Fiam's know-how, between craftsmanship and technological boundary.
The DV-GLASS® was conceived in 2018 with a view to achieve glass thicknesses never seen before in the world of furniture and to reinvent a multi-faceted material, optimizing all the production process phases, from supply to consumption, thus fully embracing the concepts of circular economy and environmental sustainability. The idea behind this new manufacturing is to section glass plates (resulting from the recovery of other glass plates remainders) into many small glass strips, by using mainly transparent, smoked and bronze glasses. The combination of these strips, even of different thicknesses and heights and placed one close to the other by masterly hands, allows to fulfill various chromatic combinations, which can be reasoned or totally random.
Finally, the very high temperatures of the ovens (over 800°C) melt the strips until they combine into a new plate, not hiding the starting elements that can be appreciated and touched: the high-temperature melting process ensures consistency to the new plate and, by the same token, allows to perceive the strong materiality of the previously selected strips.
This is how DV-GLASS® was invented, a glass that distinguishes itself from all others in the market thanks to its high thickness (up to 30 mm) and the large dimensions that can reach. This gives the possibility to create glass products characterized by a great variety of shapes and colors.
Another distinctive feature of the DV-GLASS® is the non-repeatability of its execution: the high variability of the melting process combined with the strong craftsmanship of the pre-assembly phase, ensures that each new sheet is different from the previous one and never identical to the following.
A Fiam patented innovative technique that allows the creation of high thick glass sheets with variable colors, through high temperature melting proceess
The bending process consists essentially of three elements:
This craft requires very diverse and complex skills, the achievement of which implies an undoubted passion for one’s work, namely:
However, passion alone is not enough: dexterity requires a high level of sensitivity! The intervention of the master bender and his ability to work in harmony with the colleague assisting him in front of the furnace are essential elements contributing to the quality of the finished product. It is from this very meeting of technology and craftsman’s know-how that unique, non mass-produced items are born.
In order to transform a sheet of glass into a three-dimensional product, the sheet of glass must be subjected to a heat-treatment process consisting of three stages, each of which occurs within a temperature range that is well defined for each product being worked:
Fiam currently has furnaces reaching internal temperatures of between 650° and 900°C. This equipment is designed and built within the company and represents the pinnacle of our know-how.
The know-how makes the difference: the fusion
The production, from scratch, is one of the most fascinating points in the production process, in which craftsmanship finds its most spectacular expression!
On a specially equipped bench, the master sculptor appears almost like an artist due to the sensitivity required by the process and for the end result itself. Selecting the most suitable piece of glass time after time, drawing the shape that each piece must take, preparing each fragment of glass by grinding the edge and smoothing it to avoid it causing injury and finally sculpting it by means of a special “tool” with an almost rhythmical movement: piece after piece the master sculptor’s skill is manifested and one can see the meeting point of creativity and dexterity.
This stage is followed by operations that are also a testament to the absence of mass-production in the creation of these pieces: the individual fragments, once sculpted, are finished on the sanding belt and then joined one to the other to make up the table leg, which is then ready to be bonded to the table top (an operation performed by Fiam).
This process consists of depositing metallic silver (through the precipitation of silver nitrate) on the parts not in contact with the tin, and allows the creation of glass with the ability to reflect any rays of light that strike its surface.
This operation is based on chemical reactions, but also involves careful control of all the parameters that determine the quality of the end product in that they are influenced by weather conditions.
Although characterised by a high technological content, the experience and sensitivity of the artisan in charge of silvering is also essential in ensuring a good result in this process.
In order to unite two or more separately produced parts, Fiam utilises two types of bonding: welding by means of UV rays and bonding using silicon or polyurethane.
Welding by means of UV rays
One of the features of the glues used for this type of bonding is that they contain particles that are only activated by a particular light-spectrum frequency (with a wavelength of 362 micron), which is that of ultra-violet light.It requires only a few seconds of exposure to the right light emitted by special lamps to bond the parts together permanently. In order to ensure that the lamps emit the required light frequency, Fiam uses a special instrument, called a UV-meter, which constantly monitors wear and tear of their power.
Bonding with silicon or polyurethane
These types of glues catalyse over time by means of the combined effects of temperature and humidity. In order to achieve the best possible result, the assembly department is able to monitor both of these parameters daily, making adjustments every time the readings fall outside the established limits that guarantee the best bonding characteristics.
The assembly of showcases
The assembly of a showcase, one of the Fiam products with the highest number of parts to be assembled (curved glass, wood based panels that are either painted or veneered, metal sections, hinges, locks, etc), is a particularly complex operation, also due to the problems that may be experienced with tolerances and lining up of the abovementioned parts.