What do the Da Vinci Code, a famous architect, an even-more-famous artist, the Italian Euro, a naked man and milling have in common? Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man of course! Also known as the ‘Canon of Proportions'; the drawing shows a naked male figure with arms and legs apart, emblazoned within a circle and square. Now to explain how all of these components fit together, and it is not nearly as tenuous a link as one might expect...
Da Vinci's drawing was based on the correlations of ideal human proportions described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius - and hence the aptly entitled Vitruvian Man. I am sure that most of us are familiar with the concept that a man's height is equal to the length of his outspread arms or that the width of one's palm is equal to the width of four fingers. This is derived from the writings of Vitruvius, who viewed the human figure in relation to proportion and saw the body as a microcosm of the proportions mimicked by architecture.
The Vitruvian Man is still one of the most replicated and referred to drawings of all time, often synonymous with or used within the context of excellence in design. In addition to being used by NASA and many medical professions, it is also popular in commercial media. A recent example of this is its usage in The Da Vinci Code movie starring Tom Hanks. True to his Italian routes, Vitruvian Man also appears on the Italian Euro coin. It was chosen by the then Prime Minister for its representative meaning of "man as a measure of all things".
I have outlined the connections between the Da Vinci Code, the naked man, Vitruvius the Architect, Da Vinci the artist and the Italian Euro coin. Now where on earth does milling fit into all of this? Bear with me for a minute...
The discovery of the use of water in industry and the resultant creation of vertical water mills was one of the forleading factors in the origins of industrial mechanisation. It was an important revelation as it meant that the limited force of man or animal could now be replaced by something far more powerful; water. The first descriptions of a vertical water mill were provided in documents that were made public around the years 20 to 11 B.C. The author of these documents was no other than our Italian Vitruvius.
Known as the Vitruvian Watermill, this type of mill was the most commonly used mill variety for centuries. Basically, it contained a vertical water wheel attached to a horizontal drive shaft. Gears were used to carry power to the mills stones by changing the angle of the drive to 90 degrees. Interestingly, although the hydraulic wheel was originally used in grist mills, it was generalised into factories which also became commonly referred to as ‘mills'.
Since the Italians first developed a taste for fine foods derived from milled products (such as wheat semolina for pasta and corn polenta which is similar to our maize meal); they have entered into a time-honoured quest for perfection in their love affair with food. Keeping with the traditional, they have also followed the path of innovation initiated by Vitruvius and to this day, they remain with their own Italian designed and manufactured milling machines.
Following the European industrial revolution of the 18th & 19th centuries, which brought with it the invention of steam power and rolled steel; Padova became the home of Italian milling machinery and design. Many renowned international milling machinery brands have originated from this region; including Sangatti, Golfetto, Ocrim and Omas. Today, the same tradition of skilled mill design and manufacture still thrives within this region. With more than 300 years of skilled craftsmanship experience firmly under its belt, Padova is known as the Italian centre of design and manufacture of the modern roller mill.
The sophistication of Italian designed roller mills is all very well; but can they be incorporated into a South African environment? Using global technology, superior design milling plants is actually more cost effective and easily managed on remote sites than cheaper plant and equipment in terms of operational efficiency, extraction rates and finished product quality. It also assists in working with the predominantly low skills levels of the labour pool. Locally situated small-medium scale milling operations simultaneously provide solutions to rural food cost imbalances and rising logistics costs. High returns are ensured through dealing with companies who are experienced with operating and setting up new projects within the sector.
At African Micro Mills we offer you the finest in Italian milling equipment, modified to fit seamlessly within the Southern African context. Our intimate knowledge of Southern African markets and business workings, coupled with a wide range of localised milling solutions, full spares service and ongoing support, HR solutions, mentorship programmes, feasibility studies and other advice will help you capitalize on cereal milling investments and related basic food industries in Southern Africa.
As always, we look forward to hearing from you. If you are interested in finding out more or have any comments or queries to make then please do contact us.
