The Group has signed an agreement with local authorities for the development of a 16,000-square-meter industrial area that will house a new production facility. Valvitalia plans to invest €10 million in this area.
President Ruggeri: "Our journey in China, which began in 2006, is being renewed based on solid relationships and continues toward a new phase of growth."
CEO Forzi: "This is a further step forward in consolidating our industrial assets in the country, with a focus on production capacity, competitiveness, and strategic customers."
Valvitalia has signed an agreement with the authorities of the Wujiang Economic & Technological Development Zone (WETDZ) for the assignment of 50-year exploitation rights for an industrial area of approximately 16,000 square meters in the Wujiang district (Jiangsu province), which will house a new production facility for the Group. The area, located 4 kilometers from Valvitalia's headquarters in Suzhou, will be the base for a €10 million industrial investment and, once operational, will centralize the Group's manufacturing operations in China.
The agreement was signed by CEO Andrea Forzi and Generoso Polito, General Manager of the Valves & Systems Division, together with Zhu Yungen, Deputy Director of the WETDZ Administrative Committee, in the presence of the Consul General of Italy in Shanghai, Tiziana D'Angelo, and the Director of the WETDZ Investment Promotion Office, Jin Xin. The operation is supported by a package of incentives provided by local institutions, confirming the strategic recognition accorded to Valvitalia's project by the Chinese government authorities. The design and construction are scheduled to begin by the end of 2025, with the site scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2027.
Salvatore Ruggeri, President of Valvitalia, stated: "We are among the first companies in our sector to have truly believed in the potential of the Chinese market, where we have been present for almost twenty years. From 2006 to today, our development in the region has been possible thanks to a solid network of relationships built with customers, suppliers, institutions, and local collaborators, which represents the foundation on which to build a new phase of growth and industrial consolidation."
Andrea Forzi, CEO of the Group, commented: "This operation represents a further step forward in a broad development plan aimed at strengthening our production platform in China. The goal is to increase industrial capacity, improve operational efficiency, and consolidate our competitive position among key EPC contractors and end users in the region."
The new plant—an integral part of the Valves & Systems Division—will be designed to ensure the highest safety and performance standards and will incorporate Italian and Chinese expertise in an integrated operating model. It will carry out engineering, assembly, welding, cladding, and valve testing activities, primarily for energy applications.
Through this investment, fully consistent with the 2027 business plan, Valvitalia strengthens its commitment to the Chinese market—which currently generates approximately 15% of the Group's total revenue—consolidating the expertise and resources developed over nearly twenty years of operations in Wujiang. The new site will enable the Group to increase responsiveness to local demand, consolidate existing business, and offer customers a production environment aligned with the most advanced criteria of sustainability, innovation, and operational excellence.
Fanuc crx-3ia: the pocket-sized cobot that takes welding anywhere
Designed for shipyards and steel construction, the CRX-3iA is carried in one hand and operates with the precision of a fixed arm. FANUC introduces the CRX-3iA collaborative robot, the lightest and most compact model in the entire CRX cobot range. Designed to be transported and ready for operation in minutes, it is aimed at all those applications where being able to move the robot quickly makes a real difference. Weighing just 11 kg, the CRX-3iA addresses a real need in industries such as shipbuilding and steel construction, where welders often work on enormous structures and must constantly move. The robot can be carried with one hand, positioned at a new work point, and is ready to go in seconds. This means a single person can manage multiple welding stations, a real advantage in a market that has long been plagued by a shortage of qualified welders. The 3 kg payload is sufficient to simultaneously handle the torch and the seam tracking sensor, while the repeatability of ±0.02 mm ensures the precision required for certain processes. After each move, the robot automatically detects its installation angle and, using a laser scanner or tactile sensor, locates the seam and plans its path autonomously. An optional magnetic base can be added to attach the robot directly to steel structures quickly and stably, eliminating much of the complexity of traditional robotic installations. The CRX-3iA is part of the CRX series, a range of FANUC cobots that can handle payloads of up to 30 kg and reach up to 1,756 mm, and integrates seamlessly with existing FANUC control systems and software. It also inherits wrist button technology: the operator can guide the arm and teach positions directly to the robot, without having to resort to a Teach Pendant, making programming faster and production changeovers less costly. Its application possibilities extend beyond welding. Its compact size and light weight make it suitable for AGV mounting for picking, line replenishment, and internal handling. It's also an attractive solution for training environments, where there's often no space for a traditional industrial robot. “Companies need automation that adapts to them, not the other way around,” says Vera Mariani, Business Development and Communications and Sales Coordinator Manager at FANUC Italia . “With the new CRX-3iA, we focused on ease of use, quick commissioning, and precision. Customers can bring automation where it's needed, without having to rethink the entire installation.” The new CRX-3iA cobot will be one of the protagonists of the Technovation Forum , the FANUC event open to all and dedicated to new technologies and automation which will be held on 18 November at the Lainate (MI) headquarters.
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