Roller Covering of Exceptional Quality A.Piovann

Italian A.Piovan, a major producer of roller covering, has taken up the challenge of Industry 4.0. With increased focus on R&D, the company is set to fully accommodate customers’ existing and future requirements, as R&D Manager Laura Capovilla explained to Romana Moares.

ROLLER COVERING OF EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY

Padova-based A.Piovan has produced roller, special seamless conveyor belts and sleeves in rubber, silicone and polyurethane for 40 years. The company is a prime partner to OEMs for the development for customised solutions. “Our experience in different field allows us to have a wide solution database,” says Ms Capovilla. “We are the only company in the European market to boast an internal fully-automated rubber compound production system with advanced traceability, historical memory of all compounds and full quality control.”

“Over the last two years we have embraced the digital revolution accommodating the Industry 4.0 principles in order to further improve traceability, quality and delivery time in response to today’s customers’ needs,” she confirms.

“Accordingly, we have invested in the latest technology and recently installed an automated rubber component dosing system in our rubber compound department. Furthermore we added two new grinding machine to reduce delivery time and improve product dimension tolerances to meet the increasingly stringent market needs.”

Digital transformation

A Piovan’s state-of-the-art production plant in north-east Italy houses production of rollers up to 10 meters in length and 2 meters in diameter, various types of sleeves and endless conveyor belts with rubber hardness ranges from 12 sh A up to Ebonite.

“Production is vertically integrated to ensure the best production process control and to maintain the highest quality standard,” explains Ms Capovilla. “Our current focus is on two areas - to improve our mechanical division for roller construction to enhance our response to market requirements; and to complete our digital transformation to reduce delivery time and improve plant efficiency.”

Ms Capovilla said that the company’s R&D department continuously researches new rubber compounds to address existing and potential customers’ needs. The latest innovations include a spreader sleeve which can be shipped directly to the customer and easily mounted on the steel roller with compressed air alone, thus saving time and shipping costs.

The company’s customer base includes machine manufacturers and engineering companies on all continents. A. Piovan is the world leader in rubber components for the tanning industry, and also supplies its products to the textile, sheet metal, packaging, coupling, wood, glass and food industries.

“We are certainly a point of reference in Italy for those looking for a reliable product with high performance,” says Ms Capovilla. “Now we would like to further strengthen our position in the European markets with our tailor-made roller solutions.” n