Fiorenzo Dioni and Richard Oberle, engineers at Idra Group Italia in Brescia, have received a prestigious international recognition by winning the European Inventor Award 2024 in the “Industry” category.
The award, promoted by the European Patent Office (EPO) since 2006, is one of the highest honors for technological innovation. Dioni and Oberle’s victory marks an important milestone for Italy, which had not seen a winner in this category since 2017.
The Giga Press, developed by Dioni and Oberle, is the largest die-casting machine in the world. This innovative tool uses an injection system called 5S, which allows for the production of larger automotive parts with fewer components. This technology drastically reduces waste and energy consumption, making the production of electric cars more efficient and cost-effective.
The invention of the Giga Press has brought significant benefits to the automotive industry. By producing larger parts with fewer components, there is a notable reduction in costs and waste. This makes the electric car sector more accessible to the general public.
Dioni stated, “Our invention is above all a tailor-made development for the market. This project will bring great future benefits to the entire automotive industry: less investment, greater energy savings, and savings for the end user as well.”
Oberle added, “We have invented something unique in the world. Research at Idra is part of our daily routine. This innovation is particularly important in the era of electric cars.”
In the same “Industry” category, other finalists included G. Fertram Sigurjonsson from Iceland with a biotechnological product for wound healing using fish skin, and Ulf Landegren and Simon Fredriksson from Sweden for their advances in molecular diagnostics based on protein detection.
The Giga Press represents a breakthrough in the way large vehicle underbodies are produced. Unlike traditional techniques that require multiple individual castings to be assembled later, the Giga Press produces much larger pieces in smaller quantities but with greater efficiency.
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