At Plast 2015 Sandretto is providing a preview of some significant innovations: the new Serie Dieci of injection moulding machines with clamping forces of between 30 and 500, which are protected by two patents and equipped with the new SEF 3000 control units and chamber temperature monitoring system; and a range of 3D printers specifically designed for professional additive manufacturing. The company is now owned by Photonike Capital, a company listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, and the new management has chosen to verticalise production, concentrating it at the Pont Canavese (Turin) plant, which occupies a surface area of over 40,000 square metres, 25,000 of which are under cover, and has recently undergone major renovations. These developments were announced on May 5 at a press conference held at the manufacturer’s stand (C 41/D 42, hall 22).

Sandretto carries out 70% of the construction of its injection moulding machines in house, according to a "total quality" system whereby every single component, whether destined to be original equipment or a spare part, is put through strict quality assessment processes. This company sets attaches great importance to the value of Italian manufacturing and, keeping its headquarters in Italy and working with Italian partners, is seeking to channel Italian design and manufacturing capabilities into outstanding products. The renovation drive also extended to the sales network and technical support service, so as to better meet the needs both of new customers and of the users of the vast number of machines already installed worldwide. The company is currently present in 40 countries where personnel trained directly at the parent company operate in complete autonomy. Furthermore, within the year, branches and service centres are to be started up in 15 other countries.

Sandretto is also presenting its new 3D printers at the fair. These, the result of a project conducted entirely in house, aim to satisfy a professional clientele and to occupy a place in a rapidly evolving market. In order to break into the additive manufacturing  sector, the manufacturer has drawn up a very aggressive plan, covering all the main technologies currently available, from hot-wire deposition to the polymerisation of filled resins, and the sintering of metal powders. It predicts that additive manufacturing, thanks to the technological convergence that is taking place within the field of real-time processors, sensors and electric motors, will, within the space of a few months, become an integral part of the processes involved in the manufacture of products, both plastic and metal, destined for structural purposes. The production costs will become competitive with that associated with traditional processes, while the specific engineering features will make it possible to produce parts that are not yet obtainable using the currently available processes. Even though it will not be possible to replace traditional production processes entirely (CNC-controlled cutting machines, injection moulding etc.), it will, on the other hand, be possible to strengthen them.

Sandretto has a development plan within the additive manufacturing sector which covers the entire range and is expected to be completed by the end of 2016. At Plast it is presenting its first professional delta-type hot-wire printers, which are among the among the largest and fastest currently on the market. The products feature important innovations in terms of firmware, control functions and error handling. On the basis of the same technology, it will subsequently be possible to develop a full range of Cartesian type machines for mass production, followed by a complete series for resin polymerisation and  laser sintering. With these aims in mind,  a dedicated  laboratory (Sandretto Skunk Works Lab) is currently under construction in Lazio, with the collaboration of top suppliers, both Italian and foreign.