The paper industry: an essential interlocutor
Both in our country and internationally, the paper industry has been one of AZMEC’s main interlocutors, given the typical needs of the industry in the field of treating and managing water resources. “Since our beginnings – says company Managing Director, Claudio Vergani – the paper division has been a major point of reference for AZMEC, although over the years, we have been able to establish and develop solid relationships with customers from a range of different sectors. Among these, on this occasion, we should also mention the oil and gas filtration, cement and chemical industries.
Currently, as things stand, paper production and transformation continue to be outlets of primary importance in Italy and internationally. We also have good reason to believe that they will most certainly continue to play an essential role in the future, too”.
To succeed, now and in the future, to address the problems of paper mills, supporting their drives for evolution, AZMEC has developed an intervention strategy, as set out in detail. “To meet the needs of our customers – Vergani continues – we always try to take into account the main variables that characterise the correct operation of a vacuum system – first and foremost the need to save energy, contain noise levels and last but not least, the need to limit water consumption as far as possible. This is why we never limit ourselves to exclusively offering AZMEC customers a simple supply of machinery, but rather we also offer the study and creation of a full plant layout. Our aim – notes Vergani – is to be able to optimise the operation of the plant itself and specifically our work consists of assessing the most beneficial technical solution for achieving the best relationship between power needs in terms of kilowatts and cubic metres for vacuum pumps.
We also offer a vast range of solutions developed to be able to guarantee noise levels that can be reduced to 65 dBA. As far as concerns the specific case of recovering water resources, the key application is of course based on the full recirculation of the water itself. In this specific case, we need to ascertain the best construction materials for vacuum pumps. On the specific point of being increasingly ready to meet the needs of our customers – he continues – in May 2022 AZMEC completed its acquisition of Riva Tecnoimpianti, a company specialising in the manufacture of light and heavy metal carpentry components and one of AZMEC’s suppliers for years. In this way we have been able to further increase our range of services, as well as to strengthen our competitiveness”.
From small mechanical workshop to world-leading company
An all-round approach
The approach of the supplier, who is active in Italy out of plants in Arenzano, near Genoa, and Verderio in the province of Lecco, can only be said to be extremely exhaustive and it includes an all-round approach. “In other words – Vergani points out – we feel that the end users of our products need to be guaranteed a service that goes beyond the simple supply of machinery. Based on our experience from decades in the industry, we always seek to guide our customers towards choosing the most suitable technical solutions for them. This means the choice that can guarantee maximum efficiency for the vacuum system overall and providing, if requested, the complete turnkey design project and the stages after the plant is put into service. As further confirmation of the excellent quality achieved by AZMEC products and services, we have the repeated nature of contacts from the most important manufacturers of paper machines and also cardboard and paper manufacturers themselves, both in Italy and internationally, as can be seen from the constantly updated list of references published on our website. And this is the reason why every day, for over sixty years, AZMEC has been striving for the continued improvement of its range of products and the quality of its services, in order to ensure they continue to meet the needs of its customers”.
Company identikit
AZMEC was established in Genoa in 1960 as a company specialising in contract machining. In 1964 the company manufacturing vacuum pumps and liquid ring compressors for the paper-making industry, working almost exclusively at national level, but standing out for the quality of its machines.
In 1988, company stock was almost entirely acquired by a group already operating in the pump industry (Pompe Vergani) while continuing to gradually expand its targets in both the strictly technical and commercial directions.
In 2018 the move was completed from Voltri, Genoa to Arenzano, and a larger, recently completed factory building. AZMEC currently works out of the Arenzano factory, in the province of Genoa, as well as in Verderio, in the province of Lecco. This latter factory was opened in 1993 and then expanded in 1998, designing and manufacturing liquid ring vacuum pumps using the most cutting-edge technologies. Pieces are machined on CNC machine tools and inspections are performed in the new internal test room, which is equipped with the most cutting-edge instrumentation for testing machines with power input of up to 250 kW.
Between 1960 and 1990, the unit in Liguria has been focused on manufacturing liquid ring vacuum pumps and contract transformation work.
In 1993, the pump manufacturing division was permanently moved to Verderio, while the Arenzano hub was destined to subcontract works and maintenance of different types in the mechanical sector. The two plants continue to work in synergy, especially during periods of intensive work demands.
Both plants have had ISO 9001 certification since 1998 and since 2010, AZMEC has held EAC certification to export into the Russian market and it is also commencing production on pumps in compliance with Atex standards for use in explosion-risk areas.
With a view to expanding the business and making it increasingly competitive, able to guarantee customers the best possible service, in 2022 AZMEC completed its acquisition of Riva Tecnoimpianti, a company working on the market since 1998 and specialising in the manufacturing of light and heavy metal carpentry components as well as of hydraulic control units, which have a full range of different uses in a range of sectors on the international marketplace.
Internationalisation according to AZMEC
AZMEC is continuing on its path to boost its presence on different markets and in different industrial sectors, both in Italy and internationally, while continuing to increase its core business, the paper industry. The most important vacuum systems designed and built for export markets include: two supplied to Overmade for two paper machines installed in the United Arab Emirates (6xALC420Z supplied together with all accessories, including cooling tower); a new system to Recard for a paper machine installed in the Ivory Coast (2xALC500Z complete with accessories); a new system for Andritz AG, consisting of 2 ALC520Z vacuum skids, the supply of two new vacuum systems (1xALN120/2000 and 1xALC420Z) for the Gharb Papier plant in Morocco; the supply of a new ALB160 pump to complete the other two already installed on a system at Ahltrom La Gère in France; an ALN80/2000 plant for the customer, Emirates, installed in a paper mill in the United Arab Emirates; four new ALC500Z electric machines at Replus Tissue and complete with accessories and destined for two new paper machines, both in Mexico; two complete vacuum pumps supplied to Toscotec, the first to be sent to Bangladesh (2xALC500Z) and the second to Qatar (1xALC500Z and 1xALC355Z).
For the Italian market, recent projects of note include the study for the refurb, in collaboration with De Iuliis, of the vacuum system at Cartiere di Trevi (1xALBV55/2000); renovation of the vacuum system at Cartiera Giacosa with the installation of a new ALZ100/2000 pump; expansion of the vacuum system at Ahlstrom-Munksjo Italia for the plant in Sassoferrato (2xALN50/2000 complete with accessories) and Cartiera della Basilica, which received three ALCZ pumps from the new compact and “space-saving” line, thanks to the new design project for installing the motor over the pump.
