| NEWS RELEASE
World Gold Council Seventh International
Symposium dedicated to gold jewellery technology
- Sponsored by the Vicenza Fair
VicenzaOro 1: Wednesday 17 January, 2001. Palladio Hall - 14.30
World Gold Council is pleased to announce the Seventh International Symposium
dedicated to gold jewellery technology. The symposium is sponsored by
the Vicenza Fair and will be held during VicenzaOro 1, on Wednesday 17
January 2001, starting at 14.30. The technology symposium is an authoritative
forum at which operators in the field can learn of results in the most
advanced research and discuss state-of-the art gold jewellery technology
and best practice.
In an increasingly changing and challenging global market, Quality remains
a key concept for enhancing competitiveness. This forms the theme of the
Symposium this year: "Quality through Technology: Investment Casting".
The programme comprises five lectures, presented by speakers with great
experience of the Investment (or Lost Wax) Casting process, which is the
most widely used production process in the gold jewellery industry. The
President and Chairman of discussions at the symposium will be Dr Christopher
W Corti, World Gold Council Manager of International Technology, based
in London. Following the lectures, there will be the chance for the international
delegates to engage in debate and question the speakers in order that
they can obtain further information and suggestions on how to improve
on their gold jewellery manufacturing processes.
The symposium will consist in five lectures:
Know the Disease before trying the Cure
Eddie Bell, Neutec USA, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
In humans, more than one disease may have the same symptoms. A doctor
can diagnose a disease by relating symptoms to other facts, or at the
worst, by a process of elimination - treating all the conceivable diseases
until the medicine works. The appearance of some casting defects can be
deceptively similar and these are therefore easily misdiagnosed. When
a casting defect is wrongly diagnosed, the appropriate corrective action
is not taken and the defect persists. Examples of look-alike casting defects
will be shown with discussion of the possible causes, how to determine
the probable cause and what corrective action should be taken in order
to obtain defect-free quality castings.
White Gold Alloys for Investment Casting
Massimo Poliero, Leg.or, Bressanvido, Vicenza, Italy
The choice of alloy used in the casting of white golds is strongly influenced
by the casting machine type and melting system. This presentation reviews
white gold alloys in terms of composition and colour co-ordinates, including
the effect of anti-oxidants and grain refiners. The boundary between white
and yellow is discussed and, in the era of the EC Nickel Directive and
high cost of palladium, the reality of nickel- and palladium-free white
gold alloys for investment casting is questioned.
Advances in Investment Moulds for Lost Wax Casting
Gabriel Ingo, CNR, Rome & Valerio Faccenda, WGC Consultant, Aosta,
Italy
In the lost wax casting process, mould quality is critical to successful
casting. Many casting defects are linked to the poor quality of moulds
and casting conditions. The advances in our understanding of investment
mould materials and their behaviour in firing the mould to a refractory
condition are reviewed, together with developments in casting. Importantly,
the impact of this knowledge in the design of investment powders, the
burn-out schedule and casting equipment design is discussed in terms of
achieving good process control and, therefore, successful casting.
Machine Finishing Technology for Quality Cast Jewellery
Martin Moser, Otec Präzisionsfinish, Straubenhardt-Feldrennach, Germany
The biggest cost in gold jewellery production is, without doubt, surface
finishing (grinding and polishing). Optimising the finishing process can
help competitiveness by cutting costs and improving quality. There are
many types of modern finishing machines and polishing media available,
which makes selection of the best finishing process difficult. The various
options are reviewed and their merits discussed in terms of performance,
with a focus on investment cast products. The economic impact of gold
losses in finishing and their recovery are also discussed.
Coloured Carat Golds for Investment Casting
Damiano Zito, Pro-Gold, Montecchio Maggiore, Vicenza, Italy
Whilst the alloy compositions for the coloured carat golds are based on
gold-silver-copper, such alloys need to be carefully formulated for investment
casting if quality castings are to be obtained at high yields. The benefits
and potential pitfalls of the minor additions used for deoxidation, grain
size control and form filling are discussed. The use of pre-alloys in
investment casting brings additional benefits in terms of consistency
of quality and the properties of cast jewellery.
Speeches will be presented in Italian and English with simultaneous translation.
Translation into other languages will be arranged according to demand.
Participation is free of charge, but preliminary registration is requested,
by sending a fax or e-mail to the Symposium Co-ordinator,
Ms Daniela Invernizzi in Milan: Fax: +39 02 5831 8367.
E-mail: daniela.invernizzi@flashnet.it
The World Gold Council technology symposium has reached its seventh edition.
The first such event, held in June 1993, was attended by over 200 delegates
from 18 countries; successive editions have seen considerable growth in
these figures. The 1999 symposium registered a record participation by
568 delegates from 38 countries. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Council
and the Vicenza Fair, this appointment with technology at VicenzaOro is
the event in this field most keenly awaited by operators. Keeping up with
developments in the field of technology is a determining factor for staying
ahead in this competitive global market.
World Gold Council actively supports the development and the application
in the industry of gold jewellery technology with an educational programme,
which includes technical seminars in various countries around the world
on themes which cover both basic technology and more advanced research.
For further information, please contact:
Dr Christopher W Corti
World Gold Council
45 Pall Mall GB - London SW1Y 5JG
Tel: + 44 (0)20 7930 5171
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7839 6561
E-mail: chris.corti@wgclon.gold.org
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