Meet our Member: CARCO – Committed to wind power
Long life rubber seals for wind power
CARCO – Precision Rubber Products Srl (CARCO) is a manufacturer of sealing solutions for critical applications with headquarter in Italy. More than 20 years ago, the company delivered the first Carcoseal® radial lip seals to a well-known producer of main bearings for wind turbines. This was the starting point for CARCO in the world of wind power.
Today, wind power is a large portion of their business, and the growing size of the wind turbines pushed CARCO to invest in the biggest press in the world for the vulcanization of rubber seals together with a giant CNC lathe machine that produces large thermoplastic seals.
CARCO has become a group of companies with facilities and offices in Europe and North America, offering excellence in seal technology for virtually any kind of applications and delivering their seals worldwide.
A great opportunity to improve their image in the wind industry
The company started implementing APQP4Wind last year in several departments at their manufacturing facilities in Italy and is now fully involved in APQP4Wind.
After having completed Specialist Training and Management Awareness Training, several CARCO employees are now certified APQP4Wind users. To further prove their dedication to wind power and utilize the opportunity to improve their image in the market further, CARCO decided that an APQP4Wind membership was the natural next step. Business Development Manager at CARCO, Roberto Ceppi says:
“Our customers, who produce wind turbines and large bearings, have appreciated CARCO’s engagement in delivering high-end sealing solutions customized for the wind industry with the support of the APQP4Wind concept.
Conscious decision-making
The main bearings of most offshore turbines are sealed with Carcoseal®. Recently, the company delivered seals exceeding a diameter of 4 meters for one of the biggest wind turbines worldwide.
CARCO is conscious of the great responsibility associated with the seal performance in the nacelle as the unwanted leakage of lubricant can severely damage the bearings and lead to potentially catastrophic consequences – especially, when the wind turbine generators are located offshore and the cost of maintenance is much higher than with onshore generators.
Roberto Ceppi expresses that the implementation of APQP4Wind is important for a manufacturer of sealing solutions because wind power has rapidly become one of CARCO’s most strategical markets. CARCO’s seals contribute to the protection of large rotary parts in the nacelle and the clear guidelines offered by APQP4Wind ensure reduction of the overall maintenance costs of wind turbine generators and prevention of severe damage.
The need for a common language
The engineers at CARCO design seals that are customized for the requirements of the OEMs, while the salesmen at CARCO talk directly to the customers from the local CARCO sales office or through a network of seal specialists. Additionally, the company organizes webinars for the customers’ engineers to explain the responsibility of the seal and the principles of the seal technology.
Here, CARCO has benefitted from APQP4Wind as it enables them to speak the language of the customers more and more and to keep up with their requirements, says the General Manager at CARCO, Bruno Lorenzi:
“Our products are key components in the wind turbine generators. We cannot compromise on quality and product reliability, and because APQP4Wind helps avoid misinterpretations, we had no doubts that we had to be part of APQP4Wind as soon as we became aware of the concept.
A bright green future
Wind power plays an important role in the transition from fossil to renewable energy. An increasing amount of wind turbines are being installed on all continents. As wind parks require maintenance, CARCO cooperates with their customers to replace leaking seals on site.
Specifically, the bonding technology developed by the company and adapted to the narrow space in the nacelle ensures that the CARCO staff can fix problems in a short time. Roberto Ceppi is excited to be part of a fast-developing market and the production of green energy with the support of APQP4Wind:
“It is great to be part of the renewable energy sector. We look at the coming years with a very positive feeling. Becoming an APQP4Wind member is an important step to make sure that CARCO can satisfy the specific requirements related to wind power.
Does your company also want to take the lead as an APQP4Wind Company Member and advance your business, career, and the industry like CARCO?
Get involved and become a vital part of the development of APQP4Wind by signing up for a Company Membership. Find the form on the website under Become a Company Member or contact the Secretariat at contact@apqp4wind.org.
Core business: A global seal supplier covering a variety of seal profiles and materials, from fabric-reinforced elastomers to thermoplastic polymers.
Global presence: Headquarter is in Italy. Other sales offices are in Germany, France, USA and China, and manufacturing facilities are in Italy and USA.
Employees: 100+