Structured and organised but, at the same time, lean and flexible: this is how Nuova Stame, a company based in Sirtori (LC), is able to generate an annual turnover of 50 million Euro from die manufacturing, thanks to the valuable contribution of its 150 employees . Founded in 1970 thanks to the entrepreneurial and professional skills of a group of technicians specialised in the design and manufacture of tooling for cold sheet metal forming, today the company carries out its business on a total area of 44 thousand square meters, of which 10 thousand are covered. Here reliability, quality and research into innovative technical solutions are the key factors in obtaining continual positive feedback from the market. “We develop a wide range of dies”, explains Alessio Sangalli, purchasing department manager, “specially designed and manufactured to meet the needs of the prevailing automotive sector, including: drawing, trimming and cutting dies, as well as bending and forming dies, for multiple and progressive operations”. The dies made are used in car bodywork and components, motorcycles and agricultural machines, as well as the white goods sector, albeit marginally. The production widely uses solutions provided by Syndal, a company specialised in the sale of normalised components for dies.
Cylinders and punches
“It is rather difficult”, continues Sangalli, “to list which and how many products have been purchased from Syndal over time, in a partnership that has now lasted for over twenty years. I can confirm that currently there is a frequent need to use Special Springs nitrogen cylinders, Dayton drilling elements, Omcr normalised components and guide elements, as well as Effbe polyurethane elements”. With a production capability that boasts 2500 t presses (forming trials) with work tables of up to 3000 x 6000 mm, the company specialises in designing and developing large dies, as well as small and medium-sized high-complexity dies. “In these operational areas”, adds Sangalli, “we are able to provide great added value in terms of the technology and know-how gained over many years of experience, increasing our level of competitiveness”. In this regard, Sangalli refers to two concrete examples of recent projects where some products purchased by Syndal were used: the first concerns a die for Ducato silencer bends; the second, a body part (wing) for a Daimler-Mercedes vehicle. “When making the die for the Ducato silencer“, specifies Sangalli, “Special Springs nitrogen cylinders were used, a choice that is imposed on us by the need for total product safety, reliability and quality. A choice that is also dictated directly by the company belonging to our holding, which then takes care of forming the workpieces”. Regarding safety and reliability, the Lifeplus Concept was recently conceived and perfected for the Special Springs nitrogen cylinders for dies distributed by Syndal; it is a concept in which a series of devices conceived and developed for this purpose converge. We are talking about devices designed by the manufacturer with intensive R&D and continuous innovation, as well as the use of advanced technologies and analysis systems, continual testing and verification, in full compliance with the standards in force. The aim of this is to ensure the highest product quality, long life, reliability and, indeed, safety. In this context, it is also worth highlighting how, for over two years, the safety of gas cylinders for dies has been an important issue on which the Bak-VDI commission of the German association of car manufacturers is also working. It is a round table that aims to make it mandatory to use only gas cylinders equipped with active safety devices. “To help the technical office choose”, continues Sangalli, “Special Springs has a wide range of available solutions, from which it is possible to find the best match to the precise technical specifications”. In this specific application, the nitrogen cylinder used is from the RV series, which has evolved from the original HR series of cylinders with minimum height and more powerful forces, and equipped as standard with Osas (over stroke active safety) and Opas (over pressure active safety) devices. “For the Daimler die”, Sangalli clarifies, “Dayton punches were used, as they also feature high quality and reliability, while having a very attractive price”. In this regard, it is worth underlining Dayton’s product quality and its great research into the choice of advanced and innovative materials, with important investments in the hot-forming field. “And do not forget”, adds Sangalli, “the ability to make special shapes to drawings as well, and how they can reach us really quickly, when required”.
Product and service quality
Technical expertise, fast response, competitive prices and product quality. These are the requirements that Nuova Stame requests of Syndal; the same that the company can then offer and transfer to its customers in terms of service. A synergy of intent that also extends to other the solutions offered, including the Effbe springs for dies, which have been synonymous with quality for years, and which have important aspects that make them special, such as: long life, well-defined elasticity even after extensive use, resistance to oils, friction resistance, high resistance to tearing due to elongation. However, the most advantageous aspect that they have compared to steel springs, is their breaking strength and minimum damping (resulting in a high return force). “I would also like to point out” – concludes Sangalli – “the great technical support that Syndal always gives when supplying Omcrs products, those being normalised components and guide elements”. Through its subsidiary, Tecnomatic, Syndal has also recently supplied Pcm, a company belonging to the Nuova Stame holding, with a press brake system. This demonstrates its specialisation, in terms of both service and product, directly in the production of highly innovative coupling systems and automation for presses.
A holding with 700 employees and a turnover of over 250 million Euro
Nuova Stame belongs to a group of state-of-the-art companies controlled by a holding whose shareholders are all engaged in various roles within companies. Operational companies working in various sectors: sheet metal cold forming, die-casting and plastic processing. “A holding”, specifies Giorgio Fumagalli, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nuova Stame in Sirtori (LC), “is the sole shareholder of several companies, in which all the executive board members are shareholders”. Today there are 59 shareholders in the holding, which controls 16 companies, most of which are active in the province of Lecco, three are in central Italy, and others are in Romania, Bulgario and Germany, with a total of approximately 700 employees and a turnover that exceeded 250 million Euro again in 2013. “The group companies”, adds Fumagalli, “stand out, not just for their innovative technical solutions and product quality, but also for their flexibility, promptness and reliability in dealing with its customers. Customers with whom a relationship of credibility and trust has been built over time. An approach that has allowed Nuova Stame and the whole group to react, even during the past few difficult years”. In this regard, almost in contrast to the market trend, Nuova Stame has made huge investments in the last five years, expanding its operating area with a new press department, and acquiring a new washing system and laser cutting machine. Growth that aims to tackle the future with greater foresight and production capacity.
