ceramica.info

The new Florim factory has been opened in the heart of the Italian ceramic district, in Fiorano Modenese: a 4.0 plant that sets unprecedented standards in the field of industrial innovation.

A hub of technology and automation that covers an area of 48,000 square metres (next to the institutional headquarters) and is preparing to open its doors for Cersaie 2018. The factory will be exclusively dedicated to processing and logistics related to Florim Magnum Oversize large slabs (in sizes exceeding 3 metres in height and 1.6 metres in width). The company is a market leader for this type of product, in terms of both the breadth of its range and its presence on the market.

The new Fiorano plant is the latest step in Florim’s innovation strategy: in the last two years, the company has invested over 200 million euro. In 2017, the company opened another example of an Industry 4.0 factory in Mordano (Imola – Bologna), a technologically advanced centre for the production of large-size slabs that will then arrive in Fiorano for further processing, followed by packaging and shipping. The two companies will be united by their complete traceability, from raw material to the packaging stage. Sophisticated software will be used to automatically control and manage plants, humanoid robots and LGVs (Laser Guided Vehicles). This fully integrated communication system is designed to improve the quality of customer service and to reduce material delivery times. Due to its complexity and to the number of interconnected machines, the IT infrastructure will require a testing period before it is fully operational.

Claudio Lucchese, President of the Florim Group, comments: “Between 2013 and 2017, we invested around 300 million euro, combining all our strengths and energy to achieve increasingly ambitious results. For us at Florim, this means striving for continuous improvement through innovation, digitalisation and the use of the most modern technologies, while always keeping an eye on environmental impact and remaining highly sensitive to art and beauty.”

This awareness and sensitivity are evidenced in the Industry 4.0 factory, which was constructed with painstaking attention to detail and aesthetics. A large glazed wall, measuring over 1000 square metres, reveals a large, luminous space for a high-quality work environment. The west side of the new building faces an impressive bronze sculpture entitled “Percorso Amoroso” (Path of love), created by artist Giuseppe Gallo.

Additionally, the entire roof of the warehouse (over 48,000 square metres) is currently being fitted with 26,000 square metres of photovoltaic panels – one of the largest rooftop installations in Italy – which, along with the systems that the company already uses, will allow Florim to achieve almost total energy self-sufficiency.