FRANDENT GROUP S.r.l.
The Frandent company is located in Osasco (TO), a small town near Pinerolo, and since 1977 is specialized in the production of agricultural machines and in particular power harrows, tedder spreaders and rotary rakes. In 2006 Frandent started to work in a new plant and introduced considerable innovations in the production process and in energy management in a “susteinable” way.
The sensation of Frandent’s originality begins in the moment you enter the technical department illuminated by the Australian technology of “light pipes” that allows to the sunlight captured on the roof to be uniformly diffused in the offices in order to ensure optimum working conditions for those who spend many hours on technical studies.
In the production area, extraordinary is the thermal system, in addition to the radiant underfloor heating there is a system of windows, which allow constant and comfortable climatic conditions, and a uniform distribution of brightness to the workmen.
However it’s coming out of the building that you can appreciate a true example of environnmental sustainabiliy and stimulus for the local economy, moreover than safety: the biomass boiler. The heat produced by the combustion of the raw material, wood chips, is used for underfloor heating and for the automatic painting line: another example of respect for the environnment, in fact, it uses water-based catalysed paints rather than usual solvent-based coatings.
A great investment in innovaton is the test field of 15.000 square meters used to perform functional tests on quality of Frandent’s machines in extreme conditions.
Regarding to the production process, Frandent operates a Lean Production system: a method of organization of production based on the just-in-time, producing only when the customer needs, and on the elimination of any type of waste.The application of this method in Frandent has several implications:first, the layout of the plant allows the production process to follow a liner route, second, robotised welding island ensure higher quality in conditions of total safety for the operators and, at last, the elimination of stock that is managed through a vertical authomatic warehouse designed to reduce the waste in terms of square meters.
In period of great changes in the international competition, wars for non-renewable resources and serious environmental crisis to be focused on policies of reduction of wastes and use of renewable resources is a first step to the indipendence from dangerous reality for us and for the environment where we live.
