New electrified power solutions from Camozzi

Camozzi Automation, part of the Camozzi Group, is a specialist designer and manufacturer of components for pneumatic systems used in automated processes. Under its Transportation division, the company is now producing a range of components which leverage similar technologies for on- and off-highway machines and rail applications.

These include fittings to support delivery of fluids and gases, including air, water, oil and grease, through to a wide selection of control valves, regulators, filters and actuators.

Solutions board presented by Camozzi at Agritechnica (Photo: Power Progress)

This know-how features across various key components, including air brakes, fuel delivery systems, engine cooling, exhaust treatment and lubrication systems, through to mobile automation. Where applicable, these use analogue or CAN bus communication in compliance with IATF-16949 and IRIS standards.

Speaking with Power Progress International, Sven Schnetzler, head of Business Development, Transportation, offered some additional explanation: “We started in the industrial automation field. This is still our major business area, but we’ve been active in the transportation sector for 30 years. This covers everything related to onboard applications across a series of vehicle classes.”

In addition to components for powertrain, body, chassis and cab applications, Camozzi develops and manufactures hardware for mobile automation. Including power take off (PTO) functions. Schnetzler: “It doesn’t end with the core vehicle. Take a chassis cab truck and add a street sweeper, a waste collection system or a fire truck pump – these are highly sophisticated applications where individual components are critical to the functionality and reliability of the vehicle.”

Robust design

Industrial automation is usually found in clean production halls, where contaminants are kept to an absolute minimum. In such areas the cylinders and actuators can operate with only minimal protection. For the vehicle and machine applications, the parts have been updated and upgraded to prevent ingress of dust and dirt to deliver an extended working lifetime in extreme conditions.

“The components are strong by design,” said Schnetzler. “But they need to be adjusted to withstand the harsh environments where they will be used.”

Sven Schnetzler, Camozzi (Photo: Power Progress)

The Transportation arm of Camozzi has a range of off-the-shelf solutions, but Schnetzler pointed out that the company is equally open to designing and producing custom components for a specific use case. For example, he noted how the company has seen considerable growth in the market for actuators used to open and close passenger doors on buses.

“There are clearly industry standards, but a lot of what we’re manufacturing is intended to meet those standards while matching the customer’s specifications. These specialised projects are really the cherry on top of the cake; the capability to produce bespoke solutions is fundamental to our business.”

Electrical power

The meeting with Camozzi took place at Agritechnica 2025, the premiere global trade fair for agricultural equipment and related implements. The agricultural market is pushing for ways to both improve sustainability and productivity to alleviate business pressures on farmers, so Schnetzler was asked what it is about Camozzi Transportation products which could deliver on either of those remits.

“Generally, we’re steering in two directions,” he replied. “One: a megatrend we’re supporting is the switchover to electrical systems. We’ve brought our electrically-driven cylinders to the show - anything which is driven using a pneumatic or hydraulic solution is now being reviewed to see if it can be powered electrically.

“Two: we’re looking at simplification of the final solution. Pneumatics are simple and reliable, but they’re limited with respect to the forces you can deliver. Hydraulics are very robust and the oil media is very efficient at translating that power. But when there are no other hydraulic systems on the vehicle other than the PTO, it adds up to a lot of onboard components for just that operation. It’s easier and more efficient to power those functions electrically. That is our proposition.”

The case for electrically-powered systems gets stronger as Schnetzler explained that the tech behind pneumatics and hydraulics was already reaching its limit. Not so with electrical systems, which offer the potential for still more efficiency.

“There’s a lot of headroom with electrical solutions,” he said. “There’s a lot of areas where we can focus efforts to deliver new levels of performance. From the physical components through to the design of the electronic PCB boards and software, Camozzi is pushing for better performance.”

This, said Schnetzler, is being supported by the development of automation tech intended to support Industry 5.0 and the internet of things (IoT). “The farmers want real-time data – with those processes developed in our Automation division, we can deliver that. On top of that, our algorithms support predictive maintenance to maximise machine uptime.”

Keeping costs in check

Every new technology comes at a price – usually an increase in part cost. Schnetzler pointed out that supporting the customer by delivering the right solution first time is important; effectively there’s no room for second chances. But additionally, he said that expertise in the field would allow “tweaking” of a customer brief to ultimately deliver the ideal component or system.

“We can start with the platforms we already have and, based on those, we can deliver a solution which is more simple and efficient. Then you have to factor in total cost of ownership. A part which works without interruption for a longer time will always return more than its initial cost.”

This carries through to other areas, such as the agricultural market; the correct solution can cut material costs by using reduced volumes of sprays and fertilizers. Additionally, an electrical actuator can drive a dosing system with precision and accuracy, all while reducing weight and power demand – even regenerative power recuperation can help to lower the energy requirement.

Schnetzler even believes that within some applications, electrical solutions will ultimately replace any other type of actuation - although the company will continue to offer a full range of components and systems to suit every customer.

“We’re working with OEMs, Tier 1 and 2 companies and body builders,” he said in closing. “We’re open to working with any company which has a project needing our expertise in electrical or pneumatic solutions, either for individual components or for delivery of a fully-integrated system.”