Interview with Fabio Martecchini
ATOMAT Remanzacco Udine Italy

“At EMO MILANO 2021 we will relaunch the quality of Made in Italy products”. 

Could you give us a preview of what you will show at EMO MILANO 2021 (technologies, contents, initiatives)?

Atomat has taken up the baton from Giana SpA, a historical manufacturer founded by the Giana brothers in 1959, whose name has always been prestigious in the field of Italian lathes. At EMO MILANO 2021, first of all, we will prove the continuity of Giana products and highlight our strong points: accuracy and attention to detail, high quality and high value. These are features that cannot be questioned despite the competition of new competitors. Our stand will spotlight our new large-sized lathe project, for which we involved Italian partners, who had been penalised by the industrial choices of some machine tool manufacturers that had decided to outsource abroad. Therefore, the components for all our lathes will be die-cast in Italy. Moreover, in the project and in the engineering, we cooperated with foundries and operators that keep using the technologies and the know-how of the great Italian tradition.

What does EMO represent for you and, in particular, what does this edition represent? What do you expect from EMO MILANO 2021?

For over twenty years, Atomat has been the point of reference and the absolute leader in machine tools used in workshops for lamination of long products. About one third of the construction steel in the world (excluding China and Japan) is produced using rollers machined on our machines. EMO represents the gateway to a market, where Giana has been a key player: the market of medium-heavy turning lathes, also multi-tasking and multi-purpose types, for use at workshops: oil & energy, mechanical/hydraulic precision components, metallurgical industry and many others. Atomat set the foundations long ago to relaunch Giana lathes in this wide sector, both in Italy and abroad. In this connection, EMO is the ideal instrument for this strategy – with its international dimension, but with a particular focus in Italy. Through our display of products, we will try to relaunch the culture of “Made in Italy” product excellence and high quality in Italy and worldwide. This is often disregarded in our country, in favour of a choice of low-cost foreign products, which penalises the Italian economic fabric.

How do you see the year 2021? What are the prospects for 2022?

After the pandemic, we are at a turning point and there have been encouraging signs in these first months, particularly in some areas, which seem the first ones to overcome the situation of uncertainty, especially the United States and China. Nevertheless, we should mention the large volume of investments that is being registered in Italy, also linked to tax incentives, which seem to have an important impact on the relaunch of the machine tool market.

Which are the most dynamic export markets?

Apart from the situation related to the Covid-19 and the recovery, which will primarily concern the countries that will be the first to overcome this public health emergency, the variability of markets is still strongly characterised by geopolitical factors, which significantly affect the possibility of expansion and sales in some areas. It is likely that there will be a relaunch in some Middle Eastern areas, which, so far, have been penalised by long conflicts that may partially be solved in the next months. While at the moment, the Far Eastern and North-American markets are still lively, on the contrary, two markets, Russia and India, which are traditionally very important for Atomat , are still slow, the first one due to the rouble devaluation and the latter owing to the difficult pandemic situation. Thanks to our efficient and competitive industrial asset, our financial soundness and our motivated and dynamic sales organisation and network of partners, we are ready to seize the opportunities for a commercial and industrial growth in any area where they may arise. We are very confident about our future business activity.

Could you give us an indication of the technological trends characterising the sector and, in particular, your product offering? What do customers require?

Also in this field, automation is certainly one of the predominant factors, even if not in all market areas. However, Atomat has been investing a lot in this sector, developing full automation of loading and unloading not only of workpiece, but also of grinding wheels in its grinding machines, as well as a system of automated cylinder positioning in its parallel lathes. Much is also being invested in augmented-reality instruments to encourage installations, training and remote maintenance of machines. Therefore, we try to create opportunities out of the problems caused by the constraints due to the free- movement restrictions following the pandemic.