Revolutionising modern appliances Sabaf

Sabaf is a global leader in the development and manufacture of components for a broad range of household appliances. The company’s innovative and integrated technologies have revolutionised the home appliance market. Recently Sabaf acquired the leading Turkish appliance components manufacturer, Okida Elektronik, which produces a broad range of high-tech, electronic control boards, display units and power hoods for ovens and other appliances, as Philip Yorke reports.

REVoLuTIoNISING moDERN APPLIANCES

Founded in Italy in 1950, Sabaf has grown steadily to become Europe’s leading household appliance component manufacturer and continues to enhance its reputation as a major player on the global stage. The company produces thermostats, gas cooker burners and taps, as well as special hinges for dishwashers, ovens and washing machines. Today Sabaf is the supplier of choice for the world’s leading household appliance brands.

Sabaf’s unrivalled production flexibility, continuous investment in new technology, and its ability to offer a wide range of components, helps to keep it well ahead of the competition. All Sabaf’s products are designed according to the needs of its individual clients and markets, which in addition enhances the strength of the Sabaf Group. With a turnover of over €152 million in 2017, the group is currently estimated to have more than 50 per cent of the European market and more than 10 per cent of the global market in this sector.

New horizons

The acquisition of Okida in July 2018 has opened up new horizons for Sabaf and this strategic move will not only add to its enviable portfolio of products, but also bring new technologies to the forefront of its drive for the delivery of more sustainable, integrated solutions. Okida was founded in Turkey in 1987 and is a leader in the design and manufacture of a broad range of components for household appliances.

The chief executive of Sabaf, Pietro Iotti, said, “The acquisition of Okida represents the first step towards the implementation of our business plan presented at the beginning of this year, and is in line with the company’s strategy for expanding the range of products in components for household appliances, and the acquisition of new skills in the electronics sector. The combination of quality and innovation is recognised in Okida, and Sabaf’s widespread presence among all the main manufacturers of household appliances worldwide allows us to foresee strong sales synergies and an overall improvement in our service to customers.”

With this strategic step forward, Sabaf enters a new but also complementary sector, which will enable it to significantly expand its product portfolio in a meaningful manner. It will also allow the company to draw on and apply skills of the electronics sector, which is becoming increasingly important to the traditional gas cooking sector. These gains will guarantee that Sabaf’s customers will continue to benefit from the most advanced, high-quality integrated products and solutions.

on-going product optimisation

A dedicated programme of product optimisation at Sabaf has made it possible for the company to create many new product lines, including three distinct versions of its successful triple-crown burner, which in turn set new standards for the industry and endorsed its pole position at the forefront of the 4kW DCC market.

Today Sabaf’s extensive product range includes gas burners for ovens and grills, as well as thermostats, valves and taps for an infinite range of household products. All of which provide optimal

performance with excellent flame distribution throughout. Thanks to these products’ unique thermo-couplings, electrodes and innovative positioning systems, the burners are able to obtain performances equal to those of uncovered burners, which is a major breakthrough in this highly competitive sector.

The company’s unrivalled range of thermostats are recognised as the products of choice by manufacturing industries worldwide and have been approved by the world’s most exacting certification institutes. These advanced state-of-the-art thermostats can also be used to activate other built-in appliance devices such as timers and micro-switches which are designed to operate fans, and oven lights etc.

Taking sustainability seriously

Sabaf’s eco-mission is to guarantee sustainable development through its careful balancing of economic and financial requirements relating to those connected with the design, production and distribution of its

extensive range of components for domestic gas cooker appliances. Therefore, the company is constantly engaged in making decisions based upon current ethical values and a respect for its social and environmental responsibilities. Sabaf’s manufacturing sites in Italy and elsewhere are designed to ensure that its products are not only based on the highest technological standards, but also created with the environment and sustainability firmly in mind.

Further attention to environmental issues can be found in Sabaf’s manufacturing processes, which are constantly lowering energy consumption during manufacturing and in the development of more eco-efficient products. Underscoring its focus on the environment yet further, Sabaf has become an advocate, together with the Brazilian Regularity Authority, to uphold the ban on the use of Zamak, a zinc and aluminium alloy for the production of gas cooker taps, due to its inherent health risks. n

For further details of Sabaf’s innovative range of household appliance components and services visit: www.sabaf.it