Innovation is the key Sacma

INNOVATION IS THE KEY

Sacma is an Italy-based manufacturer of machines for bolt-making and other components for sectors such as aerospace and automotive. Barbara Rossi talks to Mr Nathan about the company’s impressive product portfolio and dedication to innovative product design.

Sacma Limbiate is headquartered in Limbiate, in the Milan area, where its main production plant is based. It is here that the majority of the design and manufacture of the machines is carried out, and it also acts as a global spare part warehouse as well as housing the group management, commercial offices and R&D. The group also has another production plant in Vimercate from which another group company, OBM, currently operates.

Sacma designs and manufactures cold forming progressive heading and bolt making machines, including combined headers for bolt and screw manufacturing. It has

also recently invested in warm forming equipment for components destined mainly for the automotive and aerospace sectors. At Limbiate, Sacma focuses more on the manufacturing of the machines’ medium and larger components, while at OBM production is focused on the smaller components. In fact, OBM produces smaller components for both Sacma and another group company, Ingramatic – a manufacturer of thread rolling machines for thread making and special shapes.

R&D is very important to Sacma Limbiate SpA and Mr Nathan stressed how the group designs and manufactures its products entirely in-house, without using outsourcing. As mentioned, Sacma conducts its R&D at Limbiate, while Ingramatic, as well as collaborating with this research, has a separate R&D division at its Castelnuovo site.

A new product recently developed by Sacma is a warm forming progressive header for the aerospace industry. This is a relatively new area for Sacma, because most of its production is centred around cold forming machines. Another new product is a large cold forming header for manufacturing components, such as bolts, for the automotive and earth moving industries, as well as for the wind power sector. Ingramatic, meanwhile, has developed large thread roll forming machines for the same sectors mentioned above and thread roll centres for the production of a wide range of heat treated products, such as bolts, screws, studs and bolts with washers pre-assembled.

Main markets

The company has established technical centres in some of the most important foreign markets, including Brazil, Russia, China, the USA, Spain and Germany, offering technical assistance and including a local sales manager. There are also agents specialising in fasteners in other countries

including Australia, Japan, Argentina, Venezuela and India.

In terms of market segments, 75 per cent of turnover derives from the automotive industry, 5 per cent from aerospace and the rest from other sectors including white goods, renewable energy (wind and solar power in particular) and sport. Production for the wind power industry is currently seeing very strong growth. The automotive sector has always been and still is the main sector, while wind energy is a relatively new market, growing significantly thanks to new demand for this kind of product. The aerospace sector is also a new outlet, thanks to the warm forming machines previously discussed, while both the white goods and the sport industry sales markets have remained stable.

Export markets account for more than 85 per cent of production. The main export markets are China, Brazil, the USA, France, Russia and Malaysia. However, the key sales markets are likely to change owing to the globalisation of the fastener industry, and depend in particular upon the relocation of manufacturing centres for the automotive sector.

Investing in innovation

Sacma carries out voluntary investment on a yearly basis, both to improve productivity and acquire new machines. Investments in R&D are also carried out on a regular basis. Investments have included widening the range of production machines available to the company and building new warehouses to house cranes for the assembly of large machines. This latter investment project was completed two years ago at the Limbiate plant, while Ingramatic built a new plant five years ago to speed up production. In the near future a new warehouse with facilities will also be built. In addition, there have been investments in two work centres, one of which features a working table with radius of 10 metres which is capable of receiving mechanical components of up to 100 tonnes for processing.

In terms of the automotive sector, the Sacma Group is currently developing machines for the production of special parts, instead of only for standard parts as had been the case up to now. Sacma is also following and responding to the demand coming from the wind power production industry, which is on the increase particularly in markets such as Sweden, Germany and the USA. In terms of geographical markets, Sacma will focus particularly on the further organic expansion of its products in China, India, The USA and Japan. n