efficiency, technology and diversification

SCM Fonderie Srl is a foundry specialist which is 100 per cent owned by the SCM Group – a leading manufacturer of woodworking machines and systems. Barbara Rossi talks to Mr Sanchini, general director, and Mr Savini, responsible for sales, about their company’s recent innovations and future plans, as well as the importance of technological innovation, diversification and fast deliveries.

The SCM Group today has a turnover of €500 million, with 3300 employees, 18 high-tech production facilities and 20 branches. Rimini-based SCM Fonderie Srl achieved a €25 million turnover in 2016, has 174 employees, two production facilities and offers a wide range of grey and nodular iron castings, from those featuring high mechanical resistance to their more ductile counterparts that perform well at low temperatures. In recent years, it has added CGI (Compact Graphite Iron) castings to its offer. This is a material with intermediate properties between grey and nodular iron, and is becoming particularly popular for motors in general.

Core product offering

SCM Fonderie’s two production facilities are based in Rimini and nearby Villa Verucchio, offering a 25,000-tonne overall production capacity. The Rimini site specialises in castings with weights ranging from 1kg to 500kg, produced in small and medium series on automated plants using the green sand moulding process. Villa Verucchio, on the other hand, is focused on castings with weights ranging from 200kg to 5000kg, produced in small series using the hand moulding process.

In addition to castings, the company can also supply finished products thanks to its cooperation with various experienced suppliers, which is particularly important for foreign markets. It also offers its customers a co-engineering, prototyping and start-up service thanks to software packages with the ability to simulate the production process.

SCM serves a wide range of sectors with its castings and products, ranging from power transmission, machine tools to agriculture and compressors, but also including the textile, robotics, tractors, pumps and rail products segments. Other areas of application include urban lighting, industrial handling and woodworking machinery.

“Being able to offer high-tech products is vital for us in order to keep the competition at bay. Another essential factor behind our success is diversification. We are able to serve a wide range of sectors and this protects us during downturns in some market segments,” Mr Sanchini and Mr Savini explained.

When it comes to new product development, the company is currently working on compressors, winches and high-range motors among others, mainly involving nodular iron castings.

Faster deliveries and zero defects

“We are currently working on an important technological development plan, aimed at achieving better productivity and faster internal processes. This is very important because today success plays on quick delivery times rather than simply quality. In a way, we could say that quality is a must and is taken for granted. Service is increasingly what makes the difference, as customers no longer keep large stocks of products in warehouses and need to have just-in-time deliveries.”

Recent investments include the installation of a new 35-tonne electric oven at the Rimini plant and the implementation of an energy efficiency plan in August 2016. “This plan involves the use of plasma in the metal heating process. We were assisted by ILT, a Spanish supplier, in this endeavour and are proud to say that so far only a Spanish foundry has a similar system. There is a lot of interest in this technology.”

In terms of technology, SCM is continuously working on further improving its casting quality and achieving zero-defect production. Another aspect on which technological development is focused is reduced thickness, often a must for customers owing to their need to lower the weight of the parts as much as possible. Work is also being carried out on the production of compressors with better mechanical features at low temperatures.

Generating 90 per cent of turnover, geographically Italy is still SCM Fonderie’s main market. The rest of its sales derive from direct exports to Europe. “Recently we have established very good business relations on the German market and this is starting to bear fruit. In general, we are set to expand through organic growth, entering new geographical markets and segments thanks to our new products, such as low temperature iron castings with improved features and high range compressors, but also thanks to our flexibility and expertise in more ‘classic’ productions. We are also open to using our technology to develop applications suitable for market segments which we do not yet serve. For instance, we have recently started supplying the marine industry.

“To summarise our discussion, I would say that our roadmap for the near future includes technological improvements and an optimisation process which will allow us to become more competitive on the market. This will stand us in good stead to enter new markets and segments.”

The company – which is continuously conducting R&D research at different levels – holds all the major certifications, including UNI EN ISO 9001:2015, UNI EN ISO 14001:2004, EMAS and AIA. Amongst its clients, it can boast Rossi, Bonfiglioli and Dana Brevini for gear units, Same Deutz Fahr, Argo Tractors and CNH for agricultural vehicles, Siad for large compressors, Comau for robotics, Parker Hannifin for hydraulic motors, and Alstom for the rail sector.