One long-standing and exemplary collaboration in this area is the supply of air compressors for Rondine SpA’s works located in Rubiera and Vetto, Italy, devoted to the production of porcelain stoneware tiles.
Rondine SpA, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding this year, constitutes the main nucleus of an industrial group that now also includes the tile manufacturers Hilton, Fontana, Sassolgrande and Bismantova. Since 1998 the company has been present on the domestic and international markets with two brand names: RHS and Fontana/Bismantova. In 2005 Rondine became the majority shareholder in Spray Dry, a company that operates in the sector of raw materials for the ceramic industry. And finally, 2010 brought the acquisition of Sadon, a leading company in the production of skirting boards and porcelain stoneware tiles in small formats.
The reasons why Rondine turned to Mattei, a historic firm in the sector renowned for its solutions focused on high quality production, can be found in the importance of guaranteeing superior performances and continuity of operation in a company that produces a total volume of 6.0 million m2 of porcelain stoneware per year. The use of compressed air is required in various phases of the manufacturing cycle, with constant, round-the-clock consumption of 32,000 litres/min. From the enamelling, using screen printing machines and ink-jet printers, to airbrushing and colour application by means of spray guns, to the final packing, compressed air controls all the automated processes, for hi tech, low environmental impact production.
The benefits offered by Mattei compressors are twofold: first, their average duration is very long due to the machines’ simplicity of construction, so that the stator never comes into direct contact with either the rotor or the vanes. In addition, thanks to their rounded surfaces, the vanes glide over a film of oil as they turn that preserves them from wear. Second, the compressors’ configuration, which does not have any gearing between the motor shaft and the rotor, nor thrust bearings since they are replaced by brass bushings, reduces the number of components and consequently the maintenance operations. The return on the investment is concrete if one considers the entire life span of the machinery, the small number of maintenance operations, the absence of overhauls and the lower cost of the original replacement parts.
The installation was built by the Commatrè service company of Reggio Emilia, Mattei’s exclusive distributor in the area for rotary vane compressors from 1.5 to 250 kW.
Rondine SpA general services manager Claudio Scalabrini says: “For us it’s essential to have machinery that is able to provide not only top performance but also long life and low maintenance. Thanks to the Mattei compressors, we have succeeded in keeping our working standards high, in terms of quality, pace of production and energy savings”.
Mattei director Silvia Contaldi declares: “We’re especially proud of our beneficial collaboration with Rondine SpA, a company whose strong points, like Mattei’s, include attention towards “Made in Italy” quality and technological innovation. Rondine is an importance reference for us in the ceramic sector and represents yet another demonstration of the versatility of our solutions. Mattei compressors can be easily integrated into already existing plants (OEM) and customised in synergy with the customer to satisfy even the most complex requirements”.
Always attentive to quality, Mattei constantly invests in Research & Development in order to broaden its array of solutions featuring original design and the company’s proprietary rotary vane technology. The following product lines stand out:
AIR CENTRE 4000 SERIES COMPRESSORS
- Power from 55 to 110 kW
- Free air delivery from 8.37 m³/min to 19.2 m³/min
- Working pressure 8, 10 and 13 bar
- Available with three-phase asynchronous electric motor
- Control board with degree of protection IP54 with continuous, automatic and modulation operating modes
- Control and monitoring panel with MaestroXS microprocessor and semi-graphic LCD display, illuminated text and start, stop and programming buttons
- Direct connection via flexible coupling
- Oil cooling unit with two aluminium radiators for cooling the oil and the compressed air
- Three-stage oil separation
- High quality pulsation-free compressed air, delivered continuously and at constant pressure
- Steel sheet sound enclosure, epoxy coated and covered internally with fire-resistant sound-absorbing material, with large hinged doors and removable panels for complete accessibility during maintenance operations
- Available in the PLUS version with integrated air drier
CLASSIC ERC 2000 COMPRESSORS
- Power from 30 to 55 kW
- Free air delivery from 3.67 m³/min to 8.9 m³/min
- Working pressure 8,10 and 13 bar
- Available with three-phase asynchronous electric motor
- Control board with degree of protection IP54 with continuous, automatic and modulation operating modes
- Control and monitoring panel with MaestroXS microprocessor and semi-graphic LCD display, illuminated text and start, stop and programming buttons
- Direct connection via flexible coupling
- Oil cooling unit with two aluminium radiators for cooling the oil and the compressed air
- Three-stage oil separation by means of filters
- The compressor-motor unit is fastened on a robust base, equipped with openings that enable easy lifting and handling
WHO IS MATTEI
Ing. Enea Mattei S.p.A. designs, manufactures and sells rotary vane compressors on a worldwide scale. This exclusive and distinctive technology has made it one of the authorities in the market segment of compressed air. Every year, the company manufactures more than 6,500 rotary vane compressors, exporting more than 50 percent of its production. Mattei is based in Vimodrone, in the province of Milan, and has two plants in Vimodrone and Verdello-Zingonia (Bergamo). It has subsidiaries in France, Germany, Great Britain and the USA; representative offices in Russia and Spain, and numerous commercial partners throughout the rest of the world.
Founded in 1919, Mattei is still a family-owned company today.
