Ongoing work at Mollificio Modenese: toward a more solid and sustainable future by 2025

Since 1957, Mollificio Modenese has established itself as one of the most renowned manufacturers of custom-designed springs, ranging from compression, tension, torsion, and more. The company's expertise extends to large quantities of products and samples and small batches, carefully designed to meet customer needs.

A clear example of this excellence is the company's ability to overcome adversity. In May 2012, the entire Emilia-Romagna Po Valley area in Italy was hit by a series of strong tremors, with the epicenter in Modena province. The earthquakes caused significant damage to civil, historical, and industrial buildings, with effects still felt today. Fortunately, Mollificio Modenese was not affected. However, the event deeply touched the community and highlighted a vulnerability in building architecture.

With tenacity and foresight, the company has turned this challenge into an opportunity for renewal and growth. Since April 2024, Mollificio Modenese has undertaken an ambitious renovation project, pursuing a dual objective: to strengthen the earthquake resistance of the structure and make it more sustainable from an environmental point of view.

Expometals.net had the pleasure of interviewing the CEO of Mollificio Modenese, Engineer Matteo Cionini, who detailed the restoration project and the company's vision for a greener future.

Let's talk about the renovation of your warehouse: what are the main phases of the project? Have you encountered any specific obstacles?

We started the initial assessments at the end of 2019… The pandemic certainly slowed down the early analysis phases. The building was built in 1972, shortly before it became mandatory to file project plans. Therefore, we had almost no information about how it was designed and built. After years of testing, sampling, and estimating, we must replace all the columns from the foundations to the top. Here, we will have carpentry work to reinforce the parts that cannot be rebuilt and to "tie" the columns together.

How will production continuity be ensured during the works?

The project will proceed in phases, without halting production, and will last about a year. We will isolate sections of the warehouse for construction while remaining operational in other areas. Additionally, we have rented a separate warehouse to store materials and equipment to ensure continuous supply to our customers.

How will the project contribute to reducing Mollificio Modenese’s environmental impact and what other benefits will the new structure offer?

The energy efficiency upgrades will significantly reduce the company's environmental impact. We are going to implement several investments driven by this renovation: replacing windows and internal doors between climate-controlled and non-climate-controlled areas, along with installing heat pumps instead of gas boilers, will help lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Furthermore, from an anti-seismic perspective, the building will see a reduction of two risk classes. Besides the safety and sustainability benefits, the renovation will also improve the warehouse’s aesthetics and functionality. Moving machinery and equipment will provide an opportunity to optimize our production layout, making it more efficient and safer for workers.

The renovation of Mollificio Modenese's warehouse is a fundamental step for earthquake safety and marks a new chapter focused on sustainability and comfort: a commitment to a greener and safer future.

To learn more about Mollificio Modenese and its products, please visit the company's online stand and connect with its team of experts.