Machines Italia Magazine Volume XII - Manufacturing: A Fast, Flexible & Efficient Future

Volume XII | machinesitalia.org | 1-888-italtrade

Machines Italia magazine

Manufacturing: A Fast, Flexible & Efficient Future

COMMISSIONER’S LETTER

Italy Front and Center in the Move to

Smart Manufacturing From consumer products to heavy machinery, technology provided by Italian companies is proving beneficial for North American manufacturers.

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he impact of smart manufacturing is being felt far and wide— benefitting industries as diverse as consumer products and heavy machinery. Nothing short of revolutionary, the vast improvements in manufacturing involve mastering automation, big data and robotics, in particular. Front and center in this new industrial revolution is manufacturing technology provided by Italian companies. In this edition of Machines Italia magazine, we provide a few relevant examples, looking at specific company stories while also taking a look at what is going on in some key industrial sectors.

Take the manufacturing of tile-making machinery. Just as mass customization was starting to take hold, consumer products specialists at one of the leading Italian companies created a digital single-pass inkjet printing process that can make a ceramic surface appear to be stone, rusted metal, nature’s most precious marbles or whatever a customer envisions. The process can even produce a surface with the look and feel of wood and its natural vein. Other Italian companies are helping North American customers bond fibers for everything from filtration to footwear, increase textile dye house productivity, and successfully process stemware.

Makers of heavy machinery are getting smarter and more nimble, too, thanks to advances in sensors, processors and information networks. Their strength also relies on endless integration opportunities. The CEO of a well known stone processing company in Arizona describes its factories as being “Italian manufactured.” Indeed, they are mostly equipped with loader-unloaders, bridge saws, high-speed gang saws, roller benches, robotics, gantry cranes and dryers coming from the peninsula.

Savings in energy are also an important driver. An Italian plastics processing manufacturer invented a product that lets makers of

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Machines Italia magazine

polyethylene terephthalate preforms cut energy use to dry resin by more than 50%. Another area where new processes and products can reduce costs is waste. This has been the case for several technologies developed by Italian glass manufacturing machinery companies, affording them a renewed competitive edge.

Finally, speed and efficiency are top of mind for everyone in manufacturing today. Robotics is one of the key tools to achieve them.

We review several examples of solutions offered to North American manufacturers in this area by established and new Italian suppliers.

Not to be forgotten, all of these advancements proceed from a very robust research and development background, which relies on several world-class universities and polytechnics and on the commitment of individual companies to investing in in-house innovation.

Recent policies adopted by the Italian Government, which incentivize the use of new technologies, have boosted attention and activities in this area.

Success has come not only because of innovation but also on the wings of investments in a stronger presence on the market. Italian companies have opened workshops, warehouses, offices spaces and participated in trade fairs and conventions, creating jobs and contributing to the development of a stronger manufacturing-oriented economy here in North America. The Italian Trade Agency is honored to have been part of this process, which exemplifies in a very practical and effective way the importance of boosting economic links between countries and industries.

I invite you to drink in this issue of Machines Italia. You will gain the sort of detailed information that inspires ideas, conversations and new connections and ultimately serves to improve and expand your manufacturing business.

This issue of Machines Italia shows how Italian companies are using smart manufacturing strategies to increase productivity and efficiency.

Manufacturing: A Fast, Flexible & Efficient Future

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Volume XII | www.machinesitalia.org

Sincerely, Marco Saladini Trade Commissioner—Chicago

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Automation: Getting to the Core of Core Materials When it comes to high-volume products and processes that cry out for automation, you can hardly find better examples than automotive components, pharmaceutical glass manufacturing, furnaces for the glass industry, plastic thermoforming, smart packaging, PET plastics, fluid power, and sheet metal parts. We explore advanced automation solutions in these sectors.

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Italian Robotics Enable True Speed and Efficiency Speed and efficiency are top of mind for everyone in manufacturing, and robotics is one of the key tools to achieve them. We review several examples of solutions offered to North American manufacturers in this area by established as well as new Italian suppliers.

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Italian ‘Big Data’ Technology Helps You Be in the Know Like Never Before Today’s manufacturers face new challenges in the personalization of products and reduction of costs and quantities. Changing from large-scale production to small batches and even single products requires a high degree of manufacturing agility. This means human assets, digitalization of processes and effective use of data are all crucial assets for manufacturers.

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Consumer Products: Italian Machines Produce Things People Want It should come as no surprise that Italy offers world-class machine technology for making consumer products like textiles, ceramics, and footwear. We examine several examples where new technology is helping companies produce market-leading products faster, more efficiently, and with better quality.

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Heavy-Duty Machinery is Smarter and Nimbler Thanks to Italian Advances

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Machines Italia News

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Italian Technology Award Programs

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Italian Innovation in the Spotlight

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Makers of heavy machinery are taking advantage of the latest advances in sensors, processors and information networks. Their strength also relies on endless integration opportunities.

News briefs from a selection of our 10,000 machinery manufacturers.

Educational programs offer students and faculty a chance to advance learning and stay connected.

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Machines Italia takes “Turning innovation into productivity” on the road to major North American events.

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Trade Shows in Italy Upcoming exhibitions sponsored by our partner associations.

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Innovation at Work in Global Markets A brief look at Machines Italia’s 16 partner associations and industries.

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Italian Trade Agency—Chicago ADDRESS TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE FAX E-MAIL WEBSITE

401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1720 | Chicago, Illinois 60611 1-888.ITALTRADE/482.5872 (U.S. and Canadian Callers) 312.670.4360 (Outside the U.S. and Canada) 312.670.5147 info@italtradeusa.com www.machinesitalia.org

The Italian Trade Agency’s NAFTA offices in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Toronto and Mexico City are principally responsible for the machinery and technology sectors covered in this publication.

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For detailed interactive digital map on Italian Solution Providers in NAFTA, please visit tinyurl.com/ItalianSolutionProviders.

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AUTOMATION

Part of an automated Moretto PET processing plant.

Getting to the Core of

CORE MATERIALS

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hen it comes to high-volume products that cry out for automation, you can hardly find a better example than automotive windshields, side windows, sunroofs and LCD back lights. And TYROLIT VINCENT Srl (Thiene, Italy, www.tyrolit.at/en/) is a leading manufacturer of diamond tools for just such applications. TYROLIT VINCENT belongs to GIMAV, the association of Italian manufacturers and suppliers of machinery, equipment and special products for glass processing (www.gimav.it/en/), and all projects of its Glass Division are developed in Italy by the R&D department and carefully followed by the technical and marketing team all over the world.

One such milestone in the automotive glass industry are TYROLIT high-quality diamond pencil wheels for grinding automotive glass at 40 m/min (1,574 IPM). Another more recent development is the “single

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use” HALO profile wheel. Conventional wheels used for this application must be re-profiled when worn, changing their diameter and forcing the production staff to ship wheels back to the manufacturer, await their return and return them to stock. Not to mention having to track the number of re-profiles, which is usually limited to four cycles.

The HALO is designed as a cost-effective “disposable wheel” that can be discarded after use. Because all HALO wheels have the same outer diameter, the operator doesn’t need to adjust for changes in diameter, which contributes to easier setup and automation. And because a worn wheel is simply discarded, the user is spared the logistical challenge of managing re-profiles.

TYROLIT also provides a wide range of single-piece drills and adjustable-countersink drills for the automotive glass industry. They are specially designed and manufactured to guarantee the best hole

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What’s more, TYROLIT has expanded its presence in the U.S. market with a new production and support facility just outside Chicago.

The Oswego, IL, site boasts a well-stocked warehouse and a skilled service center for rapid technical assistance and re-profiling, plus shorter delivery times for new products.

Furnace automation for the glass industry

A single use auto glass grinding wheel from TYROLIT HALO simplifies setup and logistics.

quality at high feed rates of 150 mm/min (5.9 IPM). The sintered diamond drills are manufactured using specific bonds to yield consistent performance over an extended period.

TYROLIT is also a key supplier of dressing sticks for the latest generation grinding wheels and diamond drilling tools. They strike the perfect balance between granularity and hardness. New bonds reduce the frequency of dressing and increase the number of pieces processed per cycle.

Headquartered in Cisterna di Latina, Italy and with U.S. offices in Naples, FL, Mappi International Srl (Cisterna di Latina, Italy, www.mappi.it) is another GIMAV member helping automate glass making in North America. In Mappi’s case it’s by providing high-tech tempering furnaces, an investment that impacts all other processes in a glass-producing company.

Mappi is able to shorten installation time because the main part of the machine, the heating chamber, comes in a single, preassembled piece and does not require assembly on site. From there, the user enjoys the automation that is the real focus of a Mappi furnace, including an energy-saving, self-optimizing heating system that manages each thermal zone individually through computer control.

The complex algorithms behind this feature are made simple to the operator with a friendly human interface.

The computerized system coordinates the heating and forced ventilation to significantly reduce the peak power required by the entire system. It also balances between heating and quench areas to minimize overall peak. In addition, the internal temperature of the furnace is controlled to within 1°C, preventing overheating of the ceramic rollers, as well as avoiding downtime due to delays and waiting for the furnace to reach desired temperature.

A glass sheet emerges from a Mappi tempering furnace.

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AUTOMATION

CMS thermoforming machines cool the workpiece with an air flow that’s fully automated and machine controlled.

Every heating element is equipped with an independently managed thermocouple, and the furnace has multiple finely controlled heating zones. And because the system automatically manages the temperature of the furnace through a network of electronically controlled sensors, it can limit its constant and focused heat to areas where glass is present, ensuring thermal and energy efficiency.

Mappi furnaces also have “advanced cooling,” an original design for the blowing system that allows for even more precise control while tempering. This substantially decreases the iridescence of the glass.

DC motors drive ceramic rolls with a positional accuracy of 0.001 and use a friction transmission that virtually eliminates gear lash, thereby minimizing any risk of marring the glass. The system also automatically controls the oscillation of the rolls to avoid distortions and damage to the surface of the glass.

A newer innovation from Mappi is its patented GHBS Xtreme Profile Convection System, which enables the processing of all coated glass, including LowE glass with 0.01 emissivity.

Sophisticated control and an elaborate array of sensors modulate the intensity of the pressured air in every zone inside the chamber, improving glass quality. The new technology also increases the maximum dimensions of temperable sheets, reduces cycle times and increases productivity.

Mappi prides itself on exceptional customer care: people at your service who understand and are truly committed to MCQ (Mappi Constant Quality). It’s no wonder that in its 25 years Mappi has installed 400 furnaces in more than 50 countries.

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Fully automated plastic thermoforming In the plastics arena, a different set of Italian companies offers a similarly fantastico set of benefits. CMS SpA (Zogno, Italy, www. cmsna.com) point to its BR/5 series sheet thermoforming machines, which enable a single, unskilled operator to run the machine and change production from one mold to another in just a few minutes.

The machines can also be equipped with a fully automatic loading/ unloading system, as was the case with an installation at TeucoGuzzini Industrial Group (Montelupone-Recanati, Italy).

Teuco achieved leadership in the field of whirlpool baths by revolutionizing tub manufacturing through the use of acrylics. But its traditional vacuum thermoforming techniques, based on the use of diathermal oil, required bringing oil to the right temperature and maintaining it in operating condition even when the company wasn’t producing anything. Teuco also felt the urgency to use more innovative machinery to comply with contemporary design requirements, especially in improving the thermoforming results in bathtub and shower tray edges. And it wanted to optimize production times by speeding up loading and unloading rates.

The answer was a BR5S. Formed workpieces are ejected from the front loader carriage through a motorized vertical unloading system. For negative workpieces, a special width-adjustable support is provided. Digitally controlled servomotors establish the dimensions of the clamping frame and the reduction plate for quick and accurate machine setup change.

An extractable mold carrier plate and an automatic plate coupling

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The AMUT ACS 200 can automatically pack and palletize hand, machine, and jumbo rolls of stretch film.

system enable tooling the machine for a new production cycle quickly, safely and handily. The loading station has single-sheet aligning and centering devices to ensure correct positioning in the thermoforming area. Automated fans generate a controlled airflow to cool finished workpieces. And software developed by CMS is both easy to use and comprehensive in its control: It sets the machining parameters, monitors the operation in real time, generates a “history file” and ,if needed, communicates with on-line computing devices and networks.

The machine and its software also enable the processing of unusual and customized products. And the sheets can be made from a variety of materials, to include PC/Polycarbonate, ABS, PE/ Polyethylene, and PP/Polypropylene. In total, the CMS sheet vacuum thermoforming process delivers an aesthetically excellent product that requires no additional machining.

conveyor. AMUT’s North American office is in Ontario, Canada.

Like CMS, AMUT is a member of AMAPLAST, the Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery and moulds manufacturers’ association (www.amaplast.org/en/).

PET producers cut resin drying energy use in half

AMUT Group SpA (Novara, Italy, www.amutgroup.com) also makes thermoforming machines, plus extrusion, packaging film, recycling, flexo printing and converting technology.

One new addition to its line is a packaging system for stretch film rolls.

Model 1 can form boxes, fill them with hand rolls of film, close them and put them on a pallet. For machine and jumbo rolls, it can store them on a pallet and insert carton layers in between. In either case, the operator would handle the empty and finished pallets.

Model 2 is the same with regard to packaging the rolls but can also automatically handle and store up to 10 full pallets with a roller

Moretto SpA (Massanzago, Italy, www.moretto.com), another AMAPLAST member, makes energy-efficient products for the plastics industry. Its latest advance in the injection molding of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) preforms is the EUREKA PLUS resin-drying system.

Designed to continuously reduce energy use and improve drying performance, the system immediately grabbed the interest of PET processors, who know every aspect of energy efficiency can make the difference in profitability. Moretto says processors that have adopted EUREKA PLUS drying systems enjoy, on average, a 56% reduction in energy use compared with conventional drying systems.

EUREKA PLUS is comprised of four Moretto-patented technologies: a high performance, resin drying system with an ultra-low dew point; a dynamic airflow management system; drying hoppers with superior mass flow drying characteristics, and a “revolutionary” device that measures polymer residual moisture in-line and adapts the drying system operations. The systems provide processors with a modular, self-adjusting, energy-saving dehumidification system for simultaneously drying plastic pellets and/or regrinds in multiple hoppers.

Each desiccant dryer in the modular dehumidifying system uses an exclusive zeolite desiccant to deliver consistent dew points to -85°F

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Smart, automated packaging

AUTOMATION

Uni-Fab’s Abe Fehr and his fully automated Salvagnini sheet metal fabrication line.

(-65°C) for uncompromising drying performance. Neither cooling water nor compressed air is required. Strong turbo-compressor blowers provide consistent-but-adaptive airflow to compensate for off-line dryers receiving maintenance or in regeneration.

The airflow management system eliminates traditional valves and automatically delivers optimum airflow to each hopper, based on the hopper size and user input about the material and throughput requirements. The system also ensures the lowest possible energy use (since excess airflow is eliminated) and eliminates the undesirable stress on resin often caused by over-drying, even in reduced or stopped production circumstances, protecting the intrinsic viscosity of the resin.

A Moisture Meter Box under the resin drying hopper ensures that dehumidification is successful in Moretto’s efficient EUREKA PLUS.

The advanced drying hopper provides an optimized mass flow of materials for highly predictable resin drying. Each pellet is uniformly exposed to drying air and achieves full residence time in the hopper even though the hopper size is smaller than competing designs, resulting in space savings and energy reduction.

Each hopper is equipped with a convenient control that provides a readout of the temperature and operating status. The control can also be used to program the drying temperature locally, at the hopper.

Heating units are mounted directly to the hopper to minimize heat loss.

The EUREKA PLUS includes a moisture meter manager (MMM), an in-line, resin moisture sensing and drying control. The MMM reads the

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moisture content of the resin itself, not the air surrounding the resin, using electromagnetic waves, which change based on the moisture within the resin. Separate sensors read the before and after moisture levels of the resin to ensure dehumidification is successful. The EUREKA rapidly adjusts the drying process based on the readings, which are sensitive from 15 ppm (± 3 ppm) up to 3,000 ppm and operate with resins being dried from 68 to 356 °F (20 to 180 °C).

The innovative EUREKA PLUS thus delivers fully responsive “drying on demand” based on the real drying needs of the polymer at any given time. By managing drying functions in direct response to environmental variables that typically interrupt predictable polymer moisture levels, the Moretto drying system can guarantee production certification and maximum energy efficiency.

Moretto in the last year expanded Moretto USA (www.morettousa. com) to a 30,000 sq ft facility in Western Pennsylvania.

The fluid power ingredient With 1,700 employees and 24 locations spanning the globe (including a facility in Texas), Camozzi Automation SpA (Brescia, Italy, www. camozzi.com) is a leader in industrial automation. Products include a complete range of actuators, sensors, guides, brakes, shock absorbers, valves, pneumatic couplings and vacuum components—small but critical components in a variety of industrial machinery (e.g. packaging equipment, woodworking machines, printing presses), medical devices and mobile automation.

Camozzi’s strategy is based on helping its customers increase the flexibility and productivity of machinery. That’s why the company recently developed an approach that involves multiple technologies, including pneumatics, electrical actuation and proportional technology, to optimize performance. These smart solutions can be integrated into complex machinery and systems, allowing components to interface and dialogue with each other in order to transmit, receive and reprocess information.

Camozzi also recently created a special applications department to integrate different technologies into more complex systems that

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A collection of Comozzi Automation actuators, sensors, valves, pneumatic couplings, and vacuum components.

Salvagnini SpA (Sarego, Italy, www.salvagninigroup.com) introduced the world’s first flexible and automatic sheet metal panel production system in 1979, which in turn introduced the now widely applied concept of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS). A member of UCIMUSISTEMI PER PRODURRE - Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machine Tools, Robots, Automation Systems and Ancillary Products (www.ucimu.it), Salvagnini today boasts four manufacturing sites and 23 locations, including the U.S. and Canada.

Salvagnini’s Steve Spilak introduced the technology to Abe Fehr, owner of Uni-Fab, one of the largest metal fabricators in Ontario, Canada. As a job shop that prizes versatility and precision, Uni-Fab saw benefits in what Spilak proposed.

“The Salvagnini FMS line starts with a tower of blank sheets,” Spilak said. “Then depending on what part needs to be manufactured, the machine automatically calls up the appropriate raw sheet and loads it into the queue. From there it moves to the S4 punching machine, which rapidly makes any necessary cuts.” As the S4 completes each panel from the sheet, it shears it off and moves it on to the P4Lean panel bender for automatic bending. But the S4 continues punching the sheet and feeding the bending station while the bending station does its work. “It’s a continuous flow, parts are unloaded and loaded automatically, and there’s zero tool changing.”

Fehr added that Uni-Fab has a lot of experience with laser cutting machines and continues to use them, but the Salvagnini can punch

and form components much faster than that technology. Fehr said he could add laser cutting to the line if desired. More importantly, laser cut parts can be introduced to the bender, whether or not they were cut on the line. So, in addition to chasing higher volume work, Uni-Fab plans to move some of the work it is currently doing on laser cutters and press brakes to the Salvagnini FMS because it uses so much less manpower.

Another key point for punching: “We can punch a part and move it on down the line. Whereas with laser cutting you have to cut the entire sheet and then advance it,” Fehr said. What’s more, the machine has 40 tools in the magazine and cuts a variety of shapes with standard punches, simplifying planning. The punch can handle sheets up to 5 x 10 ft, and the panel bender can form sheets up to 4 x 10 ft and 11 gauge (1/8 inch) in thickness.

Another exciting capability is the ability to create radius bends on parts (as long as the bend is within 10 inches high). “It gives us a lot more flexibility,” said Fehr. “We’ll be able to change the way we do machine enclosures from using only square or angled corners to radius corners on panels. It’s the modern look that more and more people require today. In the past we’d have to use a plate or sheet roller for such a feature and now we can do it right in the Salvagnini line.

“Our current market for sheet metal products is mostly machine enclosures and hydraulic tanks for the automotive and oil and gas industries,” Fehr said. “The Salvagnini will make us a lot more efficient in how we do things, putting us into a whole new league of higher volume jobs, whether it’s building materials, transformer covers, or whatever it might be.”

Uni-Fab is off a good start. The line was just installed, and it already won a project to produce 16,000 panels for industrial bins.

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can be customized to offer intelligent solutions that increase productivity and reduce assembly and setup times for automatic machines.

Camozzi is a member of ASSOFLUID, the Italian association of fluid power equipment and components (www.assofluid.it/en).

Complex sheet metal parts made in 1, automated line

ROBOTICS

Comau’s MATE is a robotic innovation you wear.

Courtesy Comau.

Italian Robotics Enable True Speed and Efficiency

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hen Ingersoll International was all but defunct 15 years ago, Tino Oldani saw enough potential in its machine tools division to take a chance on breathing new life into a company that was founded during the Industrial Revolution. He was so convinced, he persuaded the Camozzi Group SpA (Brescia, Italy; www.camozzigroup.com) to invest in Ingersoll Machine Tools, which had been part of one of the biggest companies in Rockford, IL. “I knew about them, and I knew they had problems, and at a certain point had filed for bankruptcy,” said Oldani, who owned a much smaller engineering company in the same city that competed with Ingersoll. “So, we put together the idea to take over (while keeping the old name).”

Oldani, an engineer by training who’s been Ingersoll’s president and CEO ever since, has taken the company to new levels of success. Under his leadership, Ingersoll makes automated fiber placement machines and integrates them with robots to fabricate composite structures for aerospace. The company has also ventured into making 3D printers for big-area additive manufacturing, along with machinery for the wind power, defense, mining and primary metals processing industries. In 2014, Ingersoll engineered

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By Thomas R. Kurfess PhD, FSME, PE 2018 SME President

and built the base for the world’s largest solar telescope in its 500,000-square-foot facility.

Ingersoll Machine Tools most recent yearly revenue was $70 million.

“They make massive machines that no other company can make,” said Alex Gary, who was assistant business editor of the Rockford Register Star newspaper at the time of Camozzi’s acquisition of Ingersoll’s machine tool operations, the largest of its three divisions.

While Ingersoll International had 4,500 employees in the U.S. and Europe in its heyday, the machine tool division alone now employs about 180 people.

1 in 4 packaging machines worldwide “Made in Italy” SIPA SpA (Vittorio Veneto, Italy; www.sipasolutions.com), a company founded to provide integrated systems for flexible automation, has almost 40 years of experience with making machinery for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and all other bottle manufacturing and filling technologies. It sells machines to the food/beverage, chemical, detergent and health/beauty aids industries, according to its website. In addition to machinery, SIPA offers life-cycle services that can include data acquisition, line analysis, maintenance management, training and more.

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Fluid Forms, Inc. (Colton, CA), recently installed a SIPA XFORM 350 for PET preform injection molding machine to serve its water, food products and carbonated, flavored and alcoholic beverages clients, according to an article in SIPA’s magazine.

Fluid Forms uses its XFORM 350 to make preforms for a 1.75-liter (1.8 qt) margarita mixer bottle and a 12-ounce (0.35 liter) high-pressure processing (low-temperature pasteurization) bottles with an impressive output of tens of thousands of preforms per hour. The company is working with SIPA on making 70-78 gm (2.5-2.75 oz) preforms for its growing liquor bottle business.

In Mexico, the major beverage company GEPP installed a new carbonated beverages bottle blowing and filling line based on a SIPA SFR16 EVO 3 rotary unit in a Sincro Bloc with a 144-valve filling unit at its plant in Celaya. The line also includes SIPA’s Fastlayer robotic system for palletizing. The line produces 17,500 3-liter (0.79 gal) bottles per hour, and 28,000 1.5-liter (0.4 gal) bottles in the same amount of time.

GEPP, which is partly owned by PepsiCo and the exclusive bottler of the company’s beverages in Mexico, already has SIPA bottle-producing units, filling systems and molds in several of its other facilities.

SIPA’s machinery is also used to make bottles for non-food industries.

Howard Packaging (Corydon, IN) installed a SIPA ECS SP 80 injection-stretch blow-molding machine to switch from PVC bottles to 16-64 oz. (0.47-1.89 L) PET bottles for engine oil, according to a case study on SIPA’s website.

“Our customers see PET as more earth-friendly than some alternative materials, and PET certainly provides a healthier working environment for our operatives than PVC,” said Steve Hawkins, Howard’s maintenance purchasing manager. “Plus, the PET bottles are lighter than versions in PVC, so we save on material. But they still look much better and give far superior results in drop tests—which is particularly important for oil bottles.”

Hawkins also likes SIPA’s local presence, technical support and quick turnaround time on any mold repairs due to the manufacturer’s mold repair and renovation operations in Atlanta.

PET bottles, like the ones Howard Packaging makes with SIPA’s machines, are earth-friendly, indeed.

In Mexico, PetStar, a Coca-Cola-acquired company that operates one of the largest PET recycling plants in the world, has been awarded the Mexican Quality Prize. The Institute of Entrepreneurial Development, which focuses on promoting high-quality standards in the private sector, administers that prize.

The company recycles 100 million PET bottles yearly and converts them into resins to produce new bottles.

Acquired by Coca-Cola Mexico in 2014, according to a Recycling Today aricle, the PetStar facility can process up to 65,000 tons of PET bottles per year. The figure represents a doubling of the facility’s capacity in Toluca, Mexico.

SIPA and more than 100 other companies belong to UCIMA, the Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers’ Association

(www.ucima.it). UCIMA member companies cover the entire range of packaging machinery production, from the food, confectionery and tobacco industries to pharmaceuticals, chemicals, petrochemicals, cosmetics and end-of-line technologies.

In addition, UCIMA members represent 70% of the total Italian production in its sector and, on average, 80% of Italian exports (with growth of 5.8% in 2016 compared with 2015, representing 5.3 billion Euros [$6.2 billion]). One packaging machine out of every four in the world bears the wording “Made in Italy.” And the U.S. is the industry’s main market for the sector.

In North America, companies have come to value and appreciate the Italian custom-made solutions, which have given them the best quality, flexibility and innovation found anywhere. The major industries that buy Italian machinery are the food and beverage industry (40%), the pharmaceutical/cosmetics/toiletries industry (about 20%) and the chemical/petrochemical field (about 10%).

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The latest robotic innovation is one you wear Comau SpA (Torino, Italy; www.comau.com), manufacturer of industrial robots and other automation solutions, recently added a wearable robot to its product lineup.

Comau’s MATE, the wearable, upper-limb robotics exoskeleton, is designed to reduce muscle fatigue and assist the wearer with industrial tasks, such as assembling, packaging, storing and materials handling, along with other jobs whose movements require repeated flexion and extension of the shoulder(s). Activation of some of the muscles in the wearer’s scapular-shoulder area is reduced by half, and due to its patented kinematic mechanism, MATE guarantees all the degrees of movement of the shoulder.

“By decreasing muscle fatigue with MATE, workers have a better quality of work life and the quality of their work can improve,” Martin Kinsella, director at Comau in Southfield, MI, said during a presentation at the Italian Trade Agency’s Innovation Days 2018 in Sterling Heights, MI. MATE is powered by mechanical, pre-tensioned springs located in the torque generator box. The springs provide a torque that reproduces the same physiological curve of the upper-limb flexionextension movement and can be adjusted to give more or less assistance. The power system is engineered to be constant over time.

MATE’s compact size and mobility make it different from competitive products, because combining all of its features is difficult. To follow the natural movements of the shoulder, other exoskeletons are generally bulkier. Additionally, MATE is available in a range of sizes to accommodate North American women from size 0-16 (European size 36-52) and men from size 34-50 (European size 44-60), and is adjustable for a custom fit.

“The most challenging point, from a design point of view, was to ensure the functionality of the device in very limited dimensions and with the lightest weight possible, since these were two of the most important requirements to guarantee comfort for the wearer,” Kinsella said.

ROBOTICS

Development of this novel exoskeleton took about two years, with five different prototypes undergoing testing in the laboratory and in realworld situations. During testing, developers collected feedback regarding the functionality and usability of the device from the end-users. They then integrated that feedback into the final version of the device.

Comau collaborated with IUVO, a spinoff company of the BioRobotics Institute of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (Pisa, Italy), and Össur (Reykjanik, Iceland), a leader in non-invasive orthopedic devices.

In addition to robotics, Comau, part of FCA Group (London, U.K.; www.fcagroup.com), specializes in producing advanced industrial automated solutions that include products, technologies and services to help manufacturers of all sizes increase operational efficiency while lowering operating costs and optimizing returns. It has more than 70 years of experience in the NAFTA countries, with a U.S. headquarters that includes an engineering and innovation center, in Southfield, MI. Comau’s North American presence also includes six manufacturing plants in Southeast Michigan and one in Mexico.

“Italian creativity, a strong engineering mindset and a constant drive for innovation has enabled Comau to become a global leader in the automation industry,” said Kinsella.

Also experienced in designing and configuring robotic automated lines is Salvagnini SpA (Sarego, Italy; www.salvagnini.it), a manufacturer of machines that process sheet metal. Salvagnini’s panel benders (P1, P2Lean and P4Lean), press brakes (B3), punches (S4), fiber-laser punches (SL4) and fiber lasers (L3 and L5) are configured for clients in the HVAC, transportation, furniture, medical equipment and refrigeration industries, and more.

“There are endless variations we can define for our customers, depending on what their needs are,” said Steve Spilak, sales manager for Salvagnini Canada, which was established in 2013. “We perform time studies and usually go through, easily, 12 configurations until we’re certain the customer has what he needs.”

Salvagnini was founded in 1963 and established a presence in the U.S. in 1984. It’s been in Mexico since 2008.

The company is also a leader in Industry 4.0: “Our machines communicate with each other, from the simplest press brake to a complete flexible manufacturing system line,” Spilak said.

Salvagnini’s advanced machinery employs robotics, such as in its RoboFormer and FlexCell, which offers the features of a panel bender and a press brake to let customers get the most out of bending. It’s also vertically integrated, making all components of its machines except for the laser source, dust collection system and robotic arm.

Automation ‘now a given’ In addition to Comau and Salvagnini, other Italian manufacturers have gone in wholeheartedly for automation, too. A recent estimate

by Accenture found that 82% of Italian entrepreneurs firmly believe that automation is critical to radically transforming the Italian manufacturing landscape.

The Italian government helps with incentives.

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The advanced manufacturing technologies with the best chance of success in Italy fall within the scope of the Italian national government’s advanced manufacturing plan, “Piano Nazionale Industria 4.0.” Among the main features of the plan are tax breaks for the purchase of capital goods, with higher incentives for the acquisition of machinery containing sensors or data transmission software.

Some of the technologies and capabilities eligible for incentives include: Autonomous, cooperating industrial robots with numerous integrated sensors and standardized interfaces; optimization based on real-time data from intelligent systems; a fully automated value chain; Industrial Internet of Things; and cybersecurity.

This plan is among those developed by large European manufacturing countries and is considered by many to be the most advanced and comprehensive. The plan consists of $15 billion in tax breaks for investments by Italian companies by the middle of 2018, to reach $22.6 billion with additional resources by 2020. This strategy is aimed at triggering private investments worth $26.5 billion.

Manufacturers in the Mediterranean country have a long history of automation.

“Starting in the 1960s with the advent of the first numerical controls, the ‘Made in Italy’ machine tool manufacturers have adapted to make their products automation-ready, while also adopting automated processes for their products’ design and fabrication,” said Massimo Carboniero, president of UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE - Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machine Tools, Robots, Automation Systems and Ancillary Products (www.ucimu.it).

“Automation is now a given.”

Carboniero said UCIMU members have developed the “hardware” necessary for automation, such as devices (sensors, actuators, etc.) that are cheaper, less cumbersome and help increase processing capacity. They also write the software that allows manufacturers to collect and process a large quantity of information—leading to increasingly sophisticated functions of monitoring, control and optimization of processes, and an increase in the quality of processes and products.

Worldwide, the industrial robotics market grew by 29% in 2017 over 2016, with 380,550 new robots installed, Bob Doyle, vice president of the Association for Advancing Automation (Ann Arbor, MI) told the audience at the Italian Trade Agency’s Innovation Days 2018.

“Most of what they do is in handling and welding operations,” Doyle said. “The food and beverage industry (like SIPA) is a growing area for robotics.”

The NAFTA countries represent big opportunities for Italian and other manufacturers of robotic arms, cobots, and even Comau’s wearable robotic innovation: The U.S. is the world’s fourth largest market, and Mexico is ninth, according to Doyle’s figures.

The adoption of automation isn’t the only thing that’s changed for Italian machine tools, robots and automation manufacturers. Like Camozzi, Comau and SIPA have, the most successful firms realize manufacturing can be global—and to compete globally, they must invest in a presence in the countries that are their marketing targets.

Volume XII | www.machinesitalia.org

BIG DATA

SYSTEM’s PRIME platform is hosted on state-of-the-art hardware with an excellent HMI.

Italian Technology Helps You Be in the Know

LIKE NEVER BEFORE

S

ince its founding in 1970, SYSTEM SpA (Fiorano Modenese, Italy, www.system-group.it) has always been a leader in automating the production of high-quality ceramics. So it’s no surprise this member of ACIMAC, the Italian Ceramic Plant and Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (www.acimac.com) has studied Industry 4.0 in depth since the concept emerged. In fact, SYSTEM created a special department called “digital industrial design” in which a team of electronic engineers, mechanical engineers, IT engineers, chemists and physicists work together “with the aim of creating one of the Industry 4.0 models for the ceramics sector, as a point of reference not only in Europe but worldwide.”

In SYSTEM’s view, today’s manufacturers face new challenges in the personalization of products and reduction of costs and quantities. Changing from large-scale production to the production of

small batches and even single products requires a high degree of manufacturing agility. “In this scenario, the human assets, complete digitalization of processes and effective use of data all represent essential factors, vital to the creation of a new manufacturing paradigm.”

To address these challenges, SYSTEM has introduced PRIME: a platform of software services aimed at “controlling production capacity of entire factories, optimizing the quality of control processes and the standardization of information received from systems, in order to provide management tools aimed at improving awareness and decision repeatability.”

PRIME is a product-analysis tool hosted on highly integrated and cutting-edge IT systems. It features a single interface that lets a user represent his entire manufacturing facility with 3D computer graphics.

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BIG DATA

SYSTEM’s PRIME platform provides a holistic view of a ceramic manufacturing operation, with the ability to zoom in on any aspect to study it in detail.

The user can also focus in on any individual machine, checking it thoroughly. Thus production facilities can be represented in detail and as a dynamic whole, “enabling a holistic view of the entire production cycle, where all systems are connected and can share information on feedback or the alignment of processes, aimed at improving the process itself in real time.”

This approach represents a real evolution and authentic role change for the company, SYSTEM added. While the company is still a manufacturer of automated machines for the ceramic industry, with PRIME it becomes a supplier of services too. It has redesigned its organizational structure and the relative business model in line with the cornerstones of Industry 4.0.

Channeling creativity into a repeatable process Cerutti Group SpA (Casalle Monferatto, Italy, www.cerutti.it) is a world leader in rotogravure presses, arguably the ultimate in printing technology given its ability to deliver extremely fine detail with an unbeatable variety of inks and coatings (including vivid metallics and fluorescents) on virtually any material. Although the mechanical technology behind rotogravure printing goes back to the 1800s, Massimo Genio, sales director for North American Cerutti (New Berlin, WI) said modern presses, like any machine today, are filled with electronics that make it possible to capture data about virtually everything going on during the print process. Most important, he said, is the ability to record what he calls the “production recipe,” the key settings that govern the process to produce a given product at the desired quality. “We store temperature, tension on the roll, cylinder position, cylinder facing, doctor blade position, master control positions... All the parameters related to the production of a certain product so they can be duplicated the next time you have to produce this product.” Naturally, this then shortens the setup time for this job any time it’s repeated. Plus, they can serve as the basis for another similar product, saving setup time on new jobs too. At the same time, some mechanical tasks, like putting the press into register, are now fully automated. Besides saving time, these improvements reduce waste and save money.

Printing securities is a big market for rotogravure. (For example, Canadian currency is printed on a polymer, which requires rotogravure.)

As one would expect, the attention to detail in this market is extreme.

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“You need to completely control the printing parameters. You’re printing on very special substrates, using very special inks, and any mistake can be costly.” So analyzing the data to achieve a better process is critical.

But once it’s done, the process is static for such work, unlike printing packaging and other items that change frequently. In that field, using data to speed setup is a prime consideration.

Beyond using data as a setup aid, Cerutti has developed a system called CMS, for “computerized maintenance system.” The system is structured so that the user has access to all the manuals instantly on the HMI. “Whenever something happens, you have an immediate cross reference to the electrical drawings where the problem occurred.

It’s interactive. You can also check what kind of maintenance you need to do,” Genio said. “For example, let’s say every 300 hours you have to grease the bearings. You get a screen that tells you.

If you’re overdue, it tracks that. When you do it, it records that such-and-such user performed the task and resets the counter. All these things give the operator a better understand of what he has to do and when.”

The industry is not yet at the point where parts failure can be accurately predicted (so worn-out parts can be replaced before causing downtime), but that’s the goal, Genio said.

One way to speed that understanding would be to share and analyze data across multiple customers like the Siemens MindSphere concept. But, for better or worse, Genio said customers keep their data within their own local networks. And in some cases, the interpretation of the data (like why one job took longer than another) is left to the customer. Genio thinks another factor hindering a truly “big data” analysis is that printing combines automatic and mechanical aspects with human and manual aspects. “It’s not always possible to determine where one starts and the other begins.” Still, Cerutti is considering putting even more sensors in the machine to further improve predictive maintenance.

There may not be data sharing in the cloud, but Cerutti provides remote assistance on demand, 24/7. Each press can be accessed on-line by a Cerutti technician—even on Christmas.

This capability is more useful now than it was just a few years ago—because the electronic aspects of the machines have become more important, Genio said. And most problems are caused by

Volume XII | www.machinesitalia.org

The Simec Digital Background monitors a customer’s processes to predict the need for parts and supplies in advance.

“errors in the procedure or something electronic, rather than anything mechanical.”

Integrating information from all the equipment in a production facility is “becoming a very big field to explore,” he added. But he cautioned that doing so intelligently requires taking steps to ensure that you don’t duplicate data and confuse things. “For example, the production recipe can be stored in a central control or in an individual press. Ideally, you want all the data, even from auxiliary equipment like coroma readers, colorimeters and densitometers, in one organized file. This increased optimization.”

What’s next? “Your mind is the limit,” Genio said. And while he had referred to printing as a process that combines mechanical and human inputs, he said one of the key advantages of rotogravure is that it’s more repeatable than other forms of printing, like flexo. “If I give you the setup data and the same press, you and I should produce the same results,” he said. “So theoretically, with more sensors and more data it should be possible to make it completely repeatable. We want to funnel the creativity of the human being into a set of processes we can repeat exactly.”

At the same, Genio said, you want to limit yourself to gathering information that is truly useful and to implement what he called “sustainable automation.” He recalled a time years ago when his firm built a completely automated press for a facility in Japan in which all inputs to the press were also automated. Such a system can work in such an environment. But it leaves little or no room for flexibility or creativity.

“There’s always a fine balance between what information can give you and what you can give the system. Nothing can emulate your brain. Full automation is a cage. A beautiful, golden cage. But a cage.”

Another reason he argues for “sustainable automation” is the changing nature of the printing business in North America.

“It was always ‘bigger is better.’ Now we see more and more small companies who compete by offering better quality. They don’t care if they are faster. They don’t care if they are not producing more than other companies—but they are making it tougher for the big guys,” Genio said. “This is why production runs are getting smaller and smaller. You have to be flexible. You have to be creative. You always have to be on the top of your game because otherwise, you are done. So Cerutti doesn’t want to introduce a solution that limits your creativity.”

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Cerutti is a member of ACIMGA, the Italian manufacturers’ association of machinery for the graphic, converting and paper industry (www.acimga.it/en).

Knowing what the customer needs before it does Another ACIMGA member, Simec Group Srl (Olgiate Olona, Italy, www.simecgroup.com) makes large rolls for flexographic printing, embossing, lamination, coating, gluing, and other processes. And it prides itself on wearing the Made in Italy label “by controlling the entire production chain and guaranteeing excellence.” As part of this, the company has relentlessly pursued improvements in its plants through Industry 4.0 initiatives.

By the end of this year, all of its manufacturing equipment will be equipped with the latest generation HMIs, integrated with production processes that aim to continually refine their procedures. Simec introduced the Simec Digital Background (SDB), a predictive warehouse project that calls for complete, step by step, digital management of its factories. The software, developed in-house, collects and manages a consistent amount of data, involves every department and leads to a predictive approach that guarantees substantial reduction in its customers’ waiting times for parts and supplies.

A user joining the project provides key process indicators (KPIs) through a dedicated and secure IT environment. The KPIs are structured to identify trends and forecast needs. SDB will therefore outline a customer’s requirements in advance, giving it the benefit of a reduction in waiting time of at least 50% compared with the market average.

Essentially, Simec Group would know what a customer needs before it does and produce the needed products in advance. As Simec Group puts it: Welcome to the future!

Smart control of a plant’s air treatment from afar AERIS GROUP (Clusone, Italy, www.aerisgroup.it) is a holding company of multiple brands in the fields of air treatment, heating, cooling, filtration and related services.

A member of ACIMIT, the association of Italian textile machinery manufacturers (www.acimit.it), AERIS recently received a “seal of excellence” from the European Union Commission in recognition of its innovative new technology. It also received funding under the European Horizon 2020 project. (Horizon 2020 is a seven-year,

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BIG DATA

Digitron 2.0 connects all the sensors, actuators, valves and power drivers in an air treatment system to instantly adapt to changing conditions.

$90+ billion effort to “ensure Europe produces world-class science, removes barriers to innovation and makes it easier for the public and private sectors to work together in delivering innovation.”)

One AERIS company, AleniA NW Srl (Bergamo, Italy, www.alenianw.it), specializes in providing technical advice to customers seeking the most suitable filtration and air-treatment equipment, specifically using non-woven fiber materials (hence the “NW”).

Among AleniA’s developments is a new software generation called Digitron 2.0 Vario. It connects all the sensors, actuators, valves and power drivers in an air treatment system via a modbus (serial communication protocol). The software “constantly checks the correct execution of all the given commands and receives feedback from the field that enable the continuous supervision of position, faults and absorption,” the company said. Better yet, the software uses the data to instantly respond to problem and adjust to changing conditions.

AleniA added that the result is a self-adjusting system that guarantees correct capacity with minimum energy consumption; a record

of thermo hygrometric conditions and anomalies; accurate, real-time accounting of energy, thermal fluid and water humidification consumption, and remote monitoring from any PC in or outside of the company.

On top of that, the AleniA technical service team can provide remote control free of charge.

A closely related product is the New Generation Humidification Plant 4.0 marketed by AERIS’ Mazzini group (Clusone, Italy; www.mazziniici.com/?lang=en). It takes advantage of the Digitron 2.0 Vario monitoring and control functions to deliver a huge increase in performance and efficiency, yielding a constant temperature and relative humidity in the treated area throughout the year. At the same time, it cuts water use more than 60%, cuts energy use more than 40%, requires little or no maintenance and eliminates corrosion problems and the risk of bacteria and mucilage growth. Mazzini said the system also needs less than half the air volume of conventional systems to achieve the same effect—and therefore a Mazzini unit can be 25 to 40% smaller than competing technology for the same size facility.

A Mazzini unit from the AERIS Group yields a constant temperature and relative humidity in the treated area while cutting water use more than 60% and energy use more than 40%.

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Volume XII | www.machinesitalia.org

CONSUMER PRODUCTS

A Cormatx Airlay thermo-bonding line, which is capable of producing high loft textiles from wool, flax, hemp, carbon, basalt and textile waste, individually or blended together.

Italian Machines Produce

THINGS PEOPLE WANT

I

t should come as no surprise that Italy offers world-class machine technology for making consumer products such as textiles, ceramics and footwear. BUSI GIOVANNI Srl (Botticino Sera, Italy; www.busigiovanni.com) offers a compelling example. Situated in the province of Brescia, Italy’s industrial capital, BUSI, a member of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (www.acimit.it), is celebrating 60 years as a family-owned firm specializing in single-cylinder sock-knitting machines for the world’s most discriminating producers—from the classic hosiery of Germany’s Falke and Italy’s Bresciani to the medical compression socks of Gibaud of France.

Several factors set BUSI machines apart, starting with unequaled sock quality and versatility, Michèle Castagna, export and marketing manager, said. For example, like other single-cylinder machines, BUSI machines can knit any conceivable embroidery pattern. But they can also produce elegant, true broad-rib socks, which otherwise require double-cylinder machines. And not only can they produce both both terry (up to gauge 22) and classic (200-240-280-320 gauge) knits, they can combine them in the same sock.

BUSI machines are also uniquely capable of producing both sandwich and normal terry in the same sock with just a simple program change, whereas competing machines require extensive mechanical

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CONSUMER PRODUCTS

BUSI GIOVANNI machines can knit any conceivable embroidery pattern plus elegant broad-rib socks, even combining both sandwich and normal terry weaves in the same sock.

changes. So, for example, you could instantly switch from knitting all sandwich terry socks to a sock that combines a sandwich terry for the leg and top of foot with a normal terry for the sole.

The versatility extends to color, as the machines can knit with six colors plus the background; the competition can handle only three colors.

BUSI machines are also capable of knitting double-layer socks and/ or socks with an inside pouch. And you can install a Rimaglio device for automatic, stitch-by-stitch toe-closing with up to 400 needles.

All BUSI machines are custom made in Italy with high-quality materials, and Castagna says they “almost never stop, guaranteeing an incredibly high productivity rate.� And they have outstanding longevity, averaging 25 years.

General Manager Catina Busi joked that after 30 years of making socks around the clock, a customer would give his BUSI machine away only from boredom, not because it was no longer working well. Castagna added that, although the initial investment in a BUSI machine is a bit higher than for competing machines, they are actually more economical amortized over time. In any case, the typical BUSI customer produces higher quality products and targets higher margin business.

Bonding fibers for everything from filtration to footwear Like BUSI, Cormatex Srl (Montemurlo, Italy, www.cormatex.it) is an ACIMIT member, but with very different technology. Although the company has produced machines for carding and spinning fine knitting yarn since 1938, its recent focus has been on creating machines that produce non-woven materials with a high degree of productivity, flexibility and quality. Called Airlay, these systems use thermo-bonding to produce high loft textiles and other materials, with fiber lengths ranging from 1 to 60 mm in the case of their Lap Formair H model and from 20 to 150 mm with itds Lap Formair V, including powders and granulated matter.

Without modifying any mechanical components, the Airlay systems are capable of processing a wide variety of fibers, including wool, flax, hemp, carbon, basalt and textile waste, individually or blended together. And cleanup is fast and simple. Besides clothing, applications for these materials include packaging and thermal and acoustic insulation, filtration, building construction and home furnishings.

The machines are also highly efficient, owing to their low energy use, low maintenance costs, lack of waste and high productivity (up to 500 kg/hour/each meter width). And, in addition to scheduled Inside a BUSI single-cylinder knitting machine, capable of producing both sandwich and normal terry in the same sock with just a simple program change.

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Volume XII | www.machinesitalia.org

TECNORAMA’s Dos&Dye, a completely automated dyeing system that operates 24/7, unmanned.

maintenance to avoid downtime, they offer on-demand, real-time remote diagnostics via VPN.

Increasing textile dye house productivity Yet another innovative ACIMT member, TECNORAMA (Prato, Italy, www.tecnorama.it) has developed a completely automated dyeing system that operates 24/7 without any manual intervention.

Called Dos&Dye, it can manage and perform all laboratory dyeing cycles, increasing the productivity for laboratory and bulk operations.

In the lab, it reduces dyeing trials to obtain an exact recipe because it can completely reproduce a dyeing cycle just like a bulk machine, with preparation, dyeing, soaping and washing. And it’s extremely precise.

For example, the automatic multi-pipette volumetric system used during the dispensing state is accurate to within 0.01 cc. This offers “right the first time” results, drastically reducing corrections after dyeing and redyeing, cutting the time dedicated to a production batch and increasing the productivity of the entire dye house, TECNORAMA said. Optimizing the production processes and overcoming the limits inherent in manual management of the lab also greatly reduces water and energy use for an environmentally friendly and thrifty approach.

The system consists of an automatic dispensing machine working with one or more automatic dyeing machines. TECNORAMA offers several models of each type, and they can themselves or in combination with others carry out different dyeing programs in the different units, reproducing the same steps used on bulk dyeing machines.

One combination of units can dye up to 20 g textiles, such as fabric, knits, yarn (winded or hank form) and flock. Another combination can dye up 500 g textiles.

It’s also important to note that the speed and flexibility of the Dos&Dye systems make them an excellent solution for producing samples, meeting very short delivery times, and for remaining profitable in the face of the increasing trend toward small-batch production in the fashion world.

• Increasing end-user autonomy (i.e. the expansion of e-commerce), • The constant need for innovation as new products are continuously required (fast fashion), and • The constant expansion of low-cost trends.

“The concern and commitment of Italian textile machinery builders is to provide an adequate response to their customers, who today face the difficult challenge and opportunity of developing new processes and business models that meet the need for fast time to market and just in time production.” Zucchi added that automation and technologies that implement Industry 4.0 are essential in dealing with these trends.

This includes embedding sensors on the machine for data acquisition, process monitoring and communications with other divisions—plus collaborative robots (either in the industrial network or interacting with each other to optimize transportation inside a company).

Other common solutions include the use of quality control systems combined with gesture-recognition technologies and 3D printing to rapidly respond to requests.

Companies that produce textile machines are also using intelligent management platforms with mobile devices for monitoring the work and maintenance, if needed, and augmented reality applications to support the operator during maintenance, Zucchi noted.

Smart choice for tableware glass manufacturing

ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi said the biggest concerns for textile machine manufacturers stem from three mega-trends:

OCMI-OTG SpA (Milano, Italy, www.ocmigroup.com), a member of GIMAV, the association of Italian manufacturers and suppliers of machinery, equipment and special products for glass processing (www.gimav.it), has long been a leading supplier of manufacturing technology for pharmaceutical and consumer glassware. On the consumer side, OCMI has seen steady growth in tableware products in recent years. Its most popular equipment for such applications in the U.S. is the SA sealing and stretching machine, available in versions with 42, 48 and 60 stations. This machine can produce stemware drinking glasses by joining the stem and bowl, a task previously handled by separate pressing and blowing machines. The SA machine can also, if necessary, stretch the stem before unloading.

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ACIMIT’s perspective

CONSUMER EYEBROW PRODUCTS

Processing stemware is an area in which glass forming mixes science with art, OCMI said: “Each operator involved in this sector and working every day with such machines has his particular opinions about the way to work with glass to get the desired article shape.” So developing an SA60 sealing and stretching machine for Libbey Inc. (Toledo, OH) required close cooperation with the customer.

SA60 sealing and stretching machines are usually placed in a production line with a press and a press-blow (or blow-blow) machine to produce stems and bowls, the two items to be sealed together to get the final stemware. And an SA machine typically has two 12-arm loading devices for stems and bowls along with one 12-arm unloading device. These loaders must be perfectly synchronized with the conveyors coming from the previous machines to avoid losses and breakage. They also must of course be synchronized with the rotation of the sealing machine itself.

At Libbey, OCMI also supplied pyrometers to detect the temperature of the bowls and stems on the conveyor and to automatically reject out of tolerance items. Dedicated stoppers that adjust the running time of the articles ensure the synchronisation of the sealing/ stretching machine with previous equipment on the line.

OCMI equipped the loaders and unloaders with 12 mechanical grippers designed for the item shapes specified by the customer. The stem loaders have the option of a vacuum gripping system to handle flat stems that lack a foot. Bowls are loaded in the machine’s lower chucks while the stems go to the upper chucks.

American firms are usually very interested in technological features that contribute to product quality improvements, and Libbey chose OCMI’s self-adjustment system for the upper chucks. A camera mounted immediately after the machine’s loading area checks the distance between bottom of the stem and the top of the bowl before sealing. Then the system uses data coming from the camera to automatically adjust the height of the upper chuck to compensate for any discrepancies. The ultimate goal is to get the same sealing point height in each station and uniform quality for the entire batch.

The next working areas are usually equipped with different types of burners, each designed for different operations, such as heating, sealing and cooling. This is one of the most critical aspects of such machines, and the temperature of the flame, the system for orienting the burner and the size of each hole in the burners is often something the end-user prefers to manage himself. In this case, Libbey chose to perform many production tests on the equipment before its installation in the production line.

OCMI developed the main cam that governs the vertical movement of the lower chucks up to the sealing point to match the heating, sealing and cooling points required for each type of article. The section of the cam that controls stretching was a particularly delicate design issue and the resulting cam can be adjusted in slope for slower or faster stem processing.

At the end of the process, an unloading device, also equipped with 12 arms with mechanical gripping hands, picks the finished articles and places them on the exit conveyor going to the moil (exceeding glass) cutting machine or to the annealing lehr.

The OCMI sealing machine produces stemware up to 350 mm in height with a maximum output of about 60 pieces per hour, depending on the type of article processed. The glass bowl can come from a press-blow or a blow-blow machine. The latter option produces a thinner glass and a higher quality item that requires slower rotation of the working station in the OCMI sealing machine.

As usual, higher quality products can’t be produced at the highest speed possible.

Likewise, more than in other types of automated glass production, the machine cannot be responsible for everything affecting quality, so the operator must be very accurate in regulating the levels of gas, oxygen, and air feeding the burners and in adjusting the cam height in the sealing and stretching zones. But, Libbey tested the process thoroughly with OCMI technicians, and the tremendous success of the project testifies to the outstanding partnership between these two leaders in the glassware industry.

A stemware-sealing machine from OCMI. Part of an automated line for manufacturing fine glassware.

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Volume XII | www.machinesitalia.org

HEAVY-DUTY MACHINERY

The MAUS North America grinder installation at Pier Foundry & Pattern Shop in St. Paul, MN, was prompted by capacity constraints. It represents the ferrous foundry’s first use of automatic grinding. (Courtesy MAUS North America.)

Smarter and Nimbler

Thanks to Italian Advances in Sensors, Processors & Information Networks

F

rank Cunningham, founder and president of World Wide Stone Corp. (Scottsdale, AZ) so values quarry and stone processing machinery from Italy for his highly prized Durango Stone limestone and travertine that he describes his factories as being “Italian manufactured.”

Cunningham estimates his 22-year investment totals $17 million at World Wide Stone’s four quarries and three factories in Durango, Mexico, including purchase of state-of-the-art heavy earth moving equipment for his quarries and stone processing machinery for his factories.

Cunningham’s factories are equipped with loader/unloaders, bridge saws, high-speed gang saws, roller benches, robotics, gantry cranes

and dryers from such Italian companies as Pedrini SpA (Bergamo, Italy; www.pedrini-italia.it) and Zonato SpA (Vicenza, Italy; www.zonato.eu).

Processing stone is a job that includes working with 30-ton (27.2 metric ton) blocks of limestone, swarms of dusty grit and rivers of water to manage the heat created during cutting to produce tiles, pavers and slabs along with custom countertops, fireplace mantels, fountains and more. Fortunately, Cunningham’s processing line is equipped with technology, such as robotics and sensors, that keeps things moving and eliminates the back-breaking work of pre-automation days.

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HEAVY-DUTY MACHINERY

MAUS grinders’ work on castings ranging from .5 to 5,000 lb (0.23-2,268 kg) can make robotics a necessity. Courtesy MAUS North America.

“Robots fill the production line,” read narration on a video showing World Wide Stone’s factory operations. “Sensors constantly monitor the strips (cut stone) as they move through the line.”

Cunningham didn’t just fall in love with Italian-made machinery; he may owe his success to the country.

One day, a client requested a stone called “statuary white” for his home. The client was from Carrara, Italy, and he explained to Cunningham that a mountain of white marble existed there. When Cunningham replied that the stone was not available in the U.S., the customer insisted that Cunningham go to Italy to acquire it—and that’s exactly what he did.

“The experience cemented my love of stone, its importance in the history of the human race and the joy and permanence of living with material that was only afforded kings for centuries,” Cunningham wrote on his company web site. Not only that, it introduced Cunningham to a number of old-timers in the stone industry who passed along their knowledge and backed him financially.

Pedrini and Zonato are represented by CONFINDUSTRIA MARMOMACCHINE, the association representing the Italian marble and stone machinery industries (www.assomarmomacchine.com).

The technical and promotional group has about 320 members among producers of marble, granite and other ornamental stone, and the makers of machines, tools and equipment to work them.

Critical to mining that stone are earth movers like the ones Cunningham uses in his Mexican quarries.

Those types of machines represent a growing sector among exports from Italy: the industry saw a 14% growth in machinery shipped to other countries in 2017, according to figures from Unacea, the Italian trade association of construction equipment (www.unacea.org).

Unacea, which has attracted about 50 members since its founding in 2010, also reports positive export growth in 2017 over 2016 for other sectors it represents, including road machinery (+20%); crushing and screening equipment (+15%); tower cranes (+9%); and concrete equipment (+7.5%). Only the exports of drilling machines decreased.

In fact, the Italian construction machinery and equipment industry continues to be one of the best

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in Europe in terms of production volumes. Italian products, renowned and appreciated worldwide, stand out for their high specialization, continuous technological innovation and elegant design. With a turnover of over 2.5 billion euros in 2014 ($2.9 billion in current valuation) and around 70% of its production exported, this Italian industrial sector includes about 200 companies.

Foundry parts largely untouched by human hands Far from Cunningham’s quarries in Mexico is Cadillac Casting Inc. (Cadillac, Mich.), a major supplier of engineered ductile iron for the automotive, commercial vehicle, off-highway, industrial and railroad industries that recently bought a 600 G grinder machine from MAUS Srl’s (Campodarsego, Italy; www.maus.it) MAUS North American Corp. (formerly Palmer MAUS). Cadillac Casting was so impressed with the grinder that within a couple of months of installation, they ordered two more.

MAUS North America has been sending its automated and CNC grinding machines, high-volume/high-production vertical lathes and core shooting machines to locations in the U.S. and Mexico for about 20 years, with more than 70 installations. These are huge, costly machines that usually require up to nine months for a company to take the necessary budgetary and acquisition steps, so a sales volume of 10 of these behemoths each year is good business, said Matt Lis, general manager and chief operating officer of MAUS North America.

The North American division was established about three years ago and has eased any hesitation on the part of American and Mexican companies to buy from overseas because they know that technical support, service and parts are now readily available, Lis said.

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Kubota branding on balers made in Italy may blur the lines of what defines an Italian company, but there’s no mistaking Italian design and engineering.

Courtesy Kubota.

Robots fill the Italian-made production line at a World Wide Stone Corp. factory in Durango, Mexico. Image courtesy of World Wide Stone Corp.

“MAUS North America has invested in the U.S. market and intends to keep it,” Lis said. “The whole idea is to help the customer.”

The grinder machines and vertical lathes from MAUS North America are used by foundries for post-processing on castings made of iron, steel or aluminum to make parts primarily for the automotive industry, but also for the aerospace sector and job shops. The grinders work on castings ranging from .5-5000 lb (0.23-2268 kg): Cadillac Casting has the model equipped to handle parts ranging from 2.2 lb to 275 lb (1-150 kg).

The vertical lathe from MAUS North America has a smaller weight range, and is limited to turning, drilling and tapping parts, such as brake drums and wheel hubs of up to about 200 lb (90.7 kg). Core shooting machines are used to make the hollow portions of sand molds for parts, such as exhaust manifolds.

With the extremely heavy parts the company’s machines can accommodate, it’s not surprising that robots play a big part in their operation, and MAUS North America does a lot of work incorporating robotic gantries for machine loading or robotic arms for a variety of tasks, or both, in an installation. In their machine grinders, for instance, a robotic arm can either hold the part being machined or the grinding apparatus itself. The company has experience with robots from a number of companies and can often recommend the right robot for the right application. On networked automated lines, robotic arms are deployed for pick and place, vision systems, machine tending and more.

“Sometimes a part doesn’t get touched by a human until everything is machined,” Lis said.

Another foundry bought machinery from Lis’ company to double its finish capacity, according to an article on the Foundry Management & Technology website.

The installation at Pier Foundry & Pattern Shop (St. Paul, MN), was prompted by capacity constraints, and represents the ferrous foundry’s first use of automatic grinding. Pier Foundry manufactures gray and ductile iron and austempered ductile iron castings.

MAUS North America installed its 300 G automatic grinder there, which is designed for small- and medium-sized production lots of parts weighing up to 50 lb (22.7 kg). The flexibility of the range promotes complete part grinding, rapid changeover and simple offline programming.

Along with the new machine, MAUS North America provided training on the programming table and software to create the tool paths.

Pier Foundry’s 300 G grinder was installed in December 2017 over a week’s time.

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“Overall, Pier Foundry was pleased with the fast installation,” Pier Foundry President Matt Grilz said. “Meeting the needs of our customers is very important to Pier, and we expect this machine to be a part of our steps into automation to improve efficiency, safety and deliveries.” Since 1946, MAUS and similar companies have benefited from membership in AMAFOND, the Italian Foundry Suppliers’ Association (www.amafond.com). At present, AMAFOND comprises the most qualified companies specializing in foundry products; machinery and plants; furnaces for melting and heat treatment; and die casting machines and equipment.

Back in Mexico, a group fostering the use of Italian-made foundry and metal forming machinery and expertise, the Italian Center for Innovation and Manufacturing-Hidalgo (Hidalgo, Mexico, www.ciimmath.org.mx), has reached a very special milestone.

The center, also known by its abbreviation, CIIMMATH, is marking 10 years of representing Mexican-Italian technological cooperation, including teaching and manufacturing. CIIMMATH was created with the involvement of the Italian Ministry for Economic Development, the Italian Trade Commission and two Italian associations of machinery producers, UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE - Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machine Tools, Robots, Automation Systems and Ancillary Products (www.ucimu.it) and AMAFOND, in collaboration with the Mexican Ministry of Economy, National Council of Science and Technology and Hidalgo’s Council of Science.

The underlying principle behind CIIMMATH was to create a center where industry and educational institutes could join forces to learn about Italian advanced technology and either function as an outsourcing site or learn about the processes and apply them elsewhere. Working within its walls are some prominent names in the Italian industrial sector, including Prima Industries Srl (Correggio, Italy; www.primaindustries.it), Colgar International Srl (San Pietro All’olmo, Italy; www.colgar.it), Tiesse Robot SpA (Brescia, Italy; www.tiesserobot.com), Promau Srl (Cesena, Italy; www.promau.com) and Idra Srl (Travagliato, Italy; www.idragroup.com).

Working on farms from sea to sea In addition to heavy machinery used to mine and process stone and foundry equipment, Italian farm equipment is second to none.

Italian farm equipment manufacturers rank No. 1 in the world for the range of the types of machines they produce. Italy’s diverse climate and geography give its agricultural equipment producers

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HEAVY-DUTY MACHINERY

an edge over competitors because they require development of creative solutions for growers. Through their skill and expertise, the agricultural equipment companies consistently produce farming innovations.

FederUnacoma—the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation (www.federunacoma.it)—represents a wide sector of mechanical engineering industries and brings together manufacturer associations of machinery, equipment and technologies for agriculture, gardening and groundskeeping. FederUnacoma’s member manufacturers account for 80% of Italian production and 65% of exports in the sectors it represents.

One of the manufacturers it represents is Enorossi Srl (Perugia, Italy; www.enorossi.it), a maker of heavy-duty farming, soil preparation and haymaking machinery.

Among the haymaking machinery are rakes and tedders Enorossi makes that practically fly out the doors of ACI Distributors (St. Louis, MO) during the summer months, said Brad Stout, co-owner. These are mid-level pieces of equipment that range in price from $3,000-8,000 and are used primarily by cattle operations for livestock feed. Stout said ACI sells to cattle ranches in 21 states in the Midwest, on the Gulf Coast and on the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. “The functions that they perform could not be done by hand,” Stout pointed out. “And they make it more efficient than any other means.”

Balers and wrappers are manufactured at the Baler Competence Center in Ravenna (Ravenna, Italy; ien.kvernelandgroup.com).

Baler manufacturer Gallignani SpA (Russi, Italy; kvg.gallignani.com) designs and engineers balers. for companies such as Kubota, also at its competence center in Italy.

If he were describing the advantages of Italian-made balers, he would point out how thorough and quick the intake mechanism performs, and the ability to pack more crop into a bale, said Tim Baker, product manager. While the models may differ, they all work on the same principle of rolling and compressing dry straw or wet hay under hydraulic pressure, he added.

“We make a very nice-looking bale,” Baker remarked. “Users have told us how much they like the density of the bales our balers produce.”

Contributing to the balers’ performance is a group of almost 10 sensors that control bale formation: processing and measuring the growth of the bale, telling the driver when a bale is complete, and applying netting around the bundle that can weigh from 661-2,425 lb (300-1,100 kg).

These Italian-engineered and -made workhorses benefit from the massive distribution network and market share for tractors over many years in the U.S. and Canada, Baker said. He declined to share hard numbers but said the company’s balers and wrappers have “good” market share in Canada and “big volumes but building market share” in the U.S. These companies’ offerings are available via the Kubota dealerships in the United States, where it sold its first tractor in 1969, according to the website.

“We’re very strong in North America, and getting stronger,” Baker added.

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The logo for the Agency's U.S. Innovation Days Program, which was inaugurated in Sterling Heights this June and continues through 2019. The program focuses on Italian excellence in aerospace, automotive, advanced manufacturing and life sciences.

Italian, si, but with a U.S. presence All of the Italian-made hay tedders and balers, along with foundry grinders made by companies like MAUS and bridge saws used by World Wide Stone contribute to the growth of heavy machinery makers in the Mediterranean country, many of whom have set up shop across the Atlantic Ocean.

Based on the Agency’s sources, there are no fewer than 955 Italian companies with a presence in the U.S., with a majority (67%) along the Atlantic Seaboard and the South, according to Maurizio Forte, executive director of the Italian Trade Agency for the United States and Italian Trade Commissioner in New York (New York, NY; www.ice.it/en/markets/usa/new-york), who presented at Innovation Days 2018 in Sterling Maurizio Forte, ITA Heights, MI (www.id.ice.it). The remainder are in in the West (11.7%) and in the Midwest (21.3%).

Of the Italian companies with a U.S. presence, 35.1% make machinery, some with the latest technology: Among metalworking and machinery companies, 64% use additive manufacturing. In the Italian machine tools industry, there was a positive trend of 8.1% in exports to the U.S. from 2013 to 2017, Forte told Innovation Days attendees.

Just as in the automotive industry, there will always be machinery that defines what is an Italian company.

As Cunningham of World Wide Stone saw when he traveled from Arizona to Italy, there is no mistaking the elegant design and robust engineering of heavy machinery—whatever the industry—made in the Mediterranean country.

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NEWS

VIVOIL OLEODINAMICA VIVOLO BEGINS ITS JOURNEY IN AMERICA Vivoil Oleodinamica Vivolo (Bologna, Italy) is one of Italy’s leading manufacturers of hydraulic gear pumps, gear motors and flow dividers. Domenico Vivolo founded the company in 1985, after he worked for 20 years as head of production with another gear pump supplier based in Bologna. Vivolo continues to serve as president of the firm.

With over 70% of its sales based on exports, Vivoil Oleodinamica Vivolo is well regarded internationally while retaining its commitment that every part is “Made in Italy.” The company produces more than 13,000 units per month at its Bologna headquarters in the heart of the Italian hydraulic manufacturing region, and is ready to face the U.S. market with three key factors: Reliability: The company’s staff, who have been working in international markets for over 30 years, have a great deal of experience in exchanging skills, identifying new needs and developing new solutions.

Flexibility: The quest for maximum flexibility is a shared mission at Vivoil Oleodinamica Vivolo. Less focused on standard products, the company’s flexible manufacturing methods allow it to offer custom solutions for its customers.

Quality: With ISO 9001:2008 quality certification, each component, from raw materials

to machining and assembly, is checked at every stage, and every finished product is tested prior to leaving the factory.

The company’s range of pumps, gear motors and flow dividers—from Group 0.5 to Group 3 with an almost infinite number of combinations of flanges, shafts, and displacements—allows it to serve the U.S. market by building relationships with local distributors.

The company offers a wide range of flow dividers with or without built-in relief valves and has a new flow divider it says is unique to the hydraulics industry. MIA-FD is a manifold style instantaneous auto-compensating flow divider with a cetop three interface, which, with the addition of open center valves, makes it possible to switch off flows to sections without intensification.

Website: www.vivoil.com

SSM GIUDICI OFFERS COMPLETE RANGE OF FANCY AIR TEXTURING OPTIONS In the home furnishing and apparel sector, one of the markets for SSM Giudici S.r.L.’s (Galbiate, Italy) air texturing machines, there is a constant demand for new fashion effects. To meet this demand, the company offers an optional multi-functional device for creating various fancy options on its DP5-T air texturing machine, including: • fancyflex™ III option, for the production of slubs and thick and thin effects; • fancyflex™ VARIO option, creating controlled overfeed variations; • fancyflex™ AIR option, for adding air slubs

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“neps” or the imitation of natural yarn irregularities; and • Fancy intermingling option, for intermittent intermingling of DTY. Through the combination of different fancy features, unique effects in fabrics (including volume band and / or slubs) can be created.

With its broad line of air texturing machines, SSM Giudici can fulfill customer needs, from versatile machines with individual spindle philosophy to common shaft machines.

Website: www.ssm.ch

NEWS

EMC BRINGS SURFACE FINISHING MACHINES TO U.S. MARKET EMC (Imola, Italy) produces machines for surface finishing, including satining, deburring, calamine removal and polishing, that are available in the U.S. The machines can be applied to materials with thicknesses from 0.5 to 160 mm, and widths from 650 to 1,650 mm. Some of the most common workable materials are steel, stainless steel, iron, aluminum, copper, bronze and other alloys.

Rubber, polystyrene, and plastic materials

and derivatives can also be processed.

With 20 years of experience, EMC is focused on meeting the needs of its customers and guarantees the quality of its machines, designing and constructing them completely at its Imola plant in Bologna.

All EMC products are imported and distributed by Macoser Inc. (Charlotte, NC), www. macoser.com Website: www.emc-italia.it/en/content/metal

WALVOIL TAKES SOLUTIONS-BASED APPROACH TO U.S. MARKET Walvoil S.p.A. (Reggio Emilia, Italy), a global manufacturer of integrated hydraulic products, electronics and complete mechatronic systems, has several North American operations, including Walvoil Fluid Power Corp. (Tulsa, OK and Red Wing, MN) and Galtech Canada (Terrebone, QC).

The company is not only focused on developing components, but also solutions.

A solutions-based approach is more important than ever today, and is the focus of all Walvoil subsidiaries, which are helping develop the future of motion equipment in close cooperation with their

customers and partners from different sectors and markets.

Walvoil develops its proposals for mobile equipment based on directional control valves and remote controls, pumps and motors, compact hydraulics, electronic components and PHC systems. The company continually invests in increasing functionality, energy efficiency, digital integration, cost reduction, safety and environmental sustainability.

The recent merger of Walvoil, Hydrocontrol and Galtech has expanded the Walvoil product range and staff in the U.S. Walvoil Corp. and Galtech Canada, both members of the Interpump Group quoted on the Milan stock exchange, have access to an extensive global sales network in order to service their customers.

Website: www.walvoil.com

SOFIDEL TO BUILD PLANT IN OKLAHOMA The Sofidel Group (Porcari, Italy) is set to build a new plant in Inola, OK, that will make toilet paper and paper towels, with a total production capacity of 120,000 tons per year, CEO Luigi Lazzareschi announced recently. The plant is expected to open by the end of 2020.

Sofidel Group, founded in 1966, is a world leader in tissue paper production for

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hygienic and domestic use. The company will invest $360 million over three years to build the Inola plant, which will focus on both sustainability and technological innovation.

The Sofidel Group is already building a plant in Circleville, OH, Lazzareschi noted.

Sofidel’s most recent greenfield investment in the U.S. was presented as part of the

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SelectUSA Investment Summit, an event that promotes direct foreign investment in the U.S. From its headquarters in Italy, Sofidel coordinates the activities of 19 companies in Europe and the U.S., which produce more than one million tons of paper per year and employ more than 6,000 people.

Website: www.sofidel.com/en/

VARVEL USA OFFERS POWER TRANSMISSION SOLUTIONS The Varvel Group (Bologna, Italy), power transmission specialists, began production in Italy in 1955. Today, the group offers precision mechanical engineering in more than 60 countries thanks to a commercial network of over 100 partners.

In 2017, Varvel inaugurated its U.S. subsidiary, Varvel USA LLC, located in Peachtree Corners, GA, 20 minutes from Atlanta.

The plant is linked to 27 warehouses and logistics centers and maintains a generous stock of Varvel products dedicated to North American customers, particularly the top selling worm gearboxes series RS and RT (up to 15,000 in-lb and 33 hp).

Each year, Varvel produces about 500,000

gearboxes. From engineering to manufacturing, every part of the process takes place in at the Italian headquarters, and from there products are shipped worldwide.

In order to serve its global customers, Varvel produces gearboxes both in inches and in millimeters and is competitive with products for both European and American OEMs. Varvel USA supports customers in the U.S., from engineering to technical assistance and consulting on the design of custom solutions for specific applications. The company can count on inventory and an extensive sales and distribution network.

To complete the service package already offered to U.S. customers, Varvel has

signed a partnership agreement with one of the most innovative and dynamic electric motor manufacturers in the country, with the scope of offering the U.S. market a complete turnkey motor-gearbox solution. This collaboration incorporates parallel product consultation, sales support, aftermarket assistance and product warranty policy, all under the same umbrella.

Website: www.varvelusa.com

ARTIMPIANTI SET TO OPEN NEW PLANT IN NUEVO LEON, MEXICO Artimpianti Group (Costigliole Saluzzo, Italy) said in June it will open its second manufacturing plant in Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

The Italian designer and manufacturer of aluminum gravity die casting machines and peripheral processes is working with IDRA Group, a manufacturer of die casting machines also based in Italy, to supply solutions for the structural aluminum parts market, according to the website Mexico Now. The factory includes 1,500 m 2 of factory floor space and about 400 m 2 of office

space. “We believe that, together, we can better grow in Mexico,” Riccardo Ferrario, general manager of IDRA Group, said in prepared remarks. “Artimpianti has great experience in gravity, low pressure and sand technology while IDRA is strong in high pressure die casting technology.

Together we can cover the whole aluminum and magnesium foundry business.”

The new site will be Artimpianti’s third business unit in Mexico. The company opened its subsidiaries Artmex and Artcubing 20 years

ago, also in Garcia, Nuevo Leon. Artmex makes new systems and reconditions old systems. The in-house technical staff prepares 3D designs to provide simulations of cycle or process times. Artcubing performs mechanical machining on large aluminum castings, including cubing, perforating and leveling with centesimal precision using two four-axis Heller CNC machines equipped with a Renishaw measuring device and a tool magazine with 16,000 rpm tools.

Website: www. artimpianti.it

LU-VE GROUP BUYS ZYKLUS HEAT TRANSFER INC. LU-VE S.A. (Uboldo, Italy) recently bought Zyklus Heat Transfer Inc.(Jacksonville, TX), which makes and commercializes heat exchanger coils. LU-VE is the holding company of LU-VE Group, one of the main European producers of heat exchangers and ventilated products for the refrigeration, air conditioning and industrial process cooling markets. It has production facilities in Europe,

Russia, China and India.

Zyklus specializes in manufacturing heat exchangers for commercial refrigeration, refrigerated transport and air conditioning.

The acquisition allows LU-VE Group to make use of an existing production facility in the U.S. as a platform to expand its own business in North American markets, the company said. LU-VE Group purchased

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the firm for €8.6 million from the former sole shareholder and president, Zachary Riddlesperger, who will remains as vice president of operations.

“The acquisition of Zyklus is another important step in the strategy of internationalization” of LU-VE Group, said LU-VE President Iginio Liberali in prepared remarks.

Website: www.luvegroup.com/en/

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NEWS

ADELLO LATTUADA OPENS BRANCH IN OHIO In May 2017, Adelio Lattuada S.r.L. (Carbonate, Italy), which has almost 40 years of experience in the glass processing sector, announced the establishment of Lattuada North America Inc. (Northwood, OH). Adelio Lattuada has made significant investments in the North American market and has strengthened its presence in the U.S. over the last 10 years, based on the success of its local sales network, which earned the trust of leading multinational groups, according to the company.

The company’s glass working machines include straight-line edging and peripheral edging machines; double-edgers; straightline bevelling machines; automatic machines

for corner grinding; vertical washing machines; and horizontal drilling machines.

Thanks to the new company, Lattuada is now able to directly provide from the U.S. any type of pre- and post-sale service, including technical assistance managed

by Joseph Gates, who has extensive experience in the glass working machines sector. Kelly Gates will be in charge of the administrative office.

The new company will provide several benefits for U.S. customers, including: • Elimination of transportation issues; • Machines will be directly invoiced from U.S., eliminating currency issues; • U.S. based services;

•Technical assistance available in the same time zone; and • Spare parts and tools will soon be directly provided by Lattuada North America.

Website: www.lattuada-na.com

TEMA NORTH AMERICA BUILDS FIRST U.S. MANUFACTURING PLANT TeMa North America recently began building its first American manufacturing facility in Kearneysville, West Virginia. The facility was expected to be completed by September 2018. TeMa, which has plants in Italy, Spain, Turkey, Romania and Russia, previously had only sales offices in the U.S. The Italian parent company, TeMa Group (Vittorio Veneto, Italy), works in the insulation, drainage and geotechnical sectors. In

the 42,000 ft2 Kearneysville plant, the company is set to make insulation and drainage systems for residential, commercial and industrial use.

“West Virginia is honored to be selected as the site of the first U.S. manufacturing facility for TeMa Technologies and Materials,” West Virginia Secretary of Commerce H. Wood Thrasher is quoted as saying in a posting on the website of Howard Shockey

& Sons, Inc., the general contractor. “TeMa’s decision to locate in West Virginia demonstrates that our state has what it takes to compete in the global marketplace.”

TeMa is known for its continuous R&D of new products, the secretary’s office said.

It supplies products to 60 countries, offering solutions for drainage and insulation in residential and commercial construction.

Website: www.temacorporation.com/en

ATOS OFFERS FUNCTIONAL SAFETY IN ELECTROHYDRAULICS Atos S.p.A. (Sesto Calende, Italy) is a global manufacturer of certified proportional and conventional valves designed for functional safety. Atos North America Inc. is based in York, PA. The company’s certified proportional valves meet standards by performing the safety function in addition to standard axis motion control. By keeping on-board diagnostics active when removing solenoid power, Atos valves confirm when a safe spool position has been reached.

Atos digital proportional valves are certified

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by TÜV in compliance with ISO 13849 up to category 4, PL e and IEC 61508 up to SIL 2 / SIL 3.

Certified safety valves eliminate the need for machine manufacturers to validate that such components comply with applicable safety standards. This saves considerable time during the machine design phase and the system certification process.

Atos specialists support customers in the tuning of the best safety electrohydraulics solutions for their individual applications.

Website: www.atos.com

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PROMAC CNC MACHINE TOOLS PREMIERES NEW WORKING CENTER AT IMTS 2018 Promac S.r.L. (Salzano, Italy) produces a wide range of CNC working centers for industrial sectors such as automotive, aerospace, prototypes and mechanical. To improve relationships with and service for current and prospective clients, Promac opened a U.S. operating company, Promac North America Corp., in Troy, MI. The U.S. office was established three years ago on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Italian headquarters. Promac North America offers a central location, rapid support, a warehouse with spare parts and precision components, and a highly skilled Italian and American staff.

Since the North American market is very important to Promac, the company is holding a world premiere of its new Levante GTR six-axis multifunction working center at IMTS 2018 in Chicago.

Since its first in-house preview, the Levante GTR has generated positive feedback from customers. The working center offers a compact footprint, large machining envelope and an innovative workholding solution, according to Promac. The machine has

received a U.S. patent, # 9,950,398 B2.

The machine’s standard configuration, using a single workpiece setup, enables highspeed roughing, semi-finishing, finishing and deep drilling up to 23" ( 58.42 cm) per side.

Promac’s best-selling established machine in the North American market is the Sharav GVT. The machine offers a rigid structure, power provided by the spindle, and exact movement combined with high-speed operation, ensuring excellent surface finish

on medium-to-large complex parts, according to the company. The machine design enables a wide range of automation, from a head changer to an FMS solution for continuous machining of medium-to-large parts.

Technology and innovation are focal points for Promac, which is committed to offering and supporting cutting edge products to its customers worldwide, according to the company.

Website: www.promac.eu

MAPPI AMERICA FOCUSES ON NORTH AMERICA Since 1993, Mappi International S.r.L. (Cisterna di Latina, Italy) has designed and manufactured high quality tempering systems for the glass industry. With more than 400 furnaces installed in over 50 countries and more than 40 partners worldwide, Mappi has grown steadily, invested in R&D, and focused on the specific needs of its customers.

With North America being one of Mappi’s key international markets, the company has established Mappi America in Naples, FL. Through this location, Mappi can provide customer service to its North American customers within 24 hours. Mappi invested $350,000 in its Naples facility in order to consolidate its presence in the North

American market using qualified and experienced resources for its technical and commercial network. This provides more efficient local sales service, customer service management, and full spare parts availability for customers’ machines, thanks to a 1,500 m2 warehouse.

Mappi exports its 100% Italian machines to the U.S. using in-house production of all components; it does not subcontract or assemble modules built elsewhere. This allows Mappi to guarantee full quality control over each component and ensure effective machine operations.

Mappi is focused on excellent customer service, from the first contact, to the choice of the most suitable model, to after-sales

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service, according to the company. It has also introduced Tab Service, a support service that enables immediate assistance for customers.

Website: www.mappi.us

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AWARDS

Italian Technology Award Programs

N

ow in its second decade, the ITA - Italian Trade Agency (ICEAgenzia, in Italian; www.ice.it/en), along with several partners, has sponsored the Italian Technology Award. ITA and its partners have made it possible for groups of students and professors, not only from NAFTA but from around the world, to gain firsthand knowledge of Italian technology for the machinery manufacturing industries, including machine tools, textile, plastic, ceramic, glass and packaging.

In November, awarded students and faculty of these programs will take part in an educational program at Università Carlo Cattaneo, in Varese, Italy, along with visits to leading Italian machinery manufacturers.

ITA program partners have been able to connect students, faculty members and Italian companies and associations that have been part of program thanks to the online alumni network of past and present winners.

The ITA alumni network allows participants to continue exchanging ideas and experiences through social media. Previous and current students and faculty have ccess via the web site www.machinesitalia.org/itaalumni.

Italian Machine Tool Technology The Italian Machine Tool Technology Award (IMTTA) program asks upper-level students attending premier North American

universities to write theses on contemporary innovations and issues taking place in mechanical engineering-related industries.

For longer than a decade here in the U.S., the IMTTA has been coordinated and sponsored through the ITA’s Chicago Office, and co-sponsored in Italy by UCIMUSISTEMI PER PRODURRE - Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machine Tools, Robots, Automation Systems and Ancillary Products (www.ucimu.it), and recently in the U.S. has worked with SME (www.sme.org).

This year will also see the second edition of IMTTA Canada and the third edition of IMTTA Mexico, coordinated by the ITA’s Toronto and Mexico City Offices, respectively.

Canadian and Mexican students will have the opportunity to experience educational and intercultural activities with their counterparts from other countries while in Italy.

Italian Packaging Technology The Italian Technology Award program includes the Italian Packaging Technology Award (IPTA), known in Mexico as IPaTA (Mexico’s fourth edition), specific to the packaging technology sector. The IPTA program awards student winners of a writing competition on technical innovations in packaging with a trip to Italy to visit leading packaging machinery manufacturers.

The IPTA program in North America is coordinated and organized by the Italian Tr a d e A g e n c y ’s C h i c a g o a n d M e x i c o City Offices, and co-sponsored in Italy by UCIMA - Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Association (www.ucima.it), along with major academic institutions in the U.S. and Mexico recognized for their studies in packaging engineering.

Italian Glassworking Technology

Italian Technology Award Canadian winners.

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The Italian Glassworking Technology Award (IGTA) will be conducted in the U.S. for its third edition and in Canada for its first. It is organized by the ITA’s Houston and Toronto Offices and co-sponsored in Italy by GIMAV, the Association of Italian manufacturers and suppliers of machinery, equipment

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and special products for glass processing (www.gimav.it). This program brings students and faculty from leading academic institutions in the U.S. recognized for their studies in glass-related technologies.

Italian Plastic Technology The Italian Plastic Technology Award (IPTA) was developed to further developed Ital i an Technol og ica l Ce nte r in Puebla. AMAPLAST - Italian Plastics and Rubber Processing Machinery and Moulds Manufacturers’ Association (www. amaplast. org) has championed projects of further tech education and innovation in Mexico, through the Technological Center and IPTA’s six editions.

Italian Ceramic Technology The Italian Ceramic Technology Award (ICTA) was pioneered in Mexico and works as reinforcement for students linked to the ceramic industry. Together, ITA and ACIMAC - Association of Italian Ceramic Machinery Manufacturers (www.acimac. it) have been promoting seven editions of the award, with more than 20 award-winning students.

The Mission The initiative’s fundamental mission is to enrich the engineering education of North American students while providing a fast track to the academic research conducted by students all the way through a ready audience of Italian machinery manufacturers, for their consideration and potential implementation. Some research of note from the 2017 edition in the area of machine tools included the creation of new mechanical bonds of metals and materials and addressing applications that reduce material volume thus keeping production and distribution costs low. The research related to the packaging sector included the design of a machine running only with pneumatic air and the analysis of technologies behind smart packaging like bags for potato chips with alcohol detection systems to prevent drunk driving.

NORTH AMERICAN EVENTS

Italian Innovation in the Spotlight Machines Italia takes “Turning innovation in productivity” on the road to major North American events. Over the course of 2018/19, Machines Italia, together with its partner associations, is proud to be a featured participant and/or sponsor of major industry events here in North America.

We highlight some of the major ones here.

If you If you make the purchasing decisions for your company, you have an enormous responsibility. You must know the ins and outs of production in a way no one else does.

Italian machinery can make your decision easier. That’s why Machines Italia, together with its partner associations, is proud to be a featured participant and/or sponsor of major industry events. Over the course of 2018/19, Machines Italia will appear at the events listed at the end of this article.

Italian Night at IMTS 2018 At IMTS 2018 edition here in in Chicago, IL, Sept. 10–15, 2018 (www.imts.com), Italy will have more than 100 companies exhibiting. To mark this occasion, the Italian Trade Agency, via its Office in Chicago, together with Italy’s UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE (www.ucimu. it), will be hosting an evening networking event on September 12, 2018. Amongst the guests, there will be representatives from leading Italian institutions and local partners.

Machines Italia Mexico @ Fundiexpo 2018 Guadalajara will host this year’s edition of Fundiexpo (www.fundiexpo2018.com), the main Mexican exhibition for the foundry industry, October 24 - 26, 2018. The trade show will showcase technology and innovation from Mexican and international providers. Given the importance of the foundry industry for the Mexican economy,

Machines Italia, via its Mexico City Office, will be taking part in the show with 216 square meters exhibition area, hosting 13 leading Italian machinery and technology suppliers.

Machines Italia Canada @ Ontario Export Awards

Calendar of North American Events IMTS 2018 September 10–15, 2018 Chicago, Illinois www.imts.com GlassBuild America 2018 September 12–14, 2018 Las Vegas, Nevada www.glassbuildamerica.com Pack Expo International 2018 October 14–17, 2018 Chicago, Illinois www.packexpointernational.com

The Ontario Export Awards (www.ontarioexportawards.com), part of the national Canada Export Awards running in BC, Alberta and Ontario, recognize Canadian manufacturers who distinguish themselves in their success in reaching international markets.

The 2018 edition of the Ontario Export Awards will be held November 20, 2018 at the International Centre in Mississauga. Machines Italia, via its office in Toronto, will be participating both as an official sponsor and as the sponsor of the “Machines Italia Global Reach” award.

The award is in a special category that recognizes Ontario industrial companies who have forged trade and export partnerships beyond North America. The goal of this sponsorship is to stress how Italian machinery and technology support Canadian manufacturing companies by identifying awards recipients who use Italian equipment.

Fundiexpo 2018 October 24–26, 2018 Guadalajara, Mexico www.fundiexpo2018.com

To the right are some of the major events starting now and going into 2019. Machines Italia frequently adds events and conferences to its roster. For a complete up-to-date list of events, visit www.machinesitalia.org/events.

Expo Pack Guadalajara 2019 June 11–13, 2019 Guadalajara, Mexico www.expopackguadalajara.com.mx

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Fabtech 2018 November 6–8, 2018 Atlanta, Georgia www.fabtechexpo.com Ontario Export Awards 2018 November 20, 2018 Mississauga, Canada www.ontarioexportawards.com World Of Concrete 2019 January 22–25, 2019 Las Vegas, Nevada https://www.worldofconcrete.com/ en/attendee.html World AG Expo 2019 February 12–14, 2019 Tulare, California www.worldagexpo.com

Pack Expo Las Vegas 2019 September 23–25, 2019 Las Vegas, Nevada www.packexpolasvegas.com

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EXHIBITIONS

Italian Exhibitions listed by date TRADE SHOW

DESCRIPTION

SECTOR

SHOW LOCATION

SHOW DATES

WEB SITE

MARMO+MAC

International Exhibition of Stone Design & Technology

Marble

Verona, Italy

Sep. 26-29, 2018

www.marmomac.it

TECNARGILLA 2018

International Exhibition of Technology and Suppliers for the Ceramic and Brick Industry

Ceramic Technology

Rimini, Italy

Sep. 24-28, 2018

www.tecnargilla.it

31.BI-MU

Metal Forming and Metal Cutting Machines, Robots, Automation and Auxiliary Technologies

Machine Tools, Robots, Automation Systems, Components

Milan, Italy

Oct. 9-13, 2018

www.bimu.it

SFORTEC

Technical Subcontracting & Industrial Services

Subcontracting

Milan, Italy

Oct. 9-13, 2018

www.sfortec.it

EIMA International

International Agricultural and Gardening Machinery Exhibition

Agricultural Machinery

Bologna, Italy

Nov. 7-11, 2018

www.eima.it

SIMAC TANNING TECH

International Exhibition of Machines and Technologies for Footware, Leathergoods and Tanning Industries

Footware, Leathergoods & Tanning Machinery

Milan, Italy

Feb. 20-22, 2019

www.simactanningtech.it

PHARMINTECH 2019

Exhibition for the Pharmaceutical Nutraceutical and Personal Care Industry

Pharmaceutical Processing & Packaging Technology

Bologna, Italy

April 10-12, 2019

www.pharmintech.it

CARRARA MARMOTECH 2019

International Fair for Marble Technologies and Design

Marble

Carrara, Italy

May 2019

www.carraramarmotec.com

LAMIERA 2019

Machines and Equipment for the Machining of Sheet Metal, Pipes, Sections, Wire and Metal Structural Work, Dies, Welding, Heat Treatments, Surface Treatment and Finishing

Machine Tools for Metalforming

Bologna, Italy

May 15-18, 2019

www.lamiera.net

ITMA 2019

International Exhibition of Textile Machinery

Textile Machinery

Barcelona, Spain

June 20-26, 2019

www.itma.com

VITRUM 2019

International Trade Show Specialized in Machinery, Equipment and Systems for Flat, Bent and Hollow Glass and in Glass and Processed Products for Industry

Glass

Milan, Italy

Oct. 1-4, 2019

www.vitrum-milano.com

HOST 2019

International Exhibition of the Hospitality Industry

Food Technology: Catering & Restaurant

Fiera Milano Rho, Italy

Oct. 18-22, 2019

www.host.fieramilano.it

Cibus Tec-FoodPack

Food Processing Packaging Technology Exhibition

Food Processing & Packaging Technology

Parma, Italy

Oct. 22-25, 2019

www.cibustec.it

EUROCARNE 2020

International Exhibition of the Technologies for Processing, Conservation, Refrigeration and Meat Distribution

“Food Technology

Verona, Italy

Feb. 2020

www.eurocarne.it

METEF-FOUNDEQ

Expo of Customized Technology for the Aluminum and Innovative Metals Industry

Aluminum & Metals Industry

Verona, Italy

June 2020

www.metef.com

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Volume XII | www.machinesitalia.org

MACHINES ITALIA ASSOCIATION PARTNER

ORGANIZER

ADDRESS

ZIP

CITY

E-MAIL

ASSOMARMOMACCHINE

Veronafiere SpA

Viale Del Lavoro, 8

37135

Verona (VR)

info@veronafiere.it

ACIMAC

RiminiFiera SpA

Via Emilia 155

47900

Rimini (RN)

expo@riminifiera.it

UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE

EFIM-ENTE FIERE ITALIANE MACCHINE SpA in cooperation with CEU-CENTRO ESPOSIZIONI UCIMU SpA

Viale Fulvio Testi, 128

20092

Cinisello Balsamo (MI)

ucimu@ucimu.it

UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE

EFIM-ENTE FIERE ITALIANE MACCHINE SpA in cooperation with CEU-CENTRO ESPOSIZIONI UCIMU SpA

Viale Fulvio Testi, 128

20092

Cinisello Balsamo (MI)

ucimu@ucimu.it

FEDERUNACOMA

FederUnacoma Surl

Via Venafro, 5

00159

Rome (RM)

eima@federuncacoma.it

ASSOMAC

Assomac Servizi Srl

Via Matteotti, 4/a

27029

Vigevano (PV)

exhibition@assomac.it

UCIMA

Farmindistria

Piazza della Costituzione, 5

40128

Bologna (BO)

elena.sandrini@pharmintech.it

ASSOMARMOMACCHINE (Exhibitor)

Internazionale Marmi e Macchine Carrara SpA

Viale G. Galilei, 133

54033

Marina di Carrara (MS)

imm@immcarrara.com

UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE

CEU-CENTRO ESPOSIZIONI UCIMU SpA

Viale Fulvio Testi, 128

20092

Cinisello Balsamo (MI)

ucimu@ucimu.it

ACIMIT

MP Expositions Pte Ltd

20 Kallang Avenue, 2nd Floor Pico Creative Centre

339411

Singapore

info@itma.com

GIMAV

VITRUM Srl

S.S. del Sempione n. 28

20017

Rho-Pero (MI)

vitrum@vitrum-milano.it

ANIMA (ASSOFOODTEC)

Fiera Milano SpA

Strada Statale del Sempione, 28

20017

Rho-Pero (MI)

host@fieramilano.it

UCIMA

Fiere di Parma SpA

Viale delle Esposizioni 393A

43126

Parma (PR)

cibustec@fiereparma.it

ANIMA (ASSOFOODTEC)

Veronafiere SpA

Viale Del Lavoro, 8

37135

Verona (VR)

info@veronafiere.it

AMAFOND

Promoted by ALFIN EDIMET SpA and Orgainzed by Veronafiere SpA

Viale Del Lavoro, 8

37135

Verona (VR)

info@metef.com

*When calling Italy, dial 011+39 (country code) before the local number

1-888-italtrade

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ASSOCIATIONS

Innovations at work in global markets AGRICULTURE/FARM MACHINERY FEDERUNACOMA—The Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation represent a very wide sector of mechanical engineering industries and brings together associations of manufacturers of machinery, equipment, and technologies for agriculture, gardening, groundskeeping, earthmoving, and components. FEDERUNACOMA’s member manufacturers account for 80% of national production in the sectors represented and for 60% of exports. Italian farm equipment manufacturers rank first in the world in terms of the range of machines produced. Italy’s diverse climate and geography give its agriculture equipment producers an edge over competitors in the development of creative solutions for growers. Through their skill and expertise, they consistently produce farming innovations. www.federunacoma.it.

CERAMICS Italian manufactures of machinery and equipment for ceramics have earned a world-class reputation for providing solutions that meet a vast range of customer needs—from traditional ceramics to the latest design trends. Customers around the globe choose machinery produced by members of ACIMAC, the Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machinery and Equipment for the Ceramic Industry, because it is easy to program and simple to maintain. This machinery is also known for its ability to increase productivity and for its design flexibility. www.acimac.it

CONSTRUCTION AND EARTHMOVING MACHINERY Created in 2010, at present with about 50 members, Unacea is the Italian trade association of construction equipment, open to the contribution of all companies, institutions, and organizations involved in the CE industry. Unacea membership includes earthmoving machines, attachments, concrete equipment, tower cranes and drilling machineries. The mission of Unacea is to create a lean, business-led association with zero bureaucracy, able to defend the sector in Italy in an authoritative, unitary manner, and represent the sector in Europe and around the world. www.unacea.org/en/

FLUID POWER EQUIPMENT & COMPONENTS ASSOFLUID is the Italian association of manufacturing and trading companies in Fluid Power Equipment and Components.

ASSOFLUID’s 190 member companies employ 14,000 people and represent 70% of the Italian manufacturing sector of hydraulic and pneumatic equipment and components. The association has been coordinating, promoting, and developing the technical and economic interests of the hydraulic and pneumatic industries for almost fifty years, representing all over the world the Fluid Power Made in Italy, an industrial sector well known for its competitiveness, quality, reliability and performance. www.assofluid.it

FOOD TECHNOLOGY ASSOFOODTEC—the Italian Association of Machinery and Plant Manufacturers for Food Production, Processing, Preservation— represents global leaders in the most important Italian association for technologies for the food industry, thanks to a diversified offer that rangers from relatively simple machines to extremely sophisticated production lines. Prestigious and qualified companies, a great wealth of experience and reliability, and an increasing technical development of products…this is what ASSOFOODTEC can offer. ASSOFOODTEC cooperates in the activity of the most important bodies charged for the drawing up of European and world technical standards. ASSOFOODTEC operates within the Federation of Italian Mechanical and Engineering Association (ANIMA). www.assofoodtec.it

FOOTWARE, LEATHERGOODS AND TANNING ASSOMAC is the national association that represents the Italian manufactures of Footwear, Leathergoods, and Tanning Machinery, an industrial sector that is a world leader. Italian exports account for more than 47% of all the exports of countries manufacturing machinery in this industrial sector worldwide. Every year, Italian companies export more than 80% of their production to 130 countries around the world. It is not just quality that sets Italian machinery apart from the competition. It is also customization.

Italian leather-machinery manufacturers work closely with customers to create a product that is “right” for the job, much like the relationship between suppliers and users. www.assomac.it

FOUNDRY AND METALLURGICAL MACHINERY AMAFOND is the Italian association of companies producing machinery, plants, furnaces, products, and services for the foundry industry. It’s about 100 member companies provide machinery used in the manufacturing of everything from automobile engines and components to domestic appliances. AMAFOND credits the “Italian approach” to business—characterized by extra customer care and stronger personal relationships—as one of the reasons its member companies attract worldwide customers. www.amafond.com

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GEARS AND TRANSMISSION ASSIOT is the Italian Association of Gears and Transmission Elements Manufacturers Founded in December 1971 on the initiative of some companies of the field, ASSIOT numbers about 100 companies with approximately 9000 employees and covers about 70% on the industry. www.assiot.it

GLASS As an evolution of the Italian glass-making tradition, Gimav - the Italian Association of Glass-Processing Machinery and Accessory Suppliers - represents Italian excellence in glass-making machinery. This industry sector has expanded internationally by employing innovative technology that meets today’s marketplace needs. Gimav 70 members Companies are known for customizing machines to meet end-users specifications - from high-rise building constructions to fine arts applications. www.gimav.it

MARBLE AND STONE Three hundred and twenty-five companies form the foundation of Associazione Italiana MARMOMACCHINE (CONFINDUSTRIA MARMOMACCHINE), the association representing the Italian marble and stone machinery industries. These companies supply the advanced technology that makes Italy a global leader in the stone and manufactured stone industries. Italian machinery is engineered to be versatile and provide customers with unique solutions to process marble and stone at competitive prices. www.assomarmomacchine.com

METALWORKING UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE is the Italian Machine Tools, Robots, and Automation Manufacturers’ Association. As an official representative of the industry, UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE acts as a world-wide ambassador for some of the latest technology developed in Italy. Almost 200 member companies, who produce around 70% of the output for the sector, have won universal recognition for their quality, flexibility, reliability, and customization. www.ucimu.it

PACKAGING UCIMA groups represent the Italian manufacturers of Automatic Packing and Packaging Machinery. Its members represent 70% of the total Italian production and, on average, 80% of Italian exports. One packaging machine out of every four in the world bears the wording “Made in Italy.” And the United States is the industry’s main outlet market for the sector. The worldwide success of the Italian packaging and packaging industry is firmly rooted in a consolidated technologic tradition and in the ability to find customized packing solutions. www.ucima.it

PLASTICS AND RUBBER The companies of AMAPLAST, the Italian Plastics and Rubber Processing Machinery and Molds Manufacturers Association, are globally renowned for their “turnkey solutions”—addressing customer needs through sophisticated machines and engineering.

As a result, the Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery industry has seen steady growth since its inception in 1960.

Italian machines are highly prized by the world’s most industrialized and economically advanced countries. www.amaplast.org

PRINTING, GRAPHIC, AND CONVERTING ACIMGA represents the Italian manufacturers of machinery for the graphic, converting, and paper industry. Members of this association are world leaders in making machinery for rotogravure and flexographic printing, paper and cardboard processing, and converting. Most of what is produced is absorbed by the packaging market with 60% of the industry’s turnover, followed by the graphic art industry with about 35%, and the rest is employed in various sectors. www.acimga.it

TEXTILE MACHINERY ACIMIT is the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, representing 80% of the entire Italian textile machinery production. Its members meet the full spectrum of industry needs (spinning, weaving, knitting and finishing machines). They are well appreciated for their commitment in the sustainable technologies and in the production of equipment for the most innovative niche markets (technical textiles, nonwovens). Leading American textile and clothing manufacturers rely on the quality of Italian high-tech machinery. www.acimit.it

WOOD In every segment of woodworking, from sawmills to the industrial processing of solid wood and panel to finishing, the Italian industry is present with technological solutions capable of responding effectively to a multitude of user requirements. ACIMALL, the Italian Woodworking Machinery and Tools Manufacturers’ Association, with over 220 of the most qualified companies in their fields, represent 90% of the whole industry, both in terms of employees and in turnover. www.acimall.com

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Thank You For Considering Turning Our Innovation Into Your Productivity!

For information on the companies cited within this publication or any of our thousands of Italian manufacturers, you may contact them directly, through our partner associations or any of the Machines Italia offices listed here.

Don’t forget to visit www.machinesitalia.org for the latest news, information, trade shows and activities we are doing here in North America with companies such as yours.

CHICAGO c/o Italian Trade Agency 401 N. Michigan Avenue—Suite 1720 Chicago, Illinois 60611 TOLL FREE: 888-ITALTRADE (482-5872) TEL: 312-670-4360 FAX: 312-670-5147 E-MAIL: info@italtradeusa.com

HOUSTON c/o Italian Trade Agency 1300 Post Oak Boulevard—Suite 775 Houston, TX 77056 TOLL FREE: 888-ITALTRADE (482-5872) TEL: 281-888-4288 FAX: 281-974-3100 E-MAIL: houston@ice.it

MEXICO CITY y/o ICE—Agencia Italiana para el Comercio Exterior Campos Eliseos N. 385, Torre B, 6º Piso, Colonia Polanco-11560 México D.F. TEL: (+52.55) 52808425-52813928 52813943-52813950 TOLL FREE: 01800.696.6032 (outside Mexico City) FAX: (+52 55) 52802324 E-MAIL: info@italtrademexico.com

LOS ANGELES c/o Italian Trade Agency 1900 Ave. of the Stars—Suite 350 Los Angeles, CA 90067 TOLL FREE: 888-ITALTRADE (482-5872) TEL: 323-879-0950 FAX: 310-203-8335 E-MAIL: losangeles@ice.it

TORONTO c/o Italian Trade Agency 365 Bloor Street East—Suite 1802 Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 Canada TOLL FREE: 888-ITALTRADE (482-5872) TEL: 416-598-1566 FAX: 416-598-1610 E-MAIL: info@italtradecanada.com

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