Partners - IBC Plastic

Having been operating in the field of automation for more than thirty years, Gimatic S.r.l. can today boast a vast range of products supplied and used worldwide on a variety of different markets. To improve its competitiveness on the market, Gimatic has decided not to limit itself to the handling business alone, but rather to also supply sensors and components for the plastics sector. The new challenge faced by Gimatic today is to enter the market of electrical actuators presented under the Mechatronics brand name. Flexibility, skill and technology make Gimatic a cutting-edge company. This is the winning strategy adopted by Gimatic, a strategy that is known and appreciated worldwide.

What makes it a competitive business is its continuous desire to grow, as is shown by its constant investment, with 10% of its annual turnover ploughed back into research and development year-in, year-out, to expand its business all over the world. Gimatic can rely on a well-organised, highly reliable capillary network of distributors and sister companies (16 in all, Italian and foreign), which is essential to guaranteeing a continuous flow of new products. It is a sales network that not only markets Gimatic products, but which also collects the user's requests and builds a specific solution for the given need. Gimatic is also synonymous of quality, a characteristic guaranteed by the use of innovative, technologically advanced machinery and close-knit control procedures monitoring both components and finished products. On the 24th of March the Gimatic Board of Directors has adopted the model of Organisation, Management and Control here explained.

Gimatic S.r.l. recognizes the need to implement and maintain an Environmental Management System designed to identify and evaluate the impacts of its industrial activity on the environment. The continuous search for the reduction of this impact on all business activities (from design and assembly to sales and after sales service of our automation components) involves all staff in a global collaboration.

And it goes without saying that we show great respect for our people working every day with passion to achieve our corporate goals.

History

1985 Gimatic Srl is founded. Three friends decide to combine their different potential and experience to create a dynamic new context. A context that, even through the era of globalisation, will stay true to the values of a "family" business as it evolves over time.

1986 First paten. The first pneumatic gripper (PB) is created and Gimatic registers its first patent. A lot of products will born after this , such as two and three jaw parallel grippers, 2 jaw radial gripper, linear and rotary actuators, linear electric guides, linear motor...

1987 Investment in the electronic field. Already a star player on the handling market, Gimatic decides to invest in electronics to increase its competitiveness. It therefore develops magnetoresistive, electronic and shock sensors.

1996 Change from limited liability to joint-stock company. The company gains structure and the change in its legal status becomes essential.

1997 Move to new headquarters. Gimatic staff grows and the company moves to a 2000 square metre establishment.

2001 The first Plastics catalogue is produced. Looking firmly to the future, Gimatic decides to take a stance on the plastics market, collaborating actively with manufacturers and installers of machines for moulding plastic materials. Gimatic specializes also in the production of vacuum cups (flat and bellow), pneumatic nippers, air hands, End of Arm Tooling (EOAT)...

2003 The first commercial branch is opened. Gimatic expands not only in terms of its business but also territorially, doing so by opening its first commercial branch based in Novara. Gimatrade Srl is simply the forerunner and today Gimatic is proud to boast 10 sister companies (4 Italian and 6 foreign).

2008 Move to the current headquarters. The important structural development of Gimatic made another move necessary. The company went from headquarters measuring 2000 square metres to a new one of 5000.

2012 The advent ofl Mechatronics. The eye on the future today takes the form of Gimatic's active interest in the electric actuator market. In the year 2012 were born the first mechatronics products, such as two and three jaw electric parallel grippers and electric actuators. In the year 2013 have been designed others: electric angular grippers, radial electric grippers, parallel electric grippers with long stroke, linear electric guides, electric motor... .

2013 The succession of Gimatic. On the 30th November 2013 Gimatic SpA was sold to the Xenon Private Equity holding company. The Gimatic group had showed in the last years growth rates above the average. Gimatic has founded subsidiaries in foreign countries and should be follow others in the nearest future. Therfore the mechatronic specialist pursues the goal of a rapid internationalization, which will be actively supported and attended by Xenon.

2016 The advent of AGIC. In June 2016 the majority of Gimatic Srl's shareholdings have been acquired by the private equity fund AGIC Capital. A purely financial acquisition, which has brought new lymph to the Company. This additional resource has increased the awareness of the Gimatic brand, without forgetting the traditional markets, starting from the Italian one.

The Group

Gimatic can rely on a well-organised, highly reliable capillary network of distributors and sister companies (16 in all, Italian and foreign), which is essential to guaranteeing a continuous flow of new products. It is a sales network that not only markets Gimatic products, but which also collects the user's requests and builds a specific solution for the given need.

Flexibility, skill and technology make Gimatic a leading global manufacturer of pneumatic and electric grippers for industrial automation. Gimatic also designs and builds customized systems for clients' specific applications.

HANDLING: Pneumatic Automation

Gimatic plays today a leading role in the market of handling products. The hanlding catalogue concerning pneumatic components for general handling applications and offers a vaste range of products such as 2 jaw parallel grippers, 2 jaw angular grippers, 2 jaw radial grippers, 3 jaw parallel grippers, air hands, air hands, ID expansion grippers, linear guides, indexing tables, swivelling actuators, indexing tables, pneumatic slides, pneumatic linear slides, table slides, food grippers and cleanroom grippers.

PLASTICS: End of Robot Arm tools

In order to be competitive and to expand and develop its production areas, Gimatic decided to actively collaborate with manufacturers and fitters of machines molding plastic materials. Therefore, for about ten years, not only has it dealt with handling and sensors but also with components for the plastics field and offers a vaste range of products, such as modular clamping systems, quick changers, grippers for engagement, self-centering and not self-centering sprue grippers, 2 jaw parallel grippers, 2 jaw angular acting grippers and mini grippers, air hands, ID expansion micro grippers, one finger grippers, grippers for clamping, pneumatic air nippers, slides, flat vacuum cups and bellow vacuum cups.

MECHATRONICS: Electric automation

The new goal that Gimatic wants to reach today is to enter in the mechatronics market. In the year 2012 were born the first mechatronics products: 2 and 3 jaw parallel electric grippers, electric rotary actuators. Recently have been designed also angular electric grippers, radial electric grippers, parallel electric grippers with long stroke, linear motors, linear electric actuators and electric linear guides. Gimatic SpA is careful to the Robotic field requirements and its application in the Medical, Pharma, Automotive and Semiconductor branches. Three members of the Mechatronics range offered by Gimatic have reached the Cleanroom Certification from the most reliable Fraunhofer Institute, as they are suitable for applications in the clean manufacturing areas. The MPPM1606 gripper has gained Air Cleanliness Class 4 under ISO 14644-1. This is another peculiarity of the Gimatic avantgarde electric actuators.

SENSORS: Position detection

Gimatic has decided to invest in the electronic field as it represents the future of the industrial handling. The productions of components, such as magnetoresistive (gmr sensors), electronic sensors (NPN and PNP), shock sensors, encoder sensors (position transducer), sensors for cylinders, automotive sensors, custom sensors and reed switch, is an important aspect of the innovation concept.