Friulforgia is the forging and machining headquarters of the TTN Group and is a leading player in the steel sector in its own right. Friulforgia manufactures pre-machined and final machined forgings of any shape, and works with grades ranging from carbon, duplex and super duplex stainless steels. Hannah Barnett spoke to Mosè Molaro, Sales Manager, and Francesco Rizzani, Plant Manager, to learn more.
Friulforgia has hit the sweet spot in business. The flexibility afforded from being a medium-sized company compliments the vertical integration offered by its membership of the TTN Group.
Verticalisation means clients benefit from the convenience of a single supplier providing a comprehensive solution.
Friulforgia handles all operations from forging to the final machining and packaging, within the group. “Essentially, we simplify the procurement process for our customers by offering them a single point of contact, even for ready-to-mount components,” said Mosè Molaro, Sales Manager.
Friulforgia specialises in open die forging, with seven manufacturing plants in northern Italy, one in Spain and a sales office in Texas. The company offers a wide range of forgings: these include blowout preventers, risers, clamps, jack-up components, valve bodies, cylinders and much more. Thanks
partly to its strategically located branch in Houston, which opened in 2017, the company has established a strong presence the offshore oil and gas markets.
Investment and growth
Alongside the investment into the US office, Friulforgia increased its forging capacity in 2020 by installing a brand-new press with a power capacity of 3,800 tonnes.
“This investment has allowed us to produce more alloy steel, which has a larger field of applicability in the oil and gas industry, so it’s been a very important development,” Francesco Rizzani, Plant Manager, explained. “This includes duplex and super duplex steel that we have produced extensively for making pipes, fittings, subsea connectors, bespoke valves and so on.”
The investment is paying off, as Friulforgia is experiencing a period of strong growth. Turnover has increased from 20 to almost
30 million EUR in the last three years. For the wider TTN Group, it has increased from 70 million to close to 100 million EUR.
Another crucial investment decision was the acquisition of a new Carnaghi vertical lathe for finishing operations. The decision was made having identified a weakness in the company’s vertical turning operations.
“The new lathe can machine parts up to 3.5 metres in diameter and 3.7 metres in length,” Mr Rizzani said; “so, it’s a large machine. It can also mill some boards and surfaces, so it’s not only a lathe but a machining centre. Carnaghi is one of the world leaders for these sorts of machines, making this is a very significant investment.”
Friulforgia aims to ensure this investment will mean the company can effectively handle increased demand for vertically
turned products and provide comprehensive solutions to its customers. The new lathe will be installed by spring 2024.
“This investment will further increase our turnover because one of the main goals is to have the possibility to be self-sufficient in vertical turning and not always depend on sub-suppliers,” Mr Molaro agreed. “Sometimes sub-suppliers are very busy and have no space for our parts. So it’s very important to us to be able to manage this operation for ourselves.”
And it is not just investment into machinery: the company is also strengthening its operations in terms of project management and personnel.
“We are investing in our workforce,” Mr Molaro said, “by building a team dedicated to complex jobs. For offshore oil and gas customers, there are many
requirements regarding manufacturing procedures, inspections and testing. The management of projects is getting more and more complex because of requirements for various types of documentation, so we have our new people for managing these issues.”
SPE Offshore
Friulforgia is exhibiting at SPE Offshore Europe in Aberdeen in September 2023. The renowned industry event helps the offshore energy value chain to accelerate the transition to a better future by uniting the power of expertise, knowledge and innovative technology.
Mr Molaro explained that he appreciates the value of face-to-face networking more than ever, following the restrictions posed by the Covid pandemic: “As valuable as electronic presentations may be in describing our activities, they cannot match the practicality of showcasing our capabilities and versatility in person.”
For such a diverse industrial group like Friulforgia, with eight vertically integrated manufacturing locations and a wide production range serving multiple industries, engaging in a two-way discussion with prospects is essential.
“It allows us to address their questions and provide specific industry or product-related
details that may arise,” said Mr Molaro. “We recognise that effective communication and direct interaction play a crucial role in demonstrating our expertise and meeting the unique needs of our clients.”
Friulforgia already has the benefit of years of experience and strong contacts throughout the industry, strengthened by its presence in the United States. The company has also cultivated valuable customer
relationships in the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. “With this solid foundation, we are hoping that SPE Offshore will help to create links in the rest of Europe and other parts of the world,” Mr Molaro said.
Sustainable supply chain
In order to improve sustainability throughout its entire production chain, Friulforgia is starting to select suppliers based on their alignment with environmentally friendly principles and objectives. This evaluation process will apply to suppliers of raw materials, as well as those involved in outsourcing tasks.
Like any successful business with many moving parts, it also remains vital that the company maintains a strong day-to-day relationship with its suppliers. Friulforgia chooses suppliers carefully, following a strict qualification and monitoring procedure, particularly concerning the quality of products.
The company purchases hundreds of steel ingots to be forged every year from sites in Italy, Austria and Germany and there can be no compromises on quality.
“Each supplier performs better on some steel grades than others,” Mr Molaro said: “so, it is our priority to select the best solution to maximise the final performance of our products. This is also why our supplier base is limited to a few reliable companies we know very well, which has always enabled us to deliver high-quality forgings.”
The shift to renewables is also a key element of the energy transition. Friulforgia has always operated in that sector, supplying forgings to prominent companies mostly in the wind-power and hydro-power sectors, including an offshore tidal energy farm in Northern Europe.
“Over the past few years, we have observed significant growth in wind-power projects and a slow-but-steady increase
of hydro power,” Mr Molaro concluded. “We recognise that renewable energy sources are the inevitable future and are fully committed to investing substantial time and resources to providing the best possible service to customers in these industries. We understand the importance of renewable energy in addressing global environmental challenges and achieving sustainability goals.” n
