Interfluid is an Italian company that operates in three mutually synergistic sectors: hydraulics, pneumatics and high pressure. In recent years, the company has strongly boosted high energy saving systems, releasing a series of both customized and standardized servo-pumps. Demonstrating a neatly forefront vision, Interfluid is also pioneer in brand-new hydrogen applications. The development of new products goes hand in hand with the modernization of logistics and services, due to huge investments made by the company in the automation of warehouses to optimize logistic flows.
«Interfluid ─ states Giampaolo Sala, managing director of the company ─ develops its activity of component distributor and system integrator in three divisions, all equally relevant for our business: the pneumatic division, with which we were born in 1979, the hydraulics division, strongly oriented to the international market, and the high-pressure division that is closely taking care of the development of applications with hydrogen. They are three branches that share different potential synergies that we always try exploiting at best».
All Interfluid activities converge in the headquarters at Gallarate (Varese, Italy), recently enlarged, which house warehouse, assembling and management. Interfluid can boast a significant ranking both in Italy and on foreign markets. «Our products are marketed in various Countries ─ Sala states ─, like China, France and East Europe markets, where we export the quality of our products with a skilled technical support». Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, Interfluid has succeeding in allocating huge investments, programmed before the health emergency, to optimize and to automate logistic flows, further speeding up deliveries, also thanks to the online sale. «In spite of the lockdowns and the criticalities caused by the pandemic, our company has managed to remain on the market and to prosecute with the investment plans previously started. We have invested in new vertical warehouses and we are reviewing internal flows to improve the efficiency of shipments and logistic automation. Moreover, we are investing in the digitalization of internal commercial, logistic and administrative processes».
The new energy-saving servo-pumps
According to market trends and demands, unceasingly researching solutions to contrast the rise of energy costs, Interfluid has developed some servo-pump systems that allow obtaining a notable energy saving. In the early stages, they have been implemented in customized version upon customers’ specifications but the company has recently completed its portfolio with a new “plug & play” standard line, Hydraut-branded, which facilitates installation operations, avoiding the pre-setting phases normally needed. The philosophy on which this product is based consists in reducing external staff’s interventions, diminishing implementation times and costs.
The relationship between Interfluid and Hydraut started in 2006 for the distribution of hydraulic pumps. «It is a brand today acknowledged on a European scale for quality and reliability – Giampaolo Sala explains ─. We in-house assemble and test the pumps to assure all of their safety standards and we guarantee them for 24 months».
«The introduction of servo-pump systems into our product fleet ─ declares Marco Sozzi, technical-sale manager of Interfluid hydraulic division─ stems from our customers’ need of manufacturing machines with higher and higher energy saving. We started with tailor-studied servo-pumps and recently, in collaboration with Hydraut technicians, we have studied the new KSPH servo-pump to meet the requirements of those who intend to exploit the advantages of the servo-pump but do not need a customized unit, such as our historical servo-pump Piisma or Eco Servo by Kawasaki, among our custom solutions, too. We have understood that maintenance technicians often search for “turn-key” alternatives that they can select and start up in user-friendly manner, and for this reason we have decided creating pre-defined packages to be selected according to pre-established use parameters. We supply all the components that compose the servo-pump, that is to say the motor pump unit with high-efficiency permanent magnet brushless motor, the internal gear pump and the control inverter. Our servo-pumps allow attaining an energy saving that can reach 80%, depending on the machine where they are installed. However, this is not the only highlight of these solutions, which also permit to decrease the overall dimensions of the hydraulic unit, reducing noise and simplifying maintenance due to the elimination of proportional valves».
Not only pneumatics, but also vacuum and lubrication
Interfluid was established in 1979 for the distribution of pneumatics components but currently also this division is growing and is partly changing its nature. At present, in fact, Interfluid distributes pneumatics, vacuum and lubrication components, with Pneumax, Vuototecnica and ILC brands. «Our technicians, with us for several years now, have developed the competences to create also customized systems upon demand of our customers that are turning to us for the outsourcing of some projects», tells Giampaolo Sala.
Hydrogen, the new frontier where Interfluid is already present
Hydrogen is the great focus of EU’s attention and it is one of the elements on which they stake in the decarbonization course. In spite of the sector to be still fully explored, Interfluid has already gained a good know-how level, having taken part in the development of a hydrogen testing system on pressures that exceed 1000 bars already in 2017.
«Who enters this world ─ Sala affirms─ needs to carry out tests and testing because we do not know the repercussions of operating with hydrogen at certain pressures and temperatures. Therefore, most of the companies that approach this market need to make laboratories carry out testing and tests able to provide technical outcomes, and here our units for pressurized tests come into play. Besides consulting and systems, Interfluid offers certified components to be used with hydrogen, such as valves, tubes and gas boosters. It is a strongly developing market, with huge investments and great expectations».
Interfluid in the online channel on Fluid-Hub.net
Interfluid has decided proposing its products also through the online sale, a channel with great potential that the company enters due to its partnership with Fluid-Hub.net, a newly-conceived digital platform, with fully innovative services for the industrial automation sector.
