THE HISTORY
A long tradition Pastore & Lombardi was founded at the beginning of 1900 as a small ironmonger shop. The owners’ attention immediately turns toward the technical innovations featuring the beginning of last century thus commercializing components for cars, trucks and buses from the beginning. The first registration to the Chamber of Commerce in Bologna traces back to 1914, Pastore & Lombardi becomes a real company. Already before the Second World War, Pastore & Lombardi imports products of major brands from overseas and – in its turn - exports most part of its own range. The Second World War temporarily stops the activity, which starts again and spreads during the economic boom of the 50s and 60s. The traditional co-operation with company Rhibo, Bologna – which started thanks to the relationship between the families owning the two companies – allows the introduction – during the 70s – of the first locks specifically designed for the isothermic vehicles. The cold-working of steel, Rhibo’s specific activity, becomes the element characterizing the technical competence of Pastore & Lombardi, which becomes specialized in the processing of stainless steel.
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The Production Activity Since ever bound to Rhibo, which produced various components of its range, Pastore & Lombardi does not undergo the same destiny during the Second World War. Rhibo is destroyed during a bombing action, while Pastore & Lombardi is not, being located in the historical center of the town. Quickly are presses and molds recovered, production starts again immediately after the end of the war. Then production tooling are realized directly by Pastore & Lombardi, which owns many hundreds nowadays, offering such a wide range which has never been matched.
Catalogues Pastore & Lombardi catalogues have always been a strength point of the company. The pictures, technical data and the wide range displayed have always been an example in the world of supplies of components for the industrial vehicles. From the Sonnendach opening roofs for the buses in the30s to the complete leathers for car upholstery Pastore & Lombardi catalogue has always offered an extraordinary range.
The Evolution From the 80s the company has more and more focused its activity on the industrial body building, progressively leaving the branches of car and bus spare parts. The development of transportation at controlled temperature allowed a strong expansion of the demand for components in stainless steel. The progressive increase in the demand from overseas led the company to be the major manufacturer of stainless steel components for industrial vehicles in Europe and Middle East, fixing the technical and quality standards which are now representing the reference in the application of these components. At the end of the 90s there was not a builder of commercial vehicles in the world who did not know Pastore & Lombardi products and export supplies reached Far East, Australia and South America. Nowadays the company exports over 80% of its production.
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THE PRODUCTS Stainless Steel
Hinges
Among all components offered, the most important are locks and hinges in stainless steel AISI 304. This metal – thanks to anticorrosion properties and to its elasticity – allows a very heavy usage under conditions which are very difficult to forecast and calculate, such as the ride of an industrial vehicle.
The range offers a very wide range of solution, both for rear and side doors. The surface mounted hinges are surely the most popular, but the catalogue also includes concealed and recessed hinges. All hinges have different sizes and make it possible for the builder to find the ideal combination for his application. Upon request, personalizations and productions are possible on customer’s specifications.
Locks Pastore & Lombardi locks have always been a reference for this branch. The first in the history to introduce stainless steel, the company has always innovated its range fixing and updating the technical and quality standards for this kind of product. The range is extremely wide, covering every possible building requirement. Besides levers, the more sophisticated locks with key are proposed, offered in different diameters, both for the external and recessed mounting. The constant development of these components takes place also thanks our customers’ experience, a development nowadays basing both on a very careful design and a thorough and accurate testing. Besides simulation through digital systems, periodical laboratory tests and tests at various customers’, the design is basing on half a century experience on these components.
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Design Since over 10 years ago, design has been realized only through solid 3D modelling. These instruments allow to use the material in the best way, to reduce the overall dimensions, to realize the molds quickly. Furthermore Pastore & Lombardi is the most flexible company in the market as far as the personalization of its own products is concerned, many of which are realized in collaboration with the major customers and basing on their specifications. Actually Pastore & Lombardi developed its design towards the technical partnership, and for many customers Pastore & Lombardi is a partner for co-designing of systems which may be more complex than the locking systems. An important part of the turnover actually derives from these components and the extraordinary production flexibility allows this approach also for average-sized customer and production volumes.
THE PRODUCTION The Tooling Many hundreds of molds, a substantial amount of technical documentation, highly specialized staff guarantee a complex and advanced production activity. A network of suppliers, all of them located within a few kilometers from the headquarters, makes it possible to obtain a wide and very flexible production capacity basing on updated equipment and a strong specialization in production procedures. This system results into a wide basis of specific technical competence, processes independent one from another, a high efficiency in the employment of production capacity.
The Production management, the Quality The production complexity a involves a detailed management of the monitoring procedures. The suppliers – almost all of them certified – have an important experience specific in their field, and guarantee high standards of control and competence. Pastore & Lombardi staff carries out a supervision of these processes checking and reporting the most important stages, following an external monitoring system to prevent mistake or inaccuracies. Every single part produced has – besides an updated technical drawing, a process file and a quality control cycle. A final test before making the pieces available for selling completes a very detailed control system on every production phases. The raw material is always certified by the steel plant. Pastore & Lombardi is certified according to ISO 9001.
The Production Processes Every day Pastore & Lombardi collaborates with suppliers specialized in the cold working of the metal sheet, forging, all kinds of necessary surface treatments. The sheet processing is carried out on automatized production lines, which are a result of substantial investments in very complex molds.
Pastore & Lombardi 2013 - Tutti i diritti riservati
PASTORE & LOMBARDI s.p.a. Via Don Minzoni 3, 40057 Cadriano di Granarolo Emilia (Bologna) - Italy Tel. +39 051 764111 - Fax +39 051 765118 info@pastorelombardi.com