From Motorsport to the Sky: Poggipolini's Success

The Italian company Poggipolini S.p.A. was founded in 1950 by Callisto Poggipolini, specializing in developing and manufacturing critical connecting elements, structural components, and systems. Using titanium and special steel alloys, the company continues to develop and manufacture high-precision components and systems in Bologna.

After supplying leading motorsport teams for 30 years, the company's management decided in 2010 to apply their expertise and skills to the aerospace sector. The transition was successful, and by 2020, the aerospace industry already contributed to 60 percent of the company's revenue. Currently, the company is led by Stefano Poggipolini, his wife Rosanna, and their son Michele.

Poggipolini joined the racing industry in 1970 with a clear goal: to reduce weight for the racing teams. At that time, the company was one of the few manufacturing titanium screws, which are approximately 40 percent lighter than steel screws while maintaining the same tensile strength. Motorsport teams, including those from Porsche and Ferrari, became interested in these weight-saving screws in the 1980s. However, in 2009, changes in motorsport regulations led to a sudden 65 percent drop in Poggipolini's sales due to restrictions on the number of engines per team. Nevertheless, the company's management swiftly responded by focusing on acquiring additional customers from the aerospace industry.

In 2010, the Poggipolini family made a strategic decision to lead the production of critical fastening systems for the aerospace industry. This transition, involving the transfer and certification of fastening solutions from motorsport to aerospace, was not without its challenges. However, as Stefano Poggipolini, the CEO of Poggipolini, proudly states, 'It was not easy, but we did it.' This boldness to explore new markets has been a consistent theme in the company's history. It is this resilience and determination that has seen Poggipolini grow from a small workshop to a successful company.

Hot Fast Forging enables 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, flexibly, and at competitive prices even in small quantities. This opens up the possibility for customers to use titanium as an alternative to traditional steel fasteners. In addition to screws and bolts, Poggipolini also manufactures a variety of other parts for the aerospace industry, including drone housings, armor, and helicopter gearbox components.

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 our own quality laboratory. The coordinate measuring machines from ZEISS, with whom we have had a long-standing and reliable partnership, play a crucial role in this process. Since 1999, a total of five devices have been used, including one ZEISS PRISMO ultra, two ZEISS PRISMO, one ZEISS O-INSPECT, and one ZEISS DuraMax. The decision to choose ZEISS coordinate measuring machines was made by Giacomo Michelini, Quality Manager and Head of the Measurement Laboratory at Poggipolini. "The aerospace industry stringent safety regulations, and ZEISS solutions allow us to meet the required and very high standards."

Poggipolini carefully oversees every stage of the manufacturing process to ensure that the necessary certifications are obtained and maintained. For example, Giacomo Michelini utilizes the highly precise ZEISS PRISMO ultra to inspect drone casings. He considers the ZEISS PRISMO ultra a competitive advantage, with a measuring range of 1600 x 3000 x 1000 mm; Poggipolini has the largest and only machine in Italy. Thanks to the ZEISS PRISMO navigator technology, the coordinate measuring machine allows him to measure multiple aircraft components simultaneously, with automation and high speed, while ensuring accuracy. The measurement results are recorded for quality purposes and used as a basis for optimization and corrective actions. Giacomo Michelini is confident that "ZEISS solutions assure us that we manufacture in compliance with the standards."