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Poggipolini: From Motorsport to the Sky

Founded in 1950, the Italian company Poggipolini specializes in developing and manufacturing critical connecting elements and structural components using titanium and special steel alloys. After supplying leading motorsport teams for 30 years, the company boldly started to apply its expertise and skills to the aerospace sector in 2010. A decade later, customers from the aerospace sector contribute 60 % of the company’s revenue.

The leap from motorsport to aerospacePoggipolini entered the racing industry in 1970, intending to reduce weight for the racing teams by manufacturing titanium screws, which are 40% lighter than steel screws while maintaining the same tensile strength. During the 1980s, motorsport teams such as Porsche and Ferrari showed a significant increase in interest in lightweight screws. A subsequent 65% drop in sales revenue due to regulatory changes prompted the company to pivot toward the aerospace sector. The management made the timely decision to take a leading role in manufacturing critical fastening systems for aerospace. This transition, involving the transfer and certification of fastening solutions from motorsport to aerospace, was challenging. This boldness to explore new markets has been a consistent theme in the company’s history.

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Hot fast forging creates new opportunities
Hot fast forging enabled the company to establish a strong presence in the helicopter, aerospace, hypercar, and motorsport industries. This innovative process facilitates the production of critical connection elements made of titanium and Inconel quickly and at competitive prices, even in small quantities. This opens the possibility for customers to use titanium as an alternative to traditional steel fasteners. In addition to screws and bolts, Poggipolini also manufactures various other parts for aerospace, including drone casings, armor, and helicopter gearbox parts.

Reliability guaranteed
“The key to success in the aerospace industry has been and continues to be the high reliability of our parts,” explains Stefano Poggipolini, CEO of Poggipolini. To ensure the functional safety of safety-critical components for aviation and aerospace, numerous tests and analyses are conducted in the quality laboratory. Coordinated measuring machines from ZEISS play a crucial role in this process. The company uses various systems, including ZEISS PRISMO family, ZEISS DuraMax and ZEISS O-INSPECT. The decision to choose ZEISS was made by Giacomo Michelini, Quality Manager and Head of the Measurement Laboratory: “The aerospace industry has stringent safety regulations, and ZEISS solutions enable us to meet the required and very high standards.”

 

“The aerospace industry has stringent safety regulations, and ZEISS solutions enable us to meet the required and very high standards.”

Giacomo Michelini
Quality Manager, Poggipolini S.p.A.  

Learn more about advanced metrology for aerospace

Manufacturers in the aerospace industry must prioritize safety while also optimizing production capacity to stay competitive. Balancing these demands is challenging and calls for innovative approaches. Find out how ZEISS solutions help address production challenges and ensure quality at all altitudes.

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Poggipolini carefully oversees every stage of the manufacturing process.

Certification and process safety
Poggipolini carefully oversees every stage of the manufacturing process to secure and uphold necessary certifications. For example, Giacomo Michelini utilizes the precise ZEISS PRISMO ultra to inspect drone housings. He considers this system a competitive advantage, as it has a substantial measuring range and is the only one of its kind in Italy. The machine allows for simultaneous measurement of multiple aircraft components, combining automation and speed while ensuring accuracy. The measurement results are recorded for quality purposes and used as a base for optimization and corrective actions. Giacomo Michelini is confident that “ZEISS solutions assure us that we are manufacturing in compliance with the standards.”

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