High-performance precision Fidia

HIGH-PERfoRMancE PREcISIon

Fidia is a global leader in the development and manufacture of advanced control systems and high-speed milling machines. The company is pro-active in the automotive and aerospace industries and continues to invest more than 10 per cent of its revenues in cutting-edge research and new product development. Philip Yorke looks at the group’s latest innovative products and its strategy for growth.

Fidia SpA was founded in 1974 by two bright young engineers who were interested in the manufacture of mini-calculators for industrial automation applications. This was an emerging and innovative industrial sector at that time, and Fidia’s entrepreneurial and engineering skills ensured its place in an exciting and challenging new industrial era. Since those early days the company has seen consistent growth and has been designing and producing Numerical Controls for the management of high-tech machine tools for mould machining, as well as manufacturing the world’s most efficient highspeed milling machines. In addition to its strong organic growth, Fidia has accelerated its growth further by establishing subsidiaries in the key industrial markets of the world.

In the early 1990s Fidia extended its product portfolio by developing the world’s first truly high-speed milling machines. Today two thirds of the group’s turnover comes from this business division. It is worth remembering that, in over 40 years of operation, Fidia has never lost sight of its strong commitment to innovation in all its various technological fields. The company currently employs more than 500 people worldwide and in 2016 recorded sales of over €50 million. Since the year 2001, Fidia has been listed on the Milan stock exchange.

Vertical integration

One of Fidia’s many unique selling propositions is its ability to offer complete turnkey systems, from the initial design to the special software featured in its high-speed milling machines. Customers can therefore rely on just one supplier for all their needs and, in addition, Fidia takes responsibility for every element of its production and after sales service. All Fidia’s components are designed, developed and manufactured in the company’s own state-of-the-art plants in Italy. The entire production process for all models is handled at its extensive facilities in Turin and Forli, thus ensuring optimal quality control and management systems.

More than 90 per cent of Fidia’s products are exported to over 50 countries worldwide. A company spokesman added, “Our high level of vertical integration is recognised as a significant asset by our

clients. Fidia’s fully integrated manufacturing system enables us to participate in and win numerous bids at the international level. Our value-added proposals are appreciated not only by China and other major emerging markets, but also the mature western markets from the USA to Europe. One of our defining features is the fact that our extensive R&D facilities are operational 24/7 and are responsible for many of our ground-breaking high-tech products.”

Today the Fidia Group spans the globe with subsidiaries in Europe, the USA, South America and Asia. Fidia GmbH was established in Germany in 1984 in order to provide technical support for all Fidia Group products in Germany, Austria and the German-speaking countries of Switzerland, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

Also established in 1984 was the company’s US subsidiary in Rochester Hills, Michigan, to service the US and Canadian markets. Following the continuing global demand for its products, Fidia established further subsidiaries in Paris, France, Bilbao, Spain, Sao Paulo, Brazil and Moscow, Russia, as well as in Beijing and Shenyang, China.

unrivalled precision and performance

Precision and performance have been the hallmarks of Fidia products since the company was founded in 1974. A prime example of this is its latest D321 range of high-speed milling machines designed for high-precision, mould finishing applications. Their compact size offers an unusually large working envelope for a variety of complex

mould finishing applications. Their wide door openings are ideal for the loading of large and heavy workpieces while offering unsurpassed visibility throughout.

Fast and extremely precise, the D321 takes advantage of the specific Fidia head-choices of continuous or bi-indexed applications depending upon the application. The product’s upper gantry has proved to be the most sought after for its stiffness and dynamic accuracy. This cuttingedge product offers five direct-driven ball-screws and brushless motors as well as a large multi-guides system.

With Fidia’s unique high-speed technology, manual finishing at the end of the milling process is virtually eliminated. As a result, more complex forms can be produced with significantly enhanced quality, while machining times are also greatly reduced. Fidia has expanded its production capacity in this sector through the acquisition of Mechanica Cortini, Sitra Automazioni and Simav.

Currently Fidia produces five types of high-speed milling machines: HS664, G996, D Series, K Series and the new GTF Gantry line. Differentiated by size, architecture and application, every advanced Fidia milling system is positioned at the top end of the high-speed market in terms of performance and reliability.

Consequently Fidia machines offer radical advantages compared to traditional milling machines in terms of removed material ratios, precision and performance. Perhaps even more importantly, each Fidia machine overcomes the traditional cutting limitations experienced on tough materials such as austenitic alloys and hardened steel up to 70HRC. n

For further details of the Fidia Group’s latest innovative products and services, visit: www.fidia.it