1952-2022. 70 years of experience in hydraulic fittings

1952-2022. 70 years of experience in hydraulic fittings

Rastelli Raccordi, 70 years experience in fittings

The family SME Rastelli Raccordi, one of the historic manufacturers of hydraulic fittings in Italy, turns 70 this year. The opportunity for a portrait of a company that favors the regular reinvestment of part of its profits in research and development.


Owned by the Rastelli family, Rastelli Raccordi was founded by Adriano Rastelli. The SME currently employs 190 people spread across its various sites: the headquarter in Villanterio-Pavia, Italy, the Italian branches in Turin, Padua, Bologna and Avellino, the French sites in Chartres and Nantes, the German site in Ostfildern-Nellingen, the Spanish one in Martorelles and finally the site of Nanjing, in China. These branches are all organized in total operational autonomy. They have their own commercial, administrative and logistic structure, having stocks dedicated to their market.
On a technical level, the SME has always been linked to the cutting edge of technlology in the field of fittings. The reinvestment in the updating of the machine park allows to currently have multispindle lathes and CNC-transfer machines that reduce processing times, ensure processing precision and optimize the consumption of raw material.

Zinc-plating and durable development
The zinc-plating treatment is done directly in its workshops with results of the highest level. These use state-of-the-art systems in compliance with REACH regulations. Continuous research and development have allowed the company to reach 500 hours on white rust and 1000 hours on red rust in salt spray tests. It should be noted that the use of toxic solvents is absent from its production processes even in degreasing or washing operations, and the biodegradable solutions are used to eliminate oils, even in the zinc-plating treatment. The SME has organized in its workshops a system for the recovery of oil from the machines and for the treatment of processing waste and equipment washing. The recovered oil is reused, which greatly reduces waste and emissions into the environment.

New patented system
The expertise acquired over 70 years has allowed the company to obtain one of the most demanding and most complete approvals in the industry, all combined with a thoroughly studied pricing policy. Hence the ability to maintain its leading position in a highly competitive environment. This necessarily applies to the design of standard products.
However, Rastelli Raccordi does not fail to innovate in “shelf” solutions. The SME cooperates for this on a daily basis with its customers, satisfies the most demanding applications and produces, if necessary, dedicated items.
In the range of DIN 2353 fittings, the RR-Form system has been patented” explains Barbara Rastelli, manager of the company. “It is a cold forming system of the tube with the use of a specific machine. The coupling of the elastomer sealing rings to the fitting, with the aid of an anti-unscrewing washer as an additional guarantee. “This new cold forming machine has been conceived to create a tubular shape adapted to the new AR3-Form ring.

On the logistical level, Rastelli Raccordi has adopted the choice of fully automating its supply chain, from packaging to shipment, according to the goods-to-man principle. “This allows us to increase accuracy and effectiveness and reduce delivery times by 25%” specifies the SME.
Barbara Rastelli undelines: “Industry 4.0 is an important goal that we do not exclude and for which we began working in 2020. A new management system must actually be launched that will allow for a transformation in the short term.”

Rastelli Raccordi, the Italian leader in fittings
Rastelli Raccordi was founded in 1952 by Adriano Rastelli. In 1962, Rastelli became the first Italian manufacturer of DIN 2353 fittings. The creation of an effective organization and the continuous acquisition of new technologies allows it to expand its range of products. The company becomes the market leader of hydraulic fittings in Italy, and one of the main producers in the world. The first branch outside Italy was founded in 1974, in Germany. We will have to wait until 1990 to see the opening of the France branch, 1992 for the Spain branch, 2014 for the China branch. SME is constantly expanding its product ranges: in 1991, the JIC 37 fittings, in 1997, the hose fittings are added to CPN range (Catalogue  of Normalized Positions), thanks to the acquisition of Rotflex Verona. Rastelli currently faces the new challenges of the market by introducing increasingly sophisticated methods and procedures and cutting-edge technological products to guarantee quality and added value to its Customers. Example: a high-tech workshop was opened in 2013, in Valera Fratta.

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