The first 60 years of a young family company
Thanks to a strategy based on quality, as testified by the 6,500 volumetric dosing units and machines installed throughout the world, Karr Italiana confirms its standing as one of the most reliable and promising companies in the sector.
Stefano Lavorini
Gravy and sauces, ketchup and honey, Russian salad and minestrone, but also mascara, shampoo, toothpastes and, why not, glues, stuccoes…
There are numerous families of products, whether dense, pasty, homogeneous or lumpy, in the food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and chemical sectors, which can be dosed and refilled by the systems and machines produced by Karr Italiana.
This is shown not to be a mere statement by the thousands of machines sold in Italy and in the world in 60 years of activity, as Ettore Oldrini, sole director of the company based in Assago (MI), confirms.
Heir to the company founded by his uncle Carlo, Oldrini, combining personal qualities and professional ethics, has managed to renew a history made up of attention to innovation, openness to change, and the management of risk.
«There is no model that tells you how to run a family company», he tells us. «We are convinced that only with the constant commitment of the entrepreneur, management and all the people that live and work in the company, is it possible to follow or anticipate changes with foresight and prudence, so as to be able to serve customers and satisfy stakeholders in the best way possible».
First the product, then the market
Karr Italiana’s wealth of expertise encompasses the entire production chain, starting from the acquisition of materials, and continues with the close control of every processing phase carried out by selected partners, and arriving at assembly and testing managed entirely inside the company.
Decades of success in the production of a single type of product, that is, volumetric metering machines, is underpinned by a constant search for quality.
«Our machines are characterised by their compact and simple shapes, maximum versatility, dosing accuracy and reliability, care taken with every detail and the use of excellent-quality materials and components. Today we use only AISI 304 stainless-steel for the structures, and AISI 316L electro-polished stainless-steel for the parts in contact with the product to be dosed, non-toxic Teflon or silicone gaskets, as well as anticorodal aluminium for the pneumatic part. The metering machines are designed and developed so as to permit rapid assembly, thereby favouring cleaning and maintenance activities. I would like to point out that our products comply with the European Community legislation that regulates materials and objects intended to come into contact with food products and the relative GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)».
Food, but not only
The solutions offered by Karr Italiana include semi-automatic metering machines, single or multiple metering units and units for applications on automatic lines, as well as special nozzles for the dosing of products with even large pieces.
The dosing range covered by the volumetric units and metering machines ranges from 1 cc to 10,000 cc; regulation of the quantity discharges is simple and precise, as is the regulation of product delivery and suction speed.
There is, finally, extensive flexibility, with interchangeable accessories able to meets the needs of small and large-scale production. This means that Karr technology makes it possible to process products such as minestrones, gravy, sauces, but also burrata and stracciatella, ice cream preparations… as well as, by way of example, deodorant sticks and hot glues.
«In these cases, we offer “heated” machines able to ensure a constant working temperature, so as to prevent the product from solidifying. In our business, therefore, although the food sector represents around 80%, there are also other segments such as those mentioned, to which we can add paints, sealing materials, putties, etc.».
New developments on show
«Besides the well-structured sales network that allows us to respond with maximum effectiveness to our customers’ requests in Italy, we have also consolidated a highly respected international presence, thanks to numerous agents» Daniele Ortelli, a historical key figure in the company, remarks. «It should not be forgotten, in fact, that one of the pluses of our products is the fact that they are easy to handle and transport, an advantage for our customers in both the installation and in the after-sales phases. We continue, however, to innovate, as demonstrated by our participation at Cibus Tec 2023, during which we presented our flagship products: new materials for gaskets, as well as the stainless-steel electronic metering machine designed for CIP (Cleaning In Place) washing, specifically dedicated to the food sector».
A choice made by vocation
In 1962 Carlo Oldrini, together with a partner, sold herbicides in 5-litre drums; one day a customer asked if, by chance, the product was available also in 1-litre flacons: it was at that moment that the idea of designing and building the first metering machine was born, which over time have become authentic automation components.
Everything has changed in the last sixty years… but not the passion, ambition, determination, instinct for opportunities, propensity for learning and ability to take decisions in uncertain contexts that today characterize his grandson, Ettore Oldrini.
«Ever since I was small, I’ve had a great passion for mechanics thanks to my uncle who gave me Meccano as a present, but who also helped me to make small circuits and adjust bicycles. After military service, I wanted to study to be a watchmaker, but the invitation came to prove myself in the company, and this is where I’ve stayed ».
Technology has changed radically in sixty years, and Karr no less so: from the Milan site in viale Jenner, to the more spacious plant in Assago in 2004, and then the opening of a second industrial building in 2018 to support a continuously developing business, testifying to the solidity of the company that remains true to its initial business philosophy.
