Tecnomeccanica Biellese: half a century processing wool fibres

Specialised in the design and construction of machines and complete plants for the preparation of textile fibres for spinning – and aeromechanics plants – Tecnomeccanica Biellese celebrates the first fifty years of activity. Not a point of arrival, but a significant step which further consolidates the leading role played today by the company nationally and internationally

The Biella cluster boasts a historical tradition in the textile-wool Industry, with a specialisation extended to all stages of the production process, including both auxiliary processing and mechanical-textile production. In the latter area, Tecnomeccanica Biellese has been operating for half a century: the company celebrates its first 50th anniversary in 2019. In 1969 Giuseppe Ploner decided to undertake this entrepreneurial adventure – continued by his sons Luigi, Paola and Mario – in the design and construction of machines and complete plants for the preparation of textile fibres for spinning. The main drivers of the mill are passion, skills and experience. They are the keys that have allowed the company to present itself as an increasingly qualified partner in all branches where free fibres are processed (combing, spinning, production of non-woven fabrics, felts, wadding and waste regeneration lines). At the same time, Tecnomeccanica Biellese is a capital player in the sector of aspiration and technologies for the dedusting of premises, machinery and the fibres themselves, with automatic filtering systems and powder packaging.

A loader and fibres opening device for the supply of dryers for dyeing

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Thanks to the multi-faceted nature and the “custom-made” propensity to work, Tecnomeccanica Biellese proposes itself as a qualified partner even in sections of the textile supply chain which are less conventional to its core business. At ITMA Barcelona, the company offers a particular loader model suitable for the supply of dryers for dyeing, equipped with a fibres opening device that precedes the in-line processing. The latter performs a not too deep opening of the still wet fibres, which come from washing systems and must be uniformly distributed for drying. The machinery is built entirely of stainless steel to prevent corrosion indentation due to the continuous passage of wet material. The loader consists of a horizontal feeding table, at the end of which there is a vertical spiked carpet; the mat conveys the material to reach the adjustable opening cylinder, which allows the opening of the dyeing cakes to guarantee a homogeneous dosage at the dryer entrance. The supporting structure of this machine is made up of heavy steel ribbed and reinforced panels. This characteristic enables the construction of various models, according to the individual requirements of the fibre
material to be processed. Length and inclination of the spiked belt, types of pins and laths, diameters and adjustments of opening and stripping rollers are all variables which are taken into consideration and selected according to the fibres to be processed.
At ITMA 2019 Tecnomeccanica Biellese will present the opening machine with a working height of 75 cm and a 1 m wide loader. Two small-sized machines, but which can be supplied at much higher working height, with a loader up to 4 m in width.

Tailor-made innovation on client specifications

The company has a long history of national and international successes based on innovative solutions developed entirely in-house; it has always aimed without compromises for quality, reliability, safety and environmental sustainability. The production site is located in Camburzano (BI), where a qualified staff of about forty employees (six of them in the technical office) work with cutting-edge technologies. For some years now the entire structure has been managed and coordinated by the third generation as well, with the entry of the founder’s grandchildren: Marco and Stefania.
«The structure of Tecnomeccanica Biellese has a streamlined organisation – confirms Stefania Ploner – that is able to respond with great flexibility to the most varied market requests: we work alongside the customer right from the design and feasibility analysis phases, to then proceed with the realisation system». A highly personalised production, tailor-made and sartorially created to precise specifications based on the type of product to be processed.
«Despite the singularity of each order – continues Ploner – we have long been active in reorganising our processes and optimising them in all their phases, to ensure a more and more stringent time-to-market and to ensure the highest level of competitiveness».

The Gruppo Beppe Ploner

With over 130 employees and a total production area of ​​25 thousand square meters, the Beppe Ploner Group is today made up of three companies and is named after the founder of the family, Giuseppe Ploner. The holding he founded is now managed and led by his children Luigi, Paola and Mario together with the third generation: Stefania (Luigi’s daughter) and Marco (Mario’s son). In addition to Tecnomeccanica Biellese, also Coppa and Sant’Andrea Textile Machines are part of this consolidated entrepreneurial reality, able to present itself on the market with a range of products that covers the chain of both carded and combed and semi-combed yarns. Acquired in 2009, Coppa has been operating for over fifty years in the production of accessories for textile machines: in particular, for combing, preparing and twisting wool and synthetic fibres. Joined the Group in 2014, but founded by its first property in 1928, Sant’Andrea Textile Machines is a world reference point in the production of high-performance machines for the combing, mixing and preparation of spinning of all wool cutting fibres.

The target sectors

A process and product innovation, therefore, that is addressed to different sectors:

• woollen and semi-worsted spinning: semi-and fully automatic plants for preparing, blending, dust removal and automatic feeding of carding-machines; fully computerized management of complete production plants; suction and recycling plant, for broken ends, bad-ends from condensers; bailing of fibres and various conveying system
• non-woven production: fibre blending plants at different stages of automation; automatic card-feeding plants; lines of weighing hopper feeders; edge trim suction
• dye-plants and production of synthetic fibres: automatic blending-bins for blending of complete lots, dust suction plants for fume removal
• spinnig-lines open end: blending, moistening and automatic feeding plants; suction and recycling of roller wastes, with air-cleaners
• for combing mills: automatic plants for opening, beating and blending the greasy wool with automatic feeding on to scouring line; beating and dusting of scoured wool; pneumatic transport to automatic storage bins for scoured wool and card feeding; suction, transport and recycling of bye-products from the carding section; centralised suction plant for noils and short noils in the combing department; centralised filter station and air recycling
• rag tearing mills: blending, moistening and dust suction of rags; automatic feeding to opening machines; re-suction and continuous conveying of waddings from tearing plant; centralized dust-suction plants with automatic filtering and airrecycling.
• cloth finishing-departments: plants for the suction of droppings, trash and fumes, with dust filtering
• willow wastes beating and cleaning: pneumatic conveying system; suction and separation of bye products-pneumatic bailing.

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Service and customer focus with high added value

As previously said, one of the Biella company’s strengths and distinctive features is being able to offer high operational flexibility and great adaptability not only to customer needs but also to its layout availability. «This is the reason why – underlines Ploner – we always develop a tailor-made project, based on the available spaces, because we can count on consolidated experience, skills and internal professionalism. An added value that has been of great help in the past, to overcome the less fortunate periods that have involved our sector too».
This approach has turned into a continuous growth trend, both in the domestic market and abroad. «Last year – our intelocutor confirms – we recorded an increase in turnover, with very positive signals for the Italian market, which today represents over 50%. A result achieved also thanks to the boost and support coming form tax breaks, which have contributed to new investments. Equally positive was the response we obtained in the international context, not just on an European level but also a global one».
Considering the quality of the product a base, another flagship for Tecnomeccanica Biellese is the concept of service and proximity to the customers, wherever they are. «A service concept – concludes Stefania Ploner – to be understood in its broadest sense: not limited to the maintenance part only, but extended to revamping of machines, plants and equipment as well. Moreover, these are activities not necessarily carried out on our brand solutions».
Thanks to the availability and great attention paid through targeted service activities, the company continues to offer itself on the market not only as a technology supplier, but also as a quality partner. A differentiating element confirmed by the numerous loyal customers, located all over the world and gained over these first fifty years of activity. An important anniversary that surely doesn’t represent a point of arrival, but an important step to face even better the new challenges of the future.

Info
Where to find Tecnomeccanica Biellese at ITMA 2019: Hall 6, Booth D104