This month’s steel mold has interchangeable dowels and in 2022 will allow the production of thousands of PPS technopolymer components for the hydrogen production system.
With the creation of this new steel mold we have achieved the goal of winning over a new customer in the world of hydrogen of which, for a guarantee of confidentiality, we cannot disclose further details.
With pleasure, however, we share the method by which NTS introduced itself in a promising “green hydrogen” sector in which billions of euros of European Union investments will lead to the 2030 decarbonisation goals.
It all started with an active reference from another customer of ours (automotive sector) satisfied with the “Tech” service of timely prototyping and technical consultancy on molding. Thanks to this reference, the new customer contacted us and after a first cognitive meeting in which we centered the expectations of technical and service competence, we started an NTS Tech approach based on the geometric study and mathematical simulation of molding of the product proposed by the customer who highlighted valuable characteristics unknown to the customer.
This generated technical and commercial trust up to the technical and technological need of the component in PPS polymeric material. So, with the customer, started a phase of co-design of geometries and tolerances up to conquer it also in the next phase: the confirmation of the order for the serial production of the component.
This new NTS Tech case in an innovative sector of hydrogen allowed the company to have the confirmation of how a modern approach oriented to active listening to the market with a healthy dose of organizational flexibility of internal skills can generate business opportunities for the whole company.
To find out more, you can contact our Sales Department or write to info@ntsmoulding.com
Here is the new 4-cavity hardened steel mold made in NTS for the electromechanical sector (energy management): it is now ready to produce the molding of millions of switches, in thermosetting resin 18% glass fiber, necessary to guarantee the safety of the electrical circuits of buildings around the world.
It was a simple block of steel that with the passion of 2.000 hours of work was transformed into a productive technological machine.
To find out more, you can contact our Sales Department or write to info@ntsmoulding.com
It was one of the goals we set at the beginning of the year and we finally achieved it: we got the IATF 16949 certification.
An other qualitative leap that allows us to satisfy even more the hard customer requests in the Automotive sector. Raising the level of service means committing to:
- manufacturing process more reliable, efficient, traced, standardized
- optimization of resources along the supply chain and reduction of process defects and its preventions
- improve relations with interested parties (customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, local institutions)
- company credentials proven by an internationally recognized standard.
Download and read IATF 16949 certification
Watch the interview with Giuliano Cassani in which he explains what it means for NTS to have obtained the IATF certification.
For some time we have been asking ourselves how much and above all HOW to contribute to communication in the world of sustainability; working in the field of polymers (plastics) these questions are even more critical, delicate. We often observe campaigns such as “plastic free” that are deformed and used to find “immediate culprits” of environmental pollution, condemning plastic regardless, when instead the underlying problem is the lack of culture and real and technical information.
We have understood that companies in the sector such as NTS have the duty not only to do their job as best as possible (e.g. optimization of resources, fight against waste), but also to make the voice of those who consciously design and produce plastic products (in actually they are mostly resin and fiberglass composites) together with their customers. From today, therefore, we have more and more responsibility to integrate a new focus, namely the energy analysis of the life cycle of a product (LCA) because we must return to respect the resources we have to produce, but with ever greater efficiency.
The Plastic Bee project is born from this awareness.
In many areas and applications of our society today it is unthinkable to do without plastic, not only for its physical properties, but also because it is among the most sustainable materials: compared to metal and glass, for example, it has an energy consumption per kg. up to 50% less product. Applications that we see every day confirm this, from the button with which we turn on the house light to the toothbrush, from the smartphone to the components of our car, from the office computer to the many medical devices such as respirators, transfusion bags or syringes.
It is therefore our intention to encourage education in its use, its re-use, which is the first true form of “zero energy” recycling, that is to improve the approach from product creation to its end: design, reuse, recycling, disposal.
“Plastic Bee” is a project that aims to grow and spread a more sustainable and correct culture of plastic.
It will be a constantly evolving path: in the story and development of Plastic Bee we will also be accompanied by other organizations, institutions, entrepreneurs and all those who want to bring comparison, information and culture about the world of plastic in the most objective and measurable way possible.
To meet the deadlines of the new requirements of the market, we conceived a new integrated and fast service: it is called Fast Manufacturing.
What does Fast Manufacturing consist in?
It is the new NTS Tech service dedicated to the production of parts in short times, from the single piece in additive manufacturing in 48h to the small series in 15 days through injection moulding.
When is it required and why?
When you are designing a new part and you need to have a prompt feedback to understand if you chose the right path. Or when you have stringent market requirements to promote a fast commercialization, or if you need to carry out some specific market tests before investing in more significant and definitive equipment.
What do we offer?
We offer feasibility analysis, prototypes, moulding of small and big series.
All this in record times.
Why is it fast?
In 48 hours you will get your prototype, printed in 3D. In 15 days we can deliver a first batch of injection moulding.
The three specific phases:
1 – FEASIBILITY ANALISYS
➢ Drawings and information analisys
➢ Creation and optimization of the 3D model for production
➢ Manufacturing proposal: technology, lead time and costs
In this phase NTS shares and discusses with the CUSTOMER the criticalities arisen during the project/product analysis. The goal of NTS is to align the CUSTOMER on the best manufacturing conditions of the MOULD, in order to obtain a technical solution which optimizes mass production in terms of quality and costs.
NTS confirms the feasibility of the part through an initial analysis of the drawings and information received by the customer in his request for quotation.
For the specific request, a first industrialization step of the 3D models will be set for functional and dimensional simulations indicated by the customer.
2 – PROTOTYPE PHASE
➢ Realization of prototypes and fast moulding of small series
In this phase the first design and engineering phase gets concluded. This is the moment in which we move from numerical evaluation to the actual dimensional and aesthetical check of the industrialized components.
This is a delicate step, necessary and fundamental for the designer and for the final customer to make a real evaluation of the initial concept.
3 – MOULD CONSTRUCTION AND MASS PRODUCTION
➢ Offer confirmation
➢ FMEA Industrialization
This phase is an essential design step, aimed at freezing the final specifications and therefore at providing the references of the following operational progress that will lead to the realization of the DEFINITIVE MOULDS for mass production.
PMI DAY project, promoted by Confindustria to introduce new generations to the business world and its opportunities, continues.
In the last days, even though in Zoom conference mode, Marco Manzoni, CEO of NTS, met 50 students of the Comprehensive Institute Cesare Zonca of Treviolo and Lallio.
Coordinated by teacher Cristina Carli and her colleagues, Marco Manzoni and HR Davide Sabani told the students what it means to be an entrepreneur today, what are the future perspectives of a manufacturing company and what are the most appreciated and valued features in a company like NTS. Particular attention has been paid to resilience and inner strength, essential ingredients of every professional successful story.
The constant contact between professional and education world is an essential pivot of NTS’ philosophy, aimed at social Responsibility, constant training and continuous improvement that identifies, right in the contamination between knowledge and different generations, a great opportunity of professional and human growth.
Marinella Manzoni starts NTS handover to Marco Manzoni.
A generational passage in the name of Business Continuity.
With a formal act – made official by the Board of Directors on the 25th June 2020 – Marco Manzoni became the new CEO of NTS. In this double interview, Marinella – who keeps the role of President of the Board of Directors – and Marco Manzoni – Vice-President and CEO, tell us about themselves and some key points from a professional and human point of view
Marinella, how can this event be included in NTS company history?
We can consider it as the natural evolution of a process lasting for many years.
The handover of legal representation from me to Marco makes concrete what we evaluated some time ago.
Personally speaking, I have always seen myself as a ferrywoman, since when the dramatic and unforeseen events of life – the death of my entrepreneur brother – led me to manage the company. At that time, I put my knowledge, my skills and a lot of commitment at the service of the company and I have always thought that my role – and generally our family’s one – was to make the company eternal, taking decision to assure its future.
Personalistic visions have never prevailed in NTS, but rather long-term shared visions.
Marco joined NTS eleven years ago, after his engineering degree and some experiences outside the company, with an expressly junior role: from production dept. assistant to sales dept. assistant. Since then, he went through a professional path which I think he perceived as long, but that everyone of us considered necessary to arrive where he is now.
To reach the proper authority for such a relevant role, in addition to practical skills and experience, it takes time and commitment: no shortcuts are allowed.
Marco, how did you experience the path that brought you here?
Looking back on it from today’s perspective, I’d say this time has been precious to me.
A necessary maturation period that, I confirm, often clashed with my youth impatience and with my energy, but today I believe it has been a proper passage.
After my degree, I myself felt the exigence to experience roles in different departments, as I understood – since I was very young – that nothing in life can be taken for granted, everything follows an evolution and therefore each single day must be gained with each single skill.
Growing, training, meeting and testing ourselves with realities out of our comfort zone are all forward-looking actions, that mark the history of managers, entrepreneurs and professionals in general.
The role of President in the Young section of Confindustria Bergamo allowed me to learn, experiment, innovate and widen my know-how, in general, to open to new worlds and especially to get to know other entrepreneurs and managers.
Among all the things I learnt, I like to remember one, or rather two. The first – a metaphor I experienced firsthand thanks to a training session – has been leading a sailboat at the helm with closed eyes, blindfolded with all the crew on board: it meant to activate some sensibilities which are innate in every human being and go far beyond sight (sound and touch) and that in the company we often ignore to use; the second is offering my time for guidance of young students in the schools: it’s impressing how it is important for them to have valid referees and how much hope we must have towards the future as there are so many smart young people, much more than we on average think.
Marinella, what does the word “future” include?
Today I’d say that the word “future” is a word that goes hand in hand with the word “speed”: of the strategic vision definition, of adaptation, of decision. A recent market survey suggested that, to keep our competitiveness over time, we had to break step. We have not hesitated to define new competitive strategies and undertake unexplored paths to achieve our goals.
We have also defined a new business model, which is progressively changing our approach towards the market, all this to ensure the deserved marginality to our company. It is evident that the historical time we are living, leads us all to be dynamic, proactive, energetic. Keeping up with these rhythms is not something that can be taken for granted and for this reason, Marco’s figure, with his energy and his spirit of initiative, represents an important piece for the future of NTS.
Marco, what was your mood when you decided to take on this position?
With a great sense of responsibility: the one that, after all, my family has always transmitted to me. When I was a kid I just had two occasions to stay with my father: during the (few) summer holidays and in the company. It was a habit to spend Saturdays or Sunday mornings accompanying my father for some control activities he carried out while machineries were not working, it was normal.
I’d say that, just like Marinella, I immediately experienced the concepts of sacrifice, moral duty and respect for work. Similarly, I got the same ferment that animated my father and I also believe that it animates every entrepreneur, in having and pursuing his own vision, in looking for new paths as well.
I am motivated to honor the value and business heritage that I have been given, here comes my will to put myself into play and spend all my commitment and abilities in NTS. This ongoing passage towards the third generation is in the name of continuity and innovation, common values and sharing.
Marinella and I have a common idea which is deeply-rooted in both of us: the company is not a private entity but it is a common good. I also believe that our approach comes from what we have lived in our history.
Differently from the companies that are still directed from their founder, our history – that has been marked by the premature death of the two founders, father and son – imposed a managerial approach to everyone: delegation and continuity. We have taken – and we take every day – the founding values as our dowry and then we interpret our professional role also following our attitudes and personal experiences.
A mix of experience, history, courage and personality that is always a must when you have great projects on your mind.
Let’s talk about entrepreneurial risk. Marinella, how far is it necessary to go further?
As for each business action, NTS has a balanced and rational vision.
NTS financial soundness is an important aspect that can never be put in the background: experience shows us that the life of a company can be interrupted by unexpected moments, like the one we are living right now due to pandemic.
By the way, financial soundness is always a good base to overcome the inevitable difficulties and to approach more ambitious projects of development and growth.
Marco has always been attentive to all these issues, he is in charge of Risk Management for years, we have a shared approach. And also in the next three years we will share the strategies about risk management, as well as all the necessary actions to manage it.
Marco, in NTS can we talk about generational handover?
More than a generational handover, I’d say it is about generational continuity: the respect of those who preceded us and the trust of those that will continue.
You said you are changing your business model, what do you mean?
In the last years we investigated a lot to better understand who we are and the results we want to achieve. Recently, we signed three prestigious partnership with companies that will share a new path with us. We wish to propose ourselves more and more as an Industrial Solutions Provider to satisfy the new requirements of the market: more service and higher speed. We think we can reach these evolutions with different modalities, if possible also through new acquisitions in a perspective of horizontal and vertical growth.
We aim at an economic well-being to keep making new investments, innovations as it concerns technology, organization, skills, human resources to build a safe workplace, healthy and stimulating; we have been analyzing punctually our costs for years and, recently, we are also identifying the quality of the turnover to focus on.
Right before the lock down, and for sure accelerated by it, we made commercial proposals through new digital instruments and with great innovative and consultancy features, also supported by the new high added value services such as NTS Tech and NTS Academy.
Thanks to our constancy and commitment, the market is now recognizing values that before were not fully expressed and we have reached a great result: we are selling technical consultancy, technical problem solving, without moving any polymer or metal shavings.
This novelty reveals the propensity of the market to recognize our know-how in addition to the fundamental and more and more innovative manufacturing. This is our direction, as also clearly stated in our industrial plan till 2022, a guiding instrument for the managerial action, a defined and challenging direction shared by all of us.
Marinella, what should we expect from Marco?
Continuity, bus also innovation and energy.
Marco’s entry in the company brought many innovations, some of them deriving from his personality, some from his education. I am referring, for example, to the use of instruments of strategy and sharing: I think of Business Model Canvas and Lego Serious Play training method or the necessity of an Industrial Plan, these instruments allowed us to get in black and white many features of our company that were unexpressed and to share them with our collaborators, having a guideline to state with awareness the direction we want to follow.
NTS has always believed in the centrality of the person and Marco will continue on this path, with his undeniable relational and communication skills.
Marco, how will NTS invest in people?
All those who know me know also this: in my office, among many others, there are always two post-it stating these words: “Business Model” and “The Person at the center”.
NTS is, and will be more and more, an active environment, dynamic, productive, reach of prepared and energetic people. The introduction of a HR figure focused on career development and continuous training highlights our belief in a business climate strongly based on the values of professional and personal growth.
Increasing the cultural level in the company is a long-term daily challenge that may reserve some disappointment but, in an overall view, gives always great satisfaction in raising the bar of organizational growth goals.
Last question.
Marinella, 2020 is proving to be a tough year, certainly one of important changes. NTS decided to change its CEO right in 2020. A change within the change?
Marco’s role represents a change in continuity.
Some time ago we scheduled this date for the transfer of delegations and we proceeded according to our plans. From an economic point of view we are living this moment as we lived the financial crisis of 2008: we believe that life (human and professional) is reach of unforeseen events and it is always necessary to face them with rationality, method and vision.
We have never thought that contingencies could change our long-term plans.
NTS is a sound company where the shared vision always comes first.
Even in difficult times, we, now, invest in the future.
We are pleased to announce a new arrival in NTS, the High-Performance-Line C 42 automatic-loading milling center by Hermle, the prestigious German brand of machine tools.
Why have we done this important investment?
Because we have always believed in innovation and because, especially in this period, we wanted to equip ourselves with a new ally in terms productivity, quality, precision and also to be even more ready for upcoming challenges.
We are talking about an avant-garde automatic-loading milling center, able to process parts of moulds of all shapes for every sector where quality and precision are required: medical, aerospace, automotive, electromechanical.
We will be able to build more moulds in less time, together with the support of the organization improvement, meeting the requirements of our customers with even greater effectiveness.
With this jewel of technology our mould workshop will be able to raise with continuity the quality standards.
How has this new arrival been welcomed?
Marco Manzoni replies: “In these times, such an investment brings a wave of positivity and at the same time of responsibility: we believe that our guiding light must always be the prospect of improving, growing and acquiring new projects. We are aware of the historical critical moment we are living and right for this reason we have to think about the future and offer something different with strength and enthusiasm. We have been on the market for 60 years, we know that tough moments can always be hidden behind the corner but we also know that, it is right in these moments, that determination, sharing and team-play have a fundamental role in recovery. This investment is a strong signal and all our team has welcomed it with enthusiasm. We can be proud of it and feel even more empowered, but after all, courage and resilience are part of our company DNA.”
Dear customers, suppliers and partners,
NTS will partially and progressively restart its production activities on Monday the 6th/4/2020 to give continuity to the chains of our strategic and essential customers requiring it.
We continue to work in conditions of maximum attention and safety for all our staff according to the health dispositions provided. We seize the occasion to thank all the workers that in these moments show Professionalism and Spirit of Service in full #ntspeople style.
Further difficult weeks, as the last ones, are expecting us and we have to always keep our attention high to win this Covid-19 challenge.
With strength and determination we #keeppushing
#fullspeedahead #wedontgiveupaninch
Dear Customers, Suppliers and Partners, it is now time to stop.
NTS is closing all its activities from the 23rd/03/2020 until the 3rd/04/2020 included, due to major forces according to the principle of the DPCM Decree dated 22/03/2020, i.e. restrictions extended to productive activities which are not essential and not strategic for human life.
We seize the opportunity to thank with esteem and gratitude each single worker that, in the last 15 days spent under difficult circumstances, showed in any case Professionalism and Spirit of Service in full #ntspeople style.
Further difficult weeks are expecting us and we just have one weapon to win this Covid-19 challenge: our strength to stay strong in order to limit the contagion. We have already done it and we will keep doing it, all together.
Bergamo and Italy are alive and vital and are strongly reacting to overtake this intense challenge.
We #keeppushing
#fullspeedahead #wedontgiveupaninch
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