Italian Windings Group was created in 2013 by the joint venture of Elettromeccanica Mercanti and Due Esse, two Italian companies with a combined experience of nearly 100 years in the field of electrical windings production. The objective is becoming the one contact on a national and international level for the supply of windings for Distribution and Power Transformers dry type, oil-immersed and cast resin with power ranging from about 10 kVA to 100 MVA. The strategic decision of combining efforts to offer outstanding know-how, constant innovation and passion is driven by today’s market trend for buyers to address a restricted number of providers who are able to secure efficiency and reliability, in terms of raw materials, manufacturing and concerning procedures and ethics. By centralizing purchasing, marketing expenses and trade relations, Italian Windings promises its customers high quality and competitive prices. Due Esse constructs customized electrical windings for dry type, oil-immersed and cast resin power transformers for Clients in the energy, marine, rail and industrial sectors. In 2003, Due Esse obtained the UNI EN ISO 9001 certification and is subject to periodic scrutiny of the business management system by Det Norske Veritas. Elettromeccanica Mercanti began its’ activity in 1972. The company specializes in the production of primary and secondary windings for distribution transformers in oil up to a power of 2.500 kVA. In the last few years, it has specialized in Flattening process.
Safety and efficiency in manufacturing automation
Cosberg designs and manufactures plants to automate the mounting systems for all types of electric motors, such as for instance brushless, AC, DC and stepper, intended for several sectors, among which stands out the Automotive. An ambit where, even more than in others, efficiency and safety are essential issues.
For this reason, Cosberg can integrate all available technologies to carry out tests, measurements and controls into the plants, designed and manufactured by the Italian company: dimensional vision controls, component presence, positioning, automated contacting and related electric and tin welding, controlled dosing for the sealing bicomponent, tightness or insulation tests, checks of the noise level, electric tests and so on.
Control and traceability are nowadays irremissible conditions because they allow filing the “story” of each single part and, if necessary, tracing back all underwent machining operations. Therefore, on one hand Cosberg machines assure – and can prove – that each single product has been assembled in full compliance with all specifications provided for by the manufacturer; on the other hand, they must provide each workpiece with its own “package” of information, transmitting all detected data to manufacturers and thus allowing them to monitor, to prevent, to improve and to process statistics. Customers can define what kinds of controls to perform for each production and decide that each single product is labelled and monitored for the entire lifecycle, managing to store all information types: what processes it underwent (and when), on what car it was mounted, what parameters have characterized its production and the values obtained from trials and eventual testing.
Flexibility is another very important aspect for the plants devised for this sector. In fact, for both high-end and “standard” products, there are always countless variables that give birth to endless models and variants. This has led Cosberg, in time, to study solutions offering high reconfigurability levels and drastically reduced set-up times, to meet the ever-rising trend of customizing all aspects of cars and motorbikes. Concerning this, the concept of Lean Production plays a fundamental role, as aimed at the waste reduction and focused on quality, pursuing perfection through constant improvements. Workflows are precisely engineered according to this vision, simplifying the entire manufacturing cycle and eliminating the activities that do not generate added-value, in order to make our systems more and more efficient and flexible.
Cosberg always accepts the challenge for both aspects, traceability and flexibility, because Cosberg must work in synergy at mechanics, electronics and software to satisfy Customers’ expectations. A factor shared by both ambits is precisely the need of controlling and objectifying each operation, in order to eliminate human errors, to avoid wastes of time and resources and to supply “measurable” quality products.
Cosberg can manage all available market technologies that allow reaching these results, like for instance vision and measuring systems, linear and pressure transducers, system management software. Unavoidably, the latter must be faster and faster in filing and processing and, meanwhile, increasingly reliable and safe, as well as – not secondary characteristic – of immediate interpretation and use.
All that allows Cosberg to provide effective solutions to the scenarios that are emerging on the market – where the demand for smaller and customized batches is spreading – and in the advanced manufacturing industry, where production plants are consequently becoming increasingly adaptive, self-configurable and integrated into the manufacturing chain. In other words, Cosberg can state that its plants have already undertaken that evolutionary course that will lead, unavoidably, to that model of Factory that – rightly – Cosberg can define Intelligent.
Solutions for electric motors manufacturing industries
CM-Torino Unit has been operating on the international markets for over 20 years through a well-developed worldwide sales network covering more than 15 Countries. CM-Torino’s core business is the supply of customized solutions for electric motors manufacturing industries, after-sale service and technical assistance. The range of equipment includes stand-alone machine, workstations, fully automatic lines, customized re-tooling on existing machines, tooling & spare parts. Thanks to the cooperation with customers since the engineering stage of the project, CM-Torino can supply machines and equipment able to decrease production costs and timeframes and assure highly reliable performances. The production process control complies with the most severe international quality regulations though defined procedures & flowcharts, clear & detailed work instructions, quality records, constant people skill improvements. The whole manufacturing process complies with the international safety standard regulations and the environmental protection rules. The after-sale service supports the customers up to the production start-up, offering intensive on-line training courses, remote diagnostic system, programmed maintenance and many different services aimed to ensure the correct working of the equipment during the production phase. The major fields of application where CM-Torino is currently active are automotive (hybrid and full electric vehicles), home appliances (e.g. whasing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners) and energy (water treatments, wind power plant, IEC56/IEC355 asynchronous motors mono/three phases.
Manufacturing technology for electro mobility
At the end of January 2017, GROB acquired 100 percent shares in DMG meccanica, substantially reinforcing the competences and developments in electro mobility, which it has been developing for several years. The technologies of DMG meccanica and the new processes developed by GROB will now enable GROB to provide all the vital manufacturing processes and procedures in electric drives for the automotive industry and its suppliers worldwide, and also to supply them for series production in the near future. DMG meccanica has many years of specialization and experience in machinery and plant manufacture for the production of stators for electric motors, alternators andgenerators. The technological know-how is based on the tried-and-tested winding process of inserting technology and needle winding.
Most of the machinery and plant of DMG meccanica is used directly in the automotive industry. GROB develops and tests new processes, developed specially for the series production of stators for electric motors in electric vehicles, in its own development department. The future cooperation is therefore a win-win situation for both companies. GROB has secured further know-how in the field of electro mobility and DMG meccanica has found in GROB a strong, globally- oriented partner for series production. Further investments to expand these technologies in the field of electro mobility are planned at both sites in Turin and Mindelheim.
Mauro Marzolla and the father of Marco Debilio founded DMG meccanica in 1992 from a spin-off of one of the leading Italian providers of winding machines for electric motors. In 2016, their company with a workforce of forty employees achieved a total turnover of ten million Euro. Their customer portfolio includes many well-known electric motor manufacturers and suppliers to the automotive industry. DMG meccanica is particularly well-represented in the important e-mobility market of China. Owners Mauro Marzolla and Marco Debilio will stay with the company in future and will continue to be co-CEO´s of DMG meccanica. In addition, DMG meccanica will remain an independent company within the GROB-Group, and all jobs in Italy will of course be retained.
A leading machine tool manufacturer
GROB-WERKE is an internationally active family company based in the Bavarian-Swabian town of Mindelheim, with a product portfolio ranging from universal machining centers to highly complex manufacturing systems including automation, and from machining assembly units to fully-automated assembly lines. GROB is one of the few machine tool manufacturers that produces and supplies both machining and assembly equipment. Since the production of electric motors demands special assembly know-how, it was logical for GROB to seek a competent partner from the field of electric motor technology. Its takeover of DMG meccanica enables GROB to emphasize more than ever its claim in drive technology to be a leading and reliable partner for the automotive industry.
Specialized in the production of elastic component
Specialized in the production of elastic components, Mollificio Lombardo has always identified product quality, operational flexibility and prompt reply to the market as its distinguishing traits. Determinant elements that have shared, in over 80 years of activity (precisely this year falls the 85th since the establishment), in transforming a small workshop into a more and more structured reality.
A family company, characterized by a strong managerial character, coordinated and managed by Emilio Longoni, Managing Director and General Manager, and by ever-growing international bent.
«Today – outlines Longoni – over 35% of our turnover crosses the national borders. A percentage value that will grow further essentially for two reasons. The first concerns the fact that several of our customers have delocalized abroad their production lines. The second involves instead us more directly with our production pole situated in Brazil, in Parana, operating at full rate for about one year now».
The added-value of human resources and product quality
«As important – adds Longoni – are human resources. People who daily contribute in the achievement of our results». Concerning this, the company schedules about 4% of total working hours for training, generating a positive involvement and a direct participation in corporate targets. Skilled personnel and manufacturing performances that allow Mollificio Lombardo to satisfy the most various demands subjected by the market.
«Requests – adds Longoni – that can concern smaller batches of 500-600 units up to lots composed by even millions of pieces yearly».
The product quality is anyway discriminant for all supply types, differentiating element that has permitted and permits the company to stand out on the market, in national and, as already underlined, in more and more international ambit.
«The quality of our products – highlights and ends Longoni – has been granted since 1996 by the compliance and the conformity with UNI EN ISO 9001 regulations. In 2008, we reached the target of the certification for the automotive sector according to the ISO TS 16949 regulation. It is instead under study the attainment of the environmental certification ISO 14000 and of the certification ISO 9100 for the aeronautical industry».
Inspection machines in electric motors production
Dema is more and more engaged in the development of lines used to produce electric motors for both hybrid and electric cars.
Dema is delivering two inspection lines to check rotor and stator laminations stacks immediately after their production; the lines are used to control the production process and to check that the stacks features are correct. These are the first steps of the powertrain unit assembly process produced by an innovative American electric car maker.
Inspection is a strategic activity in the automotive business to guarantee zero defects; for this reason, Dema has, in the past few years, developed new inspection machines dedicated to check any kind of stack features, including stack height measurement, surface run-out control, welding seams checks, visual checks, cosmetics checks, go-gauges controls on ID, OD, hairpins or magnets slots and more.
The Dema business is focused on laminations and laminations stacks handling. They are worldwide expert on stacking, joining, assembling and inspection.
That means that Dema, thanks to its experiences and its competences, can supply production machineries able to process any lamination dimension, shape and thickness, able to use any joining technology, including bounding technologies, able to produce the full assembled rotor, able to produce the joined stator stack and able to check any kind of components features.
To be closer in line with their customers’ expectations, Dema announces their recent partnership with Comau, one of the current leaders on production and assembling lines in the automotive business.
Comau, with over 40 years of experience in automation and powertrain assembly , will be the right support for the new production requests in electrification projects. Comau, through flexible, modular and scalable assembly systems, grants the highest performance, process repeatability, flexibility and reliability.
With its global footprint, Comau can supply a full system dedicated to EV motors and their project management excellence ensures the added value that customers desire.
Thanks to this, the powertrain unit producers and their suppliers can be in touch with a leading team involving the experts of each process step.
Improvement of product development cycle for automotive industry
Established in 1969, Casati Stampi is specialized in the cold forming of sheet metal, activity performed by its factory at Biassono (MB), on a total surface of 15,000 sq.m., of which 6,000 covered, with a production intended for export by 80%. Dynamic and reactive, the company has always invested in research, development and technological innovation, with an approach that today allows it to play a protagonist role as supplier of the major brands in the household appliance and, especially, automotive industry. «Automotive – explains Nicolò Casati – that today represents about 70% of our production, constantly rising value for some years now». Concerning this, determinant was the owners’ decision, in 2013, of planning a growth and development strategy in this field. With these preliminary conditions, Nicolò Casati in person, recently graduated, starts organizing a sale network aimed at providing more visibility in the sector and today boasting one sales office in Turin area and one in Switzerland, entrusted with the German-speaking market. «Meanwhile – adds Casati – automotive and its requisites have required the ISO TS 16949 Certification».
Already ISO 9001 certified, still in 2013 the company employs a recently graduated female professional to take care of the quality assurance. A new resource who, together with another young, an engineer at the head of production and process improvement, allows attaining the Certification with TÜV SÜD in the lapse of six months. Today, 4 years later, Casati Stampi has then succeeded in becoming a reference player in the automotive supply, with the yearly 25% growth. «An ambitious result – adds Casati – whose achievement has needed, in addition to the huge investment for the personnel’s training, a decisive investment in technologies to enhance our manufacturing performances». Casati Stampi has in fact completed the already broad and diversified machine fleet with a new mechanical press with transfer lines (1,000 tons with a 4,600 x 1,800 mm worktable), besides equipping a new wire welding department with robotic isles, for tack and projection welding.
«Moreover – underlines Casati – in full conformity with the logics dictated by Industry 4.0, we have also implemented a new managerial software that is permitting us to make all digital internal information flows even more linear and fast. This means providing our customers with an even more punctual and effective service, job order after job order».
Increasingly structured, the company can therefore manage and coordinate the entire product development cycle, from the design to the finished and assembled product, through activities of research and process engineering, design, manufacturing, die tryout and testing, sheet metal forming (production), bonding/co-stamping of polyethylene with sheet metal. With the possibility of completing the component production with special treatments and/or finishes. «Relying on the implementations accomplished until now – ends Casati – we look at the future with the awareness we can rely not only on technologies and innovation but also on a team of motivated and skilled people. Each function is entrusted to a senior person, with historic role in the company, in collaboration with a young graduate. I believe this pair represents the best synergy in the name of continuity, to face the new challenges at best in a more and more global and competitive market».
Constant innovation in windings
With 250 employees, 5 manufacturing plants taking up a total of 26,000 sq. m. of surface, Came can produce over 30,000 windings and more than 15,000 casings daily, with solutions developed for national and international customers, operating in the sectors of electric motors, traction motors, gearmotors and pumps. Ready to celebrate its first 40 years of activity, the enterprise (today parent company of a network of businesses belonging to the same owners) prosecutes its growth and consolidation course and it can boast to be the only supplier, in Italy and in Europe, able to provide aluminium die-casts, wound stators, processing and assembly.
Activity carried out in productive units located at a distance of a dozen of kilometres one another: Crespadoro (VI) pole houses the departments for the cable wiring for connections and semi-automatic winding; the automatic winding division is instead headquartered at Molino di Altissimo (VI); the phases of finishing, motor connection and housing are instead performed by the pole at San Pietro Mussolino (VI), where is present also the headquarter; finally, die-casts are executed by the manufacturing unit at Chiampo (VI).
In particular, at Chiampo they carry out die-casts with a range of products including removable feet and bosses from Mec 56 to Mec 132, die-casts with inserted feet from Mec 56 to Mec 132, besides die-casts upon customers’ specific designs. «A production automated by robots – explains the managing director, Cristian Chilese – for parts that range from few grams up to over 21 kilos each, with a loading capacity varying from 320 to 1,400 tons». Strategic for Came, the die-cast division has been recently enlarged with the integration of new presses and process automations.
Constant innovation in windings
Strategies and targets of constant enlargement also for the implementation of windings, manufactured by Crespadoro and Molino di Altissimo poles and representing the majority of the applications for the electric motor. «Concerning this – specifies Chilese – we have made huge investments to widen the range, especially for the production of low-voltage windings, then widely used in the automotive sector, in electric cars and forklifts». Concerning AC motors, Came can produce copper and aluminium windings, with finish for use under inverter, manual windings and for high-efficiency applications (IE1 – IE2 – IE3 – IE4), besides low-voltage ones.
«We have been equipped for some time – adds Chilese – also to implement windings for DC motors, with independent poles, i.e. BLDC, brushless direct current, blanked stators or sectors ». To succeed in providing an all-round service, Came is structured also for the housing in casing and the assembly of all winding types (from Mec 56 to Mec 180). Besides, it can supply all die-cast components like shields and flanges machined upon customers’ designs and ready for assembly. Company’s feather in the cap is also the R&D office, which assists and supports customers in the design of motors and die-cast components. «Research, development and technical assistance – ends Chilese – are granted on all components, together with competence and support for the development of windings and the collaboration in the development of high energy efficiency products».
Original solutions upon customers’ demand
Bluergo is specialized in the design and manufacturing of electromagnetic and electronic components. Thanks to the experience gained in over thirty years of activity in the enamelled wire world, it operates in various sectors and can offer catalogue or tailored products, with a highly competitive quality-price ratio.
Structured with a factory in Italy, in Castelfranco Veneto, close to Treviso, and one in Slovakia, in Rimavska Sobota, ideal barycentric locations for higher reactivity and better logistics, the company intends to represent a qualified partner, able to design, to develop and to implement original solutions upon customers’ demand, in compliance with the most severe qualitative standard, appreciated on a world scale for its tachometer coils for the motors of washing machines and dishwashers, for its pump stators and over-moulded coils, during last years Bluergo is becoming an important reference company also for the automotive industry. Thanks to its efficient and flexible structure, it can offer cutting-edge technological solutions at competitive costs also in this sector, a growing market that today absorbs over 20% of its production.
From the wire to the finished product
The copper wire winding has always represented the company’s core business. Bluergo, however, thanks to the constant focus strongly oriented to research and innovation, has completed it with systems for assembling, shearing, welding and moulding of polymers, enabling the supply of a complete product meeting customers’ requirements.
Therefore, the company has specialized in the most refined techniques of coil over-moulding as well as in the engineering of moulds and equipment for volume-manufacturing and testing.
In this context, the differentiating element for Bluergo is the capability of representing not only a mere winding supplier but a real qualified partner, a “problem solver” company able to supply complete packages, suiting its customers’ needs: from the technical feasibility analysis to the co-design and virtual prototyping activity, from the fast-sampling of samples to the design and implementation of facilities for mass-production.
Bluergo’s know-how and experience represent an important resource at disposal of all partners for the qualitative improvement and the technological evolution of products, including mass-produced ones.
The company’s R&D, in fact, is at disposal of all customers to perform the product development at best, taking care of each single job order from the initial design and prototyping phase until the definitive production certification. A competent and organized reality able to propose innovative engineering solutions, also through a “make or buy” analysis if customers are researching cost efficiency in already mass-produced items.
Hairpin technology for automated assembling
In 2016, around 800,000 electric cars were sold in the world, with the 40% rise compared to the previous year. As many as 63% of them are BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), i.e. cars whose propulsion is directly supplied by an electric motor powered by batteries.
A more and more significant prevalence that is constantly growing; within 2020, the offer of this vehicle typology on the European market is expected almost to triple, rising from the 20 currently available models to the foreseen 54.
According to the data provided by the E-Mobility Report study carried out by Energy & Strategy Group of Milan Polytechnics in 2016, it is also evident that the world market of the electric mobility is scoring impressive growth rates. To be competitive in this market it is important to bet on the technological innovation of electric-traction motors, which must be increasingly compact, lighter, with higher performances and low consumptions. Atop is specialized in supporting customers in each project phase, backing them in the achievement of this important target.
First, the company executes an analysis of the customer’s product, which needs an engineering assessment aimed at the motor industrialization. Afterwards, it implements the prototypes that allow testing the manufacturing feasibility. Once approved the project and tested its efficiency, Atop produces the machines for the automated assembling of electric motors with hairpin technology, offering the suitable automation level for the demanded productivity.
Flexibility and performances for prototypes and small batches
The special winding hairpin technology, already integrated by Atop in fully automated lines for the production of electric motors for starter and electric- and hybrid-traction motor applications, has been further developed.
The result of the technological progress achieved allows the implementation of very flexible machines, suitable for both the development of prototypes and the mass-production with low production volumes.
The flexibility of Atop machines allows customers to produce hairpin stators with variable shapes and sizes, manufacturing with the same plant motors with different technical specifications.
The machines perform the processes of slot insulation, hairpin forming and insertion, enlargement and twisting, cutting, repositioning and laser welding of terminal wires.
Each operation is carried out with utmost precision and speed, granting an optimal control of every phase of the manufacturing process. The machines implemented by Atop grant the highest flexibility, reliability and user friendliness, exploiting as strong point the capability of offering customized solutions, aimed at satisfying customers’ specific demands, even the most complex, worldwide.