In this exclusive Bearing News Interview, Mr. Roberto Bortolazzi, Business Development Manager of Techno Total Solutions (TTS), shares and discusses the current activities and future outlook of TTS, an Italian- based manufacturing company specializing in bearing solutions.
Actually, we have not heard of Techno Total Solutions, what is the story of Techno Total Solutions?
TTS was born in 2007 with a bunch of passionate and likeminded people who shared the same philosophy of increasing the level of service to the customer and providing complete technical solutions. Fast-forward to 2022, with the accrued technical acumen, TTS is serving customers worldwide in various applications by providing them with a wide gamut of products. TTS is proud to say that its products have satisfied the needs of the applications, and our technical team is adept in providing standard and tailor- made solutions for various applications.
Can you tell us more about your background and current activities at Techno Total Solutions?
As a mechanical engineer, I have about 8 years of experience in companies specializing in production of cranes and tractors for agriculture. The applications helped me realize the importance of bearings in the industry. I immediately joined a bearing distribution company wherein I learnt about the products and its applications. But after working for 20 years in the bearings industry, I still felt that I needed to learn more.
One fine day, I met and interacted with Mr. Romolo Pelizzoni, who is the CEO at TTS and Mr. Geraldo Mirafiori, who is the Technical Manager at TTS, in Milan. This short encounter led to several meetings at the TTS facility which motivated me to join the TTS team. We have a tech savvy team dedicated to quality, who is ensuring that ISO9001:2015 and our experience in Lean Six Sigma black belt go hand in hand together. We have hundreds of measuring instruments and two CMM machines which are periodically calibrated, to ensure the continuity of the quality. Our technical team uses the latest software to give accurate technical recommendations and we strive to continuously improve the manufactured products.
As a short-term plan, we would like to expand further into East-European, Mexican and Indian markets.
We at TTS maintain absolute commitment to client satisfaction, integrity and transparency. Overall TTS has shown great growth potential and it could beat any other premium manufacturer of bearings in terms of quality and performance. TTS is currently preparing for the ISO14000 certification and at the first instance, it was the vision and future goals who convinced me to join the company and become a part of TTS’s journey to the next level.
Will you mainly serve OEM or distribution network?
Considering our product matrix, 85% of our revenues are from the OEM business. This has been growing at 12% on YoY basis. Despite the slowdown in FY22, our revenues have sustained the growth trend. Moreover 75% of our bearings are exported worldwide.
As you are the Business Development Manager, responsible for worldwide sales – In which markets/ countries is TTS is active?
As of today, TTS has a good grip in the Italian market. At the international level, its products are being used for various applications and heavy industries worldwide. We have been robust in industries as mentioned earlier but we would like to move closer to our clients’ needs and provide customized solutions, with reduced delivery time, and enter new markets. As a short-term plan, we would like to expand further into East- European, Mexican and Indian markets.
The unique approach of the TTS’s technical and the production team has reduced the onsite failures and has excelled in delivering quality products for the steel industry.
What are your main plans for 2023 – 2025?
- To see that our expansion plans in Mexico, East-Europe and India as mentioned before are successfully implemented.
- Exploring new leads to understand their current problems and help them with unique, innovative and customized solutions which our technical team has mastered since its inception.
- Lowering the overall costs by improving our efficiency and increasing our level of service to the clients.
- Continue investing in R&D activities and partnering with universities for new product development.
- Widening the technical department by strategic hiring of engineers whose vision is aligned with that of TTS.
How are changing global supply chains changing the strategies in the market?
Situations like the pandemic and the current condition in Europe have undoubtedly disrupted the supply chain for everyone. Not only the overall costs of the supply chain have increased but also the supplier and client relations have been reconstructed. During the initial days of the pandemic to recoup with the disruption, we developed a cross functional team to mitigate the risk by adopting strategies like product segmenting, developing ecosystem partnerships etc.
These strategies helped us to rebuild a resilient supply chain. But when the war of 2022 started, our supply chain was put into test and as of today we can say that we have been successful in handling the disruption. As we are almost at the end of the current FY, our success is clearly reflected in the steady YoY growth of 12% in revenues, growth in our PAT (Profit After Tax), reduction in CCC (Cross Conversion Cycle) and lowering of the inventories.
Which products for which applications do you produce and what is TTS’s target markets and industries?
We have been instrumental in producing Combined Bearings, Backup Rolls, Ball Bearings, Tapered Roller Bearings, Cylindrical Bearings, Spherical Bearings, Split Cylindrical Bearings, Bearing Housings, Slewing Rings. Most of these bearings are used in the materials handling, tension levelers backup rolls, steel plants, rolling mills, oil & gas, mining, and cement industries. As our target market, we would like to penetrate deeper into our existing field of expertise and applications.
Can you specify TTS’s solutions for the Steel industry?
We are very well know that the steel industry applications poses serious challenges like the heavy loads, high temperatures, penetration of debris etc. It is not cake walk to deal with these challenges. The technical team of TTS has a holistic approach towards these problems, and always starts first with modelling the actual conditions using engineering simulation software. The model is validated to onsite conditions. Upon finalizing with the client, TTS undertakes sample production of the products and the feedback of the maintenance engineers at site helps us always to refine the product.
Using this approach, TTS has outshined its peers in the production of: Four Row Cylindrical Bearings, Four Row Tapered Roller Bearings, Tension Leveler Backup Roll Bearings, Spherical Bearings, Combined Bearings. We can supply bearings up to 2000mm outer Diameter. These bearings have been widely used in equipment like rolling stands, pellet cars, continuous casting machines, blast furnace, etc… The unique approach of the TTS’s technical and the production team has reduced the onsite failures and has excelled in delivering quality products for the steel industry.
How do you see the future of the steel industry in the coming years?
Steel is the backbone of human sustenance. It’s everywhere. Among all the metals, steel has seen a greater importance in industries like energy, automotive, construction, packaging, infrastructure, and machinery. Many steel plants around the world are now focusing on novel steel grades and stressing green production. The per capita steel consumption has increased by around 60% from 2001 to 2022. With the world seeing a constant increase in population, the expansion of various industries is inevitable. In the long run, the steel industry has to run to catch up the demand. We are fully confident that TTS would grab this growth opportunity.
More information about Techno Total Solutions (TTS) can be found at the link.
This article is published in BearingNews 10th Anniversary 2022 issue
