Lean Company and manufacturing processes

We are currently in the process of taking another important step: we are transforming Giacomini into a “Lean Company” - a company that is careful and respectful not only with regard to organisational, manufacturing and financial resources, but also in general terms, in everything they do. With a view to achieving this, we are systematically reducing waste across the board. Indeed, at the same time as we are eliminating waste, we are also generating new resources which can then be devoted to the development of our company. Our aim is to make resources available where they are needed and not where they are not.

Lean Company

In implementing the two fundamental pillars of our strategy, customer service and economic and financial performance, the Lean Production approach we have adopted brings two important benefits: reductions in factory throughput time and improvements in production efficiency.

The Lean group has already achieved interesting results in the elimination of waste in processes, greater involvement of people and increased production capacity. We regularly organise activities - called Kaizen weeks - at our sites, carried out by an independent working group. The working group is assimilating the culture of continuous improvement, measuring the results and optimising the production of components with the existing machine installed base.

Lean Company and our people

The involvement of our people is central to the Lean approach: the individual is at the heart of the project, and must be valued. The goal is not to make someone work faster, but rather to make the working process flow more quickly.

"I took part in a SMED_LEAN event for the first time recently. First of all, we were asked to make suggestions as to the best position for the materials, in the interests of speeding up our work. We worked for a few days to implement the changes, starting with the tooling machines, and then, a final simulation showed that the new procedures really do make the working process more efficient”

Monica, assembly line manager

"During the Kaizen week, we cleaned up the area around the machines as a first step, so that we only have the tools we need for our work around us. Personally, I could not wait to get my hands on the machines; this step has allowed us to gain working time every single day. It has been a useful week, which began with a training day during which the meaning and aims of the Lean project were explained to us. At the end of the week, we presented the results of our work”

Maria, an operator in the assembly department

Production Processes

Modernity and innovation characterise our working philosophy. Using the most advanced software in the design phase, along with sophisticated laboratory equipment to carry out rigorous checks, advanced machinery in the field of automation and robotics for production departments allows us to be competitive in markets around the world .

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Design

The design software used in our three production plants allows us to share information in real time, keeping each site up-to-date and available despite being miles apart. The software "Creo elements / Pro" used for the design, distributed by PTC (www.ptc.com), along with the PLM "Windchill PDMLink 10.1" software allows us to achieve high standards of quality right from the product design stage.

The entire product management process has reached levels of excellence - so much so, that in 2007 we received the "PTC Award 2007" for the construction of a collaborative design platform for technical and manufacturing departments.

In addition, we also use rapid prototyping technology with STRATASYS photopolymer resins (www.stratasys.com) for the construction of prototypes for design analysis and for laboratory testing, with a view to anticipating potential construction problems.

Laboratory

In the laboratory, we examine products in the development stage and perform strict control tests on finished products. Along with the checks that are performed on every single product, we diligently repeat mechanical, hydraulic, chemical and thermal stresses to verify quality consistency over time.

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Brass forging

The forging plant in Castelnuovo del Garda is recognised as being one of the best-equipped production units in Europe. Here the brass bar, our raw material par excellence, is brought to the ideal temperature in induction or gas furnaces, and is then shaped in moulds positioned on specific presses. The collection of presses at our forging plant includes machines of various tonnage, from small presses up to 200 tons up to the powerful 800 ton press.

The sophisticated automation system developed by our technicians minimises the possibility of construction errors, ensuring consistently high quality production.

The working phases in the forge are as follows: cut lengths of bar, graphitizing, pressing and deburring; all supported by a mechanical workshop and a technical office.

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Turnery

In the turnery department, two types of processing take place. The first is derived directly from brass rods of small diameter: all small parts are made on multi-spindle lathes with automatic loading. The second of these works with the pressed piece from the forging plant: the internal shapes and necessary threading are carried out by transfer machines with burr removal functionality.

Assembly

In the assembly department, machinery designed and manufactured within our workshop gives the final shape to the manufactured product, assembling all the components together and ensuring that each final piece is tested.

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Warehouse

Over 10,000 sq, of warehousing, organised using our SAP management system, allows us to maintain product availability for all of the international markets in which we operate.

Plastics moulding

This department boasts a machinery inventory made up of injection moulding presses which can be used to create both small and larger components.

A sophisticated automated system allows the presses to be continuously fed with the raw materials required to mould a given component.

The presses used for the production of fittings with brass inserts are fed automatically by robots placed on the machine.

Both the prototype and the production moulds are built and maintained by the internal department workshop.

Plastic pipe extrusion

The extrusion department is equipped with machinery suitable for the production of crosslinked polyethylene piping (PEX-b), temperature resistant polyethylene (PE-RT), polybutylene (PB) and polypropylene (PPR), with a potential daily extrusion of approximately 150,000 metres of pipe.

The crosslinked polyethylene production process concludes with the process of crosslinking with xylans, performed in special chambers in which the rolls from the extrusion are subjected to fully automated treatments .

Plastics testing

At the laboratory, measurements and tests are carried out on samples of the raw material used for moulding or extrusion. In addition, destructive and chemical qualitative testing is carried out, sampling the full range of fittings and pipes in production.

With the guidance of technical experts, we also conduct research in the laboratory aimed at improving the synthetic materials used.

Approval and certifications

We have always pursued extremely high standards in production quality, and this has allowed us to obtain the most prestigious European and international approvals.

In order to maintain these, our products follow specific processes characterised by complex procedures which are subject to ongoing and regular checks and reviews by all staff.

This allows us to enter the market with the best possible references, which serve to support the introduction of our products to markets around the world.