Johnson-Fluiten rotary joints, 20 years of flexibility and safety

Johnson-Fluiten turns 20. The company, founded in 2003 as a joint venture between KadantJohnson (then ‘The Johnson Corporation’) and Fluiten Spa, combines the best aspects of the two constituents: an American multinational with ninety years of history and a creative and flexible Italian company.

We talked about this with Victor Caronni, Marketing Manager, and Marco Golla, Sales Director johnson-fluiten.com/it/

Golla: Added to this is the efficiency of our new fully automated warehouse. We are now able to process a considerable percentage of orders within 24 hours, but it is not only automation that makes us efficient: in special cases we have personally brought the joints to their destination, providing a tailor-made service which no level of automation would have made possible.

Could you provide a description of the company and its production?

Caronni: The company is the result of the union of The Johnson Corporation (now Kadant Johnson), which invented the rotary joint for steam in 1933, and Fluiten, renowned for its range of mechanical seals. Johnson-Fluiten, a combination of the two companies, derives and delivers benefits from the best aspects of the two.

Johnson-Fluiten designs and manufactures rotary joints for applications using water, oil, oil-water mixtures, gases and other fluids.

At the heart of our product is the quality of the mechanical seal: Johnson-Fluiten is unique among rotary joint manufacturers in using in-house manufactured seal rings. Full control over all components, joint and seal, is reflected in the quality of the finished product.

Which sectors are most interested in your offer?

Golla: Rotary couplings are used in practically all segments of the mechanical industry, from machine tools to plastics processing plants, from Food & Beverage to the rubber industry, from automotive to the metal industry, from chemicalpharmaceutical to textiles and corrugated cardboard manufacturing.

What sets Johnson-Fluiten products apart?

Golla: Our products are prized for their unparalleled mechanical seal, with near-zero tolerance for leakage, even in high speed, temperature and pressure applications.

We also offer rotary joints incorporating our unique Quick Replacement Design (QRD), which allows maintenance to be reduced to a matter of minutes.

What advantages do customers have in turning to Johnson-Fluiten?

Golla: Our solutions can be used in all conditions, thanks to the special mechanical seal. Another advantage is the consulting service provided to identify the most suitable solution and guide customers in their choice.

In cases where the process requires tailor-made solutions, our technicians will quickly propose the ideal joint.

How do you deal with environmental issues within your company?

Caronni: Johnson-Fluiten has internalised the philosophy of Kadant, winner of the SEAL Business Sustainability Award in 2021 and nominated for the second year running by Business Week as one of the most sustainable companies in the world; it offers customers solutions which make production more sustainable Johnson-Fluiten has a positive effect on its customers’ environmental compatibility thanks to its maximised joint sealing, which ensures minimal leakage, but it is also environmentally friendly internally: the company is completely plastic free and uses perfectly recyclable packaging. 100 per cent of the energy used comes from renewable sources; 80 per cent of the suppliers are environmentally audited.

During 2022, what strategies have you put in place to overcome procurement bottlenecks and extended delivery times?

Caronni: Delivery times have a major influence on our customers’ competitiveness: we have managed to complete more than 90 per cent of our deliveries in advance or on time.

In this respect, being part of a group like Kadant is essential: we have worked to bring our supply chain entirely within the group, thus achieving short delivery times.

One aspect allowing us to speed up deliveries is the fact that for the most part our couplings are in the warehouse already assembled, reducing assembly time to zero.

For 2023, what goals are you setting and how do you intend to pursue them?

Caronni: It may seem ambitious to talk about doubledigit growth targets at this time, but for years our turnover has been growing at around 10 per cent per year and we are determined to continue on this path. In order to maintain and develop our relationship with customers, we shall invest above all in service, making sure that we are present in the field quickly when needed.

Marco Golla Sales Director