The next step consists in making the plate thinner so as to obtain the desired thickness.
The thickness is determineted by the pipe stop required by the customer.
In the past this phase of the work was handmade. Initially, the plates were made thin by means of steel blades that, pushed manually, removed excess material; in a second time we passed to the drawing with the use of a rolling machine: the plates were passed more times until reaching the required thickness.
Today the process is achieved with the use of a planning machine on wich the plate is fixed and then calibrated with spikes that ensure to smooth the surface to obtain a uniform thickness.
Then the plates are painted with a red protective paint.