Well, we already made the fact review of Italy for you if you will as the tourist to visit our country. We suppose it is a nice subject for discussion because as you probably know Italy stays at the top of countries to visit as a tourist so the interest to it is very high. Now let’s speak about more professional things and our market of action. Now it is time to make facts (and rumors!) about the industrial Italy which are not willing widely known and moreover these facts are closed connected with sheet metal fabrication and bending! If you will find this article probably it will be for you just interesting to read but maybe if you are looking to cooperate with Italian companies you can also find something useful…
Let’s start!
1. Italy has one of the biggest quantities of national press brake tools manufacturers in the world. Probably only China could compete. And they are real producers with their own manufacturing facilities, not only distributors of trademarks.
2. Italian press brake tools are used and respected worldwide even with for sale for lost cost machines from Turkey, Taiwan or China. Made in Italy is not so expensive and more over the big quantities of production allow for Italian manufacturers to make very competitive prices even against Asian origin products.
3. All press brake tools producers are situated in the range of 200-300 km in the north side of Italy (the region between Milano, Monza and Piacenza).
4. Italy one of rare countries which has not only the national exhibition of machine tools but special separated exhibition for sheet metal fabrication machines – “Lamiera”. This exhibition was every year in Bologna but now transferred to Milano and will be every two years. The exhibition is very famous and respected with all main players on it and the high interest also for foreign visitors.
5. Italy has one of biggest professional community in Facebook dedicated to sheet metal fabrication – “Lamiera e lamieristi”. This community is more than 6000 members and bigger that any English speaking one.
6. Italy has very professional workers including press brake bending technology. The reasons are the possibilities for short connection with press brake tools and machine manufacturers, good engineering education and mainly there are several companies which provide the special paid courses for sheet metal bending in Italian language.
7. One of the manufacturers of leading automatic solutions in press brake bending is located and founded in Italy.
8. There are lots of manufacturers of machine tools even famous names in Italy including press brakes, punching machines passed the bankrupt situation. Some of them are not exist anymore (even with valuable trademarks), some changed owners.
9. Italy has one of the biggest internal European markets for sheet metal fabrication machines consumption. It means that any Italian manufacturer has the important percentage of sales inside Italy. Italian internal grow of general machine tool consumption is nearly 3,5% per year. According to exhibition representation Italy has around 30 percent in field of premium press brake machines made in Europe.
10. More about press brake tools - as we know only one or two Italian companies mainly sell imported tools outside of Italy. All other are real “Made in Italy”.
11. The rumors are that more than 50% of press brakes operated in Italy are with turned off the protective light or laser barriers. But we can’t say this as the fact.
12. As in other countries we know several press brake companies which sell products as Italian made or assembled with Turkey, but mostly Chinese origin. It means that the real machine has probably light assembled in Italy and the customer pays the double price for trademark.
13. Italians like Italian products. In reality this means that there a several press brake names with popularity in Italy and very poor represented outside. But in the same time you can meet worldwide origin products in Italy. For example for lasers all countries are represented in job shops: from Japan and Germany to China and Italy for sure.
14. Sheet metal fabrication market and mainly job shop system (in Italian – “carpenteria metallica” or “lavorazione di lamiera”) to make sheet metal parts under the order is widely used so it is possible to find the production even at small local town. It is also the story that the consumable sheet metal machinery market is very strong enough these days.
15. All main Italian industries are situated in the north part of Italy.
16. If you are looking for the job it is easy to find the job of CNC machine operator, welder or CAD engineer compare to other possibilities.
17. August is the time to close even for production. Everybody in vacation and you will be lucky if you will find even service this time. Otherwise you should wait; service also will be in vacation. So if are planning to buy the machine and to get service directly from Italy - do not plan any faults or breakage during the August time)))
18. Italians want to sell to Germany but language is the biggest block to contact with potential customers.
19. Hard to say real percentage but we suppose that around 80 percent use Promecam tool system for their press brakes.
20. Italy is only one country in Europe to produce fast clamping Promecam systems for press brakes and there are several types of it.
21. There were two main stages of formation for industrial and manufacturing company including machine tool manufacturers - the foundation of companies after World War 2 which celebrate now 40-50 years and 80-90s when goes the new industrial boom and new opportunities for production and machine tool sales.
22. Most of all companies are family businesses. External person to manage the company is not the Italian style of company run. In a lot of companies father or grandfather is the founder and main developer of the machines and technologies.
23. Personal relationship is very important. So if you want something it is better to ask your Italian friends if they can help you with the right person. Recommendations are magic and can give you good chances for discounts and best conditions you want to achieve.
24. The last one to end - do not make paper claims for Italians if there is other possible ways to solve the problem. Official paper claim is something very sensitive for Italians and the reason to rush any personal relations.
25. As the wearing of good clothes and drive of stylish cars Italian managers can use the same style to invest in machine tools for example. So do not think that the most expensive one could not be sold in Italy, why not? In the same time the market is also full of old nearly 30 years old machines still running.
26. Price is good but where is the discount!!! (Italian style of price comparison).
