FIMIGroup, One of the world’s key players manufacturers of sheet metal and coil processing equipment uses reliable, high-performance Rexroth components and solutions. A success made possible thanks to the cooperation of a Certified Excellent Partner Bosch Rexroth
FIMIGroup, explains its marketing manager Timothy Fiumana, «was founded in 1963 in Viganò (LC), and is today a major company in the design, manufacture and commissioning of machines and plants for processing ferrous and non-ferrous coils».
What FIMI produces finds its primary application at the world’s most important steel mills, but is also destined for the automotive, household appliance and food packaging, pharmaceutical and construction industries.
«There are seven lines», says sales director Eng. Mario Colombo, «the main lines realised by the company (flattening and cross cutting, longitudinal cutting and trimming, automatic packaging, electro-welded tubes, open profiles, process and special machines for aluminium processing), structured in three divisions, namely FIMI Machinery, which creates and manufactures machines and plants, FIMI Automation, which is active in the field of industrial automation and specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of electrical and automation equipment, hardware and software, and FIMI Service, the branch of the Group able to guarantee a punctual and professional support in after-sales service and maintenance, both ordinary and extraordinary, of the systems produced».
Integrated automation and advanced hydraulic control systems
One of the reasons behind FIMI’s success is the high level of technology and automation of the systems produced, a characteristic favoured by the ability to satisfy the requests of customers, who, and this is an enormous benefit for them, can interface with a single interlocutor, even for the software part. For many years there has been, with mutual satisfaction and as proof of the reliability of the technologies supplied, a close collaboration with Bosch Rexroth, a central relationship for FIMI, so much so that a large part of the systems produced at Viganò use components and solutions from the Bosch Group company. Starting with the proportional solenoid valves, which are essential for the operation of the plants in terms of their precise and constant control, and the wide range of valves and functions capable of covering FIMI’s numerous hydraulic requirements.
«For the systems that we produce», Colombo emphasises, «we work a lot on specifications, where Bosch Rexroth is always listed and quoted, all over the world», reflecting the quality and reliability of its components.
If at one time the synergy between FIMI and Bosch Rexroth was “direct” so to speak, today it is developed through a third entity called Fluidodinamica. The Friuli-based company has the title of Certified Excellent Partner of Bosch Rexroth, which for the customer means finding the same reliability and quality as the manufacturer. Explains the meaning of this partnership Rares Stefan Alexandru, technical & sales area at Fluidodinamica: «We were born in ’79, but it is since 2015, when we were acquired by the FIZ Group, that things have changed, and while we were previously known in the field of pneumatics, today our core business is hydraulics. Now our role as system integrator is quite different from the previous one. We now produce hydraulic power packs for the woodworking, sheet metal, steel, packaging and many other industries. Our strong point is our flexibility, if the customer needs us, we react immediately by proposing immediate solutions, where possible innovative and in step with the latest safety regulations: this, combined with the know-how of our director Fabio Barbon, is the key to our success in this very competitive market». Rares adds: «For the last couple of years we have been venturing on a path towards sustainability and energy saving, and in this Bosch Rexroth has supported us, enabling us to solve many problems. The variable speed systems (Sytronix, Cytropac, Cytrobox) are increasingly present on our power plants and are part of our value proposition that distinguishes us from our competitors in the market».
One of the latest systems delivered by FIMI was installed in the Netherlands. It is a cross-cutting line for sheet metal with internal gear pumps from Bosch Rexroth, although the electrical components and asynchronous motors are supplied by other players. This is because the Bosch Rexroth efficiency system is indeed a complete solution, but one that can sometimes be unpacked based on the requirements of international and other specifications. A similar line delivered to India for a major global steel mill has the task of inspecting and rewinding the coil. This type of line has to work at high speed (typically up to 400 m/min.) and is designed for very high productivity (around 400,000 tons/year). For this reason it is equipped with several special automatisms for coil quality control such as thickness gauge, inspection booths with lights, mirrors and surface control devices, side trimming and central cutting with scrap shredder, laser coil welding, surface oiling and oil thickness measurement. The line is also equipped with a high-speed rotary shear to discard damaged portions of coil, thanks to a second-level connection between the line and the rolling mill. The use of Rexroth’s high quality and innovative components, together with the contribution of partner Fluidodinamica, allows FIMIgroup to be recognised as an important manufacturer of steel processing plants, with reliable, flexible and low energy impact machines.
Stefano Pellegrini, hydraulics sales representative at Bosch Rexroth Italia points out: «There are at least a couple of issues to highlight. The first is the fact that our technology is powerful, intelligent and efficient, and these are the reasons why we are the most important company in the world in the field of industrial hydraulics, a partner that never leaves the customer alone. The second consists in the presence of our extremely capable territorial solution partners, and this is the case of Fluidodinamica, who engineer and install Bosch Rexroth’s high-performance solutions».
