Used Positioners from Italian Makers Silvestrini

SILVESTRINI Company was founded at the beginning of 1900, by Domenico Silvestrini, assisted by his son Arturo and by a few workers carrying out the specific activity of artisan blacksmith work. 

In the 1960’s, further investments in property were made with the purchase of 20,000 sq.mts of land, on which sheds and offices were built (near to the centre of Bologna and also to railway station, airport and motorway).

Meanwhile, the mechanical sector was developing alongside the metal work sector, and was crowned by success with the setting up of the “HYDRAULIC POSITIONER which has always met with great success, first in Italy and then abroad.

The hydraulic system patented by the company has led Silvestrini to utilize its technology in various fields where hydraulic applications were required and especially in projects of large magnitude.

Starting from 1970, production has been developed in further branches, such as robotic installations for welding and manipulation, special machines, etc.

In 2015 it was reported Welding positioners from Silvestrini played a small but important role in an ambitious flood-defense project intended to protect Venice, Italy from the damaging floods that have plagued it for centuries. The MOSE project, whose name is an allusion to the Biblical figure Moses (or “Mosè” in Italian), is an ingenious barrier system that will protect Venice from rising sea levels.

MOSE is comprised of rows of massive gates located at the major inlets from the Adriatic Sea. The gates, which range in length from 18 m to 29 m, are anchored to the sea floor and use giant hinges to raise and lower. When not in use, the gates are flooded with water and disappear beneath the water’s surface. When flooding is predicted, the water is released by means of compressed air, causing the gates to rise up and form a temporary flood barrier. The €7 billion project was begun in 2003 and is roughly 80 percent complete.

Silvestrini welding positioners are being used to fabricate the massive weldments and hinges that allow MOSE to operate. A SA 500 S positioner was used to tilt and rotate a 42 ton MOSE component. The SA 500 S is 18 ft long and weighs slightly more than the weldments it manipulates. The machine’s turntable surface is 9 ft diameter and is hydraulically tiltable up to 105 deg. The SA 500 S offers variable-speed rotation in either direction, allowing welders to position and manipulate the most challenging workpieces. 

Read more about how they are saving Venice here

Take a look at our blog for resources including Flange welding applications | A simple description of the different types.