Standard Tech Impianti is a company founded in 1992 that has distinguished itself over the years for the construction of high-tech air treatment systems.
The company designs, manufactures in its own workshop, and installs the equipment with highly qualified personnel.
Interview with Eng. Gabriele Polese, Sales Director at Standard Tech Impianti SRL.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Gabriele Polese: The company operates exclusively in the food industry, with its most important areas of activity being the dairy, protein, and bakery sectors, where it is recognized worldwide as a leader.
E.E: What’s the news about new products/services?
G.P: If Standard Tech has always been known worldwide for the construction of aging facilities for cheeses and cured meats, in recent years, the company has also specialized in the construction of state-of-the-art turnkey clean rooms named „STERIL TECH”.
These clean rooms are high-level sanitation and hygiene areas that allow any type of food product to be sliced or packaged under the highest hygiene conditions, thereby extending the product’s shelf life.
They can be of the following types:
- Unidirectional: used for example for cooked products with high water activity, aiming to achieve 45 days of shelf life after packaging;
- Non-unidirectional: for products such as graterd cheese, fresh pasta, cured meats or raw ham with lower water activity, aiming to achieve several months of shelf life after packaging.
Both types of clean rooms share the construction of compartments with isostandard paneling in plastic-coated stainless steel or fiberglass, with completely concealed joints, stainless steel access doors constructed without sharp edges and strictly interlocked, unbreakable food-grade polycarbonate windows without sills to prevent dust accumulation, and sanitizable vertical, horizontal, and floor profiles.
The core of the system is the AHUs (Air Handling Units) made with rounded edges in stainless steel or fiberglass, equipped with automatic cleaning systems via CIP (Clean-In-Place).
According to ISO 14644 classification, they will be equipped with the necessary filtration classes, from coarser to finer filters, arranged in the correct sequence to protect the final filtration step without which the clean room cannot be considered as such: absolute filters, whether HEPA (up to class 1,000) or ULPA (for class 100).
Filters for operators are essential to allow safe access to the clean rooms and for the necessary change of clothes. Attention is also given to daily storage areas for primary packaging, which also have interlocked access and are equipped with special UVC showers for sanitizing the stationary rolls.
Lastly, each room is equipped with dynamic overpressure control to prevent external pathogens from entering the most sanitary areas through the mechanical action of the ventilation.
The clean room cannot improve the organoleptic characteristics of the product, but it is necessary to limit or eliminate all potential external sources of contamination that could compromise its quality
Another important innovation is the NEW UNIGEN PLUS®️ A++ AIR HANDLING UNITS (as mentioned previously, the real core of the system): Particular environments to be air conditioned have put Standard Tech Impianti in a position to radically revolutionize its sanitizable AHUs, to the point that company’s technical team has decided to patent them.
Single-walled monocoque and built entirely with a particular plastic material, the new UNIGEN PLUS®️ A++ air handling units are self-insulating, suitable for frequent washing with chemical agents, highly aesthetic, silent, equipped with a particular antibacterial system as well as a revolutionary system of humidification.
E.E: What are the ranges of products/services?
G.P: As described above, the company operates in the field of industrial refrigeration but, more specifically, has specialized over the years in specific air treatment technologies
E.E: What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
G.P: Standard Tech operates in a very large territory and with an equally wide range of products, so there is no specific trend, neither geographic nor sectoral.
This means that the market conditions in which we operate are highly varied. In some countries, there may be contractions in a certain sector, but perhaps many more opportunities in a parallel sector. Just to cite an example, in recent years, the dairy sector in Europe has experienced a significant slowdown due to the rise in milk prices and energy costs. Thanks to our diversification, the company’s revenue has never declined because we have been able to focus on other much more thriving sectors, such as the indutrial bread production or bakery in general.
Without a doubt, at this moment, especially in Europe, the high interest rates applied by banks are having a significant impact. More specifically, medium and small-sized producers, who need to access credit for financing, are not in an ideal position to obtain it on favorable terms. This situation is certainly hindering their ability to invest.
But on the other hand, solid companies with available capital are not hindered by this problem and therefore continue with their investment plans. Finally, in many countries, there is the possibility of obtaining non-repayable grants: in developing areas, this is a very tangible aid from which we have benefited, albeit indirectly, even in previous years before the current situation.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
G.P: Without a doubt, every producer aims to increase the shelf life of their products, standardize quality so that consumers always find the same product on the shelf, and reduce waste from the production process. It is obvious, therefore, that the market trend is to move towards installing equipment that allows achieving these objectives: Standard Tech is the ideal partner to reach these goals.
E.E: What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
G.P: As described above, clean rooms are the most innovative products marketed, followed by the “traditional” curing systems for cured meats and cheeses. Our company also supports the end customer with the help of expert technologists: this is a tangible innovation because the customer is not merely purchasing equipment to operate, but is acquiring an entire technology that will ensure the desired outcome with certainty.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2024?
G.P: We aim to improve on the excellent results achieved in previous years. Our growth has never been exponential but always rather gradual, and we are confident in consolidating it this year as well.
It is well known that in recent years, in the post-Covid period, there has been a huge shortage of qualified personnel in Europe. Our company offers its employees higher-than-average salaries as well as a series of undeniably convenient benefits to motivate them to grow and encourage to be part of the “family” for as long as possible. According to our philosophy, people are the heart of the company, and without them, it is impossible to look to the future, let alone envision any growth trend.
