AN INTERVIEW WITH TECNOSPIR’S STEFANO RIVELLINI

Industrial cutting machines: technology and reliability. Tecnospir’s role.

To help companies implement and optimise production processes, be by your company’s side day after day to improve the quality of its products, its competitiveness and profits. That’s the mission statement the FKgroup has set for itself and strives for – not just high-tech cutting machines, but also a high-level of service and product customisation to suit your working needs.

That’s what Tecnospir is all about, a small company based in the province of Bergamo and serving the B2B market. It works in a specialised, niche area and with the Tecno Biliardo cutting machine it can offer products that are increasingly customised to its customers’ needs. Thanks to a technological partnership with FKgroup, Tecnospir has increased the precision of machining on high-performance technical materials and increased the overall quality of its products.

Stefano Rivellini of Tecnospir himself tells us how and why he chose the FKgroup cutting machine: “We are a company that operates in a niche sector – heating cables. The classic application for this type of product is thermal blankets, but they can also be used in the automotive or technical clothing sectors. Since 1986, heating cables have been our core business alongside the tinsel cables we produce for medical or robotic applications. Our customers are mainly European, but requests from Italian and international companies are increasing.“

Where did the need for a cutting machine come from?

Our relationship with FKgroup began as a result of our evolution in heating cables. About seventeen years ago, we started supplying a product assembled on panels that can simply be sewn or glued, not just the simple cable that companies then integrate into their products. This greatly simplifies and speeds up the whole production process for our customers, who have appreciated it very much. The first versions were very simple. The backing was made from non-woven fabric or polyester wadding. Then we developed the design on new, higher-performance materials such as fibreglass fabrics or AluPeT, an aluminium-polyester composite. The common thread running through all this is total customisation. Even to this day, Tecnospir hasn’t got a product catalogue, we create each item according to specific customer requirements. We start with the search for the most suitable materials right up to the design and construction study.

So, in addition to mass production, was a cutting machine suitable for prototyping and research needed?

Yes, it was. In the early days, we cut materials by hand with a pneumatic cutter on a cutting table that we’d made ourselves. It goes without saying this was quite limiting for us. The cut could only be straight, so we could only make square or rectangular products. When complex shapes became popular in the market, we realised that it was essential for us to find a new, industrialised solution so that we could cut everything more quickly. We searched the world of cutting table manufacturers and discovered FKgroup.

What was it that led you to choose FKgroup’s cutter?

We saw many proposals, but FKgroup’s was the one that convinced us the most. FKgroup took care of all our production requirements. First and foremost, it provided us with decisive support in choosing the type of machine. After considering different options, we purchased the Tecno Biliardo, which is not a conveyor and with a reasonably low investment compared to other options, it maintains all the characteristics and performance of a high-tech machine.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TECNO BILIARDO
Fk Tecno Biliardo Cutting System
Did you request any customisations or modifications?

We asked for special supports for the materials to be cut. Then together with the technicians, we agreed that the fixed blade was the best type, because when cutting AluPeT the cut is cleaner than with an oscillating blade. Today, we can say that we produce top quality products in terms of cleanliness and cutting perfection. We’re considering adding controls on the other side of the machine to allow the operator to operate it without moving. It’s a real four-handed job with FKgroup, a way to continually evolve and improve with lasting investments.

How would you rate your experience with FKgroup?

I couldn’t have hoped for a better one. There is a great synergy with the company, and they’ve always been ready to solve problems and answer questions quickly. The service times are very fast, which is very important because production doesn’t have to stop. But what makes the difference is that they not only solve the problem but also investigate the causes – is it a structural issue, a fault or is it me using the machine improperly? This is crucial, because if I can’t root out the problem, in two days I’ll be in the same situation again. With FKgroup this doesn’t happen and every problem is an opportunity to move forward and improve.