BELLA ITALIA
When Italians like something, it has to be compact or fast. Fiat 500 or Ferrari. Or from Wipotec.
At the Wipotec Italia S.r.l. branch in Pero near Milan, the company is pleased to report that various Italian markets have seen respectable growth. These include machine builders for pharmaceutical production and the field of weighing and inspection technology for food segments, which are also among Wipotec core business areas.
Many observers of the Italian markets consider that in Italy price aspects play a decisive role and that the technology on offer is always in second place.
Even if a technology-driven decision is expected and aimed for, in the end the better price-performance ratio can always give preference to a conventional solution - an obvious disadvantage for technology-driven companies like Wipotec. The markets are price-sensitive in this respect - and prices in Italy are more favorable than in Germany in many areas. The Italians' expectations are also higher than elsewhere in terms of price flexibility, customer-specific solutions and delivery times. It is one of the daily challenges for Wipotec Italia to satisfy these demands
Yet, we are successful: The Italian colleagues win tenders and win in bidding procedures because Wipotec solutions are more proficient and reliable than those of other providers in direct comparison.
In these tender procedures, they show that using and operating our systems from Kaiserslautern results in savings, cost advantages, and thus demonstrably in a better price-performance ratio even at higher cost prices - if one not only focuses on the purchase price but also takes the future service life of the machines into account.
You can easily find evidence of this among Wipotec customers. Customers in Italy are convinced that they can produce faster and more cost-effectively and with better quality using Wipotec solutions.
Wipotec – Well Known and Highly Appreciated in Italy
As far as the integration of Wipotec Weigh Cells in production machines for the pharmaceutical sector is concerned, all machine manufacturers are familiar with the German weighing technology specialists, and there is barely any competition at eye level. The successes of our Italian colleagues in the growing market for capsule machines for coffee are quite remarkable. Wipotec solutions are always a hot topic, especially when it comes to applications in the field of high-speed, multilane or rotary star wheel weighing systems.
In addition to the range offered by Wipotec for pharmaceutical production, Wipotec is also known for systems suitable for fresh and baked goods in the food sector.
Checkweighers from Wipotec are also in great demand for upright spray cans made of tinplate or aluminum, known in the industry as aerosol cans. Here it is the efficient and safe transport and weighing technology of upright tilted cans for which the systems from Wipotec are known. The areas of application for the aerosol cans range from cosmetics and household care products to pharmaceuticals and food.
The Italian branch is also aware that Italian visitors to the Kaiserslautern plant are impressed by the modern, spotlessly clean production, the performance of the machines in the Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) and the company's innovative spirit, i.e. the ability to tackle new developments with pleasure.
How Italian Customers Find their Solutions
In many cases, there is no need to search at all.Especially in the field of X-ray inspections and checkweighers there is so much competition in Italy that the suppliers tend to look for and find customers and then knock directly on their doors.
Accompanying print advertising or advertisements on the Web are not the only salvation. A versatile, informative and competent web presence is also important. In Italian, of course, which in itself is a matter of appreciation to customers. On the website, the customer must find everything he needs to know about Wipotec products and their applications.
Equally promising are very good, above all local references and positive customer feedback. Direct on-site visits are difficult to arrange in advance and in the initiation phase, so the national trade fairs remain for personal contact with customers and interested parties.
The three most important exhibitions for Wipotec Italia are IPACK-IMA for solutions in the packaging industry, Pharmintech – no need for further explanation - and CIBUS-TEC. The latter is dedicated to machinery and technology in the food sector.
Competition in the Markets
Italy stands for a large number of top-notch mechanical engineering companies - from family run businesses to the multinational IMA. They all have the location advantage, not least because of local production. On the other hand, you have the unique features of Wipotec which start with the basic technology. Only Wipotec EMFR Weigh Cells - manufactured in-house - are used in all machines and they have two decisive advantages. Based on electro-magnetic force restoration, they deliver more precise results in less time than competing systems that use strain gauges, which primarily appear to be more cost-effective. This makes Wipotec solutions increasingly efficient.
Furthermore, the Weigh Cells with AVC (Active Vibration Compensation) have active, extremely efficient vibration compensation. Environmental interference cannot affect the Weigh Cells equipped with this system; they deliver consistently high performance, regardless of any external influences.
In addition: interactive consulting services on the web, in Italian, are particularly important for customers during the comparison and selection phase. More than merely a search tool, the product finder on the Wipotec website is an interactive recommendation system, which uses complex filter technologies to suggest a solution that matches the customer’s requirements.
Prospects for the Future
The Weigh Cell business in Italy will continue to grow. There is also great potential for X-ray inspection systems and checkweighers in Italy. Wipotec not only offers X-ray, metal inspection systems and checkweighers, but also combines these complementary inspection technologies in a single compact system without requiring additional space or sacrificing speed.
This is especially important for those customers where production space is expensive, space in the line is limited, or who are looking for particularly fast solutions. This is especially true for the food and pharmaceutical industries nationwide - as it is everywhere else in the world.
What is it they say? When the Italians like something, it has to be compact or fast. Fiat 500 or Ferrari.Wipotec solutions offer both at the same time.