The Italian hydraulic and pneumatic sector is one of the poles of greatest innovation and interest in the world of industry, on both a European and international level. It is also one of the most productive and profitable sectors for the entire Italian industry. With production standing at almost 4 billion Euros, this market comes fifth in the world, after the United States, Japan, Germany and China, and shows great promise for exports, at a percentage of around 60%. The reason for these results lies in a guaranteed standard of quality, the direct consequence of an industrial tradition based on constant research and development to create a range of advanced, cutting edge products which are also innovative and competitive.

In particular, Italian products stand out for that perfect combination of cutting edge technology, a guarantee of quality and efficiency, and a balance between cost and performance. Equally important is a capacity for meeting customers’ needs, by providing tailored components and solutions. The high degree of know-how that goes into the solutions is also a competitive factor, making it possible to stand head and shoulders above most competitors on developing markets. There is also of course a range of customer-care services, offered by traditional post-sales assistance systems as well as by new, efficient offices overseas. These overseas sites make it possible to monitor the distribution and marketing of the products directly, to deal with complaints methodically and to develop, at the same time, real economic and social integration with the foreign market.

The range of products offered by the concerns that make up the ASSOFLUID trade association include cylinders, pumps, motors, valves, pipes, fittings, filters, couplings, systems and control units. ASSOFLUID states that there is no one category of goods that stands out above the rest, but all the products are well placed in different industrial fields, responding to precise construction and safety criteria, responding to their respective European directives and conforming to the provisions of applicable standards. Seen overall, the entire sector of hydraulic and pneumatic components made in Italy offers an absolute guarantee for quality and extremely competitive performance in all fields.

In particular, these solutions are perfect in all fields where fluid is used for the controlled transmission of energy. The salient feature of the hydraulic components and systems is an excellent capacity for controlling and transmitting large amounts of power for linear and rotary movement. Low cost automation, integrated with other technologies, makes the Italian pneumatic solutions the best for responding to the intense need for fast and reliable components in industrial production.

In general, the hydraulic products are naturally suited to the ‘moving’ sector (agricultural machinery, earth-moving machines, job site machines and lifting systems) and ‘industrial’ sector (tool machines and marble, ceramic, glass, plastic and rubber processing machines). The worthy outlets for pneumatic products are instead the packing, packaging and wrapping industries, textile machines, wood processing machines and industrial automation as a whole.

Small-to-medium sized companies

Most of the companies are situated in Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Piedmont and the Veneto. There are no actual specific districts, although in historical and territorial terms Emilia Romagna has always been the main hub of hydraulics and the most important businesses in the field of pneumatics are based in Lombardy. The market for the sector is however continuing to expand throughout Italy, with important businesses also in the South of Italy.

It goes without saying that many of the companies now have commercial and/or production sites in various foreign countries to keep an eye on and act as strategically and rationally as possible on the global markets. Alternatively, Italian firms resort to local distributors or agents to promote their products on the market concerned and as an important first step to assess the commercial potential of certain geographical areas. The current strategies for the internationalization and promotion of Italian products and services are based on two things: marketing and communication based on ever faster web services responding to the constant need for information, offering updated newsletters with the latest on products and/or the trade; consolidating relations, strengthening the company image and showcasing new products by taking part in highly specialized trade fairs.

In this regard, the most important fair events that attract the largest numbers of global operators are Hannover Messe in Germany, the world’s leading trade exhibition, the PTC Asia in Shanghai and Fluidtrans Compomac, the only Italian trade fair promoted by ASSOFLUID and which is held in Milan once every two years.