Stone Innovations by Machines

Technical innovations are taking place frequently as far as machines, diamond tools, polishing abrasives and software applications are concerned.  CNC machines, profiling machines and copying machines, laser machines, water jet cutting machines, robotic machines and many others associated with their counterparts - diamond tools, grinding and polishing abrasives and others have created wonders  in the last few years.   It is now possible to work on stones to produce  any share, form, object which was not possible till yesterday.  Working on stone has become as simple as working on wood these days. 

 

"Macchine Virtuose" of the Italian Stone Theatre was organized in Hall 1, during Marmomacc 2017 displayed very attractive designs curated by Raffaello Galiotto.  He currently teaches design at the University of Ferrara.

 

ALVEO

 

The shaped and organic aspect of the Alveo centerpiece is obtained through numerically controlled machining using a diamond disc.  The geometric rigidity of the circular disc is transformed into sinuous surfaces with variable thickness. Thanks to the curved, tilted and layered line, designed on the computer using parametric software. 

 

The fine surface finish is produced by the diamond tool working on its own without further manual intervention.

 

CARDO

 

The pointed cusps of the Cardo vase collection are produced by milling along crossed pathways using a 60 mm diameter spherical diamond tool. 

 

Following the roughing process, the machine guides the tool along the three-dimensional lines designed by the designer on the computer, thus producing the surface, complex, smooth and cusped.  As with external machining, the internal cavities are also produced by milling without manual finishing.

 

DUO

 

Duo outdoor seats in natural stone are made with two diamond wire cuts on a 65x65x45 cm block. 

 

The shaped backrest is produced at the same time by a cut for the machining of the seat, on which it is placed in the rotated position.  The simplicity of the cutting operations is the result of a long work of computer design aimed at creating highly plastic three-dimensional elements with minimal machining.

 

FLEXO

 

The double-spiral base of the Flexo table is made exclusively using a diamond wire to shape a single 80x80x80 cm marble block.  The spiral is derived from the radial arrangement of eight elements, consecutively cut without producing scrap.  The trapezoidal shape of the slotted spirals, right and left, allows the elements to be removed from the block and at the same time provides greater stability to the table base by lowering its centre of gravity.

 

GENESI

 

The Genesi lamp consists of 36 translucent marble rings and is equipped with an internal LED light source.  The rings are produced by 6 water jet cuts on 6 trapezoidal marble chips.  The reconfiguration of the elements in closed form is guided by steel cables passing through holes on the rings themselves.  The shaping, the openings and the final form of the lamp are the result of sophisticated computer design.  The volume of the product is more than 5 times the volume of the material used.

 

REZZONICO

 

The Rezzonico style chandelier of Venetian tradition consists of a set of glass elements mounted on a metal frame.  This experimentation is interpreted with the use of marble cut with water jet to demonstrate the extraordinary potential of parametric design combined with water cutting to produce finely detailed products with a remarkable reduction of material used.  The chandelier measures 137 cm in diameter and is obtained from a slab of only 70x70x5 cm.

 

VOLANT

 

The entire work of cutting out and producing the decorative ornament on the edge of the centerpiece plates is made with a disc cutter.  Diamond discs of different grains and diameters initially remove the material in a roughing operation and subsequently finish the surface with brushing.

 

Each element is machined on the upper side until finished, Then turned and worked on the underside to complete the entire production cycle.