A high degree of precision Gervasoni

A HIGH DEGREE OF PRECISION

High precision machining employing specialised technology is what distinguishes Gervasoni SpA from its competitors. Barbara Rossi talks to sales manager Mr Fenucci and quality assurance manager Ms Locatelli to find out more about the company and its activities.

Gervasoni SpA was set up by Bono Gervasoni in 1961 in the Bergamo area of northern Italy. This area is world renowned for its precision machining and high volume production of high-quality components, in which today Gervasoni is a market leader. The company offers a comprehensive range of high-precision mechanical components, often customised and co-designed with customers.

Gervasoni serves the automotive (as a Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier), hydraulic and pneumatic sectors, as well as supplying its components for other applications. Products for the hydraulic sector include solenoid valves, spools and hydraulic cartridges. Spools and cartridges can also be assembled and offered as a single component. The core products for the pneumatic segment are stems, but the range also includes other items. As a Tier 1 automotive supplier Gervasoni manufactures transmission shafts, gearbox and clutch components; while among the products supplied as Tier 2 there are precision components for fuel pumps. The hydraulic range generates 40 per cent of turnover, automotive 25 per cent and pneumatic 25 per cent, while the remainder (10 per cent) is achieved thanks to components for other applications.

In terms of technology, the processes offered, as well as turning, include secondary operations and transfer machines, grinding and honing, and heat treatment and plating. Heat and surface treatment are optional processes which Gervasoni can provide, if requested by customers, using high-quality sub-suppliers. Suppliers of raw materials are also very important for the company’s success as it requires pre-processed and special steels for some of its products. The group

Today the company is actually the head of a group comprising two subsidiaries: Euromagneti Srl and Stratus. In fact, over the years Gervasoni has evolved and grown. After starting to export its products to Europe in the early 1970s, it established Euromagneti Srl in Lodi, near Milan, in 1991. The following year Gervasoni entered the automotive sector and introduced SPC process controls. In 1993 the company received its first ‘Q1 Quality Award’ from the Ford Automotive Group, while in 1994 it set up its second subsidiary, Stratus Ltd, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Moreover, the UNI EN ISO 9001 quality certification was achieved in 2000,

whilst the environmental UNI EN ISO 14001 was obtained in 2004. Gervasoni was also one of the first companies to be awarded the ISO/TS16949 certification, which it obtained in 2005.

“ISO TS16949 is a requirement to operate in the automotive industry, but achieving ISO 14001 was totally voluntary, although it truly distinguishes us from an environmental point of view and proves our commitment to sustainability. Alongside these, we are also certified for quality (ISO 9001) and hold the Ford Q1 accreditation for quality and deliveries,” Ms Locatelli explained.

Overall the group employs 350 people, 180 of whom are based in Brembilla. Euromagneti Srl designs and manufactures custom electromagnets (solenoid coils) for control and on-off applications. It also serves as the group’s testing laboratory for the evaluation of performance, function, durability and other features of finished parts and/or assemblies, according to customer-specified criteria. Stratus, on the other hand, provides Gervasoni with full support for the production of high precision mechanical components offering guaranteed quality.

Market leaders

Mr Fenucci added, “The high precision of our products is what differentiates us from our competitors and it is why we have so many prestigious customers. We re-invest 10 per cent of our turnover in our company on an annual basis. We invest in high technology machinery, plus control devices and systems, because for us quality

is a must and we employ a zero defects policy. In terms of R&D, as our products are customised our focus is on production processes and the use of alternative materials.

“Segment-wise we expect significant growth both in the automotive and hydraulic sectors. Their volumes will expand and so will their share of turnover.”

Geographically the domestic market generates 15 per cent of turnover, with the remaining 85 per cent mainly deriving from Europe, followed by the US and then China (which is currently a niche market). However, Gervasoni is also present in India, Brazil, Vietnam and many other countries. “Currently, with regard to automotive we are particularly strong in Europe, but we also, for example, serve Ford in Mexico. We really serve our automotive customers wherever they have delocalised their production. We intend to expand our presence in China, where we currently serve automotive clients only. We would also like to start supplying the pneumatic and hydraulic industries there.

“We are going to grow organically, thanks to projects we have in the pipeline with existing clients. Our customers are mainly multinationals, which manufacture all over the world and offer great growth opportunities. For instance, we can boast of being automotive Tier 1 suppliers for Volkswagen, Audi and Ford; whilst in the Tier 2 segment one of our prestigious customers is Magneti Marelli. With regard to hydraulic applications, Hydra Force and Bucher are amongst our clients and, in terms of the pneumatic sector, we also serve IMI and Amisco.” n