{"id":13220,"date":"2026-02-06T13:18:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T11:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vemek.it\/?p=13220"},"modified":"2026-02-06T15:54:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T13:54:06","slug":"a-vemek-success-story-from-italy-to-south-africa-to-save-a-casting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/a-vemek-success-story-from-italy-to-south-africa-to-save-a-casting\/","title":{"rendered":"A Vemek success story: from Italy to South Africa to save a casting"},"content":{"rendered":"

In foundry\u00a0operations, even the smallest detail can mean the difference between a flawless pour and a costly production stoppage.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The story\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0about to share\u00a0features\u00a0an unlikely protagonist:\u00a0<\/span>engine-block spacers<\/span><\/b>. This mechanical\u00a0component\u00a0plays a critical role, keeping the water-jacket core precisely in place during\u00a0the\u00a0casting\u00a0process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s\u00a0a delicate operation because\u00a0<\/span>even a slight shift can lead to\u00a0major issues<\/span><\/b>\u00a0during\u00a0machining.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If a spacer\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0perfectly centered, it can interfere with the cutting tool during cylinder machining,\u00a0creating a\u00a0<\/span>significant\u00a0risk of collision, tool damage, and expensive downtime<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Figure 1 \u2013\u00a0<\/span>Spacer<\/span>\u00a0with\u00a0<\/span>central<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>plate<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The\u00a0alert from the South African\u00a0foundry:\u00a0the\u00a0spacer\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0performing as\u00a0intended<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A\u00a0<\/span>South African\u2013based foundry<\/span><\/b>\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0worked with for years contacted us about\u00a0<\/span>an<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>emergency that was jeopardizing the entire production line<\/span><\/b>: the spacers\u00a0\u2013\u00a0custom-designed and manufactured by\u00a0Vemek\u00a0\u2013\u00a0were not performing as they should, resulting in significant casting defects.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To document the issue, the customer sent us\u00a0<\/span>two images<\/span><\/b>\u00a0showing an\u00a0eroded and deformed\u00a0spacer\u00a0(Fig. 2)\u00a0that was\u00a0affecting the casting geometry. In a correctly controlled process (as shown in Fig. 3), the spacer\u2019s cross-section\u00a0remains\u00a0perfectly straight,\u00a0something that was clearly not happening in the case reported by the client.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Figure 2 \u2013 Casting cross-section with an eroded and deformed spacer<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Figure 3 \u2013 Casting cross-section with a correct spacer<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

An\u00a0intercontinental\u00a0trip to\u00a0deliver a\u00a0rapid\u00a0solution<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

At that point, there was only one thing to do:\u00a0<\/span>we booked the first flight to South Africa<\/span><\/b>\u00a0to tackle the issue on site and understand exactly what had happened.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This has always been a defining trait of\u00a0Vemek\u00a0(an approach we describe in detail in this article<\/a>): we don\u2019t position ourselves as simple suppliers, but as problem-solvers and trusted advisors, ready to provide\u00a0<\/span>prompt,\u00a0specialized support<\/span><\/b>\u00a0(even\u00a0if\u00a0it\u00a0takes\u00a0a\u00a0full\u00a0day of travel). Our commitment goes beyond the product: we support the\u00a0people\u00a0who depend on it to work effectively, efficiently, and safely.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When\u00a0on site, we\u00a0encountered\u00a0an unexpected development:\u00a0<\/span>the foundry had introduced a completely new pouring line<\/span><\/b>. Every process parameter had changed.\u00a0Our original custom support design had been engineered for an entirely different scenario; under the new process conditions, the casting defect was almost inevitable.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We started\u00a0working\u00a0immediately. Without\u00a0losing\u00a0time,\u00a0<\/span>we ran flow simulations<\/span><\/b>\u00a0to analyze the behavior of\u00a0the molten\u00a0iron. The results were clear: the new parameters were creating an abnormal flow pattern that\u00a0struck\u00a0the spacer area directly, progressively eroding it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0solution:\u00a0a\u00a0new\u00a0custom\u00a0spacer,\u00a0delivered in\u00a0real\u00a0time<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Working closely with the\u00a0foundry\u2019s\u00a0technicians,\u00a0<\/span>we\u00a0immediately\u00a0designed a double-stem solution<\/span><\/b>\u00a0capable of ensuring a smoother and more stable flow than the\u00a0previous\u00a0solid plate.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In just a few days\u00a0\u2013\u00a0despite being\u00a0roughly\u00a0<\/span>12,000\u00a0kilometers from our operational headquarters<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0we set everything in motion thanks to exceptional coordination between the team on site and our engineers back home, who received the data and developed the\u00a0new support\u00a0accordingly. This allowed us to\u00a0<\/span>manufacture and ship the new samples in record time<\/span><\/b>. On-site tests\u00a0immediately\u00a0confirmed that the issue had been resolved.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, the South African foundry has been using this solution successfully,\u00a0benefiting\u00a0from long-term stability, durability, and consistently high quality.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Figure 4 \u2013 Spacer with two central stems<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Vemek:\u00a0the\u00a0value of\u00a0being\u00a0there<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

This experience\u00a0remains, for us, a tangible example of what\u00a0<\/span>true collaboration between client and supplier<\/span><\/b>\u00a0really means. It is an approach that sits at the core of our technical identity and the value we deliver every day. We are fully aware of how much our products can\u00a0impact\u00a0production and our clients\u2019 plant uptime and throughput. For this reason,\u00a0<\/span>we never leave them\u00a0on\u00a0their\u00a0own<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Responsiveness, technical\u00a0expertise, and on-the-ground presence<\/span><\/b>\u00a0are the values that shape who we are and guide our actions.\u00a0We\u00a0believe\u00a0that even in the most complex industrial environments,\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s\u00a0the human factor that always makes the difference<\/span><\/b>. That is how we see it at\u00a0Vemek\u2026\u00a0and we are proud\u00a0of\u00a0it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In foundry\u00a0operations, even the smallest detail can mean the difference between a flawless pour and a costly production stoppage.\u00a0 The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,102,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-news-2-en","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13220"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13302,"href":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13220\/revisions\/13302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vemek.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}