ELCHI’s production plant in Canegrate (30 km north-west of Milan) has been operating since 1973.
At that time the company was smaller and had fewer production lines: it began by supplying phenolic-resin moulding material to its affiliate SMI in Cervignano d’Adda, near Lodi.
SMI had started its own business in 1962, thanks to the entrepreneurial initiative of engineer Renato Fantini. SMI has always built its business around the manufacture of plastic or rubber parts for the gas and fuel meter sector.
Among SMI’s various product lines, the manufacture of the so-called “heart” of the meter has always been of great importance: two parts made of thermosetting material, based on phenolic resin with mineral fillers, which slide against each other and allow the quantity of fluid (gas or fuel) passing through the meter to be measured.
ELCHI’s expertise therefore began with this particular family of products called DELGRA, which over time has been joined by others for many different applications:
DELCHI, based on phenolic resin (PF)
ELCAM, based on melamine resin (MF)
POLDUR, based on polyester resin (UP)
From 2000 onwards, ELCHI also began producing moulded products certified by UL (Underwriters Laboratories) as suitable for electrical use, with particular flame-retardant characteristics:
DURALITE (PF)
MELCAM (MF)
POLYDUR (UP)
The last 10-15 years have seen ELCHI emerge at European level among producers of thermosetting resin-based materials. Production capacity has grown to the current 3,000 tonnes/year, the result of a dynamic company ready to meet its customers’ needs, with particular attention to Quality.
ELCHI is part of an internationally developed group, while remaining a firmly family-owned company: members of the Fantini family are still directly involved and responsible at various levels (technical/commercial/production) in our production cycle.