_ A valuable second life for production scraps

F.M.V. Trasmissioni Meccaniche is a major industrial enterprise in Tuscany (Italy), specialised in the production of castings and finished mechanical components. The mission of F.M.V. is centred on innovation through modernisation and technological excellence, and sustainability to safeguard both workers and the surrounding environment.

F.M.V. has launched a project to transform the production leftovers into home decorations, giving new life to materials destined for recycling. The collaboration with the University of Siena aims to design fashion accessories by reusing the production scraps.

_The process and outputs of the pilot

The pilot has started with the definition of the scope as a meeting point between the mission of F.M.V.,, the competences of the University of Siena, the RHITA goal. The next step was the elaboration of the values and design inspirations: aesthetics and functionality, the industrial context of precision mechanics, the imperfections of the sprues, the local landscape.

After the sharing of knowledge on material, design, and production techniques, the pilot was carried out through an iterative process of ideation, prototyping and refinement, experimenting with diverse techniques and product concepts.

The outputs include two concepts for fashion products.

_“Alu” Jewellery from waste

Aluminum stones, residues from the casting process, are cut and refined into clean, geometric, and luminous forms. Cords, made from reclaimed electrical cables, become both structural and chromatic elements, creating a striking contrast between the coolness of metal and the flexibility of the wire. Each piece combines industrial aesthetics with craftsmanship, translating the technical language of the workshop into an essential and contemporary design.

_ “Calzare” shoes concept

Aluminium shavings, contaminated by lubricating oils from turning processes and therefore unsuitable for remelting, are embedded in transparent silicone rubbers and cast into molds inspired by Roman sandal soles.
The result is a solid, semi-translucent base where suspended metal fragments become a visual memory of their industrial origin.

Above it, a structure made of leather and technical materials reinterprets the archetypal design of the ancient sandal, updated through paracord laces and a pressure cord lock — functional elements borrowed from the outdoor world.

The concept blends archaeology and industry, tradition and innovation, as an experiment in material and cultural hybridization. Every detail — from wire to metal — tells of continuity between past and present, between craftsmanship and circular design thinking.