Looking back you can connect the dots that make up the genesis of changeToday, perhaps, we are too close to the mountain to understand its colossal dimensions. Greentech is the new production process introduced by Selle Italia which is revolutionizing the way we understand industrial production. Low environmental impact, eco-sustainable and economical. Exactly, because the advantages this technology has brought to light are 100% aimed at the environment and at the same time directly benefit the consumer's wallet.
This industrial innovation involved the saddle line Model X which has been two years since its launch. A well-defined attack range. Don't call it entry level, because only the price is in this range. We were lucky enough to talk about it with Enrico Grando, Marketing Manager and Enrico Andreola, Product Manager, who accompanied us through this “small” industrial renaissance.
What is Greentech?
Greentech is an automated process, entirely developed in Veneto by Selle Italia in 2020, which allows us to obtain saddles for everyone with a low environmental impact. The production process involves the assembly of the three components of the saddle mechanically, without any use of glues, solvents or other polluting substances. Furthermore, production waste is reintroduced and used in the production cycle itself, thus avoiding the generation of further waste. All the companies involved in the production of Greentech saddles are located in an area of 15 kilometers from the Selle Italia headquarters, once again reducing CO emissions2 related to transport and logistics.
From this production process, the saddle line was born in 2021 Model X. The first two models were Model X (54,90 euros) e Model X Comfort Plus (64,90 euros) The latest addition to this family is the Model X Leaf, launched in May 2022. Price of 59,90 euros.
Birth and change of mentality
Changes in a company's direction sometimes require years of research and don't always yield the desired results. Selle Italia's stimulating and forward-thinking environment first sparked the idea, and then brought it to fruition thanks to a clear intuition.
«One of the most important aspects of the birth of this technology that we rarely talk about – says Grando – is the fact that the idea came from President Giuseppe Bigolin himselfSuch an innovative and futuristic idea came from an 82-year-old: it's right to give him credit for it to show what kind of person he is.
«The first important thing – explains the Marketing Manager – is that we have brought an innovative process to a low-end saddleThis demonstrates that innovation and sustainability can be applied to any product, regardless of its type. We've typically worked on high-end innovation, with high costs and long production cycles. Bringing it to a high-end attack saddle isn't trivial. We are proud to have succeeded in applying the concept of environmental sustainability with ecological but also economic support.
«The second is the one that makes me most proud. The Model X with Greentech technology has led to a change of mindset In the company. We are a product-centric company, having been making saddles for 125 years, and we are extremely verticalized. We started from the product and then changed at the corporate level as a thought and way of understanding everything that today's world asks of us and for which it is necessary to start a process of change".
Made in Treviso
If more and more people are knocking on the door, it probably means you're going in the right direction. Selle Italia, as a trailblazer, knows that the writing on the wall “Patent Pending” it is a certificate of merit whose development we must carry forward with our heads held high.
«This technology – explains Andreola – is enjoying global success and interest from all companies, which confirms that we're on the right track. However, it's a patented process that we're holding on to and will continue to improve from now on.
«Giuseppe Bigolin wanted a saddle – says the Product Manager – that was eco-sustainable but also economical, which would therefore start innovation from the bottom of the range and not always from the top. The process was neither quick nor trivial. We started from the raw material, from plastic granules of the same type, of various shapes, and from steel tubes to make rails. The production cycle is therefore contained within a limited number of companies, which ensures that the impact in terms of transportation and emissions is even lower. We are proud that this Greentech technology is not Made in Italy, not Made in Veneto, but one could even say that it is Made in Treviso».
Total recycling
The phenomenon of greenwashing is unfortunately increasingly prevalent in a society that must act as quickly as possible to avert the threat of global warming. When it comes to Greentech, this phenomenon is swept away by the facts at every stage of production.
«Using the same plastic bags – explains Andreola – completely reusableBy tearing off the rails, you can shred and remake the same saddle. There are no solvents or glues that alter its composition. Therefore, it is 100% recyclable. Glue is not necessary, because the materials are chemically compatible, being of the same nature. Often, to recycle other saddles, separation processes require effort and complicated steps. In this case, only a thermal process can separate the parts, making these exponentially reusable materials.
"To achieve the creation of any product," he continues, "you go through a very high number of attempts. In this case, simply to fine-tune this product every time we decided to redo it. we ground the material, separating it from the rail and started again from scratchThe absence of waste is what makes the whole process even more sustainable. If we produce 10.000 saddles, all the material is used for the production process, there is no waste material. Nowadays this is a very important result."
Complete automatizzato
Automation has brought countless benefits in 2022: safety, savings, quality, and reliability. This is why Selle Italia decided that achieving robotic autonomy would be the cornerstone of Greentech technology.
«The Greentech process – says Andreola – it is fully automatedThere's an operator who supervises a machine and an operator who moves the product trolleys between departments. The process is completely automated. Given the labor required, our competitors are often forced to move production to the Far East, leading to a labor-saving outsourcing. on the other side of the world where the costs are lower.
«What makes these saddles – he concludes – eco-friendly and economical is that automation is actually pushed to the maximum level. Savings also come from the energy used which has a constant flow once the production cycle is underway. Adding self-production of energy with renewable systems makes everything more sustainable. It's no secret that we're thinking about applications on other ranges. Something's cooking."
