The application of lean principles is generally perceived as being associated with manufacturing. The lean startup method, introduced in 2008, started to change this perception. Indeed, as a result of this method, lean philosophy began to be conceived as an innovative business strategy, essential for both starting new businesses and for the development of new products by already consolidated companies. The concept of lean startup is defined in the book entitled “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries, the inventor of the method: “The Lean Startup method provides a scientific approach to managing start ..read more

The number of users who access digital content on a daily basis continues to grow. As highlighted in the “Digital 2024 Global Overview Report”, over the last year, compared to a growth in the world’s population of 0.9%, the number of people who use the Internet rose by 1.8%, with a 5.6% increase in the number of user identities on social media. Source: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-global-overview-report This growth is even more evident when we look at the trend over the last 10 years: the number of people using the Internet worldwide has doubled from 2.7 to 5.3 billion ..read more

Have you ever entered a room, taken a breath and felt a sense of stale air? For many of you, perhaps the room you are in right now feels like that. If you are lucky, you will be breathing odourless and tasteless fresh air, either because someone just opened a window (natural ventilation) or because you’re in a building with an air handling and mechanical ventilation system that guarantees good indoor air quality (IAQ). (Sources: https://www.infobuildenergia.it/approfondimenti/la-ventilazione-naturale-in-edilizia/ and https://www.airveber.it/ventilazione-meccanica-controllata/) Peopl ..read more

Depending on the material and the intended use of the product being painted, coating technologies and the products used can vary considerably. Wood, plastic, metals, and composite materials can be painted with liquid or powder coatings, and the products can be applied by hand or by robot, depending on the volumes and the speed of the process. Similarly, there may be several intermediate phases in a painting process that require differentiated control of environmental parameters. One of the most significant examples of the complexity of a painting process is the automotive sector. Indeed, the e ..read more

In the context of the urgent need to reduce energy consumption to address climate change, the concept of zero energy buildings (ZEB) is crucial. In the design of such buildings, the primary goal is to achieve high energy efficiency while maintaining high standards of indoor comfort and air quality, within the limits of economic sustainability. This requires the selection of high-performance components for the ventilation system, as well as effective management and continuous performance monitoring over time. This blog post explores three fundamental principles: hygiene, energy efficiency, and ..read more

As we all know, the large industrial heat pump industry is growing really fast, especially in the EU. However, the rest of the world will certainly soon follow.  For many years the main market for heat pumps has mainly been in households, i.e. large volumes, an HFC refrigerant and the use of standard components that have “always” been available on the market. These components were easy to use, and the design temperatures and pressures were all straightforward, so there were no specific issues for building a heat pump. The same was true for industrial heat pumps. Now the game is changing ..read more

In scientific and medical applications, the substances stored inside refrigerators are likely to be highly valuable from an economic, strategic and even social point of view. Thus, this specific market requires particular attention. The risks associated with an ineffective refrigeration system can be significant, as an improper storage temperature can accelerate degradation of the products, cause them to lose their therapeutic properties or lead to the formation of potentially toxic substances. That is why industry regulations are particularly strict and demanding. For instance, in order to gu ..read more

The growing awareness of ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues and the need to make energy consumption as efficient as possible, thus lowering costs, have created market demand for remote control solutions capable of reducing waste, such as BEMS (building energy management systems). In particular, businesses that manage chains of commercial or service properties – i.e. banks, restaurant or store chains, and gyms - need to be able to have remote control and data for analysis on multiple levels, so as to reduce complexity and acquire information to help make the right decisions: from ..read more

In the realm of problem-solving methodologies, few approaches have stood the test of time quite like the 8D problem-solving process. Originating in the automotive industry, specifically at the Ford Motor Company in the late 1980s, the 8D methodology rose to prominence as a powerful tool to address complex issues and drive continuous improvement. Over the years, it has evolved and gained widespread adoption across various industries and sectors, cementing its position as a tried and tested problem-solving framework [1]. In this post, we will delve into the main steps of the 8D problem-solving ..read more

Introduction It is now well known that heat pump technology is a key tool in achieving the decarbonisation of building heating systems and meeting the emission reduction objectives set globally and in particular by the EU, which aims to make Europe the first continent with a zero environmental impact.   The heat pumps currently available on the market can boast an average energy efficiency that is three to five times higher than natural gas boilers, and at the same time can run on energy from renewable sources. Without going into too much detail, here are some numbers to help understand j ..read more