Specialinsert® is innovation in action towards Industry 5.0

Specialinsert® – leading industrial company specialized in the development, production and sales of fastening systems – continues on its course towards continuous improvement, announcing a series of strategic initiatives and investments. This development serves as a demonstration of its tangible commitment to transforming innovation into concrete and measurable actions, paving the way for its transition to Industry 5.0. In detail, Specialinsert®, embraces the paradigm of the fifth industrial revolution, as a natural progression of its 4.0 approach, more focused on the automation and digitalization of industrial processes, redefining the combination so that technology is at the service of people.

“In this vision, Industry 5.0 aims to go beyond productive efficiency in order to promote a more sustainable, resilient and human-centered manufacturing, for which on March 2nd, the Italian Government has allocated 6.3 billion euros with Decree Law Pnrr” states Cinzia Arduini, CEO of Specialinsert® who continues “Supported by the European Commission and by Institutions at all levels, the new model combines the unique skills of the human being, which returns to the heart of production, with machinery and processes, as highlighted by the Industry 5.0 - Towards a sustainable, human centric and resilient European industry - Report " and concludes "In this sense, for Specialinsert®, this means investing in its human capital through up-skilling and re-skilling training sessions, in favor of an organizational transformation where people are guided to take-on more value-added roles to govern the growing technological complexity of the different production phases”.
In line with the aims of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Specialinsert® proudly celebrates the completion of its Program “Specialinsert® 4.0”, which has been the subject of significant investments, worth more than 5.5 million euros. The interventions concerned three areas, with the aim of increasing their efficiency: the logistics made integrated, the production lines interconnected through the implementation of enabling technologies and the IoT digitalization of machinery, in favor of a precise overview on the performance and health status of the plants.

Specialinsert® has also raised productivity by implementing vertical warehouses: at the heart of its project to achieve integrated logistics, there are seven automatic warehouses, that rise on the outer wall of the production site of Maerne di Martellago, 15 meters high and 30 wide for an enhanced storage space of 1800 m3. In addition, the Put-to-light technology has been introduced, in order to facilitate the picking process of hardware. The system involves the use of information bars and laser pointers integrated in the various shelves or containers of the vertical warehouses to guide operators by lighting up the exact position of items, for the benefit of a more efficient and accurate picking process, which minimizes errors and time taken. The results of this investment are unmatched: in addition to saving 90% of floor space compared to traditional warehouses, the company boasts zero faults and picking up to 140 cycles/h.

The technological advancements towards the optimization of production are also significant, thanks to the seamless integration of new components, cutting-edge systems and various retrofit interventions.
These include: new weld stations, multi-spindle lathes to refine drilling processes, threading, automatic tapping, metal parts spot welding and turning and a new automated machine for assembling the Keep-Nut® press-in self-anchoring threaded inserts.

Innovations that, in addition to ensuring greater performance, both in terms of energy efficiency and operational flexibility, contribute substantially to reducing costs and set-up times. Furthermore, in regards to the high quality of the fastening systems produced, which has always been a distinctive feature of Specialinsert®, the measuring and optical selection systems have been further enhanced. This investment has allowed the company to achieve 100% complete control of the production, according to the strict "Zero Defects" corporate approach. Moreover, the company has taken decisive action to improve hygiene and safety conditions in the production sites, by installing a new-generation washing plant which makes use of low environmental impact detergents, in favor of greater sustainability. An initiative that testifies to the high level of attention paid to cleanliness in a sector characterized by processes traditionally considered among the most “dirty”, to protect workers and as a concrete demonstration of Specialinsert®’s commitment to their well-being and health at work.

Lastly, the absolute innovation in an industry 4.0 perspective is the digitization and analysis of the data concerning the production processes of Specialinsert®’s two factories, thanks to the development of an advanced three-dimensional production synoptic of the machine fleet and the production environment, able to real time monitor the performance indicators of individual machines, departments or global processes. Through the application of machine learning techniques, the system is able to make projections on the future functioning of the machinery, allowing fast programming and early resolution of any critical issues. Additionally, the company has integrated a statistical analysis software (SPC) and customized the ERP management program, to which more than 90% of the production plants are interconnected, whose routine, preventive and predictive maintenance is governed by an internal plan, supported by thermographic and phonometric analysis, to identify potential causes of failure.

“We are proud to have carried out the complete conversion of the Specialinsert® 4.0 Factory system on time and according to the initial project requirements" declares Franco Pioggia, Headquarter Quality Management of Specialinsert® who continues “A milestone that, on top of validating the innovative and strategic industrial approach of the company focused on operational efficiency, has led to an increase of production capacity, which currently stands at 100 million pieces produced in a year" and concludes “However, this success doesn’t mark the end of Specialinsert®’s innovation path, which is already planning the new Phase 5.0. This will include investments in equipment for self-production of energy from renewable sources and the strengthening of the synergy between humans and machines, further consolidating our leadership as a sustainable company".

Specialinsert S.r.l. – www.specialinsert.it
Established in 1974 and 100% owned by the Arduini Family from 2021 onwards, Specialinsert® is a leading Italian industrial organization specialized in the development, production and sales of fastening systems. With a total area of 8,500 m2, distributed between the registered office in Turin and two units located in Maerne di Martellago (VE) and Milan, the company operates with a staff of 70 employees, boasting a turnover of 14.5 million euros in 2023 and exports to over 85 countries. Thanks to continuous investments in Research and Development and a meticulous quality control system, Specialinsert® is a reliable partner, able to provide a wide range of extremely versatile solutions that can be applied in multiple industrial sectors.