today a hybrid system is in force, with multiple stakeholders involved in the same mission.

In Italy, RFI Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane manages the national infrastructure according to the methods and criteria established by EU Directive 798/2016. As a result of this regulation, the industries involved in the production and supply of rollingstock are the same entities in charge of and responsible for periodic maintenance operations on the same. Of the glorious industrial past that saw our country on the podium of nations that excelled in the production of railway rolling stock, there is not much left and the actors left on the scene, to date, are few: the Japanese Hitachi Rail, which, after the acquisition of Ansaldo Breda in 2015, supplies means to the main Italian operators; the German Knorr-Bremse or the American Wabtec Corporation, both leaders in the production of braking systems.

These are mostly multinationals and large industrial groups that have followed a path of evolution and growth parallel to the railway sector, then distinguished themselves in terms of skills, know-how and product quality and established themselves as an oligopoly. For three generations and still today, Piacenzameccanica has interacted with the giants that produce the world's best braking systems,supplying them with the highest precisionmetalmechanical components . From the triple valve that is the heart of the system, to the relief valve that prevents overloading of the system; from theshutoff taps that pneumatically unite the various conveyances allowing the continuity of braking, to the isolation tap to exclude braking equipment from the brake in case of failure. 

Even in a dynamic, state-of-the-art-oriented scenario such as that of the railway sector, which has to handle ever-increasing volumes of users and speeds, it is paradoxical as much as it is strangely reassuring to see how even the most innovative and complex systems, in order to function, needeternal technologies and skills , now readapted according to BAT guidelines and translated into 4.0 processes - as in the case of precision metalworking for the railway sector signed Piacenzameccanica.

Some keep their recipes in a vault, others have barred access to outsiders to safeguard know-how and hold firm in the marketplace. The confectionery industry is serious business-a business born from the ashes after World War II, destined to change forever the customs and eating habits of everyone in the world.  

The machines, accessories, and molds required for the production of cakes, candies, sweets, chocolates, and chocolates of various shapes, sizes, and types (bars, pralines, cables, fillings) must live up to the aesthetic and quality standards of increasingly imaginative and surprising productions. At the same time, as is the practice in OEM, such tools must be able to adapt to the needs of the production space, timing, and mode of production.

The creation of a working environment suited to the skills, ambitions and goals of pastry chefs and maître chocolatiers is a must for the industry that wishes to maintain an artisanal character even in seriality. In a massified and global industry such as food production, where imitation is the rule and the risk of being undermined by competitors is very high, the market and public success of a product, depends to a very large extent on details-whether it is a secret ingredient or an exclusive feature in terms of aesthetics or taste.  

Developing projects that conform to expectations therefore turns out to be that plus that guides the choices of the client - who tends to favor metalworking shops capable of operating with a collaborative logic, without losing sight of the feasibility of the project and the solvency of the investment. In fact, every phase must be studied and taken care of down to the smallest detail-from preliminary analyses on materials and finishes, to the setting up of CNC machining; from the sizing of components and molds, to their validation and quality control. This ensures maximum control and success of the project, and is a solid guarantee for the Client in case additional and/or spare parts are needed.

THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY AND THE METAL WORKSHOP: ONCE UPON A TIME

In the context of metal productions related to the food and confectionery industries, the active involvement of manufacturing in the development of the production line, compatible tools and necessary accessories can turn into a strategic advantage for brands that aspire to market iconic sweets, capable of withstanding time, taste evolutions and consumer expectations. In fact, these are industries that base a large part of their popularity on the uniqueness of their offerings, which are often protected by copyright or confidentiality agreements that concern not so much the composition but rather the doses and processing methods of products with an unmistakable flavor.

Operating in Piedmont, PiacenzaMeccanica has had the opportunity to participate in and partly contribute to the entrepreneurial epic of a few enlightened individuals who, starting from an artisanal workshop, have scaled the most ambitious heights - to the point of purchasing and processing about 25 percent of the global hazelnut production to embellish the creams and chocolates that bear their name.

Over many years of activity and continuous interaction with the industry, PiacenzaMeccanica has developed a know-how of reference for some iconic productions, distributed in supermarkets and shops all over the world. From high-precision metalmechanical components that become part of production lines, to the design and manufacture of molds that are specific to a given process and highly characteristic of the product to be marketed. With its productions in stainless steel and light alloys of the highest quality, the metal workshop enters the "chocolate factory." The working machines that, process after process, transform cocoa beans, sugar paste, wafers and hazelnuts into sweet temptations, include very high-precision components made by PiacenzaMeccanica: tools and supports for kneading, transporting and cutting; joints, valves, augers for filling and decorating pralines; and finally, the molds-about whose processing confidentiality agreements apply-that define the silhouette of the product to the point of making it a symbol.

The shortage of adequately trained and motivated technical personnel to embark on a path of professional growth is an issue with which many companies belonging to the industrial sector are forced, especially lately, to contend. Replacing older resources with young professionals has become objectively complicated. In the face of continuous searches, the selection process is on average long and fruitless. Between new professions that seem to exert greater appeal and old, die-hard stereotypes, the handover between one generation and the next may be jammed.

The reasons for this phenomenon are varied and can hardly be attributed to a single scapegoat. A consensus opinion is that schools are responsible. Technical colleges register, year after year, fewer and fewer enrollments; and students coming out of high schools, including science and technology, prefer to pursue college careers, convinced that a college degree is the only pass for a successful career. Teachers also seem to be less and less able to convey relevant information about the possibilities offered by the world of work as if, over time, the link between the acquisition and application of one's skills has taken on a totally random quality.

Onqualifying technical education is, in truth, the fate of our country at stake. The great success stories of Italian entrepreneurship in the years of the economic boom, should serve as a moral: without the inducement of industry and manufacturing, degrowth is just around the corner. If the primary socialization agencies-family and school-can do something to reverse this risky trend, it is still up to industry to get involved itself and work to ensure that prejudices against certain professions, which are not considered equal to others, are overcome.

Workers 4.0

The conception of factory work that characterized the last century is a black-and-white image, a faded memory in the memories of older generations. Industries today respond to stringent regulatory requirements and significantly more ambitious quality standards than in the past. Policy intervention has been determined, both in terms of regulating basic safety standards for the safety of workers and as an incentive for the adoption of ecosystemic development models, oriented towardinnovation of tools and methods, and more centered on the human resource.

Procedures once the preserve of humans are now delegated to automated systems that simply must be supervised. Computerized management of processes and production supports and facilitates operations; risks are controlled, human error minimized; and, while talk of the intellectual quality of factory work might turn some people's noses up, the transformation that has taken place in the last decade, since formally speaking of the fourth industrial revolution and Industry 4.0, must be taken into account.  

Businesses today are looking for enabling skills and personal qualities that can be summarized under the heading of soft skills. Reliability, resourcefulness, curiosity, the ability to interact fruitfully with the team; but above all, a desire to learn and to learn methods and systems that straddle the certainties of science and the new horizons drawn by digital transformation. In return, highly specialized positions are offered, which are highly sought after in the market, respectable salaries, with salaries that can compete with those of those working in services or business, and solid career prospects. A concrete example? In PiacenzaMeccanica, at least 25 of the 30 resources employed have been with the company for more than 20 years; investing in its employees and accompanying them to retirement, is a strategic goal, and a structural growth factor for a company that comes from a family history.

Between our company and others of equal size in the precision machining industry , at the level of machinery and technical features there are many similarities. Like us, they offer services such as CNC milling and CNC turning, but then again, many people can have our machining centers.What makes the real difference are the people, theexperience in the field, and the skills in using machine tools.

Why choose our company

When we talk about experience, we are referring to a history that began more than 70 years ago. Where a younger company would see an obstacle that can hardly be overcome, we see an opportunity to draw on our background and leverage the dense network of contacts we have been able to build.

Take a case related to the railroad sector, an area where great safety requirements are demanded and in which we have specialized over the years by acquiring more and more international customers. For a product where the main component was a purchase component (the tablet for a moisture detector), the customer was unaware that the usual supplier had not sold it for 20 years. With the help of our contacts, we discovered that the French company that produced it had been incorporated by a second company in Germany, and we were able to trace the new manufacturers.

This is an example of knowing how to be proactive by stepping out of the standard services in our industry: thanks to this mindset, our shrewdness and our trade secrets, we can offer a unique service to our clients. Working well and maintaining relationships with all the realities with which we have come into contact and collaborated fruitfully allows us to be always efficient and up-to-date in the industry. Success lies precisely in reciprocity: we ask each supplier for the same guarantees that we first assure our clients, and these historical relationships of trust are the basis of our business.

Our know-how can be found especially in the most complex assignments, such as the fabrication of assembled assemblies. In theseassemblies of mechanical components (processed by CNC milling, CNC turning, and other specific machining ), all parts are machined individually and then assembled together through standardized (fasteners, actuators, and nuts and bolts), to be subsequently integrated within a system. Commissions such as this are therefore a practical demonstration of our team 's technical capabilities at each stage-from manufacturing, to assembly, to testing.

The ordering and purchasing phase of salespeople may seem the most obvious, but it should not be underestimated: if you are not well organized, do not know your suppliers and do not have a good management system, the risk is that you will not be able to schedule work properly and miss deadlines. Again, past experience is useful to us in preventing possible difficulties, or promptly solving a complication by giving total support to our clients.

Turning to our company means relying on a partner with solid roots and proven experience, ready to face any challenge with confidence, professionalism and the most innovative technologies.