Tiziana Tronci is a Board Member & New Products Development Manager at Gefond Srl and CEO of HPDC. With a degree in Communication Sciences and over 20 years of experience in communication and business development, Tiziana plays a pivotal role in advancing innovation across the non-ferrous foundry ecosystem.

She joined Gefond as New Products and Business Development Manager in 2016, and since then working closely with the industrial sector to promote innovative solutions in the supply of materials and technological equipment for non-ferrous foundries. In 2020, she joined the Board of Directors at Gefond, and in parallel, co-founded an innovative startup, HPDC – High Performance Die Casting, aimed at transforming mold thermoregulation in foundries, improving energy efficiency and productivity. In recognition of her impact, she was nominated for the Women Automotive Awards in 2023 and named among the 50 most innovative Italian women entrepreneurs.

Tiziana is also a Board Member of AMAFOND (Italian Association of Foundry Suppliers) since June 2022, Member of the Women Automotive Network since June 2023, Board Member of Digital Industries World, and Member of FACE (Federation of Aluminium Consumers in Europe).

AL Circle: Can you tell us briefly about your products and services with a focus on aluminium casting solutions.

Tiziana Tronci: Gefond develops advanced technological solutions for aluminium die casting, offering an integrated portfolio of hardware, software and digital services designed to support the evolution of the modern foundry.

The Gefond approach is based on an integrated ecosystem aimed at making production processes more controlled, efficient and sustainable.

On the hardware side, the HPDC by Gefond range includes thermal control systems such as Greencasting and Greenjet jetcooling solutions for targeted cooling of microchannels.

On the digital side, the Perpetuo ecosystem includes:
• Perpetuo, AI-based predictive maintenance software;
• Foundry.Focus, a platform for production process supervision and optimisation;
• Die.Tective, a solution for intelligent die monitoring throughout its lifecycle.

Together, these solutions enable foundries to turn production data into data-driven decisions, improving quality, reliability and energy efficiency.

AL Circle: How do you assess the growth potential of the aluminium die casting market in 2026 and beyond?

Tiziana Tronci: The aluminium die casting market shows strong growth potential in 2026 and the years ahead, driven by demand for lightweight, structural and sustainably produced components.

However, growth will be increasingly selective: foundries will need to meet rising requirements in terms of quality, process stability, energy efficiency and traceability. In this context, technology and digitalisation become key factors in maintaining long-term competitiveness and reliability.

AL Circle: How have smart technologies reshaped operational efficiency, quality control and decision-making?

Tiziana Tronci: Smart technologies have profoundly transformed how foundries manage production and maintenance. The ability to collect and analyse data from machines, dies and plant equipment now enables greater process transparency and faster, more informed decisions.

Through solutions such as Foundry.Focus and Perpetuo, data no longer remains isolated but becomes an operational tool to improve casting quality, process stability and production continuity.

AL Circle: What measures are you implementing to reduce energy intensity and improve sustainability?

Tiziana Tronci: Reducing energy intensity starts with precise process control, particularly die thermal management. Solutions such as Greencasting, multi-circuit water-based units with up to 30 channels, allow cooling only where and when needed, reducing waste compared to traditional systems.

The system operates using a principle of controlled turbulent flow, enabling up to 30 per cent higher heat exchange efficiency compared to conventional thermal control. This results in improved cooling performance and energy savings of up to 85 per cent.

Digitalisation also allows long-term monitoring of energy performance and identification of optimisation opportunities, making sustainability a measurable result rather than just a statement.

AL Circle: Could you highlight some of the key milestones and technological or operational achievements your company has accomplished in aluminium die casting over the past few years?

Tiziana Tronci: In recent years, Gefond has significantly expanded its technological scope, moving from strong hardware specialisation to a broader ecosystem approach.

The development of the Perpetuo ecosystem represents a major milestone, a journey that began with the opening of Gefond’s software division in 2020. Today, this milestone translates into more than 150 connected machines and up to 35 per cent reduction in unplanned downtime. At the same time, the HPDC by Gefond range has evolved towards increasingly smart, integrated solutions designed for process data collection and enhancement.

This context also includes ThermoChef, the software that simplifies thermal control programming by transforming process parameters into structured thermal recipes, and integration with minimal spraying technologies, where thermal control and process data management become even more crucial in ensuring stability, quality and energy efficiency.

AL Circle: As sustainability becomes a central pillar of the aluminium value chain, collaboration is emerging as a powerful enabler. Could you share one or two case studies where partnerships with technology providers, recyclers or R&D institutions have delivered tangible sustainability outcomes?

Tiziana Tronci: Collaboration with foundries, machine builders, and technology partners is a core part of our development model.

Many solutions originate from shared projects and real production testing, leading to tangible results in terms of reduced energy consumption, longer die and equipment lifetime, and improved process stability.

A concrete example is the SUPERPAR case study (Turkey). In this project, Gefond optimised die thermal management by acting on lubrication timing and cooling circuit regulation. Thanks to the ability to manage circuits independently, it was no longer necessary to use the spraying machine to cool critical die areas. This led to a 14 per cent cycle time reduction and a 15 per cent production increase, while maintaining casting quality.

A further significant result concerns energy efficiency: during operation, power demand was only 2.5 kW, corresponding to pump absorption, resulting in 80 per cent energy savings compared to the previous oil-based system. This translated into an estimated annual cost saving of approximately €160,000.

AL Circle: Which end-user industries do you expect to be the primary demand drivers for aluminium casting products in 2026 and the years ahead, and why?

Tiziana Tronci: The automotive sector, including the transition to electric vehicles, will remain a key driver, together with general manufacturing, energy and structural applications. Across all these sectors, the ability to produce reliable, lightweight and sustainable components will make aluminium die casting increasingly strategic.

AL Circle: Given the risks associated with extreme heat, high-pressure equipment and heavy materials, injury-related downtime remains a concern in die casting operations. How has technology helped improve workplace safety, and which innovations have played a decisive role in reducing downtime?

Tiziana Tronci: Technology improves safety by reducing process unpredictability. Predictive maintenance helps anticipate failures and anomalies, limiting emergency interventions and potentially risky situations.

In parallel, higher levels of automation and improved readability of operational data support more controlled and safer working environments, directly contributing to reduced downtime.

AL Circle: What are the successful markets for your business and challenges do you face there?

Tiziana Tronci: European markets are currently particularly important for Gefond, characterised by strong attention to innovation, digitalisation and energy efficiency.

The main challenge is supporting foundries with different levels of technological maturity, offering solutions that are advanced yet flexible and easily integrated into existing environments.