Production has commenced at Clivet’s new $US27.6 million heat pump factory in Feltre, northern Italy.
The new facility covers an area of approximately 14,000 square metres and is dedicated to the large-scale production of heat pumps, with a particular focus on applications in the commercial sector and the use of natural refrigerants.
Clivet chair & CEO, Stefano Bellò, Chairman and CEO of Clivet, said the opening marks a strategic milestone in Clivet’s growth journey.
“The new facility is part of the expansion process that Clivet is driving within MBT Climate, the European division and ‘house of brands’ of Midea Building Technologies (Midea Group).”
Bellò said it began with the creation of the Innovation Centre in Padua, an international reference point for research and development in the HVAC market, inaugurated last year.
“The workforce currently comprises 30 office staff and 50 production staff, and a plan for further recruitment has already been drawn up in line with market growth,” he said.
“The production lines, all newly built, assemble the SHEEN series (30–60–90 kW), THUNDER (R290), STORM, SHEEN 130 kW and Modular HP ranges for the American market. “
In terms of production capacity, the new plant, when operating at full capacity, will be able to produce 8,800 units a year, doubling the current capacity for those specific product lines.
“The strong demand for Clivet products in the commercial sector and the development of new markets on the horizon will see 70% of its production destined for export, particularly to markets in central and northern Europe, where demand for heat pumps for decarbonisation in the commercial sector is constantly growing,” he said.
Clivet’s plant manager, Marco Bertazzo, said the new plant is the result of intensive work in design, construction and industrial organisation.
“We have developed the production lines by applying the principles of Lean Manufacturing, with the aim of creating more efficient workflows, eliminating waste and focusing on activities that generate value for the customer,” he said.
“We have also designed the production lines to integrate robots, cobots (collaborative robots) and AGVs (automated guided vehicles), with a view to collaborative automation.”