INVESTMENTS MADE OVER TIME TO INCREASE THE LEVEL OF PRODUCT QUALITY
Tecnofor allocated approximately €80,000/year for research and development between 2017 and 2020, a substantial amount with respect to its revenue.
Furthermore, in addition to the ISO 9001:2015 certification, valid for all production, in 2019 it obtained the IATF 16949:2016 certification, specific to the automotive sector.
The IATF certification focuses primarily on continuous improvement and on the precautionary containment of risks through sophisticated analyses that aim to prevent potential defects as much as possible. In 2020, it then also obtained the ISO 14001 certification which confirms Tecnofor’s intention to reduce the company’s “footprint”, monitoring the impact of its processes and setting specific objectives for improving them.
OPTIMISATION OF THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS
From 2018 to 2021 new transfer machines were purchased for the machining of balls, capable of reducing cycle times by approximately 20%, thus consuming considerably less energy (-35% kWh/Kg of processed material between 2018 and 2020). New electric motors with inverters, greater machining speeds, and the optimisation of energy consumption made these achievements possible.
In 2021 Tecnofor further expanded its range of machinery, introducing multi-spindle and mono-spindle machines and a triple-spindle transfer machine dedicated to high volume and high precision automotive production with particularly complex machining operations.
In January 2022 a new 5-axle, double-spindle, double-pallet CNC machine will be introduced which provides a double-cycle machining option for parts measuring up to 800 mm long, perfect for medium and large scale high-efficiency production of chassis components (body in white) and battery containers for the electrification of vehicles (battery box cross members).
