Vipa is always one step ahead Vipa

VIPA IS ALWAyS

onE stEp ahEad

A wide range of products, including non-standard items and a high level of service with an efficient automated warehouse in a strategically located site; these are the elements on which the success of Vipa is based on. Vipa supplies fasteners (nuts, bolts and screws) made of carbon steel, stainless steel and brass, as well as offering all the possible treatments applicable to them. The result is a wide range of solutions, over 65,000 product varieties including: high-tensile strength, low-tensile strength, technical fasteners as well as fasteners for wood and sheet metal, bolts, screws and nuts in stainless steel and brass, products for clamping and fixing elements. Lately Vipa has also established a rubber sealing division parallel to the fasteners business.

Vipa is able to supply upon request particular drawn items that can be offered in different sizes, materials and treatments that are normally hard to find on the market. This is possible, thanks to its laboratory equipped with CAD design equipment, as well as its partnerships with external manufacturers able to manufacture customised products. In addition to this, Vipa is also able to carry out all necessary tests to guarantee the quality of the final products, certified according to ISO 898-1-2009. Vipa is also certified as a producer of structural bolts according to EN 15048-2007 standards. These items are used for all new constructions according to the Construction Products Directive S: 89-106/EEC of 1989, the EN 1090-2009 standard and the new Regulation 305-2011. Another construction product lately released are its screws according to EN 14399 in HV and HR kits. The catalogue includes all the sizes of hex head bolts plain and galvanised from M12 to M36. The core business mostly available in the 8.8 classes has a very interesting range from M2,5 up to M56 in various lengths.

Vipa was first established in 1970 by Mr Adelio Poppi, the founder and father of the current directors. Despite the fact that the company is today an joint stock company, it is still a family business represented by Vaccari Leandrina , the president of the company, and her two sons Vilson and Paolo Poppi, maintaining its traditional principles and structure. Since its establishment the company has grown and, at present, besides the head office based in Rolo, in the Emilia-Romagna Region of Italy, it has founded branches in France, Spain, Germany, Czech Republic and the latest in China, with about 120 employees and over 50 sales people.

Significant investments are made on a regular basis, which allow the company to keep up with the technological development of materials and markets. As foreign and domestic commercial managers Mr Collepardo and Mrs Facchini explain: “We are always very careful of the needs of the market and the legal requirements of the European Union. For this reason we ask our suppliers for products that can fulfil all requirements and needs.” The laboratory is equipped with machines such as a profile projector to detect accurately small tolerances, angles, and eventual surface defects of the samples. A tensile strength machine detects the tensile strength and the elongation after fracture of the sample. A spectrometer analyses the chemical composition of the steel and gives the exact percentage of each chemical element. Finally, a microscope detects the percentage of martensitic composition in the core of the material as well as the structure of the material. “We are now able to issue the required certification ourselves, alongside offering the option of independent certification, if required by the client, along with the cooperation of external laboratories; therefore we have a qualified team dedicated to quality control and certification.”

Vipa supplies its products to manufacturers from a variety of sectors, ranging from automotive, building, home equipment, carpentry, agricultural and construction machinery to spare parts, transport systems, pumps, hydraulics, energy and power transmissions. Alongside this type of customer, Vipa also supplies other distributors when they lack the required goods in their warehouse.

Fast, lean and top quality

Another of Vipa’s assets is its four distribution centres, which are part of the automated 30,000m2 covered warehouse based in Rolo. The warehouse, equipped with 12 elevators and 15 picking isles, able to handle over 120,000 pallets and carry out 4500 collections per day. These results put it in the top market position in Italy and also make it one of the leaders in Europe. The other distribution centres, Italian or foreign-based, are engaged in the supply of products specifically for the requests of local markets.

The automated warehouse allows Vipa to meet any demand quickly. Goods are picked and shipped in real time. Obviously the delivery time depends on where the client is located. “We have a totally automated 24-hour system; the warehouse machines are operational round the clock. At night the machines are at work for the optimisation of the goods spots; not only on the basis of actual orders, but also on probability of potential ones.”

VIPA offers a KANBAN service, developed in close partnership with the customer, in order to manufacture according to specific requirements. The KANBAN system is used to manage the purchasing activities of customers.

The KANBAN system allows the user to: - Make a simple production plan and control; - Reduce stock volumes, with the optimisation of cash flow; - Cut out dead times and simplify all procedures involved in the process.

Through the study of the client’s production process, KANBAN can support the customer’s employees in the optimization of the necessary parameters for goods availability: The daily average consumption of the pieces (pieces / time); the average time of coverage (time); the safety stock and the sizing of the containers (pieces / container).

Furthermore, Vipa can offer this service of analysis and study not only for fastening product, but also for other C class components employed by the firm, for which it can also act as the supplier.

Since 2012 Vipa has been innovating both in terms of services and technology. At first it introduced a bilingual web-shop in order to achieve fast orders in a click using the internet, which is constantly updated through its internal system. This allows for the rapid selection of the desired items through direct access to the ERP database, throughout the web. This includes:

- Visualisation of the current availabilities; - Visualisation of the current net sales prices; - Possibility to order the available items at any time; - Possibility to search for standard norms (DIN-EN-ISO), categories of article, typologies of treatments and dimensions; - Possibility to search for the code and/or client’s article (cross reference); - Complete list of offers, orders and consignments as well as a history of documentation.

Italy is still the main market for Vipa, but in the past few years the company has been constantly growing in other European markets. The future may bring a further expansion in foreign markets, with other local branches and staff.

“Predicting the future is very hard, but despite the current circumstances we intend to take the challenge and try to expand our activity further to reach a more international market. We believe that a local presence helps us to be close to the customers. We have the will to grow and the will to present ourselves as a unique company that is internationally efficient and well appreciated. Our philosophy is based on service, fast response and quality. We plan to increase our focus on service and quality, investing in skilled human resources and equipment for quality control and logistical solutions so as to reduce order preparation delays and increase precision and delivery times. n

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