One of our slogans that best reflects our reality is ‘not only plating barrels’, and now we’ll explain why.

Progalvano was founded in 1967 as a producer of chemicals and electroplating equipment. Subsequently, thanks to the implementation of new technologies, Progalvano began to specialize in the production of plating barrels and electroplating accessories.

The know-how acquired during decades of experience in the electroplating field, research, study, and development of new technologies has allowed Progalvano to understand today’s market demands and needs, which are increasingly changeable and specialized.

These elements continue to guide the company in the development of new products and the expansion of its expertise in prototype design. This has led to an interest and desire of expanding its product mix and promoting Progalvano as a company that produces ‘not only plating barrels’.

Why customers ask Progalvano for prototype engineering

A first reason is linked to Progalvano’s global presence, facilitated by a network of distributors covering more than 60 countries, confers to Progalvano brand an immediate visibility and makes it an easy point of reference.

Secondly, Progalvano can offer wide experience in terms of production materials. In recent years, Progalvano’s technical and R&D department had the opportunity to test innovative materials, highly specific polymers, and special coatings or films  that perfectly suited the prototypes to be engineered.

 

Special projects and niche applications

Rotating structures, tilting machinery, and flight bars for special applications are some of the supplies we often design and manufacture for certain niche needs.

These machines often represent the meeting of two worlds, the old and the new: some basic components of Progalvano rotors, which are versatile and well suited to special prototypes, are included in machines that have other components that are totally innovative in terms of shape, mechanical design, and materials.

Innovation between electronics and automation

“Not only plating barrels” also means venturing into the worlds of electronics and automation. Progalvano draws ideas, projects, and fundamental insights from these two fields to continuously improve its robots for opening barrels and, above all, to perfect potentiometers, electronic devices, and its own PM SYSTEM, the true electronic potential of our company’s product offering.

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Progalvano became a benchmark in the electroplating industry thanks to the intuition of its founders and the subsequent expansion brought by the second generation. In 2007 the family leadership passed to the new generation, which has guided the company towards innovation, sustainability and continued global growth.

In this article we retrace the most significant milestones in Progalvano’s history.

The Beginnings and Specialization: the 1960s and 1970s

Progalvano was founded in 1967 with the intention of providing high-quality chemical products.

However, as early as the 1970s, the company specialized in the production of electroplating equipment, shifting its focus to a more specific but opportunity-rich sector.

 

 

International expansion and growth: the 1980s and 1990s

With the arrival of the 1980s, Progalvano further refined its specialization with the exclusive production of plating barrels and thus consolidated its reputation as an expert in the galvanic field.

The mid-1980s marked the beginning of European exports, an important step that led Progalvano to expand beyond Italian borders.

Growth continued in the following decades with the establishment of official distributors representing Progalvano abroad: Progalvano UK and Progalvano Española in the 1990s, and exports to markets outside Europe (Brazil, America, Mexico, Israel, Turkey…). These expansions reflect the company’s ambition to serve customers on a global scale.

 

More corporate milestones and innovations: the new millennium

The new millennium saw Progalvano establish its presence on five continents and become a full-fledged global exporter.

In 2007 and 2009, the entry of the second generation into the company’s management kicked off a process of strategic renewal, geared toward innovation and strengthening the internationalization process.

Indeed, in 2014 Progalvano Korea was born and Progalvano became an authorized exporter for this market.

2017 is a year of celebration, with the company’s 50th anniversary and Progalvano Korea becoming a shareholder  in Progalvano SRL.

The company’s development continues: in 2021, it inaugurates its new Headquarters in Viale Lombardia in San Giuliano Milanese, marking further expansion. 5,000 square meters of offices and production departments, offered to our customers.

2023 sees the achievement of DEKRA ISO 45001:2018 certification, the official recognition for its unwavering dedication to employee health and safety at work.

Looking to the future between innovation and sustainability: from 2024 to now

 

 

In 2024, Progalvano hosted its first Virtual Open House, an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to innovation and sustainability. The event allowed people to virtually explore the company’s cutting-edge capabilities and technologies and strengthened ties with customers and partners around the world.

Progalvano always turns an eye to the future and continues to study and update itself on new technologies and methodologies to remain at the forefront of electroplating. This is not only a business success story, but an example of how vision and adaptability can turn a small business into a global giant.

 

 

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Let’s have a chat with Matteo Cuzzolin, Technical Manager of Progalvano

In the electroplating industry, the importance of sustainable and responsible practices is gaining increasing attention. In this context, solutions are emerging that align technological progress and environmental responsibility. Such as those of Progalvano, a leading manufacturer of electroplating rotobars, which has introduced new machines and innovative processes that are the result of a careful commitment to the environment and production efficiency.

Galvanic barrels increasingly sustainable and efficient

Progalvano has been on a journey of renewing its processes and machinery for years to achieve galvanic barrel production that can be increasingly sustainable and waste-conscious.
By 2018, it has implemented a total renovation of its production machinery fleet, with the aim of making high-performances, efficient, and less polluting rotorbarrels that also save on active galvanic costs.

Sustainability in metal recovery processes

Among the emerging market trends is the willingness to recover metal from scrap or already coated parts. This is for both economic and environmental reasons, living in an age where we cannot afford to waste resources, especially metals, which have reached very high costs in recent years.

For these reasons, Progalvano has committed itself to developing machines of considerable sizes and charge capacities that can recover metals post-processing or from scrap. With these machines it is now possible to recover metals that were previously disposed of by reverse process.

The company is a pioneer in this field and this translates into an important advantage: an already acquired know-how, useful for eventual developments in the sector.

By accepting this challenge, Progalvano has opened up to a new niche of application, enriched its expertise and strengthened its leadership.

Electroplating 4.0: electronic control on plating barrels

Finally, Progalvano has also embraced “Galvanics 4.0,” implementing an electronic control system mounted on board its plating barrels. This technology allows real-time monitoring of the galvanization process on various levels.

The system, called “PM,” increases efficiency, but also serves as a certification that the treatment has occurred correctly, ensuring quality and reducing waste.

To date, this system is still an optional choice but is applicable to all machines manufactured by Progalvano and also on older supplies.

Want to know more?
Read the other articles in the “Our Business Philosophy” column:

• • Means and strategies of rotoburden production
  • Strategic production materials
  • The customization of electroplating barrels

 

Let’s have a chat with Matteo Cuzzolin, Technical Manager of Progalvano

In the world of industrial production, material selection is a crucial factor that determines the quality, efficiency and sustainability of the final products. Progalvano, a leader in the field of plating barrels and other galvanic components, stands out for its innovative and strategic selection of production materia.

Polypropylene: strength and efficiency

Most of Progalvano’s competitors make plating barrels in Polyethylene as basic material, because it is very resistant to abrasion. However, this cannot be the only criterion for choosing a material for an application. On the contrary, Progalvano’s barrels are made of Polypropylene, which, beside offering excellent resistance against abrasion, ensures superior mechanical, thermal and chemical resistance properties.

This choice allows Progalvano to grant a higher efficiency on its products, reducing consumption and, most of all, the great advantage of being able to make welds. In fact, through the polyfusion process, we can manufacture the cylinder body a single piece, that will be mechanically stronger than a Polyethylene cylinder, which is only screwed instead. All this manages to offer significant advantages with respect to traditional PE cylinders.

A second key aspect: in Progalvano, the sheets in Polypropylene are made by injection molded by compression directly on our own molds that we developed for over 40 years now. The result is that our PP barrels, coupled with the right panel perforation, manage to have the same durability as PE barrels, but with the added advanted of a greater efficiency and sustainability.

     

High-quality materials for the production of plating barrels

The choice of production materials is not limited to polypropylene. Progalvano carefully selects premium plastic materials and metals, including PVDF, Polyethylene (PE), PPS, polymeric compounds of PEEK and PVDF, carbon fibers, electrolytic copper, copper and brass alloys for die casting, and AISI 316 and 304 Stainless Steel.
This large choice of premium materials enables the company to offer high-performance products suitable for a wide range of applications.

Top quality products throughout an accurate selection

Progalvano’s material choices reflect their mission to offer high-quality machines, combining innovation, quality, sustainability, and local commitment. These principles are key to their success in the competitive electroplating barrel industry and symbolize their commitment to excellence.

Want to know more?
Read the other articles in the “Our Business Philosophy” column:

• Means and strategies of rotoburden production
• The customization of electroplating barrels
• Sustainability and innovation in the electroplating industry

An European Hidden Champion

On May 5th, 2023, Progalvano invited customers and partners to its Open House on the occasion of the opening of the new main headquarter with connected production in an industrial park on the outskirts of Milan. Festivities and a tour of the production facility were on the agenda.

The visit of the new Progalvano production plant at Open House 2023

The brand-new, elongated business building of Progalvano presents itself in a flawless brick red. Freshly laid tables and chairs stand under numerous pavilions, and in the background caterers prepare a buffet with regional specialties: In front of the entrance door, the European, Italian and Korean flags flutter on flagpoles. The guests list includes many Italian and foreign suppliers and customers.

Before the rush for the delicacies, the program first includes a tour of the production facilities. 5.100 square meters covers the new company headquarters with production. Francesca Cuzzolin, Sales & Marketing Manager, is in her element here. In the sales office, she stops in front of a large world map showing the markets in which the company operates. She explains the commitment to locally rooted production with global aspirations with the well-known slogan “Think locally, act globally“.

In addition, Francesca announces and praises the work of the sales department with Alessandra Pieragostini for the DACH region and Chiara Brambilla, who speaks Chinese, for China and the Far East. After all, the small sales team, which also includes export manager Luka Premru, speaks seven languages.

The new Progalvano plant has highly automated production

A global player with 35 employees, is that even possible? Part of the answer becomes apparent when looking over the shoulders of the two product designers, who simulate barrels and write CNC production programs on double screens. Customizing is what Matteo Cuzzolin calls this important production step, in which the barrels are virtually adapted, for example, for the production of screws for eyeglass frames or special applications in the aerospace sector.

 

 

The second part of the answer is found when walking along the production line, which leads from the warehouse in several production steps to assembly and is lined with racks of building materials. CNC programming is automatically put into practice at the numerous CNC milling machines in the hall. They bring plastic discs made of polypropylene into shape. Elsewhere, automated equipment is used for welding, laser cutting or plastic injection molding to cast plastic granules into plastic components. A total of 33 steps are required to produce the finished product, including product markings on the barrels for tracking purposes. It is a highly automated networked production process that is hidden behind the walls of the plant on Viale Lombardia

 

 

Real-time control possible: PM System

In front of a row of barrels almost as high as a man, Matteo begins his speech.

3.000 barrels were produced last year. He emphasizes the quality management and the precision of the barrels, then it goes on to the assembly, where the individual parts are still largely assembled by hand at workbenches to form the finished product. In the individual segments of the barrels, the contacts for the power supply can be seen while workers tighten screws.

The experts at Progalvano have also thought about the data requirements for the digitization of electroplating plants. At the center of the assembly area is a special barrel line. It is equipped with automation that allows “real-time control” of the plating process. “You know every moment what is happening in the barrel”, explains Matteo. The power input is always in view: Indicated are, for example, how many amps are used for plating or even heating.

The final speech at Open House 2023: looking to the future

“We want to celebrate the efforts of the company and the work in the new headquarter with expanded production, realized with smart investments” and despite mixed economic-political omens in the face of crises and wars, Progalvano will be putting positive thinking in the foreground.

Progalvano is looking ahead to the future – and with its high degree of automation, networking and production flexibility, and not least its regional ties, it is obviously well positioned to do so.

 

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