AZMEC: Beyond the simple product

Azmec was founded in 1960 and started with precision machinings, while in 1964 began dealing with vacuum pumps and compressors. Today its business is distributed in two workshops: the hystoric unit in Arenzano (GE) and the more recent unit in Verderio (LC) operating since 1993. In the Arenzano workshop, extended on a covered area of 1200 m², the liquid ring vacuum pumps have been produced untill the opening of the new production site in Verderio that is still today the main reference unit for the design and production of the whole ranges. Clearly the synergy between the two sites is real an advantage for granting to the customers the utmost punctuality in the delivery times. The castings are machined through CNC tool machines and the tests are done in the new internal testing room, fitted out with the most updated instrumentation and available to test machines having an absorbed power up to 250 kw.

We are always looking for the discovering of a better and improved product

“One of our strength – explains Dr. Claudio Vergani, General Manager of Azmec – is represented by our flexibility, as well as the quality of our products. Part of our standard production is pre-assembled in our workshops, therefore we can grant the deliveries in a few weeks. Azmec is a small reality, therefore we are able to react with promptness to the requests of the customers. For example in only 1 or maximum 2 days we can release an offer. Recently we have focused our attention on the service, doing some analysis directly in the papermills to establish which product can be more suitable for the customer and developing our internal engineering department in order to reduce the final costs and mantain unchanged the quality and the performances”.

The most significant projects from 2020

Azmec works for about the 65% of its turnover for the foreign market and supplies important companies like, for example, Andritz AG (Austria) to which recently engineered and delivered several complete skids type ALC520Z, ALC670Z, ALC400Z destined to new Paper machines in Russia and Romania. For this current year a new job is open including skids type ALC670Z and ALC400Z for a new Paper Machine in Romania. During the year 2020 Azmec has also acquired some important customers in the italian paper market. With the company Overmade Srl has been defined a longterm and still open contract with deliveries at different deadlines for 6 vacuum systems type ALC420Z destined to new paper machine in Saudi Arabia. For the customer Ahlstrom Munskjo Italia SPA, precisely for the papermill in Sassoferrato, n.2 vacuum groups type AL50/2000 have been supplied to extend the existing plant. The same thing for the historical customer Cartiere di Trevi, to which the supplying of a complete group type ALBV55/2000, was accompanied by the complete engineering and commissionig of the turnkey system. Azmec have also recently defined with the customer RAIPAPER, the supplying of a complete engineered skid type ALZN100/2000 for the papermill in Isola Del Liri and the overhauling of the existing old pump ALZ100/2000 and AL40/2000. In the year 2021 Azmec started an important cooperation also with Recard SpA to which have been already supplied a complete vacuum plant type ALC500Z for a new paper machine in Ivory Coast and another plant type ALC420Z and ALC355Z with the final destination in Bangladesh.

The production

Azmec production includes six lines of vacuum pumps, machines available to grant capacities from 150 up to 50.000 m³/h; together with the vacuum pumps, AZMEC offers to the customers all the available accessories that’s to say the driving systems (pulleys and V-belts, gear reducers when the installed power is more than 355 kw), the discharge separators, the silencers, the pre-separation groups, the safety valves, the self-priming extraction pumps and the dampers just to mention the main parts.

The vacuum pumps of the range AL/2000 cover a capacity interval from 150 to 12.500 m³/h; the range ALBV/2000 covers capacities from 2000 to 7500 m³/h and the characteristic of these pumps is to have practically two pumps in one due to the presence of a divider that creates two sections each one available to grant the 50% of the total capacity and different vacuum degrees; the same solution, but with horizontal suction nozzles, is granted from the pumps of the range ALZ/2000 that have the same range of capacities of the range AL/2000; with the size ALCZ, pumps available to work without and with the divider, the capacities reach the maximum of 50.000 m³/h; the range ALBC grants capacities from 450 up to 17.000 m³/h and the range ALB4 grants capacities from 4500 up to 21000 m³/h. A special care is offered from Azmec to one of the problems that is present more and more frequently: the reduction of the noise level of the machines according to the laws concerned to the ambient; to get the best solution, AZMEC offers to the customers the covering of the pumps with soundproof panels available to reduce the noise level to 75 dB(A); clearly these solutions can be applied also on machines already installed.

Azmec – high efficiency, lower energy consumption

Overhaul service

Azmec recommends to carry out periodical maintenance and overhaul interventions on all type of vacuum pumps and offers a maintenance service for any type or brand of liquid ring of vacuum pumps. It’s appropriate to provide a cycle maintenance every 5-7 years depending on the operating conditions and the liquid ring service water, to avoid significant looses in performances compared to the original curves. Azmec is also able to verify, if required, the performances of the pumps already installed. They can lose in 10 years up to 15% of efficiency, therefore an overhauling intervention can be amortized in just one year. The difference of cost between an overhauling and a substitution with a new pump is about 50%.

The energy saving

Azmec concentrates its consulting capacities also on the energy saving matter and this is much appreciated by the customers. “For example – explains Dr. Vergani – we suggest pumps one size bigger than necessary, in order to use it with a lower speed when the vacuum is not requested reducing the energy consumption; the speed can be increased only in case of necessity. We also suggest and supply the cooling towers in case little water is available and it has to be ricirculated, because the pumps perform better when they work with cold water. Besides we recommend the installation of pre-separator tanks to protect the pumps from contaminating particles”. In few words, more than a simple pump supplier, Azmec is a partner capable of providing the right solutions for its customer.