Fonderia Zardo

What Fonderia Zardo does

Fonderia Zardo S.p.A. is an Italian specialty foundry headquartered in Bolzano Vicentino, in the province of Vicenza (North-East Italy), founded in 1976 and operating as a privately-held Società per Azioni. The company specializes in the production of gray cast iron (EN-GJL) and spheroidal/ductile cast iron (EN-GJS) castings, with a weight range of 2 to 120 kg per piece and an installed production capacity of 20,000 tonnes per year across a 14,750 m² covered facility on a 40,000 m² total site. Production runs on two daily shifts using green sand moulding with a patented Forminpress device on SAVELLI automatic moulding lines (200 brackets/hour), induction and rotary melting furnaces, robotic manipulators, automated storage, and EIRICH/SAVELLI sand processing at 160 tonnes/hour.

The company serves six primary industrial segments — water pumps, hydraulics, reducers, lift winches, transmission, and general mechanics — with dedicated material grade specifications for each. Its offering extends beyond raw castings to include machined castings (coordinated through qualified Italian machining partners where Zardo acts as project leader), 3D rapid prototyping, co-engineering and Magmasoft-based process simulation, an in-house metallurgical laboratory, and ITACA ecosystem process monitoring and quality control. Customer engagement is sales-led and B2B-direct, with contact via a segmented website contact form, sales email, and telephone — pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

Commercial expansion is executed through a partnership model rather than full M&A. The company has formed two joint ventures: FZ INDUSTRIES SPA (February 2022, with Ferropol Coating Srl, for sandblasting/inspection/painting/packing/shipping) and FZ DANUSO SRL (April 2025, with Danuso Srl, for core production targeting the hydraulic market). The company maintains ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, AD 2000, and Green Energy certifications, all renewed or obtained within the 2024-2025 window, with operating geography limited to Italy and Europe.

Name

Fonderia Zardo

Legal name

Fonderia Zardo S.p.A.

Website

https://fonderiazardo.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fonderia Zardo S.p.A. is a privately-held Italian foundry, founded in 1976 in Bolzano Vicentino, specializing in gray and spheroidal cast iron castings (2-120 kg, 20,000 tonnes/year capacity) for industrial sectors including water pumps, hydraulics, reducers, lift winches, transmission, and general mechanics, with sales-led B2B distribution across Italy and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vicenza

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Raw Castings Production: Production and sale of raw gray and spheroidal cast iron castings for industrial applications, ranging from 2 to 120 kg per piece
2. Machined Castings: Precision machined castings through qualified Italian partner workshops, provided as project leader (capo commessa)
3. Co-engineering Services: Technical assistance from planning stage using Magmasoft simulation to foresee final results and optimize casting solutions
4. 3D Prototyping Services: Rapid prototyping using 3D printing for patterns and cores, enabling short-time operational cast iron production

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Fonderia Zardo is an Italian foundry specializing in the production of raw and machined castings in gray cast iron and spheroidal cast iron, with pieces ranging from 2 to 120 kg and an annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes. The company supplies industrial sectors including transmissions, water pumps, reducers, hydraulics, lifting winches, and general mechanics, offering integrated services such as co-engineering, 3D prototyping, core shop, machining, quality control, and metallurgical laboratory testing.

Product overview

Fonderia Zardo is an Italian foundry specializing in gray cast iron and spheroidal cast iron castings from 2 to 120 kg, with annual production capacity of 20,000 tonnes. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products across six industrial sectors (water pumps, hydraulics, reducers, lift winches, transmission, and general mechanics) along with integrated services including 3D prototyping, core shop, machining operations, co-engineering with Magmasoft simulation, quality control with ITACA software ecosystem, metallurgical laboratory testing, and production monitoring. The foundry operates automated SAVELLI moulding plants producing 200 brackets per hour with two-shift operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Pump Castings Custom gray cast iron (EN-GJL-150 to EN-GJL-250) and spheroidal cast iron (EN-GJS-400-15) castings for industrial water pumps, including pump casings, impellers, holders, and pump jet covers, supplied to water pump OEMs.
• Hydraulics Castings Castings for the hydraulics industry including hydraulic distributors, engine covers, and pump casings in EN-GJL-300 gray cast iron and EN-GJS-500-7, EN-GJS-600-3, EN-GJS-700-2, and EN-GJS-400-15 spheroidal cast iron.
• Reducers Castings Spheroidal cast iron power transmission reducers and planetary carriers for industrial gearbox manufacturers, available in grades EN-GJS-400-15, EN-GJS-450-15, EN-GJS-500-7, EN-GJS-600-3, and EN-GJS-700-2.
• Lift Winches Castings Heavy-duty castings for lifting applications including winches, pulleys, flywheels, and motor casings in EN-GJL-250 gray cast iron and EN-GJS-500-7 and EN-GJS-600-3 spheroidal cast iron.
• Transmission Castings Drivetrain transmission components including supports, arms, and forks in EN-GJS-400-15, EN-GJS-450-15, EN-GJS-500-7, EN-GJS-600-3, and EN-GJS-700-2 spheroidal cast iron grades.
• General Mechanics Castings Custom gray and spheroidal cast iron castings for general mechanical applications and industries, including flanges, fan holders, and other mechanical components.
• 3D Prototyping Service Rapid prototyping service enabling short-time operational cast iron production from 3D projects, using 3D printing for patterns and cores production with laser sand sintering technology.
• Core Shop Service Core production service delivered through selected Italian and European suppliers, specializing in hydraulic parts with complex cores and mass-production cores produced and painted using anthropomorphic robots for speed and reproducibility.
• Machining Operations Service Precision machining operations on castings performed through qualified Italian machining shops equipped with technologically advanced working stations, delivered as a complete project-leader service.
• Co-engineering and Simulation Service Technical co-engineering assistance from the planning stage using Magmasoft software to simulate and optimize metallurgical processes including filling, solidification, cooling, mechanical processing, and heat treatment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000 tonnes/year production capacity maintained with quality consistency
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Danuso SrlcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2025Joint venture FZ DANUSO SRL created between Fonderia Zardo SPA and Danuso Srl (one of the leading core producers in Italy with over 40 years of experience). This partnership allows Fonderia Zardo to support the hydraulic market through Danuso's core manufacturing expertise.
• Ferropol Coating SrlcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Joint venture FZ INDUSTRIES SPA created between Fonderia Zardo Spa and Ferropol Coating Srl. New company located in San Felice sul Panaro (MO) with purpose of sandblasting, inspection, painting, packing and shipping of cast iron castings. Operational from February 1, 2022.
• Italian and European Core ShopsminorOthersSelected and qualified core suppliers producing cores according to Fonderia Zardo specifications. Monitored through supplier audits and incoming material inspections. Specialize in hydraulic parts and complex cores for mass production with anthropomorphic robot capabilities.
• Italian Machining WorkshopsminorOthersQualified Italian machining shops selected by Fonderia Zardo for precision machining operations on castings. Equipped with technologically advanced working stations ensuring high quality machining operations. Fonderia Zardo acts as project leader coordinating these partners.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Waupaca Foundry: Largest iron foundry in North America producing gray and ductile iron castings for automotive, agricultural, and industrial markets. Comparable to Fonderia Zardo in materials, product types, and process capabilities, but operates in a different geography.

Direct peers

• Eisenwerk Erla: German iron foundry in Saxony producing gray and ductile iron castings for industrial machinery, drive technology, and hydraulics. Comparable to Fonderia Zardo in iron casting capabilities, customer base, and B2B industrial sales model.
• Zanardi Fonderie: Italian iron foundry based in Minerbe (Verona) producing gray and ductile iron castings for industrial sectors including pumps, hydraulics, and power transmission. Highly comparable to Fonderia Zardo in geography, materials, process, and target customer base.
• Silbitz Group: German iron foundry group with operations in Thuringia producing hand-moulded and machine-moulded cast iron components (gray and ductile) for automotive, machinery, hydraulics, and rail. Comparable to Fonderia Zardo in materials, casting technologies, and target industrial segments.
• Teksid: One of Italy's largest iron foundries (Carmagnola, Turin), historically part of the Fiat/Stellantis group, producing gray and ductile iron castings primarily for automotive and industrial applications. Directly comparable to Fonderia Zardo in materials and processes, though operating at materially larger scale.

Others

• SAVELLI Group: Italian manufacturer of automatic moulding machines and turnkey foundry plants; Fonderia Zardo operates SAVELLI automatic moulding equipment in its production. Comparable as a key equipment supplier enabling Zardo's iron casting operations.
• MAGMA Giessereitechnologie: German provider of Magmasoft metallurgical simulation software used by iron foundries for filling, solidification, and cooling simulation. Fonderia Zardo explicitly uses Magmasoft for co-engineering. Comparable as a critical software/technology enabler for iron casting operations.
• Norican Group (DISA): Global foundry equipment group (DISA, Wheelabrator, Italpresse) supplying moulding, shot-blasting, and finishing equipment to iron foundries. Comparable to Fonderia Zardo as a major equipment vendor serving the same iron foundry customer base.
• ASK Chemicals: Global supplier headquartered in Germany of foundry consumables (binders, coatings, feeders, filters) used by iron foundries. Comparable to Fonderia Zardo as a key upstream ecosystem partner supplying consumables to iron casting operations.
• Foseco (Vesuvius): Global supplier (part of Vesuvius plc) of foundry consumables, metallurgical products, and digital software for foundries including iron casting operations. Comparable to Fonderia Zardo as an upstream consumables partner in the iron foundry value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fonderia-zardo---s.p.a.

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fonderia Zardo