"We got some hard stone chips and pieces of wood against the windscreen. No problem!"
For us at Hammerglass, it's important to visit our end customers to see how our products contribute to their better everyday working lives. So when we finally had the opportunity to visit Alfeo De Franceschi's small Italian family business, together with local Hitachi dealer Salomoni Srl, we were happy to brave the elements.
Friuli Venezia Giulia is only an hour's drive from Venice, but there is no sign of the many tourists in the canal city, as the Hammerglass team discovers as they drive through fog and steady rain towards the village of Paluzza, about 70 km north of Udine. At the wheel is our own Italian tour guide, Roberto Agostoni, Sales Manager for Hammerglass Security Solutions in Southern Europe.
- Every time I have the opportunity to show Hammerglass to a new potential customer, I am fascinated by the material and realise that there is a need in the industry for this type of security. That's why I have such an important job, which is to disseminate information about Hammerglass and show the alternatives on the market to conventional glass. Options that are safer for the driver and contribute to better operational economy. No manager wants expensive downtime, but if you don't know about other solutions, it's easy to replace the broken glass again with the same type of product," he says. And that only leads to a negative cycle.
Alfeo De Franceschi is a Hitachi customer in Friuli, and both he and his son have been fans of Hammerglass for some time. Their brand new machine, a Hitachi ZX 135 US, is equipped with our RABS solution and they are currently preparing to construct a new building in the village.
Tell us what is to be built here?
- First we were entrusted with the demolition of an old building, and now we are preparing the foundation for a new industrial hall.
What has been your experience so far with choosing Hammerglass RABS?
- We are very happy with the decision to buy this new machine, especially because this solution means we don't need a metal grille and still feel safer. We have also done some other small demolition work, some construction work and some forestry work, and got some hard stone chips and pieces of wood against the front windscreen.
"RABS is an excellent alternative to the FOGS metal mesh".
Riccardo Salomoni, Hitachi dealer, what do you think of the Hammerglass product range and what feedback have you received from customers?
- All customers to whom we have sold Hammerglass solutions in combination with Hitachi machines (both excavators and wheel loaders) are extremely happy and satisfied with the safety, durability and good visibility of the grids. At Salomoni Srl we believe that RABS is an excellent alternative to the FOGS metal grille.
Roberto, what do you think about how Hammerglass can contribute to a small family business like this compared to a big one?
- Choosing Hammerglass as a replacement for the original glass or for the special RABS systems allows small companies like Alfeo De Franceschi to meet all legal safety requirements while having shatterproof glass and avoiding expensive downtime - a crucial factor when planning urgent projects and always struggling with deadlines.