291305.P064-099.CRX:Excellence
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C E R A M I C S & M A R B L E n the years following WWII, the ceramics industry was in German hands. Today, 60 years later, the top-notch machinery in the sector is all Italianmade.” These words by Paolo Gambuli, president of ACIMAC (the Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machinery and Equipment for Ceramics), summarize quite well the leadership position of Italian companies in this sector. This leadership revolves around one of Italy’s most successful industrial districts: Sassuolo in the heart of Emilia Romagna. It was in this region that companies such as Marazzi, Ragno, Cotto D’Este, and Graniti Fiandre started and flourished, leading to worldwide appreciation of Italian ceramic tiles. And it was here the best technologies were invented and developed for the production of ceramics, inventions that gave life to the most modern presses, glazing systems and kilns for firing. In 2007, the Italian ceramics sector generated almost 2 billion Euros in sales, up 20% from the previous year. More than 71% of sales came from exports. The undisputed leader in the industry is SACMI, an Emilia Romagna cooperative that over the years has become a giant in the field. In the process, it has acquired three German companies that still maintain an important presence in the sector. Presently, SACMI is responsible for about 40% of the country’s sales of ceramics-producing machinery. It also has developed many of the most advanced technologies in the sector. Results have been so promising, both within Italy and on an international level, that the company has decided to venture into other markets such as packaging and food. SACMI’s growth occurred through many acquisitions but also from solid investments in technology and innovation. Just to cite a few recent examples, there is the new robotic jewel created by Gaiotto Automation, one of the companies in the SACMI Group. Called the GA2000, it is a high-tech system for automated painting and was developed through a collaborative effort with Japan’s Motoman, a world leader in robots that paint cars. In Europe the robotics market is valued at about 40 million Euros, and through Gaiotto, SACMI aims to garner about 20% of that over the next few years.
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TECHNIQUES OF THE PRESENT TECHNOLOGY FOR EXCELLENCE
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