The
set of machines and tools from the "Fábricas de Metales de Riópar"
(Metal Factories of Riópar) is one of an exceptional value. Not
only for the high number of well-mantained antique machines but also because
they show in detail the process of production from non-ferrous
metal factories. These processes are, amongst others, smelting, mechanizing,
(with specialized machines for plumbing production, cutlery, ironmongery, and
ornamentation), filing and polishing, galvanic pickling, bathing, repairing,
sawmill, and carpentry. Furthermore, original machinery which belonged to five
out of six of the hydroelectric plants, with Pelton and Francis
turbine systems are also maintained here.
The
machinery ranged from treating furnaces, shell furnaces; fly presses, eccentric
presses to several types of lathes, automatic, metal spinning, rose engine, and
cue lathes, amongst others. Additionally there were also rolling mills, milling
machines, shapers, polishers, drills, saws, folding machines, shears, cutters,
riveting machines, thread spinners…
In addition to machinery, a sample of work tools has remained. From the forge and
the laboratory, from the smelting and the mechanizing workshop, from the
sawmill and the carpentry...Wooden and iron gears, drilling threads, hammers
and sledgehammers, files, chisels, melting pots, troughs, ladles, pliers,
scissors, boxes for molds… All of these tools were associated to each one of
the tasks performed by the workers in elaboration process and bronze and brass
packaging design.
