Manzoni builds ever larger presses

The Italian family-owned Manzoni Group, headquartered in Bergamo, has acquired the 301,000 squ.ft machine tool plant of the old Innocenti Santeustacchio company in Milan.

The Italian family-owned Manzoni Group, headquartered in Bergamo, has acquired the 301,000 squ.ft machine tool plant of the old Innocenti Santeustacchio company in Milan, from the German rolling mill builder SMS Schloemann Siemag, Dusseldorf.

(Manzoni since acquired by AIDA (2005) - Ed) The Manzoni power press group has been steadily increasing its size, both in business terms and in the capacity of its power presses.

The acquisition of the site, where once the largest metal cutting machine tools in Europe - and Clearing International power presses under license - were built, will give considerable extra muscle to Manzoni1s manufacturing and power press building capacity.

Since Innse contracted to its Brescia site some years ago, the Milan plant still has well-maintained 'super-heavy' machine tools.

Their first job, said Manzoni's marketing head, Riccardo D'Ambrosio, will be to machine large components for a GBP10m 30MN twin-slide transfer press, with servo-drive transfer system and blank handling facilities, ordered from Manzoni Presse by the Le Mans, France, factory of Renault Cars.

The transfer press is seen by Renault and Nissan Europe as a 'strategic' machine for producing suspension and axle components.

Manzoni plans to initially build mostly its hydraulic presses in Milan, while the machining facilities will be used to supply components to other Manzoni group members, particularly the mechanical power press builder, Rovetta.

Components will also be supplied as part of a Manzoni contract to refurbish and retrofit an existing Innse power press installation at the Vaz car plant in Russia.

D'Ambrosio said that up till now, around 80% of the Manzoni Group's output - hydraulic and mechanical presses, forging plant and automation systems - go to Europe.

Overseas, the group has large contracts to supply tandem press lines to the MAC group in Brazil.

Manzoni also opened a registered office in Shanghai, China, last year, and more recently, a co-operation deal with Cydak, Sao Paolo, Brazil, for oversseeing installations and carrying out after sales service and support.

The group employs 700 and the sales turnover forecast for the current financial year is GBP68m (It.Lire 240bn).

It comprises Manzoni Presse, Rovetta Presse, Benelli Presse, Emanuel Presse, Proseat, Indulam and now, Innse Presse.

Expansion is very much in the Manzoni family's eyes, and the US is the target.

The US power press industry has almost disappeared, leaving Minster - manufacturer of high speed blanking presses - as the only one of two major survivors.

Japanese and European power press builders all have their eyes on the troubled Verson Group.

Manzoni is interested too, and also may have been talking to Minster.

Will Manzoni now challenge the well-established Japanese and European builders of large automotive panel transfer presses up to 10MNf? D'Ambrosio refrained from commenting.

Among new presses, Manzoni has introduced its high speed blanking press range, from 1250kN at 650-700 strokes/min up to 5000kN at 350-400 strokes/min.

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