“Lucchini RS in the Aluminium business: How forged steel products enhance the aluminium productivity” - Maurizio Grisanti, Commercial Director of the Forging & Casting Division at Lucchini RS

Federico Piazza from AlCircle Team had a special meeting with Maurizio Grisanti, Commercial Director of the Forging & Casting Division at Lucchini RS. The tradition and skills of Mr. Grisanti allow enhancing a peculiar drive into the metallurgical research between the aluminium and steel production.

AlCircle: Lucchini RS Group's Forging and Casting Division aims to consolidate its contribution to the aluminium sector. Which product is it offering in this market?

Maurizio Grisanti: Since several years, the Lucchini RS Group has been looking at the aluminium industry with growing interest because this non-ferrous metal has so many applications—ranging from the automotive sector, to the industrial sector, to packaging and consumer electronics. Its characteristics mean that it can serve as a replacement material for some traditional steel in many applications, including in the structural field. To meet the demand for products used in aluminium production processes, the company has developed a business line of steels for die-casting molds, for extrusion press tooling equipment, and for rollers used in continuous casting (Twin Roll Caster).

AlCircle: Coming with a strong experience in the steel market, why did Lucchini develop an interest in this market as well?

Maurizio Grisanti: The Lucchini RS Group is always focused on identifying the market trends as well as emerging technologies. Aluminium is certainly a metal with characteristics that are ever more suited to multiple uses, both in the industrial sector and in everyday life. 

AlCircle: What is your strategy?

Maurizio Grisanti: Rather than talking about a specific strategy, I would prefer to make reference to the principles that inspire us; the Lucchini RS Group wants to be a global, reliable partner for the sustainable progress of mobility and industry which, with passion and creativity, offers advanced customer-oriented solutions. This is who we are. It’s at the core of all our initiatives.

AlCircle:  What kind of partnerships are you considering in this sector?

Maurizio Grisanti: At Lucchini RS Group, partnership is understood as a collaboration with OEMs and end users to jointly develop high-performance, forged-steel products that are capable of improving the quality of the goods and the performance of their respective processes. All of our customers have their own identity, processes, and production philosophy—it’s up to us to understand these unique qualities and adapt ourselves to provide the most suitable solution. The Lucchini RS Group would never adhere to the “one size fits all” motto; for us, each client is unique. The company is able to offer this level of service because, as an integrated producer, it manages every step of the production process. In fact, from steel manufacturing and forging to heat treatment and mechanical processing, everything is carried out in our factories under the supervision of the best process control and quality technicians.

AlCircle: Could you mention some of the important players in this field?

Maurizio Grisanti: The market is made up of large international groups with production sites on every continent as well as small and medium-sized producers operating regionally. They are all important to us and we try to give them the world-class service they deserve.

AlCircle: Can these forged steel products, destined for the aluminium market, also be produced for other materials?

Maurizio Grisanti: Although they are most frequently used with aluminium, the die casting and extrusion components made with our steels can also be used in other non-ferrous metal processes.

AlCircle: What contribution has Lucchini RS Group Labs made to the steel element of these production processes?

Maurizio Grisanti: At the Lucchini RS Group, working together with our customers, we’re constantly sharing the challenge of products in continuous evolution; it’s precisely our constant research into improving steels and their characteristics that allows us to generate value for our customers. In this sense, our Laboratory and Metallurgy Management department are carrying out work essential to ensuring the level of development our clients request from us.

AlCircle: Could you mention the countries to which you already export these products?

Maurizio Grisanti: Our products are available not only on the European market but also in India and Turkey, countries that have established themselves as manufacturing hubs in the industry in recent years. Obviously, our goal is also to expand our presence in other important markets and guarantee not only quality products but also technological solutions to our customers' problems.

About Maurizio Grisanti: Maurizio Grisanti, 57 years old with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, is the Commercial Director of “Forging and Casting Division” of Lucchini RS Group since 2015, coordinating the business of forgings, casting, tool steel and ingots in the development of new products and markets.

He has spent most of his carrier in different roles and responsibilities in the Stainless Steel & Forgings Business Unit of an ThyssenKrupp Group, achieving a remarkable experience in the international business of the Heavy Industry.