A company like De Lama, which works on extreme customization, where each machine is designed from scratch, starting from the volume, passing through the shape, the size of the chamber, etc., hardly has the opportunity to deal with product designers.
This is because De Lama does not produce standard machinery and, even the simplest machinery, are outlined by the customer’s URS, the choice of the positions of the basic components are dictated by functionality, position, ergonomics and by industry standards.
There is one product, however, which has provided us with the only possibility to date to bring a collaboration with a designer: it is our compact vertical loading autoclave DLV-CAB, or as we call it internally, the ‘cabin’. It is a serial product in form, even if the programs are also customized on demand.
Apparently simple at first glance, the DLV / CAB is a jewel of technology that allows use in research and development laboratories or in the food sector, and is often used as a first step to then scale production from small batches, produced through this, towards much more important productions, with large machinery without having any ‘difference’ on the programs and performances obtained in the first instance through this machine of only smaller dimensions.
A few years ago, De Lama decided to switch from the traditional plastic chassis to an all-steel chassis, and redesign its shape making it an even more functional and aesthetically beautiful object, as well as even more solid thanks to the all-steel shell.
It was then the occasion to contact Cristian Visentin, a designer whom we esteemed (and we esteem!) A lot for his works and who works based in Pavia. It therefore came spontaneously to contact him to propose this challenge.
Here is a link to our site where you can discover photos and videos of the latest model designed by Cristian: https://www.delama.it/it/prodotti/serie-dlv-cab/
And today we want to contact him again, to interview him and find out what were the ideas, the constraints, the difficulties he overcame to arrive at the final design of one of De Lama’s best-selling products.
Good morning Cristian, how are you? Tell us how the contact with De Lama was born.
Good morning Marco, fine thanks! I trained at the Milan Politecnico, where I was able to tackle projects of various kinds and of various complexity. De Lama has always fascinated me because as a company he works both on a small and large scale. This was a bit of the reason that sent me to contact the company.
When did you get the challenge of re-designing the DLV / CAB, one of De Lama’s most historic and best-selling machines? How did you react to the proposal?
The challenge was launched to me in 2015 and I immediately welcomed it with pleasure, also because every new project is an opportunity for me to put my skills to good use. In this case, the goal was to translate the quality of De Lama products into an object that communicated them at first sight and then in the technical contents.
What are the guidelines that have moved you? Was it just a function-based job? Or even beauty, aesthetics has managed to enter a project certainly bound by a thousand ‘stakes’?
Before my design, the company produced the DLV-CAB compact vertical loading autoclave covered with thermoformed plastic. When I saw her I said to myself: De Lama is very good at working stainless steel, why do they make this machine in plastic? The ideal would be to cover it all in steel, and this has been done!
Design is planning, so a design product must be functional and at the same time it must be beautiful, and that’s what I tried to do with this autoclave.
Let’s talk about you as a designer, tell us about your training and why you are in Pavia today.
As I told you I did the Politecnico of Milan and then I gained experience in various design studios and companies, where I faced various projects of various kinds, from jewelry to industrial machines. Each project is a challenge, at the base there must be curiosity for materials and production processes.
I am in Pavia for love, my wife is a researcher at the Department of Biology and Biotechnology of the University of Pavia.
Let’s space a bit. Tell us what your 10 favorite design pieces of all are.
It is always difficult to rank, these are my 10 favorite pieces in chronological order:
01- Chair N.14, Michael Thonet, 1859, Gebruder Thonet
02- Luisa chair, Franco Albini, 1950, Poggi
03- Citroen DS 19 car, Flaminio Bertoni, 1955, Citroen
04- Mirella sewing machine, Marcello Nizzoli, 1956, Necchi
05- Radio Cubo ts522, Marco Zanuso_Richard Sapper, 1962, Brionvega
06- Eclisse lamp, Vico Magistretti, 1965, Artemide
07- Boby trolley, Joe Colombo, 1970, Bieffeplast_B-Line
08- Lambada Tizio, Richard Sapper, 1971, Artemide
09- Divisumma calculator, Mario Bellini, 1972, Olivetti
10- Tiramisù scale, Andries Van Onck, 1991, Kartell
In the case of industrial machines it is not easy to find a specific product. Certainly in the field of autoclaves I have always liked De Lama products, including the one I designed! In addition to this, there is also a new line of calendering and tube bending machines that I have developed for the Faccin Group S.p.a. it is characterized by simplicity and formal cleanliness compared to previous models. Finally, I am very interested in the field of medical machines, such as those of dental offices or diagnostic imaging, because I think that design plays an important role in the functionality of the machine and, from a formal point of view, in making its own ease the patient.
Many thanks Cristian! De Lama has some projects in store that could be declined in series .. maybe then there will be the possibility to collaborate again! Fingers crossed!
See you soon!
Info & contact:
