Growermetal Srl is specialised in the production of security, spring and flat washers, as well as pressed parts according to customers’ specifications – controlling the entire production process in-house.
Founded in the 1950s by Virginio Cattaneo, Growermetal is a second generation family owned business. The name Growermetal comes from the commercial name of the company’s spring lock washer – ‘Grower’ – which was the first product the company started to sell and is even incorporated in the design of the company’s logo. Since then, Growermetal has developed a great variety of new standard and special products according to customers’ specifications, which has seen it steadily grow year-on-year.
Growermetal’s products can be used in a variety of applications, which has led to it expanding into markets across Europe and worldwide. The company’s goal is to continue to grow, which is why it opened two international sales offices. The first is in the USA – G & G Safety Fasteners LLC (New Jersey) – and the second in Brazil, Growermetal do Mercosul LTDA (Curitiba). “The goal of G & G Safety Fasteners is to further strengthen our presence in the US, Canadian and Mexican markets,” states Paolo Cattaneo, managing director supervision technical management, production and quality at Growermetal. “The Brazilian operation includes an office and warehouse that can offer a full sales service to the South American markets.”
Growermetal divides its production into two main product families – pressed parts and products made from wire. In 2017, the company produced more than 4 billion pressed pieces – approximately 9,000 tonnes – and 320 million wire pieces – approximately 2,000 tonnes. The product range includes over 4,000 standard washers according to DIN, ASME, NFE and other international standards. The product portfolio includes toothed washers with internal and external teeth, conical washers, contact washers, Sperrkant washers, spring lock washers, spring washers for railway applications, corrugated washers, and terminal washers – all available in steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, bronze, aluminium, copper, brass, inconel and other alloys upon customers’ requests.
A key strength of Growermetal’s production is its ability to manufacture special items – with the company producing more than 2,000 products according to customers’ drawings. “We have gained great experience over the years, thanks to our demanding customers who are frequently sending numerous, and challenging, enquiries for special parts such as SEMs washers for nuts or screws, flat washers, flat ribbed washers, eccentric washers, cup washers and spherical washers,” explains Paolo. “Our highly qualified technicians carry out in-depth feasibility studies in order to ensure an efficient and reliable service with the commitment to manufacture best performing finished products.”
A key factor in Growermetal’s ability to deliver a reliable, quick and flexible service is that it controls the entire production process in-house. This includes tooling design and manufacturing, with the company’s tool shop equipped with the most advanced machinery and latest technology – such as CNC drilling milling machines, EDM machines, CNC grinding machines and CNC lathes. All this equipment allows the company to reach the maximum precision and productivity of the tooling.
Beside the tooling design and manufacturing, Growermetal’s production processes also cover blanking and coining, rolling of metal wire, cleaning and surface finishing, heat treatment, mechanical zinc plating, zinc flake coating, sorting, quality control, packaging and storage – with 5,500 storage places available in its fully automated warehouse.
A big advantage for Growermetal is that it can also offer in-house surface treatments, with its mechanical zinc plating process qualified by MacDermid®. Growermetal has been an accredited licensed plater for ZinKlad 250 M treatment since 2009, for its products as well as for third parties. Furthermore, the company is approved for the mechanical zinc plating process according to the automotive standard FCA PS.50042, as unique plater on the markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
In 2016 the surface treatment department was further enhanced with the installation of a fully automatic zinc flake coatings line, which was specifically designed to carry out surface coatings on washers and to achieve the best results both from an aesthetical and performance point of view.
The company has also been certified by Dörken MKS-Systeme as the homologated plater for the use of MKS® products. This means that Growermetal is able to offer high performing coatings with a choice of different solutions of base coats such as DELTA-PROTEKT® and DELTA-TONE®, as well as a range of top coats including the DELTA-PROTEKT VH range. Thanks to this investment, Growermetal is able to offer the proper products with in-house zinc flake coatings to guarantee its customers maximum flexibility and speed of accomplishment.
Since 2015 the company has been cooperating with Nord-Lock Group in a strategic production and technical development agreement for the manufacture of wedge-locking washers. As a result of this agreement, Nord-Lock Group has acquired the Grower Twin-Lock® brand and Growermetal has agreed to supply wedge-locking washers exclusively to the Nord-Lock Group.
Projects for 2018-2020 are focusing on the expansion of the premises and the installation of new product lines in order to significantly increase the production capacity.
Find Growermetal at Fastener Fair Italy on Stand 944.
Will joined Fastener + Fixing Magazine in 2007 and over the last 15 years has experienced every facet of the fastener sector - interviewing key figures within the industry and visiting leading companies and exhibitions around the globe.
Will manages the content strategy across all platforms and is the guardian for the high editorial standards that the Magazine is renowned.
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