Eco-sustainable, energy-saving dies by Vassena

To meet the needs of an increasingly demanding market, Vassena Filiere is pleased to announce the complete automation of its production process. To maintain the levels of consistency and quality required by customers, the Italy-based company has implemented a remarkable 4.0 system that guarantees the complete monitoring of the work cycle, from the start of the line to the packaging phase. All production operations are carried out thanks to particular CNC machines to improve product quality. Special QR codes and barcodes also allow real-time tracking of the products’ location within the company. Additionally, Vassena Filiere takes environmental protection to heart. The production process is now close to complete eco-sustainability: the use of vegetable oils, water-based lubricants, and recyclable packaging vouch for the company's strong green commitment. Further proof of this is the EcoVadis certification, an index of significant eco-sustainable performance. But that's not all. The company has been engaged for years in studies and researches for the improvement of its long-cone dies. The geometries and innovations (see VBF.4) which were specifically designed to reduce the friction of the wire during the drawing phase – together with the use of the proprietary pressure die– reduce the power required to the drawing machine, thus decreasing electricity consumption. Compared to a standard tool, Vassena ad-hoc dies allow higher drawing speeds with less effort, positively affecting the total consumption. As each drawing step is different and needs different geometries, the Italian expert customizes each product according to specific needs, aiming at the highest possible performance.

100% eco-friendly wire drawing tools: Vassena goes green

It is well a known fact that the manufacturing industry has been struggling for years to reduce its environmental impact. In the past, sustainability and productivity were seen as totally incompatible concepts. Mere ideals on the opposite ends of the spectrum when deciding which path to take. In short, focusing on one would inevitably preclude the other.
Today, fortunately, this is no longer the case. New technologies and materials offer companies the possibility of investing in a circular economy and becoming environmentally friendly without sacrificing other important aspects. Products and consumer goods last longer and can be reused and recycled, while company waste goes back into the production cycle and is given a new purpose.

With this in mind, Vassena has long been committed to achieving complete sustainability of its production process. The company is now fully green, from the electricity used to power its plants – which comes only from clean and certified sources – to the raw materials, carefully selected from suppliers with low environmental impact. Vassena is focusing heavily on new carbide alloys, which are free of harmful chemicals, to develop a green wire drawing insert (with eco-friendly and sustainable alloying elements) and guarantee longer-lasting tools: this translates into much lower disposal costs. Even for lubrication during machining operations, more eco-friendly solutions are preferred, opting for bio-based machining greases (rather than mineral-based). In addition, chemical solvents are being replaced by water-based formulations for intermediate rinsing operations. Last but not least, let’s talk about packaging: plastic (which has extremely long disposal times) has given way to recycled and recyclable paper and cardboard. The company has also stopped using the ordinary PVC adhesive tape, switching to a green branded custom paper tape.

Vassena nylon drawing dies: resistant, lightweight, and durable

In today's article we analyze a very peculiar product by Vassena: the nylon drawing dies. This innovative solution was designed and built to be a quality alternative in certain applications. In particular, thanks to the exceptional mechanical tensile strength of the synthetic polymers, the Vassena nylon drawing die is perfectly suitable for the drawing of CO2 welding wire or, in general, low carbon wires on wet drawing machines, where the tool is completely immersed in water. The elasticity of nylon considerably reduces vibrations, thus extending the life of the dies. Furthermore, the weight of a nylon die is much lower than that of a steel product - we are talking about 70 g for nylon dies compared to 300 g for steel dies - resulting in lower transportation and storage costs.

It’s a patent: the extra-long cone drawing die VFB.4