SUSTAINABLE PERSPECTIVES LOOKING AT 2023-24-25 - Interview to Rollwasch Italiana spa

Company

ROLLWASCH ITALIANA
SPA

Referent

PAOLO REDAELLI
C.E.O.

Title

SUSTAINABLE PERSPECTIVES LOOKING AT 2023-24-25

Interview by

LAURA DE CAPITANI
Editor of SF4T

Laura De Capitani/Editor:

Mr. Redaelli, the activity of Rollwasch in the last year 2022 has been particularly good, isn’t it?

Paolo Redaelli/Rollwasch:

2022 has been an excellent year. We overcrossed all our main expectations and forecasts, not only in terms of business volume, but also in quality and number of projects started up. The negative aspect of 2022 has been undoubtedly the inflaction rate and raising of raw materials and several components for the construction of machines, devices, control boards and evoluted “Industry 4.0” controllers and sensors.

Paolo Redaelli/Rollwasch:

The R&D activity has been, as well, extremely intensive and satisfactory, opening the doors to new technologies, improved processes, perfectioning of devices and formulations.

Laura De Capitani/Editor:

Looking at the period 2023-24-25, what are the main targets and expectations of Rollwasch?

Paolo Redaelli/Rollwasch:

Let me first-of-all highlight the common trend to identify the “next step” as something that should happen in the year 2030/35. Lao Tzu, better known in the West as Laozi, is considered the founder of Taoism and was one of the most important Chinese philosophers of the 6th century BC. Among the various sayings attributable to Lao Tzu, I find this one particularly interesting and absolutely topical: Every long journey begins with a first step.

Paolo Redaelli/Rollwasch:

Indeed, to continue to talk about what we should do or not within the year 2030/35 could bring someone to postpone anything to a further date. In my opinion, although we have a long term vision (https://surfacefinishing4t.com/rollwasch-environment-sustainable-strategy-r-e-s-s-2020-2030/), the main need today is to act, now. A first step to start a long journey. We started our first step towards soustainability many years ago – we continue today with little steps, but always forward, to reduce pollution, waste production, increase of dry process versus wet ones, etcetera. Most of our finishing technologies, based on the synergy between specific types of machines, suitable media and relative consumables, are designed to produce surface finishing results also without the use of water. This direction, that we call: VibroDRY technology, but also HPM finishing technology and also VibroBLAST technology (https://surfacefinishing4t.com/microfluid-technology-2/) , is represented by a growing program of dry finishing processes, different between them for several aspects, but with a common target: to reduce or avoid at all the use of water for surface finishing. The three-year period we are talking, is already fully scheduled by an intensive R&D activity involving, between other activities, the dry finishing and the VibroBLAST process technologies as a priority (see also: https://surfacefinishing4t.com/5th-innovation-4-0-award-to-the-italian-manufacturing-companies-that-invest-in-research/). Another option going towards the same target, but where dry finishing is not possible for several reasons, is the combination between Microfluid technology (https://surfacefinishing4t.com/microfluid-technology/) and Evoluted Automatic Centrifugal mud filtering (…).

Laura De Capitani/Editor:

Mr. Redaelli, which are the key-points on which the sustainability perspectives are based, at Rollwasch in few words?

Paolo Redaelli/Rollwasch:

Perspectives of sustainability are focusing mainly three targets: 1. Reduce the use of “difficult” substances and raw materials (according the REACH strategy and more) as a priority 2. Reduce as much as possible the use of water (closed circuit re-cycling, alternatively microfluid process or dry process) 3. Re-use, whenever possible, the undersized media. QF media are already part of a circular economy option that foresees their re-use in production of new media (to know more: https://rollwasch.com/en/specialisation-technological-macro-areas/quattrofinish-special-media-3/)

Laura De Capitani/Editor:

Mr. Redaelli, thank you for this breef interview and for your clear vision of the immediate “next steps” to do.

Paolo Redaelli/Rollwasch:

I also thank you and all the team involved in the Digital Platform SF4T to include this interview both in your interview area, as well as in the “Better For Planet” space – We are duing our best to try to provide our contribute for a Better Planet!