Smarter machines make products faster, of greater quality, achieving higher throughput and using less energy, water and other resources, and shaping the future of manufacturing.
Redeploying waste on a construction site and turning it into a new resource, using digital technologies to create a new architectural material, or making textile dyeing and finishing more accurate are just some of the new processes that Italian companies are making possible using electronic technologies.
Recycling Waste
Conserving resources and reducing waste by reusing it is a priority for companies around the world. MB CRUSHER SpA has created machines that do the job in the construction industry, repurposing cement, debris and reinforced concrete in a cost-effective way on building sites.
Many experts consider this debris to be a “seventh resource” that can be of great value. Recycling is an opportunity not only for the environment, but for new revenue. By crushing debris and excavation materials on the site where they were produced, transportation costs, fees and pollution are reduced.
Attachments like the MB jaw crusher bucket travel with the excavator to any site and transform demolition waste into a resource. Debris can be used for filling foundations, pipe excavations, road surfacing or as decorative elements. It also becomes a commercial resource that can be sold to other companies.
Even those materials that some operators consider difficult, such as old light poles, columns, and concrete pipes, railway sleepers or vineyard poles with spring steel, can be reduced easily. The bucket crusher’s geometry facilitates horizontal crushing, separating the concrete portion from the metal rebar. The iron comes out while the unit is crushing and can be separated from the processed material with an iron separator, which is installed on the MB unit and is controlled by the operator from the cabin. MB Crusher makes five lines of attachments suitable for any brand of excavator, loader or skid steer.
MB Crusher attachment at work in Poland
Digitizing Ceramics
Large slabs have taken the ceramics industry into a new dimension that goes beyond solutions for floors and wall coverings. SYSTEM CERAMICA, part of Italy’s COESIA Group SpA (www.coesia.com/en), is a leading operator in the sector’s production chain, contributing to the establishment of large formats.
The company offers a process solution for producing slabs with full-body veining. The resulting slabs stand out for a level of full-body definition, significantly superior resistance and durability, and a versatility of use that enables porcelain stoneware to become a composition element for the world of furnishing and design.
GENESIS is the company’s solution that starts from the ceramic material and traces a new path to countertops, worktops, kitchen tops and all those uses in the furnishing world that require a three-dimensional effect. Digitally managed, it is an extremely flexible and integrative concept that makes it possible to meet current slab production requirements and guarantees limitless aesthetic possibilities.
It’s based on a full-body, three-dimensional decoration process, with digital control of the discharge of the colored atomized powders – whether wet or dry colored, or possibly ‘salt and pepper’ mixes – in the different chosen points of the slab according to the graphics set-up. Its operation is based on the performance of the powder head which, since there are no moving elements, guarantees high levels of reliability and speed of response.
Genesis equipment
More Efficient Dyeing
A global leader in dosing and dispensing operations for powders and liquids, Lawer SpA provides products, solutions and services to the textile industry to increase the reliability, safety and efficiency of their operations. With more than 50 years of industry experience, Lawer’s world-wide presence enables it to serve customers through the whole life cycle of its products.
The accurate monitoring of the dyeing process, the precision of the preparations, the repeatability of the recipes and the perfect traceability of the operations carried out are fundamental elements of an efficient working process, constant monitoring and cost reduction. The need for a healthy and hygienic working environment, where contaminations and product handling are minimized, are also essential elements for a modern process.
LAWER systems completely automate the preparation of dyestuffs and chemical products. Dosing systems automatically weigh and dose powders, liquid, and chemicals for textile dyeing and finishing. These systems are sold by agencies worldwide, installed and assisted from its Italian center and from after-sales offices located in China, Turkey and via Lawer USA in the United States.
Lawer Supercolor
Winding Expertise
Established in 1967, SIMET SpA is a leading manufacturer of winders, assembly winders, de-knitting winders, winders with air jet, twisting machines for fancy yarns and single head TFO twisting machines. SIMET machines are used in spinning, weaving, warping, twisting, knitting, the socks industry and R&D laboratories.
Besides standard machines, SIMET offers customized solutions and exports worldwide over 65% of its production. All products are developed and manufactured in Italy. A member of ACIMIT (Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machinery for the Textile Industry), SIMET cooperates actively with prestigious universities and research institutes.
SIMET Rito spinner
Optimizing dryers
STALAM SpA, established in 1978, is a world leader in RF equipment for the drying and thermal processing of raw materials, intermediates and finished industrial products. Its ongoing investments are designed to improve the performance and sustainability of its products, which has led to the development of its new RF ECO+ series dryers.
These efficient machines are designed for medium and large size dye-houses, to meet their high production capacity requirements. Having rated power values ranging from 125 kW to 150 kW, these dryers ensure savings in operating costs up to 20% compared to previous generation machines.
The RF power distribution electrodes have been adequately sized to maintain the lowest possible power density on the product being dried. The air circulation and evacuation systems also assist the evaporation process, maximizing moisture removal efficiency while avoiding all dew condensation problems inside the drying tunnels.
The system makes sure that all machine components and circuitry are in good and safe working order, promptly warning the operator of any problems and providing a detailed diagnosis and troubleshooting advice.
STALAM RF Dryer Eco+
VEGA Group has been designing and selling machines for folding and gluing boxes in solid and corrugated cardboard since 1947, when Mario Nava founded the company near Milan. Vega operates in the packaging market and its products are designed for box makers and cardboard industries that need to fold and glue large quantities of blanks or glue different types of solid board sheets. Vega has structured itself through 2 business units – Vega Srl and Meccanica Magentina – to achieve industrial synergies and economies of scale.
Vega produces reliable and well-known folder gluer machines plus end-line products and a high technology double feeder, strengthened by the acquisition of Revicart in 2018. It offers tailor-made solutions for all its machines, which are composed with standard and extra modules. Customers can add one or more extra modules over the years to improve production for changing needs.
ALTAIR is a historical machine for Vega, developed and refined over a 20-year period but keeping the same name to identify a product that excels in corrugated box production. In 2023 it is releasing the new ALTAIR GT, an even higher performing machine. With up to 90% of its turnover from international sales, Vega has about 4,000 folder-gluers running around the world; the oldest one is still working after 45 years.
RDF equipment
Working with Wood
ACIMALL, the Association of Italian Manufacturers of Woodworking Machines and Accessories, now represents more than 140 companies. Together they account for almost all the revenues and exports of the Italian woodworking machine industry.
Through its subsidiary Cepra Srl, Acimall organizes Xylexpo, the biennial international exhibition of woodworking technology and furniture components. The association publishes the Xylon.it portal and two bimonthly industry-specific magazines, Xylon and Xylon International, distributed around the world. Finally, with Cepra Multimedia, Acimall is providing companies across several industries with communication services, mainly in the digital domain, including dedicated webinars, corporate videos, case studies and direct marketing campaigns.
While having deep roots in Italy, the industry is also active globally. In 2022, the Italian production of woodworking machines and tools amounted to an estimated 2.6 billion euros, up by 4.6 percent over 2021. Export was a key driver of this result, exceeding 1.8 billion euros with a 3.9 percent growth rate.
Machines Get Smarter
Italian trade associations are on the front lines of the revolutionary changes happening with machines and manufacturing. While changes extend to every industry, these smart machines are being created even in traditional industries that used to rely almost exclusively on mechanical technologies.
In addition to the woodworking association ACIMALL, these groups include: ACIMAC, the Italian Manufacturers of Machinery and Equipment for the Ceramic Industry, ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, Confindustria Marmomacchine, the Italian Association of Producers and Processors of Marbles, Granites and Natural Stones, and ASSOMAC, the National Association of Italian Manufacturers of Footwear, Leathergoods and Tanning Technologies.
Smart machinery created by Italian companies are making it possible for North American companies to produce more with fewer resources, fostering economic growth, creating new products and making production processes more accurate and efficient. The merger of electronic and mechanical systems is changing how people work, particularly here in North America.
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