With over 60 years of experience in the deformation and surface treatment of aluminium and around 30,000 square meters of production facilities, Almeco is a world leader in the production and the treatment of this metal.
Although the company’s history is closely linked to Italy, where one of its two production sites is located, Almeco has followed a strong internationalisation strategy from the very beginning.
A strategy that has led the company to expand worldwide, with another production site in Germany and Service Centres in the USA and Asia.
This infrastructure network allows the company to address an international audience, while remaining geographically close to customers.
World aluminium production: a more effective product thanks to the anodising technique
The company’s focus on customer needs and major technological investments have led Almeco to gain a leading position in the world aluminium production.
Since 1982, when the first anodising in line was installed, Almeco has become a specialist in this production technology that significantly improves the intrinsic qualities of aluminium.
Aluminium anodising is also known as ‘anodic oxidation’ and is an irreversible electrochemical process by which a protective layer of aluminium oxide forms on the surface of the treated part and protects it from corrosion.
The purpose of the aluminium anodising service is to:
- Improve corrosion resistance
- Increase hardness
- Increase wear and abrasion resistance
- Provide moderate thermal insulation
By enhancing the intrinsic properties of aluminium, the anodising process makes this material even more sustainable, further reducing the impact of the production process.
One answer to many needs: the bandoxaldecor® surface line
Almeco’s products are developed to meet the needs of different industries. In particular, the bandoxaldecor® catalogue offers numerous finishes and colours that make it suitable for applications in the following industries:
- architecture
- automotive
- design and interiors
- furniture
- consumer electronics
- industrial products
- lighting
“The focus of the production department is always to achieve the highest quality and uniformity of surfaces. The technology is well known, but we use it as an increasingly refined tool thanks to the study and continuous development of numerous parameters”, says Matteo Amadini, Anodising Plant Manager.
High quality products for several market applications
Another technique in which Almeco has a high specialisation is PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition). In 2006, the company installed a PVD line in Bernburg (Germany), which enables the production of nanotechnological multilayer structures, thanks to which Almeco has been able to meet various market requirements over the years.
Bernburg’s factory is dedicated to vega® and TiNOX®, reflective and absorbing surfaces which combines the proven quality of aluminium anodising processes with the most advanced technology of vacuum coating. vega® and TiNOX® surfaces can be applied in many different areas: from indoor and outdoor lighting to applications in the horticultural and solar sectors.
“The success of the process is guaranteed by a qualified staff, but also by sophisticated measuring and control systems, which make the process highly automated. The efficiency, versatility, homogeneity, and repeatability of the process make this plant capable of producing innovative, multilayer systems for a wide variety of applications”, says Tito Gionfini, Group R&D Anodising.
Customised solutions to respond to each customer’s needs
Almeco is the only company in the world, within a single group, to control all the development and production processes required to obtain components for the lighting, design, and solar sectors.
A comprehensive approach that allows Almeco to respond to each customer’s needs, thanks to a team capable of following the customer through all stages of a project: from the idea and feasibility analysis to the prototyping and production. The process is developed in close contact with the customer, so that the finished product fully reflects their needs.
“We are a close-knit team that has grown in proportion, due to the technological evolution of our products. The company’s triumph card is precisely this: the professional competence of each of us, aimed at our customers’ satisfaction”, says Claudia Ronchi, Customer Service & Sales Support.
Almeco for the environment: sustainability at the heart of the company’s strategy
Sustainability has always been at the heart of the company’s growth strategy, thanks to the resources that have been dedicated to research and development activities since its early years. Resources that can count on the company’s network of partners, carefully chosen from among the most innovative and environmentally aware companies.
Almeco has developed an approach to production based on the circularity model, which enables it to reuse almost all the resources required for production. Waste is, to a large extent, used as raw materials by the company’s partners. For the small percentage that cannot find a second life, Almeco has developed an initiative with a partner that allows it to offset the CO2 produced when transporting and disposing of waste by purchasing CO2 credits according to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).
The company’s focus on sustainability is not only limited to the environmental side, but also to the social side. Despite its status as a leading world producer of aluminium, Almeco has not lost its “family business” values and has always been determined to make the most of its internal resources. Starting with the focus on occupational safety and the professional development of its employees. A strategy that ensures that turnover is very low within the company.
