Founded in 1956, Bonfiglioli is now known worldwide for its power transmission and drive system solutions. Over nearly seventy years of history, the company has distinguished itself for innovation and reliability, expanding internationally and offering cutting-edge products for various industrial and mobile applications.
We interviewed Massimo Palomba, E-Mobility Global Sales Manager, about the company’s main ongoing projects.
Three sectors in the spotlight
Palomba explained that Bonfiglioli is firmly committed to the transition to electrification, considering it a fundamental pillar for future innovation and sustainability. «The company is directing its expertise and technologies toward increasingly efficient, quiet, and high-performance electric solutions, capable of meeting new market demands. This process began and continues in the intralogistics sector- specifically forklifts and material handling machines – and has expanded to other key sectors such as construction and agriculture.»
In the construction field, the latest electrification developments involve all the machine’s drives, meaning various and customized final drives, not just the main power source. «By adopting this second-generation electrification approach, Bonfiglioli manages to reduce battery capacity by 50% thanks to better energy efficiency and lower maintenance costs, thus ensuring a much faster return on the initial investment.»
Furthermore, one of the sectors where electrification is in high demand and has reached significant levels is earthmoving. Here, Bonfiglioli has developed three different integrated systems for the main functions of mini excavators (2.5 to 5 tons) and midi excavators (5 to 30 tons). These include an ultra-compact, high-performance electric slew drive from the 700TE Series, equipped with an electromagnetic brake and speed and temperature sensors; an electric travel drive from the 700CE Series, easy to install and maintain thanks to fewer mechanical parts; and an electric motor for pump drives from the BPM Series, featuring permanent magnets and SAE interfaces – ideal for the electrification of mobile machinery in all international markets.
The use of permanent magnet motors, more efficient than traditional asynchronous motors, allows for up to 15% higher efficiency and greater vehicle autonomy due to reduced consumption. «These motors, with power ratings from 1 to 100 kW, are paired with optimized transmissions featuring advanced machining to reduce noise, confirming the company’s commitment to increasingly advanced electric solutions. Cutting-edge electrification is also being applied to compact track loaders.
For models in the 1.5 to 6 ton range, Bonfiglioli supplies the planetary track drive, paired with high power density electric motors specifically developed for electric systems. «Bonfiglioli’s electrified solution is a state-of-the-art product, already available as standard integrated equipment on machines from leading manufacturers and OEMs.»
Bonfiglioli’s electric swing drive for excavators
A tailor-made approach
Palomba emphasizes that Bonfiglioli has always worked closely with end customers to offer a complete system integrating mechanical, electrical, and electronic components, with a view to comprehensive and tailor-made service. «The support of Selcom, a company within the Bonfiglioli Group, is invaluable and fundamental in designing and producing customized high-tech electronic solutions such as controllers, PLCs, sensors, displays, and power converters. If unable to provide a fully in-house solution, Bonfiglioli, as a tier one supplier, relies on skilled external partners who contribute their expertise to support the development of the best product.»
Integrated services
Among the projects Bonfiglioli’s R&D is working on is the integration of additional services within what Palomba describes as the most complete solution possible. In this sense, the inclusion of advanced safety and IoT functions, currently offered as optional features, plays a strategic role. The E-Mobility Manager refers to the IoT platform applied to 5-6 ton compact track loaders, enabling Condition Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance services, as well as after-sales support. «The Condition Monitoring service uses Bonfiglioli IoT sensors applied to the gearmotor to collect real-time data, thus identifying any faults in the gearmotors or other mechanical components.»
The Predictive Maintenance service takes Condition Monitoring to a higher level, providing crucial information regarding, for example, oil replacement times and gearmotor inspections. This allows for estimating the optimal maintenance period, ensuring continuous performance over time. «Bonfiglioli’s IoT platform guarantees numerous benefits, including modularity and flexibility of components, which can be added or removed from fully customizable solutions. A key element of Bonfiglioli’s IoT platform is the portal, which simplifies monitoring and reporting on the operational status of components, acting on any warning and alarm signals.»
(by Lara Morandotti)