To take stock of the situation less than a year after installing the latest machining centre, we visited Mr Franco Iorio, owner of CPC srl, located in Modena (Italy), who welcomed us to his company and answered our questions on carbon-fibre market developments and the wide range of applications for our machinery.
Set up as a small owner-operated business in the 1950s, CPC has since developed into a cutting-edge reference company for prototyping and metal and composite material processing for the automotive sector. When visiting their manufacturing facilities, we were shown the operation of three Belotti machining centres, with special focus on the latest model, FLA 5526, equipped with a twin shuttle and an angle head, in order to reduce overall spindle dimensions which would hinder workpiece processing, in this case a tailgate support for a carbon fibre supercar. This is a transcript of our conversation with Mr Franco Iorio:
Belotti: What manufacturing requirements led you to purchase your machining centres?
Franco Iorio: Our basic requirement arose from CPC’s new business mission. Belotti machining centres were introduced to support our presses for carbon-fibre product compression moulding, with a view to high production. Belotti machining centres are equipped with a twin shuttle, which means that the spindle is continuously operating, resulting in considerable growth in the production volume.
B: Why did you choose a Belotti machining centre?
F.I.: After thorough market research, we based our choice of a Belotti machining centre on our actual performance data concerning a machining centre we purchased eight years ago, which has performed extremely well over continuous operation. The machining centre is user-friendly and ensures fast operation, which allows competitive performance for this kind of processing, while guaranteeing high precision and repeatability control.
B. How would you consider the prospective market development for composite materials?
F.I.: As a businessman, I have a positive outlook on the development of these materials, that is why I have greatly invested in his sector. Nowadays, the latest trends concern energy saving, pollution and electric drive vehicles, and I am sure these issues will lead to a remarkable increase in the use of composite materials.
B. How would you regard the future developments of our business relationship?
F.I. My positive view on the developments of the composite-material industrial sector also extends to the cooperation between our companies, including a prospective extension of our manufacturing facilities. I strongly hope that my faith in future expansion will lead us to do more business together.
