Transforming for a Sustainable Future: Fonderia di Torbole and the ALCHIMIA Project

For Fonderia di Torbole, the ALCHIMIA project is an integral part of the activities where to develop a path of energy and environmental sustainability of business processes, in order to identify innovative long-term solutions useful for industrial planning, CO2 emissions reduction and the definition of a transition strategy towards a low-carbon economy.

The activity initiated will guide us toward a new multi-sectoral approach, oriented toward sustainable use of natural capital, and toward the definition of a “Sustainable Resources Program” that will include analyses and practices that the company will apply in order to reduce its emission and environmental impact and improve its performance in terms of saving resources and protecting the environment.

To confirm this, the foundry business has always implemented a circular production model, as our production process enhances the value of end-of-life ferrous materials as raw material for casting. In fact, the raw material used is derived from ferrous scrap and the reuse of waste from the processes themselves.

In May 2023, Fonderia di Torbole was honoured to be able to welcome the ALCHIMIA delegation composed of the prestigious universities of Cardiff and Sant’Anna of Pisa. The activities carried out over the course of the profitable meetings between the delegation and professionals from Fonderia di Torbole made it even more apparent how ALCHIMIA is an important competitive activity for those companies that can adapt faster and lead change supported by artificial intelligence and machine learning self-learning activities.

But how does the ALCHIMIA project fit into this picture, and what are the positive implications for Fonderia di Torbole? This is certainly a complex challenge but nevertheless offers a great opportunity by recalling the ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance – issues that the company is also implementing through its business model with participation in important Goals (Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs) defined by the September 2015 Sustainable Development Summit.

However, what can be the positive impacts derived from ALCHIMIA to pursue the path of machine learning, decarbonization, and circularity in our enterprise?

This question was addressed directly to our operational figures, for whom we report some testimonials in summary form:

• “If the software can manage the casting independently, this will be a great advantage: It can better take care of other tasks. It would also make this work more precise and consistent over the 24 h of production” (Professional casting line operator 1)

• “ALCHIMA can help correct knowledge born of habits, because habits can turn out to be wrong in the long run.” (Professional Casting Line Operator 2) 

• “The green part goes a long way to impact the recruitment of new resources: involvement in the ALCHIMIA project, makes the company even more sustainable, and can also make it more attractive to these young talents.” (Human Resources Department )

In decision making and change management, ALCHIMIA plays a key role in the enhancement of a greener and more sustainable future in which we believe, live and actualize every day as foundry professionals.